Girl With A Pearl Earring

"'A portrait of radiance...'"
That's what Time magazine had to say about this book, Girl With A Pearl Earring, and I agree completely. This novel by Tracy Chevalier is one of the best stories I've ever read. Chevalier's genius shines through on every page, creating a story behind the famous painting, which I had the pleasure of seeing when I went to Holland this summer. Being able to put a story to the painting, even if it is imaginary, makes it come to life in a way that I would have never expected, and it has become one of my favorite pieces of art.
If you are like me, and love going into the history of different lives, countries, and art, then you will love this book. Chevalier goes into depth of the life of Johannes Vermeer, a famous Dutch painter who lived in Delft, Holland in the 1660s, by creating a new character, Griet. We travel with Griet through the different steps of her life, seeing the world through her eyes. She becomes the maid of Vermeer, and for some reason she couldn't quite fathom, he became fascinated with her. This caused problems for Griet because she got caught up in the world of being a painter's muse, surprising Vermeer by having amazing insight into the world of an artist, and also inspiring him to create one of his most famous paintings.
Vermeer started to teach Griet the ways of an artist, showing her a new way to look at the world. She starts to feel a deeper connection with him, but she realizes that he only looks at her as something to paint because he had a large family of his own and was in love with his wife, Catharina. Griet's entrance in the home puts a strain on the family's lives because they can all see the attention that Griet is being shown and the jealousy and resentment that Catharina felt for being put second to a maid. Not only do we see the relationship that blossom betweens Vermeer and Griet, we also see how his patron van Ruijven lusts after her, and Pieter, the butcher's daughter, tries to woo her. We see the choices that Griet makes and the world around her, told with beautiful language and imagery. All of these things, the language, imagery, story, and history, create a world that pulled me in in a way I haven't been in a while. It made me believe so much that Griet is real, that she is the real Girl With A Pearl Earring, although the true inspiration of that painting remains a mystery to us all.