Liz
asked:
I did not love The Miniaturist - I found it unsatisfying in the end. For those who have read both, and perhaps also felt lukewarm towards The Miniaturist: should I give The Muse a try? Many of the reviews seem to imply that this is a stronger book, but it's hard to sift through all the "I loved her first book and this is just as good" and find out if this is the real deal. Thanks for any insight!
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Michelle
I am 100% with you on The Miniaturist, which I read after The Muse. The Muse is a really special book, and even though I read it months ago it's still with me. I don't think you'll be at all disappointed. I read that Jessie Burton likes to leave some mystery in her stories, to let the reader fill in and imagine the gaps. She definitely did this with The Miniaturist, but I feel like The Muse is tighter in this regard.
Hannah
I wasn't too keen on the Miniaturist either - I enjoyed it, but it wasn't one of my favourites - but I really, really loved this one. Felt like a much more accomplished book, and the plot especially I found to be much stronger. Hope this helps :)
Julia
Hi Liz! I also was underwhelmed by "The Miniaturist." It was very well-written, I just wanted to like it more. But I wanted to give Jessie Burton another chance, since she's such a good writer. I really enjoyed "The Muse" and found it to be a memorable story. Give it a shot!
Layne
Thanks for the question. I am in the same boat. I did not care for the Miniaturist at all; I felt it was under developed in so many ways. I hope someone can answer this. :)
Megan C.
This was a great question Liz! I thought the Miniaturist was good, but not great. I was a smidge disappointed with it in fact. As a result, I've been staring at the Muse on my bookshelf as its library due date has inched closer, trying to decide if I want to read it or not. For those of you that answered, thank you!!! I'm now going to start it. :)
Chaya
Agree with you on The Miniaturist. This book is far superior. Read it. Plot, characters, structure, mystery -- well done on all counts.
Meade
I liked The Miniaturist although it was hard going. The Muse is very different. The people are much more interesting as is the plot.
Pat
Thank you for this question. As a result of the answers, I am also going to give The Muse a shot.
Dominique
The Miniaturist was a try at magical realism, so it was weird but had an unsatisfying conclusion. The Muse is much more factual, a bit of an art mystery, but definitely has a conclusion to it.
Whitney Jo
Felt the same about The Miniaturist--I liked the writing style but the abrupt ending was definitely unsatisfying. I just finished The Muse, you should give it a shot if you haven't yet.:) It definitely resolves so much more and the end was a huge surprise to me. It's a little lighter in tone and more romantic than The Miniaturist, but with the same heightened sense of mystery that builds slowly. I think you'll like it!!!!
Elise McCune
I did not love The Miniaturist either but The Muse is wonderful so far. I am about half-way through and think the characters will linger long after I’ve finished reading.
Ruby
I also wasn't sure about The Miniaturist, but I'm re-reading The Muse because it's so great!!
Susan
The Miniaturist was not my cup of tea. The Muse, although I am still reading, has been quite enjoyable and holds quite a bit of promise.
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