eBook Review - Girl with the Pearl Earring

As you guys know, I took a two week break earlier this month as I went on holiday with my Other Half and his family to Cyprus for a week (Wednesday to Wednesday) and in that week, I finished Girl with the Pearl Earring on the plane there (as well as starting & finishing Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers and Son of the Dawn [Ghosts of the Shadow Market: eNovella 1] by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan while nearly finishing The Cruel Prince by Holly Black on the plane back) so you might a few reviews flying at you over the next few weeks.

And the reason I got this is because I saw this in the Kindle Spring Sale for £1.99. It was a random find and when I read the first few lines, I went "I know this is a big deal of a read, but I think I should buy this!" and after reading Illuminae and audiobooking Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, I wanted to read something short and fast. I misremembered how long this was and thought it would be perfect.

Set in 17th century Holland, we follow Griet as she becomes a maid, working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer. But as she works on housework, laundry and caring for his six children, she slowly becomes entangled in his world and his work...

Ok, I admit it. I am not a historical fiction reader so this is outside of my comfort zone. But I see why people really like this book as I had fun reading this. This read more like a contemporary than a historical novel, which I feared would be stuffy and a bit rigid, but I really like the story of how the Girl with the Pearl Earring was painted and the story behind that, as very little is known about Johannes Vermeer and his works.

But I really liked was Griet and her character development. I have read reviews saying that the book explores a "corruption of innocence" and "the price of genius", but when I was reading it, I thought it hinted more of what happens when two people have an emotional affair rather than a physical affair, something that is much worse. But, now am thinking about it, it does feel like it's open to the reader's mind.

Like I said earlier on, I'm not a historical fiction reader and this read, to me, like a contemporary, but I know some historical fiction readers like a lot of historical detail so this might feel a bit history-lit.

But I had a good time reading this and I might be intrigued enough to read another Tracy Chevalier or risk reading another historical novel in the near future...