Mad Soul Child
Written on Nov 8, 2019
OVER FIVE MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE‘A phenomenon’ Jessie Burton
‘Dazzling’ Daily Mail
‘Truly magical' GuardianThose eyes are fixed on someone. But who? What is she thinking as she stares out from one of the world’s best-loved paintings?
Johannes Vermeer can spot exceptional beauty. When servant girl Griet catches his eye, she soon becomes both student and muse. But then he gives her his wife’s pearl earrings to wear for a portrait, and a scandal erupts that could threaten Griet’s future…
Vivid and captivating, this timeless modern classic has become a successful film and an international bestseller, with over 5 million copies sold around the world; now with a new introduction by the author.
‘A veritable work of art… one of those rare novels where all the decisions made by the author appear inevitable and right’ Rose Tremain
‘Timeless, delicate and as exquisitely measured as one of Vermeer's paintings. Tense yet perfectly-paced and filled with the beauty of life's colours, Girl with the Pearl Earring is a masterpiece in its own right. Just a phenomenon. I will hold this novel close for the rest of my life’ Jessie Burton, author of The Minaturist
‘If ever a novel rightly deserves its “five millions copies sold” achievement, it is this dazzling little masterpiece … Absolute magic’ Daily Mail
'A portrait of radiance…Tracy Chevalier brings the real artist Vermeer and a fictional muse to life in a jewel of a novel' Time
‘Chevalier doesn't put a foot wrong in this triumphant work … It is a beautifully written tale that mirrors the elegance of the painting that inspired it’ Wall Street Journal
'A wonderful novel, mysterious, steeped in atmosphere, deeply revealing about the process of painting…truly magical' Guardian
‘It is no wonder that this beautifully-written story has sold more than five million copies and been made into a successful film. An absolute triumph’ Woman’s Weekly
- ISBN13 9780007232161
- Publish Date 3 July 2006 (first published 16 August 1999)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
- Imprint HarperCollins
- Format Paperback
- Pages 288
- Language English
- URL http://harpercollins.co.uk
Reviews
readingwithwrin
Written on Jan 6, 2018
This was a book that I've wanted to read but was also a little scared to read as it as a classic. I am so glad I decided to get the audiobook from the library which made it a little less daunting to me.
Girl with the pearl earring follows a young girl (Griet) who becomes a maid after her family falls on hard times. Who does she end up working for? Well, of course, the painter Vermeer who mostly keeps to himself and the house is run by his mother in law ( I think) as his wife is always taking care of the kids or dealing with a new pregnancy (she's pregnant multiple times throughout the book). Griet slowly starts getting more responsibility and makes friends with some of the staff, but also ends up struggling with Vermeer's children who get slightly jealous of her at times.
“It was not a house where secrets could be kept easily.”
Overall I did really like this book. It didn't really feel like a classic while I was listening to it. I loved learning about Vermeer and his art as I don't really know anything about art in general. Seeing everything through Griet's eyes was interesting as well as she had come from an art family already and knew how to do certain things which helped her in this house. The ending though I knew it was going to happen I wasn't excited about it. I was hoping for so much better for her as she was smart and knew a lot. I was glad that certain things didn't happen because it felt like it could go there at certain times because of creepy dudes.
If you're intimidated by this book because it's a modern classic don't be. It was really easy to read and follow along with.
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