false 2865 66 History and fiction merge seamlessly in Tracy Chevalier's luminous novel about artistic vision and sensual awakening. Through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Griet, the world of 1660s Holland comes dazzlingly alive in this richly imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired one of Vermeer's most celebrated paintings. 3358875 book 1999 Girl with a Pearl Earring (Deluxe Edition) total:32506|5:6126|4:13184|3:10192|2:2510|1:494| 32506 119456 38489 2394 76847 0452282152 9780452282155 3948 303 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170899733m/76847.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76847.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 2 12 false Sun Jul 29 05:53:26 -0700 2007 Sat Aug 04 06:33:27 -0700 2007 more...]]> 2866 0006513204 9780006513209 705 68 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649831m/2866.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2866.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 5 9 false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Fri Jul 20 06:57:43 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 22 18:28:48 -0700 2007 more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 4 5 false Thu Jan 29 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 05:31:57 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 30 04:58:12 -0800 2009
Some of my thoughts as I read:
1. The society of the time classified everyone as a "have" or a "have not". For a girl who was in between it was a matter of time ...more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 2 5 false Thu Apr 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 11:15:26 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 11:28:25 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 4 3 false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2001 Wed Jan 30 06:31:51 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 30 06:31:51 -0800 2008
To date, I've read only one bad review of this slight novel, and a whole lot of excellent ones. I'm casting my vote on the excellent side. Chevalier took one of Vermeer's best-known and most enigmatic paintings and built a story arou...more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 5 4 false Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Jan 11 06:38:58 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 11 07:27:24 -0800 2008
...more...]]> 576754 0007218001 9780007218004 166 11 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175956498m/576754.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/576754.Girl_With_a_Pearl_Earring 4 2 false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 06 07:49:43 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 09 19:08:34 -0700 2007
This book was set in 17th century Delft and detailed the journey of Griet, a young woman who becomes a maid and, eventually, muse f...more...]]> 576755 0007232160 9780007232161 58 5 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175956498m/576755.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/576755.Girl_With_a_Pearl_Earring 4 1 false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Jan 14 16:44:17 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 14 16:45:51 -0800 2009 1
And I enjoyed it, too. I was being a bit sceptical before, actually I only read it, so I could watch the movie afterwards, but I was surprised in a good way.

I was captured by the narrative pretty soon and it read very lightly, very easily. I was lon...more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 5 3 false Mon Jun 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Dec 24 04:57:58 -0800 2008 Tue Jul 14 18:40:54 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 2 2 true Fri Mar 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 20 14:24:34 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 20 15:53:54 -0700 2009
Griet was a natural artist who would never realise her talent, or maybe even recognise that she may have one… sorting the ...more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 4 2 false Sat Feb 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 06 16:27:39 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 31 09:48:21 -0700 2009 2866 0006513204 9780006513209 705 68 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649831m/2866.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2866.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 4 2 false Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Fri Dec 12 03:05:58 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 12 03:18:57 -0800 2008 1 What is this story? Who is this girl? The stunted writer in me thinks this would be...more...]]> 76847 0452282152 9780452282155 3948 303 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170899733m/76847.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76847.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 2 1 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 02 20:12:14 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 02 20:15:21 -0800 2008 Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I have no idea which was written first (probably this one, I suppose), but it was very like that. That said ...

I liked the Dutchness of this book, because my father is Dutch, and I pretty much ...more...]]> 2866 0006513204 9780006513209 705 68 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649831m/2866.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2866.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 4 1 false Fri Jan 09 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 09 08:26:57 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 13 00:27:07 -0800 2009
I do feel that Chevalier is very good at conveying the right atmosphere for her novels. This is the second one I read and in...more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 3 2 false Sat Jun 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 03 15:09:19 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 07 18:41:01 -0700 2008
The style of this book is very subtle and effective. With ...more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 4 1 false Sun Apr 13 07:43:04 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 20 12:26:17 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2866 0006513204 9780006513209 705 68 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649831m/2866.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2866.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 3 1 true Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Wed Mar 26 08:03:17 -0700 2008 Wed Mar 26 08:05:45 -0700 2008 Just like Vermeer paid attention to detail in his paintings, so did Chevalier in her description of 17th century life in Delft.

Only thing I did not quite understand: why was ...more...]]> 2865 0452287022 9780452287020 26446 1899 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1161712730m/2865.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2865.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 4 1 false Mon Feb 11 12:47:41 -0800 2008 Sun May 04 13:03:39 -0700 2008
While little is known of the woman in Vermeer's painting, this book attempts to discover more about her and the story of Vermeer's inspiration.

This story reminds me a lot of "Memoirs of a Ge...more...]]> 2866 0006513204 9780006513209 705 68 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649831m/2866.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2866.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 3 1 true Thu Feb 07 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 06 18:41:55 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 06 18:42:04 -0800 2008 different from the normal lovey-duvey sticky tangled up romantic mess. and the powerful scenes of what griet passes by each day that seem to burst into mea...more...]]> 76847 0452282152 9780452282155 3948 303 3.67 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170899733m/76847.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76847.Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring 2 1 false Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Oct 03 07:54:25 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 03 07:54:25 -0700 2007 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=6439399