I decided to read this book on recommendation from my mother. This is a historical fiction novel set in mid-seventeenth century Netherlands. It is the story of Griet, a young girl who has to go work as a maid after her father has an accident which leaves him blind and unable to work to support the family. Griet gets a job with a family where the father is a painter and she is left in charge of cleaning his studio, but soon their relationship changes and Griet becomes the subject of a controversial painting.
Girl with a Pearl Earring is a painting by Johannes Vermeer, this is the painting in which Tracy Chevalier uses to create her fictional story about Griet and how the painting came to be. The painting is also shown on the cover of the book.
The painting Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s masterworks and as the name implies, uses a pearl earring for a focal point. The painting is in The Mauritshuis in The Hague. It is sometimes referred to as “the Mona Lisa of the North” or “the Dutch Mona Lisa“. – Wiki
I enjoyed this book. It was a light read and the character of Griet was quite endearing, making me want to keep reading to see what happened to her. It is a rather interesting way to write a fictional story also.. to take a real piece of art and use it as the basis for the story… I quite liked that. This book provided me with a relaxing way to spend a lazy afternoon.
If you enjoy historical fiction then you will most probably like this novel.
Rating 3/5
Rating 3/5
