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The Miniaturist: A Novel Hardcover – August 26, 2014
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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.
- Print length416 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherEcco
- Publication dateAugust 26, 2014
- Dimensions6 x 1.29 x 9 inches
- ISBN-100062306812
- ISBN-13978-0062306814
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“The Miniaturist is one of the year’s most hyped novels, and it’s easy to see why. Burton conjures every scent and crackle of Nella’s world. A-” — Entertainment Weekly
“The Miniaturist is that rarest of things - beautifully written, yet also a compelling page-turner. It’s haunting, magical, and full of surprises, the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading.” — ―S.J. Watson, author of Before I Go To Sleep
‘Utterly transporting...one of those rare debut novels that excels in every regard. The past is brought to life in potent, sensory detail: one feels steeped in it. Burton’s prose beguiles the reader...My first instinct on finishing this book was to immediately read it again.” — Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites
“Burton’s writing is expressive and descriptive. While her prose is rich, it does not overwhelm the story...This historical novel with its strong female characters will appeal to those who enjoy the haunting undercurrents of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind.” — ―Library Journal
“[A] haunting debut.” — Good Housekeeping
“Jessie Burton nimbly transports contemporary social issues to the 17th century where a costume drama rich in historical detail is embellished with supernatural intrigue…The Miniaturist is a late-harvest summer delight.” — New York Daily News
“As in Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, the pleasure lies in giving in to well-wrought illusions, and the result is a beach read with meat on its bones - perfect for the Labor Day transition from play to work.” — New York magazine/Vulture.com
“Rich in 17th century atmosphere…Debut novelist Jessie Burton has a terrific subject... All those severe portraits of people in dark clothes and starched white ruffs, along with those glossy, death-scented still lifes, spring to life.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer
“A standout portrayal of the wide range of women’s ingenuity.” — Booklist
“A fabulously gripping read that will appeal to fans of Girl With a Pearl Earring and The Goldfinch, but Burton is a genuinely new voice with her visceral take on sex, race and class...” — ―The Guardian
“This debut novel, set in 17th-century Amsterdam, hits all the marks of crossover success: taut suspense, a pluck heroine- and a possibly clairvoyant miniature-furniture designer.” — ―New York magazine
“The Miniaturist is a masterpiece of atmosphere and tension …. The themes Burton explores are as relevant today as they were long ago …. a thoroughly engaging, beautifully written work of historical fiction.” — Washington Independent Review of Books
“In The Miniaturist, Burton uses a historical object - the real Petronella Oortman’s cabinet house in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum - as the springboard for a fantastically spun tale of love and mystery. It’s a story that astutely reflects our own age’s obsessions and prejudices, and it’s one not to be missed.” — Dallas Morning News
“The Miniaturist excels in depicting Amsterdam and its wealthy upper class, and lovers of art and of Amsterdam will be drawn to Burton’s imaginative story, which flows as effortlessly as water down a canal.” — BookPage
“The Miniaturist is an impressive debut… Burton has created a world that, like the cabinet house, draws us in until we feel the dread and mystery and wonder that surround Nella.” — Tampa Bay Times
“In Jessie Burton’s atmospheric debut, The Miniaturist, the powers of love and obsession, sins and secrets, loyalty and forgiveness bind together a cast of sympathetic characters who all have a part to play in a collectively chilling conclusion.” — Shelf Awareness
“A magical, intricate marvel of perfection… with luxurious prose that immerses the reader in the cold, damp of Amsterdam… A book that enchants from beginning to end.” — The Gilmore Guide To Books
“A suspenseful and moving read.” — My Friends are Fiction
“Seventeenth-century Amsterdam comes alive in this meticulously researched, enchantingly told tale.” — Entertainment Weekly (Must List)
“Burton gives her narrative the propulsive drive of a thriller, but her distinctive prose conveys deeper, harder answers than a whodunit. This fine historical novel mirrors the fullness of life, in which growth and sorrow inevitably are mingled.” — Washington Post
“Jessie Burton’s debut novel…has all of the trappings of a historical page-turner: a rich setting in 17th-century Amsterdam, a plot inspired by an antique “cabinet house” located at the renowned Rijksmuseum, and a diverse cast of characters…a perfect amount of authentic detail and a plot that speeds along.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Teen bride Nelly strives to connect with her aloof husband and his spinster sister, but uncovers secrets that, in intolerant 1686 Amsterdam, could mean death. It’s a tense tale.” — Us Weekly
“A seductive meditation on greed, power and the tortuous journey even the well-heeled must endure for self-possession. Burton adroitly depicts a culture of contradiction: a love of affluence and indulgence chafing against the impulse for Godfearing abstinence.” — New York Times Book Review, The Shortlist
From the Back Cover
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 life 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's gift helps Nella 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, beautifully written, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.
