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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Miniaturist by Jessie Burton (view source)
Revision as of 12:48, 31 March 2015
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On arriving at her new abode on the Herengracht, the ingénue Petronella discovers a troubled household. When the door opens she meets the enigmatic and imperious Marin, the assured Cornelia and the handsome negro, Otto. As the reader is invited in, witnessing events through Nella's eyes, a power play ensues.
The discomfort and palpable tension in the Brandt home is reflected in Burton’s simple prose, “The ''The air is hot, the atmosphere a bruise.” '' When Nella’s husband, Johannes, awkwardly presents her with the gift of a 30,000 Guilder ornately carved and intricately crafted cabinet, encasing a nine roomed dolls' house mirroring their home, she feels patronised when he asks her to amuse herself by furnishing it.
Nevertheless she hires the services of an elusive miniaturist commissioning a few pieces that appeal to her expectations.This opens the door to further mysteries. Why does the miniaturist seem to eerily know more about her situation than she does? As Nella observes, ""she spins my life…And I cannot see the consequences."" Under the miniaturist’s gaze, the young bride ""experiences the unprecedented sensation of being impaled- the woman’s scrutiny is like a beam of cold light dissecting her, filling her with an awareness of her own body.
[[Category:Politics and Society]]
