I was given this book as a present - it's a lovely read and as a result, I went out to watch the film as well.
It's historical fiction, the story of a painting by Johannes Vermeer, and of the Delft in mid seventeenth century Netherlands - truly evocative.

Welcome to (my first ever) "Girl with a Pearl Earring" BookRing

Members are as follows - Have posted the book off to UrbanSpaceman today (07.03.05). (PM me if you want to join in).

MEMBER/LOCATION
UrbanSpaceman/London
Sapphire99/Lyme Regis
Caffcaff/Rochester
Nice-cup-of-Tea/Zurich
GateGypsy/Takaoka-shi,Toyama,Japan (skipped)
AnglersRest/Teignmouth
MarnieMaybe/Newton Abbot
>Book is safely home again and the ring is complete!
It will be on its way to US next as a bookray...

initially to Amazon Pirate
then on to Lynette4real
and finally Morgail to do with as she wishes...


_______________________________________

Just arrived today from Tutleymutley. Thanks!

A beautiful read, the subtle style mirroring the light and dark and details of Vermeer's paintings.

Will send it on to Sapphire99 by first post next week.

Received today from UrbanSpaceman. Thankyou!

An imaginative and unique book, completely different to what I had expected. The dark undertones contained in the plot make it unexpectedly poignant- I will never look at one of Vermeer's paintings in the same way again.

Sent to caffcaff 22/03/05

Received the book this morning, but i wont be able to start it till some time next week :o( (as im currently reading something i'd promised to another BC'er)

Will update this journal entry to give the date i get started on it.....

Thanks :o)


Started Sunday 3rd April 05

I finished the book yesterday on the train on the way to The London Meet Up.....

Well.....what can i say about this book!!!! I was quite dissapointed :o( I think it had been toohyped up for me. Yes, it is a beautiful books, but IMO a bit slow. Thanks tutley for giving me the chance to read it. Its going to nice-cup-of-tea next who i will be meeting up with in London on the 22nd so if its ok with everyone i'll hold on to it till then....

RELEASE NOTES:

passing on to nice-cup-of-tea when we meet up tonight at The Stamford Arms

Received this from CaffCaff at our mini meetup last Friday.
Will read and journal soon

What a fantastic, atmospheric book! Chevalier writing is brilliantly visual and reflects the main themes of the book: light, shadows, colour, the painting process. The book really illuminated the painting process for me. For example, I had never really considered the role that artefacts played in paintings and the fact that the painter would move and choose and play around with objects in order to change the painting. It's obvious (but I never realised) that valuable objects such as clothes, jewellry and other high status props would be provided by the painter, and that these props would appear in many paintings. For example, Catarina's yellow mantle. I thought clothing was significant in this novel. Griet's insistence on clean collars and aprons, her caps which covered her hair. I loved the scene with the camera obscura, and Griet's insistence on looking at the scene through it, but being able to do this alone.

The themes of secrecy, being closed, being contained ran throughout this book. The comparisons of intimacy / sex / sexual harrassment between Griet and the Master, Griet and Pieter, and Griet and van Ruijiven (the patron) were brilliant. I really want to see the film version of this, I hope the film keeps the essence of the novel intact!

Once I have GateGypsy's address, the girl will be travelling across the seas to Japan....

GateGypsy has already read this, so am sending book today to Anglers rest
(economy post). Happy Reading!

Arrived in the post today from Switzerland. Just in time, as I was deliberating which book to go for next.

Nearly finished. Have justed PMed MarnieMaybe for their address.

Thanks Tutley Mutley for an excellent read.

To be posted off to MarnieMaybe on 19th May.~ Enjoy!

Book arrived in this morning's post - thank you AnglersRest!

Looking forward to reading it, as I listened to another Tracy Chevalier novel "The Virgin Blue" (which I now find out was her first novel) on audiotape a few months ago, and thought that was beautifully written.

I got into this book very quickly and looked forward to snatching some time every day to carry on with it. I was extremely worried that things would turn out badly for Griet (I'm not saying whether they do or not in case others join this ring). I may well get the film version out on DVD now, although it didn't appeal before.
I love Chevalier's writing style and admire all the painstaking reaserch she must have done in order to create such a convincing portrait of that society.
I presume for the time being book goes back to Tutley Mutley (and I go back to the huge TBR pile of books I actually own!)

OK I goofed again, forgot to log in before last journal entry so I'm shown as Anon Finder, but it's actually me (the stupid one).

thought I'd better 'catch' this book back onto my shelf before it sets off into the wild across the Atlantic to the USA as a bookray. Bye Bye book! Good luck!
it goes first to Amazon Pirate,
then Lynette4real
then finally to Morgail who can send it on further as she wills.

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed to Amazon Pirate to continue the bookray across the pond in USA...

A tidy finish for a simple tale. Gives very little of period interest, and perhaps a simple presentation of a famous artist. Seems a bit like a first novel. Very much a close focused book, not much of time specific information beyond the mixing of paints. A simple tale, but a neat one.