About the Author
Jessie Burton was born in London in 1982. She studied at Oxford University and the Central School of Speech and Drama. The Miniaturist is her first novel.
Product details
- Publisher : Ecco; First Edition (August 26, 2014)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 416 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0062306812
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062306814
- Item Weight : 1.35 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.29 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #274,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,385 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- #16,548 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #18,801 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
![Jessie Burton](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/amzn-author-media-prod/ilt1sjqsj5vnvhn1cmptcmkiqj._SY600_.jpg)
Jessie Burton is the author of four novels: The Miniaturist, The Muse, The Confession, and The House of Fortune.
The Miniaturist and The Muse were Sunday Times no.1 bestsellers in hardback and paperback, and New York Times bestsellers. The Miniaturist was UK Christmas no.1, National Book Awards Book of the Year, and Waterstones Book of the Year 2014, and sold more than 1 million copies in its first year. In 2017 it was adapted as a two-part BBC miniseries starring Anya Taylor-Joy. The Confession was a Sunday Times bestseller. The House of Fortune was a Sunday Times no.1 bestseller in hardback, with the paperback to come in July 2023.
Her novels have been published in 40 languages.
Her first book for children, The Restless Girls, was published in 2018, followed by Medusa in 2021. Medusa is shortlisted for the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing.
Visit her website at https://www.jessieburton.com, and follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jessieburton
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book interesting and easy to read with unexpected twists. They praise the detailed, precise writing style and poetic prose. The subject matter is fascinating and explores modern ideas in a 17th century setting. Readers enjoy the well-developed characters and historical accuracy of the story. However, some feel the story lacks a convincing storyline and is not action-packed. There are mixed opinions on the depressing content, with some finding it full of emotion and conflict, while others consider it uplifting.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's engaging story with unexpected twists. They find the historical storytelling intriguing and suspenseful, especially for fans of historical fiction.
"...Love, loss, sorrow, historical storytelling that you might not be familiar with. I enjoyed this book, will recommend for my small bookclub...." Read more
"...This is a book of mysteries, but more importantly than that, this is a book about relationships, love, forgiveness, betrayal, and perseverance...." Read more
"...But when the pieces she commissions are not only exceptionally fulfilled, but rendered in exquisite and intimate detail, she wonders what is going on..." Read more
"...seems to be more than the miniaturist's delivery boy, and the story has a complete and robust cast of characters, which take us through a short..." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing quality. They find the story poignant and fast-paced. The book is described in detail, making it an easy read. Readers appreciate the rich descriptions of the atmospheric neighborhood and the roles between sexes. While not a romance novel, it's a literary historical novel with a gifted wood carver as a significant side character.
"Not too many characters to follow. Author was very descriptive without being tiresome. Story so different about that time period in Amsterdam...." Read more
"...I think this gifted wood carver, who is really a significant side character in the story, has an unwritten story of her own...." Read more
"...she commissions are not only exceptionally fulfilled, but rendered in exquisite and intimate detail, she wonders what is going on...." Read more
"...It was an enjoyable read. At times, it reads quickly and at others, Burton seems to relish the word as she slowly moves through the narrative...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's thought-provoking content and style. They find the subject matter fascinating and modern ideas presented in a 17th-century setting. The story explores several themes, including the inhumanity of war and the exploration of daily life. Readers appreciate the well-researched and unique narrative that immerses them in a different world. The novel also provides an insight into cultures and social structures.
