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    Girl with a Pearl Earring
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    Girl with a Pearl Earring
    Unavailable
    Girl with a Pearl Earring
    Audiobook (abridged)4 hours

    Girl with a Pearl Earring

    Written by Tracy Chevalier

    Narrated by Jenna Lamia

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In this richly imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired one of Vermeer's most celebrated paintings, Tracy Chevalier transports readers to a bygone time and place. History and fiction merge seamlessly in a luminous tale of artistic vision, sensual awakening, and daily life in the Netherlands of the 17th-century.

    Girl with a Pearl Earring tells the story of Griet, a 16-year-old Dutch girl, who becomes a maid in the house of the painter Johannes Vermeer. Her calm and perceptive manner not only helps her in her household duties, but also attracts Vermeer's attention. He slowly draws her into the world of his paintings and ultimately has her sit for him as a model.

    ’account of the artistic process—from the grinding of paints to the inclusion and removal of background objects—lay at the core of the novel. Her inventive portrayal of this tumultuous time, when Protestantism began to dominate Catholicism and the growing bourgeoisie took the place of the Church as patrons of the arts, draws the reader into a lively, if little known, time and place in history.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighBridge Audio
    Release dateMar 15, 2001
    ISBN9781598871302
    Unavailable
    Girl with a Pearl Earring
    Author

    Tracy Chevalier

    Tracy Chevalier is the author of eleven novels, including A Single Thread, Remarkable Creatures and Girl with a Pearl Earring, an international bestseller that has sold over five million copies and been made into a film, a play and an opera. Born in Washington DC, she moved to the United Kingdom in 1986. She and her husband divide their time between London and Dorset.

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    Reviews for Girl with a Pearl Earring

    4/5

    150 ratings167 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Unfortunately the painting is far more interesting than the book.
    • 5/5
      The artist Johannes Vermeer hires a girl (Griet) to work in his household.
    • 4/5
      delightful
    • 4/5
      I wanted more.
    • 5/5
      4.5 Stars. A well told story and excellent reading experience that just carries you away. An interesting perspective of life in 17th Century Holland and how artists frame pictures, and structure a picture. Tracy Chevalier's books may be short but they do have a flavour all of their own and give you an experience of life in the times she writes about. I very much look forward to my next book by her.
    • 5/5
      Learning how the author came to write this story is just as inspiring as the story itself. The look in the girls eyes, her mouth just slightly open, and to top it all off - the pearl earring. Again, inspiring.
    • 4/5
      Hypnotizing
    • 3/5
      3 Stars .... because there was a glaring error at the end which the editor should have caught and the lack of depth to most of the characters.

      Well written, compelling & interesting. I would have read this in one sitting, but I had guests last night and was forced to put down the book....

      This is a fictionalized tale about Vermeer's painting: "Girl with a Pearl Earring".

      How she is the daughter of a tile maker now blind forced to find a place in the world in order to support her family. She becomes the maid to the Vermeer household (nasty people, really). The men she encounters, her time as Vermeer's assistant, her marriage to the butcher's son.......

