Girl with a Pearl Earring

I like the idea of this book. Someone looked at a well-known painting, saw a story in the subject’s eyes, and wrote that story down. Tracy Chevalier did a magnificent job of capturing the realism of 17^th century Delft; the setting just feels right. I loved Griet, the main character. At first she seems just short of being aloof and insensitive, but her character is revealed over time to be a near-perfect balance of passion and pragmatism.

Very little time is spent in her family’s house before she is transferred to the role of maid for Johannes Vermeer, the master painter. Although she was specifically hired to clean his studio without disturbing the progress of the paintings, her role in the household—and how she is treated because of that role—varies from character to character based on their perceptions of her. To the other servants, she is the new girl who must do all the least favorable chores. To the mistress of the house, she is someone to be feared and mistrusted because of her connection to Vermeer’s art. To the mother-in-law, she is a partner in the attempt to keep Vermeer painting, and, therefore, keep the money coming in.

The characters in the book—both in the Vermeer house and Griet’s village—are vividly created. The reader understands them on a personal level, not because every nuance of their actions is explained, but because they act like real people. Even when the characters did something I didn’t like, I accepted it because I could understand their motivations.

The ending tied things up in a satisfactory way. I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent reading this book. Griet is a beautifully rendered character whose sense of self allows her creativity to exist in a harsh world, while her sensibility keeps her grounded in the reality of her life. Overall, I have no trouble believing that she is happy at the end of the book, and that she deserves her happiness.

The movie was a bit disappointing. Even having read the book, the movie feels sluggish and pretentious. There are long moments of focusing on a facial expression or symbolic item that, if not for the knowledge provided by reading the book, may get lost in translation. In the book, the relationship between Vermeer and Griet seemed to be one of empathy and the deep connection brought about by a shared passion; in the movie, it is diluted into an uncomfortable dance around an illicit affair and tawdry forbidden love. The ending merely brings all the empty symbolism to a sad misfire of a conclusion. It was nice to watch, but it did not live up to the richness of the book.