"...book of mysteries, but more importantly than that, this is a book about relationships, love, forgiveness, betrayal, and perseverance...." Read more
"...The description of daily life, the canals and streets as they must have looked then, the intolerance of a strict Calvinistic church along with the..." Read more
"...entrap ourselves and others, The Miniaturist is also an examination of social structures and the lengths people will go to in order to protect their..." Read more
"A riveting story of love, friendship, greed, betrayal, hope, loss, mystery, injustice and justice...." Read more
Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and descriptions of them. They find the plot engaging and appreciate the character development of Nella, Johannes, and Marin in particular.
"Not too many characters to follow. Author was very descriptive without being tiresome. Story so different about that time period in Amsterdam...." Read more
"...I did enjoy the character of Nella and the things she persevered through and overcame...." Read more
"...The plot -- fast, but confusing. The characters - dark, complex, not necessarily likeable...." Read more
"...miniaturist's delivery boy, and the story has a complete and robust cast of characters, which take us through a short amount of time...." Read more
Customers enjoy the historical accuracy of the book. They find the descriptions of life in Old Amsterdam fascinating and the story gives a fascinating portrait of a European city that depended on trade. The setting and time period are described well, making the city come alive for them.
"...They are so life-like, prophetic, full of significance... Alarmed, she eventually reads the pieces and the messages that accompany them as signs of..." Read more
"Interesting and atmospheric book about 17th century Amsterdam. Nella is a young bride to a wealthy merchant adjusting to big city life in Amsterdam...." Read more
"...You can feel the cool air and all the smells and wonder of the city. She shows you their homes, their clothes, their kitchens, and their secrets...." Read more
"...fiction and does, as another reviewer said, effectively capture the tension in the Dutch culture between God and guilder, with good character..." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's content. Some find it heartwarming and encouraging, with a realistic story that evokes sympathy. Others feel the plot becomes more depressing and unnerving as the book progresses. The ending is described as bittersweet.
"...Although I have only read the first 100 pages, I am completely bored and cannot help but compare it to Tracy Chevalier's "A Girl With the Pearl..." Read more
"...Love, loss, sorrow, historical storytelling that you might not be familiar with. I enjoyed this book, will recommend for my small bookclub...." Read more
"...for the Dutch history, but way more disturbing and depressing than necessary. And what about the miniaturist? Did we ever learn what her purpose was?" Read more
"This was a hauntingly lovely, deeply sad book that remained with me long after I finished it...." Read more
Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it fast and engaging, while others feel the beginning is slow and the ending feels rushed.
"...It all develops slowly so you’re not seeing it to fruition until you’re over halfway through the book...." Read more
"...than that, this is a book about relationships, love, forgiveness, betrayal, and perseverance. Life marches on, and so does Nella...." Read more
"...I am a stickler when it comes to endings and his one felt rushed, cobbled together, and a cop out...." Read more
"A riveting story of love, friendship, greed, betrayal, hope, loss, mystery, injustice and justice...." Read more
Customers find the story lacks a convincing storyline. They say it's well-written but not fully successful. The story seems to change halfway through from a measured pace. It's not an action-packed novel, but if you like to be made to think. Some readers feel the book is overrated, silly, and not believable.
