The Miniaturist

A Novel

By: Jessie Burton

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Now a television miniseries, as seen on Masterpiece on PBS

Set in seventeenth century Amsterdam—a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion—a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery, in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant.

”There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . .“

On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office—leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella’s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist—an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

Johannes’ gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand—and fear—the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.

Too Many Holes

Burton gives us a novel set in 17th century Amsterdam, a booming mercantile center. Young Nella has arrived from the country, newly married, only to find that her husband Johannes is away on business and that her harsh sister-in-law, Marin, rules the roost. When he returns, he presents her with a wedding gift that he believes will keep her busy: a cabinet designed like their house, but empty. It's Nella's task to fill it, and she contacts by mail a miniaturist to create the first pieces. When the package arrives, there are additional, unordered pieces that are astonishingly identical to reality. How does the miniaturist know so much about the Brandt home? Even more strangely, some of the figures representing the family start to change . . . and Nella begins to feel that she is living in a house of secrets.

This novel was really slow-going at first, so slow that I almost gave up on it. While I'm glad that I stuck with it to the end, there were a number of problems. First, we never really learn exactly who the miniaturist is or how she knows so much. At times, Nella seems almost too naive, and she and other characters change far too abruptly to be believable. The ending--well, lets just say that we're somewhat left hanging. While it feels like a conclusion, again, there are just too many holes

Well Drawn Characters

Beautifully written story filled with historic details and magical connections. Deeply drawn characters whose complexities unravel in slow, satisfying ways.

Of tulips and turnips

It was a very slow start, all description and no POV or identification for first 7 or 8 chapters. However, like our heroine discovers near the end of the story, much has changed while we were distracted and looking the other way. It is the story of all women, and thus, most men. It is a coming of age story, a passage that we must all confront numerous times on our life journey. We are often too distracted to notice how much we change and grow until suddenly we awaken to what we have become in a world we have created.
Get past the start and meet some of the most real friends you will cherish for a long, long time.
As usual, Davina Porter's performance is captivating and excellent.

Disappointing

This story was depressing, lonely, and not at all what I was expecting. The only thing that saved it was Davina Porter's performance. There was a major part of the story left unresolved. None of the characters were developed enough to get to know, or to like. I was expecting something whimsical and magical, but was left wanting more.

Miniaturist was not the main protagonist

The miniaturist's mystery was very promising in the beginning but the overall story disappointed me.