      It was not in depth, the many of the characters were shallow & peripheral to the story.....
    • 4/5
      It is 1664 Holland and Griet is 16-years old. Her father recently had an accident and can no longer work, so Griet must work as a maid to help her family with food and money. She is hired on at the painter, Vermeer's, house. As she tries to adjust to a whole new world, she is growing up, and she finds a local butcher's son is attracted to her, while she is trying to learn and do all her duties at Vermeer's home and studio.I really liked this. It was not fast-paced, but I was drawn in from the start and something about it kept me wanting to read.
    • 4/5
      Very nice blend of personalizing/humanizing characters along with the historical context. You end up really caring about the characters in the story. I have not read much 'historical fiction', but this book piques my interest. I'll look for another one by Tracy Chevalier #historicalfiction #Chevalier
    • 4/5
      This was not the story I was expecting when I downloaded it and I am so glad it wasn't. I really enjoyed the simplicity of this story. The narrator (Jenna Lamia) only added to the simplicity. Griet was an interesting character that added a new dynamic to this artist's family life. She was swept up in his artistic life without losing herself completely to it. I loved hearing about how the various paintings were planned out and executed. I also loved the ending of the story and could not have imagined a better one."
    • 5/5
      Beautifully written
    • 4/5
      Lovely, evocative read.
    • 5/5
      This is the second novel I have read by Tracy Chevalier, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is the synopsis from Amazon on Girl With A Pearl Earring: The Dutch painter Vermeer has remained one of the great enigmas of 17th-century Dutch art. While little is known of his personal life, his extraordinary paintings of natural and domestic life, with their subtle play of light and colour, have come to define the Dutch Golden Age. The mysterious portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has fascinated art historians for centuries, and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's second novel of the same title. Girl with a Pearl Earring centres on Vermeer's prosperous household in Delft in the 1660s. The appointment of the quiet, perceptive heroine of the novel, the servant Griet, gradually throws the household into turmoil as Vermeer and Griet become increasingly intimate, an increasingly tense situation that culminates in her working for Vermeer as his assistant, and ultimately sitting for him as a model. Chevalier deliberately cultivates a limpid, painstakingly observed style in homage to Vermeer, and the complex domestic tensions of the Vermeer household are vividly evoked, from the jealous, vain, young wife to the wise, taciturn mother-in-law. At times the relationship between servant and master seems a little anachronistic, but Girl with a Pearl Earring does contain a final delicious twist in its tail. Chevalier acknowledges her debt to Simon Schama's classic study of the Dutch Golden Age, The Embarrassment of Riches, and the novel comes hard on the heels of Deborah Moggach's similar tale of domestic intrigue behind the easel of 17th-century Dutch painting, Tulip Fever. Girl with a Pearl Earring is a fascinating piece of speculative historical fiction, but how much more can novelists extract from the Dutch Golden Age? --Jerry Brotton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and gripping. There were no boring parts and I read this book so quickly.Chevalier's descriptions were amazing. I could easily picture the marketplace and the eight-tipped star, as well as the house the Vermeer's lived in and his studio. The book was written in a way that made me feel like I was there watching the events unfold before my very eyes.There were characters I liked, such as Pieter the son. I loved how he sought out Griet and never gave up. And characters I disliked, such as van Ruijven who believed he could have whatever he wanted because he was rich. I found myself getting angry at him as I read the book, which is good, as a book should spark emotions in the reader.My only complaint was the ending - it was a little abrupt for my liking. I still have questions that I would have liked answered, but with the ending as it is, that won't happen.This was a quick, enjoyable read.9/10
    • 4/5
      Acute imaginative observation, beautifully written..
    • 4/5
      An insightful look into the life of a young girl growing into maturity during the mid-seventeenth century in Delpth. It is written as though in her own words and describes her thoughts and feelings when she becomes a maid in the household of the famous painter Vermeer. A good read particulary from an historical viewpoint.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful and very interesting.
    • 4/5
      Chevalier has spun a beautiful piece of historical fiction around a famous painting. She tells the story of Griet, a maid in Vermeer's household, who becomes immersed in his world and his art.Chevalier packs an emotional punch in a short novel, and makes art come alive through the written word. This is one of those books that truly deserves the hype it received upon its publication, and I'm only sorry I waited so long to finally read it.
    • 5/5
      Although I agree with some reviewers that the plot itself is neither surprising nor original, I really enjoyed The Girl with the Pearl Earring. The method of story telling through the eyes of the young and naive maid, Griet, brought an otherwise simple tale to life for me. This was a fast read that was entirely pleasurable, even if I normally don't appreciate stories told in the first person. I enjoyed the author's writing, how she subtly captured Griet's feelings and the tensions within the Vermeer household and Griet's relationship with her own family. A nice flight of fancy concocted from a classic painting. Well done!
    • 4/5
      Johannes Vermeer painted the Mona Lisa of the North called 'Girl with Pearl Earring' which is controversial just the same. It has many issues as her identity was unknown, and her mysterious gaze and sensual look draw people's interests.

      The first thing I noticed when I first saw the painting was her wide set eyes and I was wondering what was the colorful thing she has on her head. I was stupid not to think that it was a turban! haha
      When I found out that there is a novel interlocked with it, I definitely put it to my list.