"...It's that extraneous to the story. In fact, the story would flow better and would still become an average 300-page novel...." Read more
"...It also contains magic realism which seems to have thrown some readers off...." Read more
"...Certainly this is not an action packed novel, but if you like to be made to think..." Read more
"...husband's house and, as she crosses the threshold of this tidy, well-ordered home, steps into another world...." Read more
Reviews with images
![Excited to read this novel](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/transparent-pixel._V192234675_.gif)
Excited to read this novel
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2024Not too many characters to follow. Author was very descriptive without being tiresome. Story so different about that time period in Amsterdam. No "tulip" story, this is about the most basic of items, SUGAR. Love, loss, sorrow, historical storytelling that you might not be familiar with. I enjoyed this book, will recommend for my small bookclub. I would re-read this again. Please give this book a try, dont believe you will be disappointed.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2016There are books that are masculine and there are books that are feminine, and this is decidedly a feminine book. Set in 1686 Amsterdam, the book tells the tale of eighteen year-old Petronella Oortman’s new life when she arrives at her new merchant husband’s home. The green flags are where I have marked the book’s “mysteries.”
What secrets are kept by her new sister-in-law Marin? Who is the Miniaturist and why does she do what she does (Alas, we are never told the answer to this question, which was a bit unfulfilling, and I have to guess that the Miniaturist is some sort of psychic and uses her powers through her art to try and help or warn her clients). Lastly, why is her new husband, Johannes, so detached from her? This is a book of mysteries, but more importantly than that, this is a book about relationships, love, forgiveness, betrayal, and perseverance. Life marches on, and so does Nella.
The story line between husband and wife was one I certainly was not expecting, and not one I could relate to or want to relate to. Why does Nella care about him after finding out what he did/who he is? I would have left the sucker to rot in prison, and let him march forward to his execution alone. She was not without resources or family, so she could have left, but Nella is not me, so Nella stayed and supported him. Should his punishment have been death by drowning? Certainly not, and the trial proceedings are chilling. Dangerous times.
I did enjoy the character of Nella and the things she persevered through and overcame. The book was a page turner, and kept me reading to finish the 392 page book in about two days. The story did make me think about how awful it would have been to be a woman in that period of time. I am glad I wasn’t, or if I was, that I have not retained hard memories of it now. Even the wealthy women were just property and slave puppets, mostly. Just an awful, awful time.
Interestingly, Petronella Oortman was a real Dutch woman who had a cabinet house. Today, it is on display at The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2016Amsterdam in the 17th century might be considered one of the major characters in this book. The description of daily life, the canals and streets as they must have looked then, the intolerance of a strict Calvinistic church along with the ins and outs, moral and immoral, of the thriving trade with the far East seem to be well-researched and described in detail.
There are two aspects of the book, however, that gave me some pause. First, the central characters are amazingly free of prejudice and selfishness. They are members of a religion lacking in acceptance, and yet possess an amazingly 21st century tolerance. I liked them for that, but I think they lived too far removed from what was at that time acceptable and expected. The servants are treated as family, homosexuality is easily accepted in the household, and the birth of a biracial child isn't a problem too large to just brush aside. I was not convinced that such a household might openly exist in the Amsterdam of the time.
I also felt that the story had a great deal of potential that was not realized. A mysterious woman seems to know the intimacies of the family, including a remarkable insight into their futures. She is seen only a few times, at the edge of a crowd, or just turning a corner. We never meet her, never learn why she chooses to carve tiny images of the lives in this home, including details that are at first unknown to anyone else. I think this gifted wood carver, who is really a significant side character in the story, has an unwritten story of her own.
I was also not comfortable with the death of the head of the household. I suppose the reactions to the death are not out of time and place and beliefs of the time, but it is a major death of a major citizen, the result of a betrayal. And then everyone just goes home. I wanted a battle, a rescue, a recanting of the betrayal--but it is simply a death that should not have happened.
So--many points for choosing to bring to life a very prosperous city at the height of its imperial powers. But, the plot is unfulfilled. Might it be too much to ask for a sequel?
