≡ Libro Gratis The Miniaturist A Novel Jessie Burton 9780062306814 Books

The Miniaturist A Novel Jessie Burton 9780062306814 Books

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The Miniaturist A Novel Jessie Burton 9780062306814 Books

I could not put this book down, but was ultimately left waiting more. The characters came alive for me, as did the city of Amsterdam, and the story is an extremely well-told tale of mystery and intrigue - almost cinematic in its breadth.. Unfortunately there came a point at which I started to suspect that the payoff was not going to be nearly as interesting as everything that was leading up to it and it was a real let down when I realized that my suspicion was correct. I kept reading because I kept hoping that the author would find some way to make this a more perfect story, but in the end it didn't happen.

Still, I was absolutely compelled to read the book until the end, which is a testament to the talent of the author and something that hasn't happened to me in quite a while.


Tags : The Miniaturist: A Novel [Jessie Burton] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Set in seventeenth century Amsterdam—a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion—a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery,Jessie Burton,The Miniaturist: A Novel,Ecco,0062306812,Historical,Literary,Thrillers - Suspense,Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Social life and customs - 17th century,Historical fiction,Merchants,Merchants;Netherlands;Amsterdam;Fiction.,Miniature painters,Miniature painters;Fiction.,Young women,Young women;Fiction.,17th century,Amsterdam (Netherlands),ENGLISH HISTORICAL FICTION,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Literary,FICTION Thrillers Suspense,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction-Historical,FictionThrillers - Suspense,GENERAL,General Adult,Historical - General,History,Married people,Miniature craft,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Netherlands,United States

The Miniaturist A Novel Jessie Burton 9780062306814 Books Reviews

Had a read this book first I would not have bothered with The Muse, a novel with twists, development of characters and conclusion. I got to the end of this book and wondered what it was about. It was incredibly detailed about the time it was set it, Holland in the seventeenth century, but it I felt it was trying to go too many places at once; women and their limited role, sexual freedom, merchant trading all tied up with some allusion to the supernatural. The miniaturist of the title is alluded to as having some sort of 'power' but just what that is is never really explored. And why she should be bothering is never answered either. I read to the end hoping to find out and left disappointed.
An outstanding read. I devoured this book in two days, even falling asleep over it one night, unwilling to put it down. In reading other reviews please be aware that this is a LITERARY historical novel, not a romance or women's fiction. It also contains magic realism which seems to have thrown some readers off. The setting is 17th century Amsterdam, and the author captures perfectly the conflicting sides of the Dutch personality at the time, perfectly describing it as a pendulum between God and guilder. This is the Amsterdam of the Dutch conquerors and the merchants who build their wealth on Eastern trade. It is the Amsterdam of Calvinism, staunch, suspicious, unyielding, unforgiving. Into this city Nell merges as a new bride, eighteen year old and fresh from the country. Her new husband is a wealthy merchant, charming and well liked. For a wedding gift he gives his young bride a cabinet house (doll house) which she begins to fill with minatures. As the story unfolds unsolicited additions arrive from the miniaturist, additions that foretell events in the household before they even happen. Nell attempts to find the mysterious miniaturist while trying to understand the complex characters of her new husband, his strong-willed sister, their maid, and the Black man her husband treats as an assistant in a city in which Blacks are curiosities and inferiors. So many twists and turns in which the character of Amsterdam itself unfolds with the individual characters. Beautifully written and fully realized. A lovely, lovely book.
Why bother to title the book, "The Miniaturist" when the story has almost nothing to do with the miniaturist? One and a half pages to tell her story, as if revealing that much would be enough. The Miniaturist carves figures that seem to predict future events about the characters lives, but we never know why or how they're carved, just that they are. For 1-2 pages. And why bother to flesh out the contents of Marin's bedroom if they serve no purpose? Marin, Nella's sister-in-law, has a bedroom that is full of maps and documents and secret things that we are led to over and over. Why did she have them? What was she charting? Did it have to do with her brother's business, Otto's travels, places she'd been to, would like to go to? Nothing in the book serves any purpose to the story. It should have been titled, How Homosexuals Were Persecuted in 16th Century Amsterdam, for the book was nothing more than unanswered questions and loose ends leading nowhere in order to showcase the constant the sorrow of hiding homosexuality. What a waste of what cold have been a really awesome mystery.
I found this story fascinating and complex with many unexpected elements. The time period matches when enterprising Dutch traders traveled the world including coming to America among the first founding families. Most activity was controlled by guilds with strict rules about trade, just as daily life was controlled by strict religious rules. Manner of dress and activity was all dictated as well so there was little room for a free spirit of any kind in Amsterdam. Into this world enters young Nella who comes from the far freer countryside but because of her revered old family name has been successfully married off to an older and successful business man who seems likely to provide her a good life. He gives her a huge cabinet sized doll house for a wedding present which she is expected to furnish and through it learn the ways of running the big house she finds herself mistress of. It's not as easy as it seems though. Nella finds herself in the midst of unusual and strong willed characters she struggles to understand, not the least of which is the mysterious miniaturist who delivers pieces for her house.

The writing is as detailed and precise as a painting by Vermeer and was the perfect style to tell this story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and stayed up late into the night reading. This is not a quick beach-read sort of book, but the type to sink into before the fire on a cold winter night. It's also surprisingly relevant to modern times.
I could not put this book down, but was ultimately left waiting more. The characters came alive for me, as did the city of Amsterdam, and the story is an extremely well-told tale of mystery and intrigue - almost cinematic in its breadth.. Unfortunately there came a point at which I started to suspect that the payoff was not going to be nearly as interesting as everything that was leading up to it and it was a real let down when I realized that my suspicion was correct. I kept reading because I kept hoping that the author would find some way to make this a more perfect story, but in the end it didn't happen.

Still, I was absolutely compelled to read the book until the end, which is a testament to the talent of the author and something that hasn't happened to me in quite a while.