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Loading... The Miniaturist (original 2014; edition 2014)by Jessie Burton
Work InformationThe Miniaturist by Jessie Burton (2014)
  
Top Five Books of 2014 (176) Historical Fiction (210) » 19 more BBC Radio 4 Bookclub (52) Books Read in 2015 (616) Books Read in 2020 (738) Female Author (604) Books Read in 2024 (1,377) Books Read in 2018 (2,050) Books Read in 2014 (1,289) Secrets Books (19) First Novels (108) SHOULD Read Books! (79) Europe (159) 2010s (148) No current Talk conversations about this book.  Trisha_Thomas | Nov 14, 2024 |   Set in Amsterdam in the late 17th century the Miniaturist is an interesting story. We are drawn to a city of hidden opulence and religious repression. Eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman enters a prosperous, but loveless marriage, with the merchant Johannes Brandt. When her husband presents her with a replica cabinet house Nella finds that she is living her life throughout the miniatures within the cabinet. This is an intriguing story which I found very well written and quite dark. I had difficulty getting into the story and found the first 100 pages slow going but I was quite glad I struck with it as the second half of the book really worked for me. I wasn't quite convinced about the sense of time and place from the novel and would have liked more of a feel for the Amsterdam of the time and yet I really enjoyed the story and its characters. I am not sure I understood all the happenings within the novel but perhaps that was just me. An interesting and enjoyable read but not one for my favourite list. (  ) DemFen | Oct 31, 2024 |  ) JuniperD | Oct 19, 2024 | It was a very good story, well written, that kept your interest throughout. The sort of book I would really like to have a sequel ! And I just discovered there is ! ( ) ClaireBinFrance | Oct 8, 2024 | This one is difficult to categorize. Historical fiction, sure, but maybe also sort of magical realism? Or not? And there’s sort of romance, but also not? It’s not exactly a happy story, but it’s also a fascinating one, and it’s nicely told. ( ) electrascaife | Sep 26, 2024 |
 In spite of some lovely passages and fine research, Jessie Burton's tale of a young woman in 17th-century Amsterdam lacks plausibility Has the adaptationAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
Fiction.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Historical Fiction.
HTML: Now a television miniseries, as seen on Masterpiece on PBS Set in seventeenth century Amsterdam—a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion—a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery, in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant. "There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . ." On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office—leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin. But Nella's world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist—an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . . Johannes' gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand—and fear—the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction? Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth. .No library descriptions found. 
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction 1900- 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.57)
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Wikipedia in English (2)
14
An interesting historical tale about a young wife and the new house she's entered. She met her husband just a few times before they married and now she has come to live in his mom - their home. She isn't sure what she's walking in to but when it's just her new sister-in-law, the help and no husband, she is confused and a bit mystified. Where is her new husband?
The story unfolded slowly and was fascinating as it all was revealed. I liked the character of Nella as she tries to understand this new house, their secrets and how to fit in. It completely roped me in and I was hooked after 5 chapters or so.
But the ending has left me wanting more. There are a lot of answers you don't get - which is true to life but doesn't necessarily leave the reader feeling rewarded after the last page. (