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Girl With a Pearl Earring

(Wheeler Large Print Book Series)

By Tracy Chevalier

(436)

| Paperback | 9781568951867

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Book Description

A beguiling story about artistic vision and sensual depth that eerily and eloquently re-creates the feeling of the famous painting that inspired it

In seventeenth-century Delft, there's a strict social order-rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant, master and servant-and all know their place. Continue

A beguiling story about artistic vision and sensual depth that eerily and eloquently re-creates the feeling of the famous painting that inspired it

In seventeenth-century Delft, there's a strict social order-rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant, master and servant-and all know their place. When Griet becomes a maid in the household of the painter Johannes Vermeer, she thinks she knows her role: housework, laundry, and the care of his six children. She even feels able to handle his shrewd mother-in-law; his restless, sensual wife; and their jealous servant. What no one expects is that Griet's quiet manner, quick perceptions, and fascination with her master's paintings will draw her inexorably into his world. Their growing intimacy sparks whispers; and when Vermeer paints her wearing his wife's pearl earrings, the gossip escalates into a full-blown scandal that irrevocably changes Griet's life.

Written with the precision and focus of an Old Master painting, Girl With a Pearl Earring is a vivid portrait of colorful seventeenth-century Delft, as well as the hauntingly poignant story of one young girl's rite of passage.

"Beautifully written, mysterious, and almost unbearably poignant . . . I read it with a book of Vermeer's paintings beside me and it was a magical experience to glance from one to the other."-Deborah Moggach, author of Tulip Fever

Critics

  • 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' by Tracy Chevalier

    Set in 17th century Holland, this novel tells the story of a young Protestant girl, Griet, who becomes a maid in the household of artist and Delft School member Johannes Vermeer. Griet, who struggles to understand her place in this strange new Cathol ... (read full critics)

    readingmatters published on Mon, 27 Sep 2010

17 Reviews

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  • 1 person find this helpful

    The movie, though not so detailed as the novel, is rich in colors and vivid in visual description. Besides, the restrained passion is fascinating.

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    James Chen said on Jan 9, 2008 | Add your feedback

  • The grudges between females are mundane and trivial, but the paintings are so beautiful that they simply attract you into a different world.

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    ausone said on Nov 29, 2011 | Add your feedback

  • *** This comment contains spoilers! ***

    I had already seen the film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth and loved it. Having already seen the film sometimes makes it easier to read the book as you can visualise the characters as you read along. Fortunately the film script is pretty close to the book.
    I loved the book. Ms Cheval ... (continue)

    I had already seen the film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth and loved it. Having already seen the film sometimes makes it easier to read the book as you can visualise the characters as you read along. Fortunately the film script is pretty close to the book.
    I loved the book. Ms Chevalier's descriptive storytelling and wonderful characterisations gave the reader a real flavour of the difficulties the young Griet faced in that household. Maria Thins although quite the matriarch had a softer side, even if misguidedly helping Griet and the master. However, at the end she could not do what she should have done for fear of disgrace in being an accomplice. Catherina, Cordelia and Van Ruijven were the enemy who made life difficult for Griet and inevitably brought about her disgrace. Griet was a pawn in a game. Vermeer's wife was literally a wife to bear his many children. Griet obviously a very pretty young girl, caught not only Vermeer's eye but he was the one who pursued asking her to mix his paints, stand in for him when his models were not available and in the end pose for him wearing his wife's pearl earrings. This book reminds us of the difficulties young maid's faced when working in the household's of the wealthy. In reality, many must have fallen at the hands of their master in one way or another.

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    Booketta said on Sep 19, 2011 | Add your feedback

  • Just great to go into the imaginary story behind this famous painting! I've always been a fan of the Dutch painters from the early renaissance and on. fabulous!

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    Nini said on May 24, 2011 | Add your feedback

  • Not very convincing. Perhaps our heroine is a little too perceptive and sensitive, so that made her a bit too unreal for me.

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    Linda said on Mar 10, 2011 | Add your feedback

  • I recently re-read The Lady and the Unicorn and wasn't really happy about it, so I've started re-reading this one with a bit of fear of disappointment.
    Luckily, though it didn't strike me as amazing like the first time I read it, I still liked it enough to not be disappointed.
    I suppose the main dif ... (continue)

    I recently re-read The Lady and the Unicorn and wasn't really happy about it, so I've started re-reading this one with a bit of fear of disappointment.
    Luckily, though it didn't strike me as amazing like the first time I read it, I still liked it enough to not be disappointed.
    I suppose the main difference is that I really like Griet, while I didn't particularly like any of the major characters in The Lady and the Unicorn.
    Tracy Chevalier might not be one of my favourite authors anymore, but this book restored my faith in her enough that I now actually want to read the other two books by her that I have in my to-read stack XD

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    Mag said on Dec 15, 2010 | Add your feedback

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9781568951867 Paperback $12.95 -- The Book Depository
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