Title: The Miniaturist
Author: Jessie Burton
Genre: Historical Fiction, Suspense, Mystery
Format: Paperback
Date of Publication: January 1st 2015
Publisher: Picador
ISBN13: 9781447250937
On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives at a grand house in Amsterdam to begin her new life as the wife of wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt. Though curiously distant, he presents 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 ring eerily true.
As Nella uncovers the secrets of her new household, she realises the escalating dangers they face. The miniaturist seems to hold their fate in her hands – but does she plan to save or destroy them?
This book started off slow. And as I was reading I was wondering if I should continue reading it. Yes, there was a lingering question going on but was it substantial enough to continue reading the book. This was me reading through the first one-third of the book. But at the one-third mark, everything changed. Here, I came across such a mind boggling, spiralling twist that I didn’t look back and carried on. From here the book is an enthralling ride, with twists and turns at every corner. The plot is suspenseful, haunting and mesmerizing. The writing is so magical it felt as if it had cast a spell on me. This book is so skillfully and beautifully written, with all the intricate details, that it compelled me to read on until I reached the end. I was intrigued by all the characters and followed them wherever they went. It’s absolutely difficult to choose a favourite character as each one of them had a quality which I related to and admired. The only hitch in this book was the conclusion provided to the character of the miniaturist. I wasn’t satisfying enough, I didn’t buy it. If had a bit more it then I might I loved it. But other than that, this book was an amazing read and I would highly recommend it to others.
Final Verdict –
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.