Rating: 
Summary: A wonderfully terrible book
Review: I just finished the book this morning after reading much of the night. My own process connected perfectly with the empathy of the characters, their blights, dreams, fears, and the resoltion of what happened to them. That empathy hit me in a place where I wept for myself and the characters of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: A little more historical needed to go with the fiction
Review: I thought the author could have researched the period a little more. I felt that Greit could have just as easily lived in the early days of America from the few details given of "Delft" life. Other than Vermeer and Greit making eyes at each other, I didn't see the attraction between them and by the end I really didn't care much what happened to either.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: There is only one word to describe this book, and that would be classic. With accurate depictions of a young girl's thoughts and feelings this book is sure to keep you reading. I highly recommend this book to all women, expecially teenagers. Enjoy!
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Summary: The Colors Of A Maiden's Heart
Review: Griet, a 16 year old girl, narrates her two years as maid and assistant to Johannes Vermeer, Dutch 'Golden Age' Master. During her tumultuous experience in his household, Griet becomes the subject of his most famous portrait, "Girl With A Pearl Earring."Author Tracy Chevalier is also a Master, painting the emotions of Griet with soft sensuous strokes mixed with bold brushes of self-discovery. Chevalier develops vivid characters, especially the artist's wife and mother-in-law. Vermeer, is a quiet genius, but the short spurts of his voice and the movement of his eyes provide the canvas for Griet's emotions. This novel is moderate in length, but I gladly would have enjoyed twice as many pages. Chevalier leaves us staring at the painting, wondering -- as she did -- what further adventures awaited the "Girl With A Pearl Earring".
Rating:
Summary: a novel, almost as beautiful as the painting
Review: Girl with a Pearl Earring is an outstanding novel written by Tracy Chevalier.
Griet is an observant, wary, and thoughtful 16 year-old Dutch girl. She becomes a maid for the painted Johannes Vermeer when her blind father can no longer work. Griet must do harsh housechores as well as clean her master's studio. She must clean the studio very carefully and meticulously, since she has to put each object exactly in the position they were before so it looks as though it wasn't disturbed.
Griet finds it difficult to find her place in the large household of five children, another maid, Johannes Vermeer and his strict and jealousy wife Catharina, and Catharina's keen and sharp mother Maria Thins. However, she begins to receive attention from her quiet master, Vermeer. She begins to understand her master more and more as she sees his paintings. And finally Vermeer decides that he will paint Griet, the painting that has now become so famous and widely known among the world today. This is probably a quite easy read for all you avid readers out there, however it is still deep in its meaning and very poignant and delicate.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. You won't be ble to stop reading it! (I finished it in one day!)
Rating:
Summary: interesting
Review: chevalier does an excellent job portraying the heroine, greit. the book remains interesting throughout. i enjoyed it. it was an interesting way to view a painting. i kept flipping to the cover to see greit in order to fully visualize her. i thought it was very well written and certainly readable without a dull moment throughout. i found myself fascinated and read whenever i got a spare moment. girl with a pearl earring is definitely worth anyone's time.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Subtle
Review: "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is a prime and shining example of intelligent writing. Chevalier portrays the main character, Griet, so indirectly it's like God is telling the story. Griet is by far the most striking, and believable characters I have ever encountered in my years of reading. And through Griet, we encounter the mysterious genius of Vermeer. This story does not require a complicated or exciting plot to hook the reader. It breaks the fundamental rules of grammar school story telling, but Chevalier pulls this off with amazing grace and stunning detail. A beautiful and captivating read that will sick with you!
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable book
Review: Girl With a Pearl Earring is an interesting fictional account of the life of a maid, Griet, as she works for the painter Vermeer and his household. Even though I am not familiar with the painting or Vermeer, I've learned about some of his paintings and his favorite subject matters. This book will especially interest you if you are a history buff or an art lover. Griet tells the story in first person. You feel her pain, her fear, her insecurities and her frustrations. Her family forces her into servanthood after her father is stricken blind in a kiln accident. She goes to work for the painter Vermeer. Even though he is the man of the house, it is clear he does not run the house. His wife, Catharina, and his mother-in-law, Maria Thins, are the true overseers of the house. Catharina is perpetually pregnant, and the house is full of little girls. One in particular, Cornilia, proves to be a handful. The book educates the reader as it describes the life of a maid in the 17th century, as well as some of the notions and the culture of 17th century Holland. I would have liked for the book to be longer, but the book is the perfect length for the story lines that are developed. All of the story lines are completed, and I didn't find myself wanting to know more about certain characters. I look forward to reading Tracy Chevalier's other works.
Rating:
Summary: A richly painted novel
Review: The reader will find themselves drawn into this finely spun story, richly lavished on pages you can't help but turn quickly.I appreciated the main character keeping her dignity, and the book not turning into another good-girl-gone-wrong story. Bravo!More!
Rating: 
Summary: Griet knows everything at the beginning. What's to learn?
Review: There is no journey worth sticking around to learn about. This narrator is so wise, and just keeps moving on, knowing everyone's motives at the start. She isn't interesting, this is a very placcid, superficial read. Her ability leave her family so easily wasn't real and fit right into another world. Very disappointing read.
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