Rating: 
Summary: almost as entrancing as the painting itself
Review: Girl with a Pearl Earring has climbed right up there on my favroite novels list. In this gem Tracy Chevalier follows Griet, a young maid in Holland in the 1660s. Her writing is smoothe and subtle. When reading it you feel as though you are touching and seeing things through Griet's eyes. What moved me the most was her description of Johannes Vermeer's art and his process of meticulous planning and painting. After reading the novel I looked up some of his paintings online and I could not draw my eyes away from them. I highly reccomend this novel for a long afternoon where one can allow themselves to be taken by the words and truely fall into the story as it unfolds.
Rating:
Summary: Want to love a sophisticated book, no effort required?
Review: I didn't realize how much I had enjoyed reading *Girl with a Pearl Earring* until I had finished the last page, closed the book, and saw that there wasn't any more of it to read. It seduced my attention in such small steps that I hadn't noticed what Tracy Chevalier had accomplished: this is not just an interesting story about a painting, it is a stunning portrait in itself. To borrow a phrase from a high school teacher of mine, Tracy Chevalier could write about opening a box of cereal, and it would still be the most interesting thing you have read in a month. I read in a review on this website that *Pearl Earring* was a "surprisingly good read" despite its lack of plot and abundance of "uninteresting" and "unpleasant" characters. This description also suggests what the reviewer thinks would comprise an UNsurprisingly good book - lots of plot and pleasant characters? What fun would that be? The reason this reviewer thought the book was good _anyway_ is because Chevalier managed to break through his or her preconception that "good" means "a lot of cool stuff is going on." In Griet, Griet's family, and Griet's employers, Chevalier has created a wonderfully detailed and intelligent possible world where works of art may be created. After reading this book (in two days flat, by the way - I did not want to stop reading), I wanted to thank Chevalier for changing the way I could admire a painting. Vermeer was in the book, yes. All the little facts were correct, and historic Delft was presented plague, market, art patrons and all. But in the end, I only really cared about the girl - the girl who could read the people around her with only a glance, who knew that respectable women did not appear open-mouthed in portraits, who could see without being told what is missing in a small, dark spot of canvas, and who could find comfort in a small square of Delft tile made by her poor father when forced to live apart from him. If you are interested in this sort of an exercise in historical fiction, I highly recommend this book. And if you're wondering how a slow, quiet story without a plot can be enjoyable, read it and let Chevalier surprise you.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting and inventive
Review: A simple story that brought you back to experience what life must have been first hand for those less well off. Also, made me think about how, for some including Vermeer, art was a way for them to make a living - not just a past time or secondary pursuit. Well written. Can see how hollywood grabbed it up.
Rating:
Summary: Vermeer, Johansson and A Pearl Earring.
Review: Just finished reading "The Girl With A Pearl Earring." I was given this book as a gift by Lora Abbey on my birthday a few years back. I'm remember reading the first page or two, then shelving it at the time for some unknown reason. Now here, years later, having recently seen Scarlett Johansson in "Lost in Translation" and falling in love with her, I am looking forward to her new movie, "The Girl With A Pearl Earring." So I gave the book another chance. Have you ever been mesmerized by a smouldering fire, unable to look away, drawn by the warmth and the colors, lingering long after your hands and face have warmed to the point of being hot to touch? Reading this book was like that for me. I simply could not put it down, even though I knew I had deadlines at work and bills to pay, and I was behind in my exercise regimen and --well you get the gist. Author Tracy Chevalier takes the reader into the world of a seventeenth century painting. I can only imagine how many hours she spent researching the life of the Dutch painter Vermeer and even more hours actively imagining the story of the girl in the painting. And I am so glad she did. I learned not only about the tedious, almost spiritual process of creating a master painting, but also about the culture of the seventeenth century in Dutchland. The love story was appropriate for the time, yet gave me more tingles and chills than a modern day hot and sexy novel. The writing was entirely from the view of Griet, the teenaged girl in the painting, thus it was simply written and filled with just-under-the-skin emotion. What an on-target choice Scarlett Johannson is for Griet. I can't wait to see the dimension she brings to this character. I've seen the trailer, and it does seem to follow the book carefully. I hope I'm right. Read this book, and you will have opened up your awareness of the painting, and it will take your breath away. Kudos, Ms. Chevalier and a belated thank you, Lora Abbey, for a wonderful gift.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: This is a stunningly beautiful book, one of the best I have read in a long while. Chevalier has created a heroine who is at once a hopeless underdog and a certain champion. Griet is both an engaging narrator and a loveable character. Vermeer's character is drawn less descriptively but nonetheless equally fascinating. He is shown as a masterful artist and also as a human being. The novel builds with a steady, powerful tension despite the fact that we all can guess what is going to happen. I loved the descriptions of Vermeer's painting process. The scenes in which he is studying and drawing Griet are sensual and smartly written. I found myself flipping back to the front cover of the book to study the painting as I read about its creation. Everything is there, exactly as Chevalier describes it in her story. The folds and shadows of the cloth in her hair, the wetness of her lips, the expression on her face as she turns to look over her shoulder, the faint glow in her eye as it catches the light of the earring, and of course the pearl earring itself. With each element that is added in the story, the painting on the cover becomes more and more real.
Rating:
Summary: A whole new way to see painting
Review: Just as artist Vermeer teaches the family maid, Griet, so see painting in a whole new way, this wonderful historical fiction novel will also do the same for you. While reading, I kept flipping back to the cover and could see and understand more and more about the painting and this girl, who, although fictional, seems so real. Luckily for the author, apparently almost nothing is known about Vermeer, so she was able to create this wonderful story of his life and the life of Griet in 17th century Delft. This is a brilliant novel with great "artistic" merit.
Rating:
Summary: A maid set free
Review: I was sucked into the world of Griet from the first sentence I read.... I truely enjoy it. Its a piece of art as Vermeer's painting!
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good!
Review: Taken one element at a time, this book has little to recommend it. The plot is very thin. The characters are for the most part either uninteresting or unpleasant. There is no action and little dialog. Yet, somehow these elements combine to make a surprisingly good -- even great -- book. Part of the credit goes to the writing and part to the innovative and imaginative concept. I can just picture the author looking at Vermeer's painting and wondering, who was she? We've all done that. Yet, Tracy Chevalier went a step further and created a possible reality that rings true while never pretending to be anything but imaginings. An incredible accomplishment. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at a Vermeer painting without thinking of this book.
Rating:
Summary: good for all
Review: I am a 20 something year old man and i loved this book. The movie is great too and it is intersteing to note the differences between them. Both my parents loved this book and I think it is not only a good story but intersting to get into the mind of a famous painter.
Rating:
Summary: Very absorbing read
Review: I think Tracy Chevalier has imagined an interesting and plausible story here. Her writing style is engaging, her research excellent, and this story really does take you back in time. I would imagine this sort of novel was no small feat to pull off, and Chevalier pulls it off admirably. I recently saw the movie version, and was surprised to find that the movie is even better than the book. I didn't see how this book would translate well to film, but it absolutely did.
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