The Miniaturist
A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick and Beautifully Atmospheric Historical Novel
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4.1 • 444 Ratings
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- £0.99
Publisher Description
The phenomenal number one bestseller and a major BBC TV series.
A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick.
Winner of the Specsavers National Book Award and Waterstones Book of the Year.
Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, Jessie Burton's historical novel set in Amsterdam, The Miniaturist, is a story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution.
On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways . . .
Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall?
'My first instinct on finishing this book was to immediately read it again' – Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Jessie Burton’s gorgeous debut is the story of Nella Oortman, a young bride who leaves behind her family home in the Dutch hinterlands to move into her husband’s grand but gloomy Amsterdam residence. Adrift in her chilly new home—where she must deal with her aloof spouse, antagonistic sister-in-law and mysterious servants—Nella becomes fascinated with a doll-size replica of her new home, which slowly reveals the household’s dark secrets. Set in the 17th century, this wonderfully evocative historical novel is a dazzlingly original tale with unforgettable characters and a gripping plot.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Late 17th-century Amsterdam is the sumptuous backdrop for this debut novel about a young Dutch girl from the village of Assendelft, Nella Oortman, who is chosen to be the bride of Johannes Brandt, a wealthy merchant with a shocking secret. Not long after Nella's arrival in the city, her enigmatic husband presents her with a beautifully wrought cabinet, an exact replica of the house in which they live with Brandt's sister, Marin, and their loyal servants. Nella engages a miniaturist to fill it and begins to encounter mysteries no one is willing to explain, secrets in which everyone in the household is implicated. The elusive miniaturist, too, seems to know more than Nella, as reflected in the tiny dolls and furniture he creates for the cabinet. The artisan may even be able to predict the future: he sends Nella portentous objects she has not commissioned, such as a cradle and a perfect replica of Brandt's beloved dog stained with blood. As in all good historical novels, the setting is a major character; in this case the city of Amsterdam, with its waterways and warehouses, confectioners' shops, and kitchens, teems with period detail. Myriad plot twists involve Brandt's commercial activities, especially the stores of precious sugar cones from Surinam, and the tragic, fatal consequences of illicit love affairs. Strangely enough, however, the central mystery, the miniaturist's uncanny knowledge of the future, is never solved, and the reader is left unsatisfied.
Customer Reviews
Great book but ended too soon :(
Great great book to read... Loved the characters and everything happening but feel that the ending wasn't too great. Kinda left us guessing but not in a good way.
I would recommend but wish it had ended differently!
Disappointing
It was an instant page turner and very exciting to read, I read the book in a day. Excellent characters! Unfortunately, the ending flopped and felt quite odd and unexciting- especially because the rest of the book had been fantastic. No cliff hanger, no redemption, no reveal of the mystery character or any hints to why/what. It didn’t even reference the beginning of the book, which was in the back of my mind all the way through. It didn’t leave me excited to read the sequel.
Addictive
Not my usual book choice but I was quickly hooked and swept through an unfolding story of complex characters.