I'm still waiting for something to happen.....

it was rather like listening to someone read a long list of items 'and then I did this, and then that happened, so I did that, and then I did that, and then I did this....... '

So what happened to the parrot, who opened the window, what happened to Jack, why the significance of the minatureist, why was Agnes looking ill, who was the pock marked man, why did the confectioners wife become friendly and generous, why did nothing happen when the court case was so obviously flawed???????

51 people found this helpful

A little gem of a book

This has been on my list for a while. I've heard it described as 'historical, literary thriller': a combination of genres that often translates as ‘long-winded and weighed down by its own sense of importance’. I finally got round to listening and it was an absolute joy. The characters are intricately flawed, heartfelt humans, and the prose is just gorgeous. It manages to be poetic and expansive but never self-indulgent, and always gripping. You are flung into the stinking, bustling, sometimes terrifying heart of medieval Amsterdam: sugar is a rare and expensive commodity, homosexuality is an abomination, reality and magic are blurred, bullies and oppressors operate under the cloak of piety and religion. A breathless listen that I binged through in three days.

10 people found this helpful

Disappointing & very annoying narrator

Would you try another book written by Jessie Burton or narrated by Jessie Burton?

I might consider another book written by her, but DEFINITELY NOT anything narrated by her.

Has The Miniaturist put you off other books in this genre?

No

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Monotone voice, inability to act. It's taking me ages to finish as the voice is alternately grating & monotonous so I'm distracted from the story.

Any additional comments?

Obviously I fell for the hype around this title. The idea is good, but I'm finding the main character irritating & not that likeable. I can't sympathise with her, which is a pity as the concept is a good one.

26 people found this helpful

Tricky to get in to

Once I got into this book I did enjoy it. It is narrated in present tense, which is quite difficult to get your head around at first. The narrator is also the author, and sadly, I don't think she's a very good narrator. At some parts, it is difficult to tell the characters apart, as there are no inflections or indications in the characters voice to tell you who is speaking. I felt the ending didn't really explain the background of the miniaturist, and her story was added on an afterthought and was a let down.

22 people found this helpful

Ludicrous

Loved part one, then slowly became disillusioned as the storyline became more and more unbelievable. in the end, it was so irritating. I DID finish it, but I had invested time in it.
I don't believe the emotions this girl had at the end. Too much was not believable as being set in 1687. No, I wouldn't recommend it. Too many adjectives as well!

15 people found this helpful

too much information whilst lacking a resolution

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Frustrating. The ending lacked any form of satisfactory resolution . Too many questions left unaswered and for this man too much gynaelogical information . The male characters seem very pallid although the historical datail was ok . The miniaturist whilst mysterious was far too nebuleous and one was left wondering whether the author was saving plot for a sequel. If so I probably shant be buying it

Would you recommend The Miniaturist to your friends? Why or why not?

To my women friends possibly, to my male friends probably not.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Jessie Burton?

The narrator/author told the tale in a very ( overly) soulful way . Too droopy for my palate. From preference i would not listen to her again

Did The Miniaturist inspire you to do anything?

Write my first book review. Just had to. Doing my grumpy old man thing

32 people found this helpful

Disappointing

I am afraid that I found this audiobook rather disappointing. The story occasionally promised to develop more solidly but in reality was quite thin. The book was well written but I thought the narrator, who was also the author, could have given more of a performance to breathe a bit more life into the story.

8 people found this helpful

A promising premise but something is missing

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I had high hopes on reading the blurb for this novel that it would be a historical novel of substance with a really engaging story. Unfortunately most of the characters are irritating and the main hook of the story - the mysterious miniaturist - is never adequately explained. I would have liked this character in particular to have been given more attention.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I was surprised that the story ended where it did and would have appreciated a few more chapters as it felt that several strands of storyline were unfinished.

What three words best describe Jessie Burton’s performance?

Earnest but grating.

Do you think The Miniaturist needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

The ending left me feeling that the book was really an introduction to a future novel. There are too many unanswered questions for this to be a stand-alone novel.

Any additional comments?

While I was disappointed with the overall story, I did learn more about this period of Amsterdam history.

24 people found this helpful

If you love me, you will obey my commandments

Eighteen away from home, married out of necessity, in a new city, in a new home a home of secrets, a home of lies and the whispers of a magical artisan that recreates life in miniscule dolls.
Amsterdam 1786 at first seems benevolent and tranquil, the protagonists all appear at face value to be willing participants of the period the culture and move with in it with little or no apparent resentment, but as the story moves forward we see the heavy hand of culture and religion, stifling, suffocating, imposing its reality on all; even those that feel free and secure, are made to face the force that controls all. The moral majority are even now hammering away at individual freedoms,and religions like then are hard at work trying to control humanity, sexuality, thought it self.
This is a book lets you in easy and lets you out perhaps with more question in your heart, than answers about the protagonists. The period is described without drowning you in facts but by exposing you to everyday life the alien past, and the common humanity.
A very interesting book,with more depth than at first apparent.

13 people found this helpful

Enchanting

What did you like most about The Miniaturist?

The storyline is written in quasi fairy tale mode.

What did you like best about this story?

The hidden mysteries in a young marriage.

What does Jessie Burton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Beautifully read by the author Jessie Burton so that it is heard as the author intended.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Much more than a dolls house.

Any additional comments?

Charming. Could not put it down.

15 people found this helpful