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The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton (view source)
Revision as of 12:48, 31 March 2015
, 12:48, 31 March 2015no edit summary
The discomfort and palpable tension in the Brandt home is reflected in Burton’s simple prose, ''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''.
Burton explains how her novel addresses moral anxiety through the motif of the reflective nature of interiors: ""It explores what is hidden, what cannot be said. It lays bare the struggle to be understood, the desire to connect, but also the wish to hand over our fates to an outside force rather than take responsibility for our choices.""