The
Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
2013 • 427
pages (eBook) • Picador
The
Miniaturist is a fairly recent discovery that caught my eye due to it
being set in seventeenth century Amsterdam. It’s no secret that I love
historical fiction set during this period and reading a story based in the
Netherlands made a welcome change from the novels set in England and France
that I’ve read of late. I read The Miniaturist when I was on
holiday in Spain a couple of weeks ago and whilst not your traditional
beach-read kind of book, it was a very pleasant experience.
The story
follows Nella Oortman, an eighteen-year-old country girl sent to Amsterdam to
marry Johannes Brandt, an older but wealthy merchant. While Nella is eager to
prove herself a good wife, her new husband is kind yet distant and his
sharp-tongued sister Marin still acts as mistress of the house. But when
Johannes presents Nella with a cabinet replica of their home as a wedding gift,
Nella enlist the help of a miniaturist to furnish her gift and the tiny, real
life counterparts begin to reveal secrets about the enigmatic Brandt household.
Nella’s obsession with this mysterious artist leads to a series of events that
set her new life on a dangerous path, and it seems only the miniaturist can see
the fate that awaits them.
I confess
I didn’t really know much about the story beyond the basic plot when first I
started reading it, and I found it went on a different route than I initially
anticipated. I don’t really know what I was expecting but the overall result I
enjoyed more than I thought I would. The character of the miniaturist is
elusive and uncanny so there are elements of magical realism coursing
throughout, but the actual story is very much focused on family and emotion and
Nella trying to understand the details of her new life. Nothing is ever as it
seems and it’s quite creepy, yet interesting, to see how the tiny objects the
miniaturist sends to Nella foretell the outcome of events.
On top of
that you’ve got the oppressive and pious Amsterdam society – the Dutch Golden
Age may have been one of prosperity but it was a harsh, unforgiving place.
Johannes’ financial success sparks the jealously of many and there are
challenges in Nella’s married life which she did not bargain for. It’s a cruel
time and very much a dog-eat-dog world and I think it was the realism of the
story that really shocked me – I wasn’t expecting the novel to be filled with
such harsh truths and bittersweet consequences, but this is why I liked it.
There’s obviously the slight magical element running through the story which
binds everything together, but everything else – relationships, emotions,
society – all paints a bigger picture which made the story stay with me after I
finished it.
I feel as
though I can’t really say much more without giving anything away. If you do
decide to give this a read you might find you’re able to piece together certain
things as you go but for me to say them outright would only ruin the story.
Also, maybe it’s because of the Amsterdam setting but The Miniaturist reminded
me of Girl with a Pearl Earring – very similar mood and feel
so if you enjoyed the latter I’d definitely recommend this. An easy yet
pleasant read which is surprisingly captivating.
Overall rating: 4.5 stars
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