I don’t know how to write this review. Partly this is a physical problem. I have an injured dog wearing a cone trying to get as close to me as possible, forcing me to twist toward the keyboard which will result in muscle rebellion later. (He scratched his eye and will be fine, but is so very pitiful right now.) But more than that, this book is hard to describe because of how different and solitary it is. I keep pausing to find my adjectives […]
Amster-Dayum!
Jessie Burton’s debut novel The Miniaturist packs a lot of plot and history into its 537 pages. The action takes place in Amsterdam over the course of 3 months, from October 1686 into January 1687, and focuses on the oppressive social and religious restrictions that operated within a booming and expanding economy during the Dutch Golden Age. Eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman, whose family name is old and respected but whose fortunes have faltered, has made a fine match with Johannes Brandt, a successful businessman some 20 […]
Secrets, Secrets are no fun
Set in 1686, in the god-fearing yet gold-centric city of Amsterdam, The Miniaturist features a beautiful background, but very little enjoyment in the way of plot. The main character, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman, newly married to a prosperous merchant, irritated the hell out of me, and the author seemed so intent on hiding and revealing secrets that not much else happened. “Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from God to a guilder.” Nella has arrived in Amsterdam to make a home with her new husband, whom she barely knows. Unfortunately, she continues […]