Top reviews from other countries
- SusannahBReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 9, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Atmospheric, Exquisitely Described
In the autumn of 1686, eighteen-year-old Petronella (Nella) Oortman leaves her country home and arrives at the Amsterdam house of her new (and much older) husband, the wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt - a man she barely knows. At his house on the Golden Bend of the Herengracht Canal, Nella meets Johannes' unmarried sister, the domineering Marin, who lives with Johannes and runs his household and, up to a point, his life. Nella feels gauche and somewhat inadequate when faced with Marin's confidence and practicality, and when Johannes presents his young wife with the wedding gift of a cabinet-sized replica of her new home, Nella feels he is treating her as if she is a child. Realizing that her husband, who has not yet consummated their marriage, is trying to be kind, Nella contacts by letter a miniaturist, a maker of miniature furniture, and commissions some pieces for her cabinet house. However, when the pieces arrive, Nella is surprised by how true-to-life they are, and when further uncommissioned pieces arrive, including some dolls which are uncannily like the inhabitants of her household - even down to aspects about them that no one outside the family would be aware - Nella begins to feel uneasy and then rather frightened. And when she discovers something shocking about her husband, Nella realizes that her new life and the tentative relationship she had been gradually building with Johannes, is in danger of collapsing - and, even more worryingly, is the fact that Johannes is putting his reputation and even his own life at risk.
A compelling and beautifully observed story with some wonderfully atmospheric descriptions of 17th century Holland, this debut novel from Jessie Burton doesn’t read like a first novel at all. All of the characters are interesting and well-portrayed (although I would have liked to have seen their emotions explored more fully) and much of the story was so exquisitely described that this novel, with its themes of gender, sexuality, race and religion, kept me involved from start to finish. I read this book for the first time a few years’ ago, but I wanted to reread it in order to remind myself of the story before starting the sequel (‘The House of Fortune’) and I’m pleased to say I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the first time around.
5 Stars.
- Sofía PeñalozaReviewed in Mexico on March 31, 2021
2.0 out of 5 stars Too many plotholes
Never solved the main mystery of the miniaturist. Leaves a lot of plots unsolved, at the beginning is good but as you continue it only gets worst. Trying to hard on the motives behind the secrecy of each character.
- xReviewed in Germany on April 14, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Ready to time travel?
Fantastic story that will sweep you away back to Amsterdam's golden age. This page-turner is well worth the read!
- Linda PfeifferReviewed in Canada on November 11, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars I stayed up late to read this book and woke up early to finish it.
This book was absolutely fascinating to me. It opens in 1686 in Amsterdam. Nella aka Petronella Oortman, an eighteen year old farmer's daughter has arrived in Amsterdam to begin living with her new husband, Johannes Brandt. She has spent little time with him in the past only long enough to play the lute for him and then a rushed marriage sanctioned by her family. Brandt is a wealthy merchant and world traveler dabbling in the buying and selling of exotic goods from various ports around the known world.
When she learns that her husband is not at home to greet her and his sister, Marin, a maid, and her husband's man servant are the only occupants of the enormous house, she begins to wonder what she has fallen into. Cornelia the maid is as unfriendly as her new sister-in-law. And Otto, is a man like Nella has never seen before in her life, with his dark brown skin and soft wool hair. None of them makes her feel welcome but ensconce her in her own sumptuous bedroom that does not include anything of her new husbands. Only then does she realizes she won't be sharing a marital bedroom with Johannes.
This book is well written and contains many secrets and mysteries that both the protagonist Nella and the reader strive to solve. One of the biggest mysteries involves the miniaturist whose tiny carvings begin to fill her dollhouse-like cabinet. The miniatures seem to have a life of their own and maybe trying to tell Nella something.
I stayed up late to read this book and woke up early to finish it. Don't let the historical date scare you off. This is as modern a story as anything that happens today.
-
Kindleのお客様Reviewed in Japan on January 1, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars 17世紀のアムステルダムの生活の雰囲気
アムステルダムの運河にそってならぶ細長い建物の中はどんなぐらいだろう、
17世紀のアムステルダムの住民(商人)の生活はどんなものか
かれらの生活感と宗教観などを考えながら、ミステリーをたのしむ。
職人ギルド、宗教裁判など当時最も先進的なオランダの息吹が楽しめる。