Sarah's Library

28/1 - Read it for year 12 English.  Probably would have enjoyed it more if we hadn't been forced to read the whole book out loud as a class - some of the scenes were not the kind to be read out loud with idiotic teenage boys jeering at the sex scenes (well, I thought they were sex scenes when I was 17).  Despite that horribly embarrassing experience I enjoyed the story and should probably read again now that it's 10 years down the track.

New Review due to Reread

3/4/16 - It's been another four years since I wrote that and I'm finally rereading it. Reading books like this one, with young women in vulnerable working positions because of their lower class status always make me twitchy. I have a high sense of justice and fairness and when there is a situation where someone isn't treated with the fairness that I believe they deserve, in life or fiction, I get kind of ragey. Anyone who disturbs me better watch out for my wrath, because if I can't scream at the characters I'm likely to take my frustration out on you. In this book I get angry with pretty much everyone - Vermeer for just assuming that it's okay for Griet to work for him and not caring how it affects her life within the household, Catharina for taking her fears regarding her own insecurities out on Griet, Tanneke for believing that Griet was purposefully attracting all the attention Vermeer was paying her, Maria Thins for having the power to make things easier for Griet but not bothering to, and Cornelia for being a hateful and jealous little girl (see even children can't escape my anger). To be continued...

4/4 - I think this will have to stay at three and a half stars. It's an interesting story and a creative idea for a backstory to Vermeer's most well-known, and supposedly most impressive, painting, but for me the book was just 'above average' (hence the three stars) in regards to my enjoyment levels. After finishing it last night I spent quite a while on Wikipedia looking at Vermeer's body of work and have come to the conclusion that I'm not that much of a fan. The painting that the book's title takes its name from is the only one I can honestly say I actually like (the colours of the turban are very vibrant and eye-catching), for the rest of the paintings I find the subject matter (mostly domestic life portraits with a couple of religious scenes) dull and not something I would want to have hanging on my wall. I don't think I'll keep this in my library as I'm pretty sure I won't read it again.

2016 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge: A Book You Haven't Read Since High School