The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton.

Hi everyone!

I'm AnGee, I hope you're all doing fine today!

Today, I want to talk about a book that I read a few weeks ago and that is quite popular: The Miniaturist, written by Jessie Burton.

The Miniaturist is Burton's first novel, and it was acclaimed not only by the critics but also by many readers that I know. The book also received several awards, which intrigued me even more. As I was really interested by this novel, I decided to give it a try.

The Miniaturist is set in 17th century Amsterdam. Nella Oortman, who is 18, travelled the country to live with her husband, Johannes Brandt, and his sister Marin. Nella is quickly despaired by the atmosphere in the house: her husband does not really care about her and is often away, and Marin treats her like a little girl. But one day, Johannes gives her a very unique gift: a dollhouse that was made exactly like their real house. Nella decides to order things from a miniaturist to fill her dollhouse, but what she receives is not what she expected...

I really enjoyed reading The Miniaturist, firstly because of Jessie Burton's work. She managed to create a unique atmosphere, sometimes gloomy, sometimes elegant, that totally fits what Nella is experiencing. I especially like the way the dollhouse is depicted: I could almost see it in my head!

The story is fascinating and I was not prepared for what happens. Several people called the book "a page-turner" and I agree: I could not put it down and I read it extremely fast! However, I was a bit disappointed by the end. 

The characters are also really interesting: they all have flaws, and it makes them interesting. Nella's development and her relationship with Marin were two of the things that I liked the most in this novel. I also want to mention that the focus is not really on the miniaturist, but more on what happens within the house.

In short, The Miniaturist is a really unique book. Despite a few flaws (the ending, for example, or the lack of emphasis on the miniaturist), I enjoyed reading it and I'm interested by Jessie Burton's new novel, The Muse.

AnGee.