The Miniaturist - Softcover

Burton, Jessie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062306847 ISBN 13: 9780062306845

Publisher: Ecco, 2015

Synopsis

Now a television miniseries, as seen on Masterpiece on PBS

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.

About this title

Review:

"[A] haunting debut."--Good Housekeeping

"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

"A suspenseful and moving read."--My Friends are Fiction

"A standout portrayal of the wide range of women's ingenuity."--Booklist

"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 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

"Seventeenth-century Amsterdam comes alive in this meticulously researched, enchantingly told tale."--Entertainment Weekly (Must List)

"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

"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

"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

Book Description:

The sensational No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ecco
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0062306847
• ISBN 13: 9780062306845
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432