The Miniaturist: A Novel

Written by:
Jessie Burton
Narrated by:
Davina Porter

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
21
Narrator
11
Release Date
August 2014
Duration
13 hours 18 minutes
Summary
Now a television miniseries, as seen on Masterpiece on PBS

Set in seventeenth century Amsterdam—a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion—a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery, in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant.

”There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . .“

On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office—leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella’s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist—an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

Johannes’ gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand—and fear—the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.
Reviews
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Anonymous

Best book I’ve read in a long time

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Phillip G.

Fantastic narrator

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Smith

Good book. Interesting characters.

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Sarah K.

Imaginative, thought provoking with the seductive voice of the woman who narrates the outlander novels.

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Hillary B.

This book was a great place for my imagination. I had “called” some of the twists, but not every detail in them. I found it very relatable to Today, even though it was set in another culture a few centuries ago. Some reviews call the ending sad, I wouldn’t say that. It was hopefully and poetically beautiful to me. Worth the listen. And Davina Porter is one if the greatest narrators of our time.

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Kristyn L

Very interesting story, slow to start but picks up... definitely sad. Not sure what to take from it but worth reading!

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Jane R

Wonderful but sad story of the times where there were intense prejudices. Beautifully written and also read.

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Antoinette MacWatt

I enjoyed the story but was unsatisfied with the way some stoy lines were left hanging. The narrator had a pleasing voice but mispronounced several words.

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Anonymous

Very depressing ...good storyline. I would not want to have lived in the late 1600's Amsterdam.

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Calvin Flowers

The narrador is fantastic, however the story leaves too many questions unanswered. It becomes hard to distinguish whether there's a paranormal element or just a figment of the main character's imagination.

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Amanda Black

It seems like you only get the middle of a story. The detail is fantastic, but the story itself is only so-so.

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