Now a television miniseries, as seen on Masterpiece on PBSSet in seventeenth century Amsterdam—a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion—a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery, in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant.”There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . .“On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella … brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office—leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.
But Nella’s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist—an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .
Johannes’ gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand—and fear—the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?
Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.
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Deliciously descriptive & dark, the reader is quickly drawn into the strange new life of Nella Brandt as she struggles to comprehend the reluctance of her new husband to share their bedchamber. With a hostile sister-in-law & two mysterious servants in the house, there is plenty to be unraveled. As layer upon layer of the story unfolds, so too does …
A delightful tale of eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman who, on an autumn day in 1686, knocks on the door of a house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of an illustrious trader. On her wedding day her husband presents her with the gift of a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an …
Fantastic! I adored this book, and the television series as well. An interesting setting (17th century Amsterdam), intriguing characters, and a plot with a myriad of twists, turns, and total surprises. This is a great read. I highly recommend it.
I thought the author was trying to drag me through the pages to Amsterdam 1686, and I was delighted at the prospect. The bitter cold of Holland in Winter is remarkable, by anyone’s standards, and Jessie Burton held the proverbial carrot tantalisingly aloft, tempting with talk of canals and clogs and a chilly era of Europe enveloped in spice. The …
Eloquently written, good historical research.
I found this book to be heartbreaking. I found it at times confusing and I was hoping the ending would give some hope. I hated how it kept me wishing that a miracle would happen and then didn’t. It just made me feel nothing but sadness.
Quite simply, a masterpiece. The reader is drawn straight into 17th century Amsterdam with poor Petronella, who has not idea of the intrigue she’s about to become embroiled in. The characters are drawn in fine brushstroke, the environment is so alive that you can see every room, every item of furniture, and the concept of the doll’s cabinet and …
Different
This is quite an impressive first novel from Actress Jessie Burton. Not only has she written a compelling page-turner, but you also get an interesting glimpse into life in Amsterdam during the late 1600s, where gold and success are worshipped right alongside fundamental Protestant values.
Petronella (Nella) is just 18 years old, the newly married …
A Historical novel with a twist
The novel takes place in Amsterdam at the time of the Dutch East India Company and the suffocating society at that time. It focuses on the strict rules around women’s lives and the persecution of homosexuality by a judgemental people and overbearing church. When a young girl arrives from the country to her new home …
I thought it rather strange and I’m still trying to decipher what I really think about it.
It was very interesting and very evocative of a particular time and culture. I would have given 5 stars but the ending seemed somewhat abrupt and left a few crucial questions unanswered.
A great read.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to be haunted for at least a few hours by a strange, unpredictable story, finely drawn characters and a sad commentary on the nastiness of any religious group that has gone legalistic. I am still pondering some things that didn’t make sense to me, but I will blame that on my inabilities, not the …
I was disappointed to find the characters were real, but nothing is known about them. I would have liked the book more if she had used fictional names. I wonder how their descendants feel about their ancestors having been given such a salacious life. One of the few things we know about the real Johannes Brandt is that he died in his 70s, …
Very slow in the beginning. I nearly closed the book several times. By page 60 or so, the story became more interesting. Although the plot was pretty predictable.
The milieu was unfamiliar to me & therefore fascinating.
While this book has its tragic moments it is really a great story. I couldn’t put it down!
Yes, the title feels a little ironic, given the massive proportions of the novel itself. Loved Burton’s attention to detail in drawing the world of 17th-century Amsterdam, which doesn’t get as much attention in modern historical fiction as English or American settings. Dark and complex and unsettling in good ways, this one combines all sorts of …
Well written and well plotted.
I read this book after seeing the mini-series on PBS Masterpiece Theatre. I preferred the book as it gave more detail to the story. There were parts of the book that were portrayed far differently in the program. It is a bit graphic in a few places, but not overly so. It is verymuc part of the story and character development.