The New York Times bestselling novel by the author of Remarkable Creatures and The Last Runaway Translated into thirty-nine languages and made into an Oscar-nominated film, starring Scarlett Johanson and Colin Firth
Tracy Chevalier transports readers to a bygone time and place in this richly-imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired one of Vermeer’s most celebrated paintings.
… inspired one of Vermeer’s most celebrated paintings.
History and fiction merge seamlessly in this luminous novel about artistic vision and sensual awakening. Girl with a Pearl Earring tells the story of sixteen-year-old Griet, whose life is transformed by her brief encounter with genius . . . even as she herself is immortalized in canvas and oil.
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A captivating tale with great descriptions and interesting characters.
Great insight into the life of an early master artist. Portrayed the difficult life of those early painters and making a living at their trade depended on pleasing the wealthy.
Very well written!
Very interesting.
Too long since I read it but know I did enjoy it
I’ve seen the painting and loved the story.
I enjoy a good historical fiction to see what life might have been like back then. This had plenty of this, plus a good plot and characters
Well-written and great story of Vermeer, one of my favorite artists.
I read this book years and years ago and the fact that I even remember it tells me that it was a good book. (I usually read about 5 books per week.) The characters are fully developed and the book has a lot of depth to it. It is not just some easy read that you forget as soon as you finish it and move on to another. It was complicated with complicated characters but very well written. Yes, I would recommend this book.
I’ve recently re-read this book and was enchanted all over again. Inspired by the life of the 17th century Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer, Chevalier has created an unforgettable character in 16-year-old Griet who is forced to work as a maid after her tile-maker father is blinded in an accident.
But Griet is a survivor – and how ! She is irresistible.
I loved it. The author is a wonderful storyteller and really brings you into the world she has created. This book was an instant bestseller and of course became a movie with Colin Firth.
Quite good read. The movie was good too!
loved this book!
An excellent window to the world of Vermeer, this book really brought to life the inspiration for the artists and the travails of his family.
This is a fictional account of how Vermeer might have interacted with his subject, but as a non-artistic person, I very much enjoyed learning more about the process in a story format.
I love horses and always liked his books.
A fantastic book.
I think the circumstances the girl was placed in was very common at that time and sometimes in the modern world. Well written. Interesting characters.
As a painter and art lover, this bought a whole new meaning to this fabulous painting. I wish there were more books written regarding iconic painting.
A nice story which goes along with the famous painting