Well, about the miniaturist … here things get pretty enigmatic. It reminded me a bit of the times when I read the Girl with a Pearl Earring novel. Given that I lived in the Netherlands for 2 years, I could also easily imagine the places evoked by the writer. In addition, Burton was inspired by a real piece of furniture – a doll house – that is displayed at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. I enjoyed a lot the context in which the story takes place – Amsterdam is in full development, as the Dutch East India Company is the trading heart of Europe. Jessie Burton happy at Waterloo station in London The historical fiction facet Even though things got together quite nicely, there were points along the story that seemed a bit unrealistic, given the context, the fast pace, and the characters’ development up to that moment. The part that could be improved from my point of view is related to the characters. The first half is slower paced … but the second part makes up for it – it’s a whirlwind! There are many plots twists, a lot of unexpected things come up to the surface, some characters develop in unexpected directions.Įxtreme whirlwind, trust me! From this point of view, it reminded me a bit of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books 🙂 What really got me hooked up to reading the book was the pace of the story. All in one single story! Overall impression It is a novel about how women were seen in the XVIIth century, about trading in the Netherlands, about the influence of the church in people’s lives, about family secrets and unexpected collapse. Starting a new life in a new city, Nella discovers bit-by-bit her new family’s secrets and develops from being a shy girl to a strong and independent woman. “The Miniaturist” (2014) tells the story of Nella, a 18-year-old girl who gets married to a successful Amsterdam trader, Johannes Brandt. And here I am now, writing my own review of this lovely book.

Don’t you love the feeling when you read a book review and you think “oh, this sounds like a book I must read”? That’s exactly what happened when I read Izzy’s review of “The Miniaturist”.

The miniaturist book