The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton, 2007, Hardback edition £9.99
Awarded as book of the year 2014, this haunting tale has captured its readers from beginning to end. The Miniaturist is about a young girl, Nella, who marries a man in order to leave her small town. She decides to take up residence with her husband in Amsterdam. With him keeping his distance he feels like a mystery to her. However it is not long before she learns about the miniaturist. Having fun with the miniaturist’s creations, it can sometimes get out of hand. With Nella having to grow up quickly, will she be able to gain control once again or succumb to the miniaturist? Expect the unexpected as nothing is what it seems. Be prepared to get lost into a novel that is written beautifully. The description tantalises the senses and gives your eyes vivid scenes to match. It really is difficult not to appreciate such a well-written piece.
It is quite a difficult piece to compare to other books as it is so unique. The only novel that is slightly similar is Jane Eyre. The reason being that Nella begins similar to a ‘plain Jane’ however, throughout the novel she blossoms into a woman. She lives in a house with grandure and finds the owner of the house a mystery at first, similar with Jane Eyre. The Miniaturist is also completely different to Jane Eyre, as the style of writing is completely different with added drama. I would recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in an unpredictable mystery, with brilliant description. So much so, that it even made me like marzipan. I’m not lying when I said that the description in the novel was powerful!
Charlotte Anne Barker 