      I've been contemplating long enough on how many stars I would give this book. These are the points I considered:
      1) I like arts.
      2) I hate girls being molested (and how society often sees women weak).
      3) Plot
      4) Timeframe of the story
      5) Relatable character
      6) How the story was delivered

      Chevalier did not rely on dialogues, it was very minimal. Instead, she trusted descriptions and long narrations. She's very good with it; she used very intricate descriptions that gives detailed imageries to the readers. I also like the symbolisms she used in the story.
    • 4/5
      A nice easy read centred on a maids experiences working for the painter Vermeer and his family in 17th century Holland. An interesting and well told story.
    • 3/5
      I picked this up because Vermeer is one of my favorite painters. I was engaged with the story, though at times I found Greit somewhat unconvincing and the language a bit stilted. An enjoyable quick read nonetheless.
    • 4/5
      The author has imagined a scenario behind the famous Vermeer painting of the same name. The book describes life in the Dutch city of Delft in the 1600s. It is centered around a household and an artist, so it is not full of action. It's more of a cerebral book. Recommended to those who enjoy novels about art, art history or life in the 17th century.
    • 5/5
      Tracy Chevalier transports readers to a bygone time and place in this richly-imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired one of Vermeer's most celebrated paintings.History and fiction merge seamlessly in this luminous novel about artistic vision and sensual awakening. Girl with a Pearl Earring tells the story of sixteen-year-old Griet, whose life is transformed by her brief encounter with genius . . . even as she herself is immortalized in canvas and oil.
    • 3/5
      It was alright. The description of the times, location and the art are amazing. But the story line seemed blah. She's very ordinary. I kind of expected more.
    • 5/5
      Loved this! The movie was excellent too.
    • 2/5
      Tracy Chevalier and I have a complicated relationship. I know she's a good writer, I know her plots are well thought-out and her characters are interesting, and have depth.

      ... but there's just something missing from her writing, and I'm not sure what it is. I didn't really like Griet as a character. She didn't feel satisfying to me, in the same way that the main protagonist from a Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood didn't satisfy me.

      I found the atmosphere really well-constructed, and I thought the backstory had plenty of detail. The characters were all fine, but somehow, I didn't ever feel comfortable enough to really sink my teeth into it and lose myself in it.

      Don't let my review sway you from reading this if you think it's your thing. I do have another book by her that I preferred over this one, but this book just wasn't the book for me.






      Don't let my review stop you from reading her book
    • 5/5
      An excellent read!
    • 4/5
      It is not hard to see why Johannes Vermeer's painting, Girl With a Pearl Earring, is sometimes referred to as "the Dutch Mona Lisa"; the subject of the painting has an equally enigmatic expression as her Italian cousin. It's a piece is art that can stir the imagination, as one speculates about the story behind the picture; who is the wide-eyed young woman, and what is the nature of her relationship to the married painter?

      Such imaginings inspired Tracey Chevalier to write her fictional account of events leading up to the completion of the painting. In her version of events, Griet is a young girl in 17th century Delft, from a not wealthy, but comfortable background, forced to take up work as a maid when an accident puts an end to her father's career as a skilled craftsman. She takes a place in the Vermeer household, and given the task of cleaning the painter's studio. Although not fully understanding art or how a painter works, she develops an appreciation of Vermeer's work, and an apparent level of understanding develops between Griet and Vermeer, with Griet taking on duties of helping him, preparing his paints.

      Within this imagining of the story are some beautifully drawn characters, from the aloof Vermeer, his pampered wife, and her stern but perceptive mother, to the taciturn older maid and petulant, deceitful daughter.

      Beyond the story is a commentary on the class and gender divides in existence in the 17th century; Griet is strong and intelligent, but her social class and gender prevent her from achieving her potential; while the higher class men are weak, and ultimately only interested in what is of benefit to them, with no thought of the potential consequences.

      Highly readable and captivating, I would recommend this book to anyone.
    • 4/5
      I loved this dive into the behind the scenes of one of the most beautiful paintings I know of.