Girl In Hyacinth Blue

by Susan Vreeland | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 014029628x Global Overview for this book
Registered by jamesmum of Richmond, British Columbia Canada on 5/1/2004
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11 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by jamesmum from Richmond, British Columbia Canada on Saturday, May 1, 2004


I read this after reading Tracy Chevalier's "Girl with the Pear Earring", and enjoyed this one just as much. It is the fictional story of the provenance of a Vermeer painting, told in reverse chronological order - it starts with the painting's modern-day owner, and finishes with the artist himself, as he struggles to find inspiration for a new painting. A lovely story that goes beyond a single painting, and contemplates the the significance of art and beauty in everyday life.

BOOKRING LIST:

1. SammyJ (Virginia USA)
2. Sydney1220 (Maryland USA)
3. Czersk (Minnesota USA)
4. Zarylia (Minnesota/Poland)
5. Maupi (Netherlands)
6. TanTan (Australia)
7. LauraLoo29 (Canada, anywhere)


COMPLETED!

Journal Entry 2 by Sidney1220 from McLean, Virginia USA on Monday, July 26, 2004
RECEIVED THIS BOOK IN THE MAIL TODAY. WILL READ AS SOON AS I CAN.

Journal Entry 3 by Sidney1220 from McLean, Virginia USA on Tuesday, August 10, 2004
A professor invites a colleague from the art department to his home to see a painting that he has kept secret for decades. The professor swears it is a Vermeer- why has he hidden this important work for so long? The reasons unfold in a series of stories that trace ownership of the painting back to World War II and Amsterdam, and still further back to the moment of the work's inspiration. As the painting moves through each owner's hands, what was long hidden quietly surfaces, illuminating poignant moments in human lives. Vreeland's characters remind us, through their love of the mysterious painting, how beauty transforms and why we reach for it, what lasts, and what in our lives is singular and unforgettable.
_____________________________________

I found this book hard to get into at first. Then about halfway through the book, I was gradually dawn into the lives of the characters as each segments get longer and the characterization more complex. Too bad that just as I was starting to care about what happens to these people, the book ends almost abruptly, without offering any kind of resolution to any of the segments. I had expected the author to bring together the lives of these characters and weave a coherent thread around them. Instead, what we get are vignettes, a snapshot in the lives of these individuals. Despite the lyrical prose and the author's deft handling of the subject of beauty and their impact on everyday life, I closed the book almost feeling cheated.

Journal Entry 4 by Sidney1220 from McLean, Virginia USA on Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Mailed this book during lunch today.

Journal Entry 5 by Czersk from Roscoe, Minnesota USA on Saturday, August 14, 2004
I got this in the mail on Friday. Zarylia is leaving for Poland on Monday. Do you think I can finish it in time to pass it off to her? Sure I can ;) Must go read.

Journal Entry 6 by Czersk from Roscoe, Minnesota USA on Saturday, August 14, 2004
Three and a half hours later, I'm back, and I'm finished. It's been a while since I've read a book in one sitting :-) But, thinking about it, I wish I could sit and read it over, more slowly this time, to fully capture all of the beauty and personality infused into each of the individual stories. The painting acquires new characteristics from each of its possessors, or rather the people that are possessed by it. By reading it again, I think I'd be able to understand them a little better, and certainly appreciate them much more. I will have to buy a copy of this book, and, someday, a plane ticket to the Netherlands. I need to see a Vermeer painting myself.

I will pass this on to Zarylia when I see her tonight.

Journal Entry 7 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Paynesville/MN/USA - The book was passed on to me by Czersk on Saturday. It looks good, but unfortunately I have 6 other books to read as well! I'll try to get to it as soon as I can though. Thanks everyone! :-D

Journal Entry 8 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Saturday, September 18, 2004
Warsaw/Poland - I tend to agree with Sidney1220 in that though I really enjoyed the book and found myself connecting to many of the characters, at the end I felt a bit cheated. Especially when I think back to the professor and the choice his colleage leaves him with. The book truly was beautiful though and the way each person was captivated by the painting was extraordinary. On some level, I could connect to just about every character in the book, and that is very impressive. Even though this book left me wanting a unifying something, i 'm content to just think of it as a group of lovely short stories all surrounding a single painting's journey.

