A great book.

From Amazon.com:
"With precisely 35 canvases to his credit, the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer represents one of the great enigmas of 17th-century art. The meager facts of his biography have been gleaned from a handful of legal documents. Yet Vermeer's extraordinary paintings of domestic life, with their subtle play of light and texture, have come to define the Dutch golden age. His portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has exerted a particular fascination for centuries--and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's second novel of the same title."

For more info and comments, see another copy on my shelf: Girl With A Pearl Earring

Offered to asterw as part of the "International Reverse Wishlist Relay" Relay and will post tomorrow.
Enjoy!

I received it today with the mail.

Thank you crimson-tide for fulfilling my wish! I'm looking forward to reading it!

When I saw the movie I liked it a lot but felt that I had missed something –I wasn’t totally sure about the characters’ feelings for example. So I was looking forward to reading the book too –and I just loved it.

Having seen the movie helped me imagine the scenes described by the author. Nevertheless, the simple yet colourful way of describing everything -the city, the house, the cloths, the paintings, the light “improved” the images that I already had. I find it astonishing how easily her narration managed to travel me back to the Netherlands of 1600s and even understand –up to a point- the feelings and thoughts of a Dutch maid.

I’m looking forward to reading Tracy Chevalier’s other books too.

This one will soon be travelling to Portugal.

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Mailed today to butterfly-noir.
Thank you very much for the trade! I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

arrived yesterday. thanks again asterw

it's a wonderfull wonderfull book!

will be sent as a raback to pitagus

I have received it today! thank you!! I shall read it as soon as possible :)

It's a nice, simple story. The ending is quite predictable, though the descriptions of the place at that time, and the ways of living is great. The writing characteristic I liked very much is that the story is written in first person, and that helps to understand more of Griet's feelings.

Reserved for Anna-O :)

RELEASE NOTES:

Will be given to Anna-O in our BC monthly meeting!

This book caught my attention because everybody talks so well about it. Will read soon and pass on. Thanks all of you who had it before.

Fantastic book. Very well told, convincing, with a deep view of the main character's feelings. The story is realistic and almost aseptic, to the very end. And luminous and powerful. Also, it's taught me something about art, which I desesperately need. I'll pass it along. I loved it.

RELEASE NOTES:

It'll come back to who lent it to me to follow its route

Me lo llevé de la reunión de febrero.
Caught in the monthly BC BS AS meeting.

The bulk of the novel was rather enjoyable and interesting to read, the descriptions of 17th century Netherlands and the art of painting are among the better parts of the book (though i do not know how accurate they are). I did found the ending quite uninspired: making Pieter show up at the exact same moment in which Griet was going to be painted by Vermeer was clumsy and it seemed that the author wanted to end the story but could not find a convenient way to do it. However, the book almost comes back to its previous heights when Griet is in the eight-pointed star. Alas, Chevalier cannot refrain from tying every loose knot. In my opinion, the whole "1676" chapter was a mistake.