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.

Ehh

I didn't find this deep or interesting, except for the parts about the city of Amsterdam. Generally the plot was sketchy, the motives and actions of the characters suspect, and the entire thing was way too vague. I am pretty good at reading subtle books, but I found this empty rather than subtle. Not recommended but not irredeemably awful I suppose.

so many loose threads

I wanted to love this book and as it unfolded I felt it could have lead down so many wonderful avenues. however, once I reached the end it was simply that... an end and not a great deal more.

A letdown

I struggled to finish the story. There wasn't much mystery to the overall plot and the idea of the miniturist was lost in the end. this probably is not a book I would recommend.

very good

The role of the miniaturist turns out to be a secondary and unresolved vehicle for the movement of the story, but it is the lives of the central characters that really drew me in so I was fine with that. Listened almost non-stop which I can rarely do because I had to know what happened next.

Is there a sequel?

I bought the book after watching 2 parts of the miniseries on PBS. I enjoy historical/fictional novels and was taken to Amsterdam in the 1600's to learn the struggles of a family will a moral compass than are finally acceptable by the majority today. I hope there be a sequel.