I've got maupi's address and will hopefully be sending it out Monday. I'll journal again once the book has been sent.

hey czersk, what do you say we go visit maupi in the netherlands? ;-P

Journal Entry 9 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Warsaw/Poland - Sorry I took forever to journal this but the book should be on it's way to maupi in The Netherlands. Thanks for including me! :-D

Journal Entry 10 by rem_HHX-328595 on Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Got it! Thanks jamesmum and Zarylia. I'm looking forward to reading this one.

Journal Entry 11 by rem_HHX-328595 on Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Very nice book. The stories each shed a different light on this fictive Vermeer painting. Though not all stories equally appealed to me, I really liked the structure of this novel. As far as I know, the historic references are correct, which is quite a relief, as it can be rather irritating if a novelist is inaccurate in that respect. And no errors in the Dutch quotes (ha, I'm an editor, terrible, you can never let go).
For me definitely more interesting than Girl with a Pearl Earring, which I found a bit trivial.
Thank you for ringing, jamesmum!
I just received (yes, just 5 minutes ago) tantan's address, so later this week off to Australia the book will travel.

14 Nov 2004
Mailed the book to Australia yesterday.

Journal Entry 12 by tantan from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Friday, November 26, 2004
Received in the mail today. This is a couple down on the pile of rings and rays, but I'll get to it as soon as I can.

Journal Entry 13 by tantan from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Saturday, December 11, 2004
I did really enjoy every individual story in this book, and loved the style of moving backwards through the history of the painting. I would however, like a few others, have liked to have seen a bit more unification between the individual stories. The descriptions of how each person was drawn to the painting was beautiful, and I'm going to have to go looking for some works by Vermeer next time I go overseas. Lovely story. This will go on to LauraLoo29 as soon as I have an address.

Journal Entry 14 by winglauraloo29wing from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Thursday, December 30, 2004
Arrived today. It looks very interesting. I have a couple of bookrings before it, but I will keep the book moving. Thank you!

Journal Entry 15 by winglauraloo29wing from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Thursday, January 13, 2005
I couldn't get into this book. Not to worry. I'll send it on its way. Thank you for sharing! :)

Journal Entry 16 by jamesmum from Richmond, British Columbia Canada on Saturday, February 5, 2005
EXCELLENT! This bookring circled the globe: California to Virginia to Minnesota; hand-carried from Minnesota to Poland, then mailed from Poland to the Netherlands, then on to Australia and Canada, and then back to California, safe and sound. I am so impressed! Thanks, everyone, for participating in my first around-the-world bookring!

2/15/05: Sending to KarinAlyssa for a book relay.

Journal Entry 17 by KarinAlyssa on Wednesday, February 23, 2005
I just received this book as a granted wish and I can't wait to read it. Thanks to Jamesmum, it's now going to my TBR shelf.

Journal Entry 18 by KarinAlyssa at By Mail in BookRelay.Com, Bookrelay -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Released 19 yrs ago (3/29/2005 UTC) at By Mail in BookRelay.Com, Bookrelay -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

BookRelay - Going to Ri. Enjoy !!!

Journal Entry 19 by Ri from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Friday, April 1, 2005
How exciting to receive such a well traveled book! Thanks so much, KarinAlyssa!

Journal Entry 20 by Ri from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Monday, April 18, 2005
This one was just lukewarm for me. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention enough to the story, but I would often forget the story before the one I was currently reading and would look back to try and catch up. I was never really engaged with the book. I almost stopped reading it in the middle, but I had heard that the stories get better as you go along. Sadly, they didn't improve much for me. Overall, it was just an ok read for me. I had heard it compared so often to The Girl with the Pearl Earring, that I was looking forward to this one. I enjoyed Chevalier's style and writing much more than this.

Having said all that, it wasn't terrible, wasn't stellar, just fair to middlin.

Journal Entry 21 by Ri from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Tuesday, April 19, 2005
This will be finding its way to corry000 who has it on her wishlist.

Update May 3: This was mailed out today.

Journal Entry 22 by corry000 from Chicago, Illinois USA on Sunday, May 15, 2005
Another book from my wish list I got from Ri. Thank you!!

Journal Entry 23 by LaughAtlantis on Sunday, June 25, 2006
I got this from corry ages ago in either a relay or a swap. I read it and truly, truly loved it. I have since read several of her other books and have read some Tracy Cevalier, which is all in the same vein. Really excellent book.

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