A review by tfpjr492
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This novel recounts the romantic tribulations of a young lady in seventeenth century Netherlands. The main character Griet is a sixteen-year-old girl, who must take a job as a maid to art painter Johannes Vermeer. Her primary duty is to clean Vermeer’s studio meticulously. She is the only household member that he will allow into the studio. Her other duties include household laundry, daily errands to the market, and assistance to the other servant/cook - all of which make for exhausting workdays. 

Power in the household is spread among the family matriarch, the wife, and Vermeer.  The wife takes an immediate dislike to Griet. 

After the first week the matriarch comments on her work. 

Ah, you’re a cunning one, girl. You know whose pot to spoon from. Never mind, we can do with a bit of cleverness around here.
 
That is an understatement. The household is beset by pettiness, jealousy and deceit. Vermeer seems removed from these issues, as he retreats to his lonely studio to paint. Griet’s character is reserved, observant, compliant, and conscientious. She is an ideal employee. 

Griet is a willing student of Vermeer’s painting techniques. He explains the complexities of color. She has a natural eye for color, so Vermeer entrusts her with more responsibility for preparing the color paints. He does this secretly to avoid arousing the jealousy of his wife. As they work side-by-side, Griet develops unrequited romantic feelings for Vermeer. He will never enter a romantic relationship, because his sole passion is the art of painting.

The plot thickens when a customer of Vermeer commissions a painting and specifies that the subject of the painting is the lowly maid Griet. Suffice it to say that Vermeer exploits Griet’s devotion, so that he can finish the painting. 

The storyline plods to a predictable, even certain climax; nonetheless, the reader cannot help but feel the intensity of Griet’s emotions. The author adds a satisfying conclusion after the plot climax. This novel is recommended for readers who want a deeply emotional tale notwithstanding the cruelties, which the powerful visit upon the powerless.

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