In Girl In Hyacinth Blue Susan Vreeland presents the reader with fragments that capture poignant moments in the lives of the various owners of an imagined Vermeer painting. The story is told in reverse chronological order tracing the painting from contemporary times back to its creation. Each chapter reveals a new character whose only connection to the proceeding character is the intense love of the painting. The characters are from very different social strata and their reasons for possession of the painting vary greatly, as do their particular personal affiliation with it. In this way, Vreeland gently invites her readers to consider the potentially universal capacity for art appreciation within the human spirit.

This book explores the nature of individual responses to art by describing how each character finds personal meaning in the painting. For one man it reminds him of his first love, for a young girl it provides solace from her difficult circumstances as a persecuted Jew, for a poor woman it is the one thing of beauty in her home. Not only does Vreeland capture important moments in the characters lives, she also reveals the details of the painting to the reader gradually through the eyes of each viewer. The book culminates in a scene where Vermeer is inspired to create the painting and sets up the composition by positioning all the objects and the model.

I really enjoyed this book and the way it sparked many thoughts about the role of art in individual lives. It was beautifully written and it was easy for me to engage with each of the characters even though they made short appearances in the narrative. Vreeland made the art work come to life by showing the impact that the painting had on so many different people. In fact the painting seemed more 'real' than the characters. The paintings longevity also got me thinking about the value of inanimate art objects in society. It is obvious that not only has Vreeland done a lot of research, but she has also thought deeply about the nature of art and its potential to influence human life. This little book has such a lot to say about so many topics that it makes an excellent starting point for discussion in book clubs or classrooms. ( )

Loved it - I want to write a review that focuses on "bread and roses" - ( )

Is it a Vermeer or isn't it?

That is the thread that holds these eight short stories together.

Susan Vreeland takes us on a journey back in time that starts with the current owner of a beautiful painting thought to be one of the lost paintings of the Dutch artist Vermeer.

As we approach each sub-story we travel back a little further in time to each previous owner of the painting and how owning it has affected their lives. Set mostly in Holland and The Netherlands the Dutch names for places can be a bit difficult to pronounce but do not detract from the overall power of this small book.

Each individual story line is easy to follow. My only question would be what ultimately happens to the current owner of the painting (who is afraid to show it to the world since his father obtained it through his position with the German police during WW II).

I highly recommend this book. ( )

Not nearly as good as historical fiction such as Girl with a Pearl Earring. Writing is not very elegant and characters are not very well developed. ( )

Historical fiction, actually a book of short stories that follow a painting from modern times back to the painter and the subject of the painting. It's many different stories and varied lives woven into one tale. I like stories like this that follow an object (a painting, a house, a place) through history, and Vreeland did this one very well, able to narrate a story from the perspective of a wide variety of characters, from a modern-day math professor in the USA to a French Lady in the time of Louis XIV, to a Dutch farm wife. I enjoyed it very much and will be looking for more from this author. ( )

This was a lovely book which traces back the affect a Vermeer painting has made on the lives of those who lived with it and, eventually, the artist who created it. Essentially, it's a group of short stories with a central theme, but that didn't deter me from being totally engrossed in the characters of each story and how art can change someone's life. Well written. ( )

An excellent read! This book paints portraits in the mind - masterfully capturing a series of reverse chronological relationships with a fascinating work of art. Each owner's life is beautifully detailed and brilliantly captured. As with a masterpiece painting, the momentary scene in each person's life is captured in full before moving on to the next subject. If art enriches your human experience, and If you love how a work of art can reverberate within your soul, read this book. ( )

For years Professor Engelbrecht has kept a secret regarding his treasured Vermeer painting; he received it from his father who was a Nazi during WWII. Vreeland reflects on the history of the painting by revealing its journey and previous owners. The work is eventually traced back to its creator Vermeer and daughter Magdelena who was of Dutch and Jewish decent; she is the subject of the painting. This novel can easily be compared to Tracy Chevalier's classic book The Girl With the Pearl Earring because the story includes a Vermeer artwork. However, readers will be fascinated by the many travels of this piece on ordinary life as it enters various European households. The story is a reminder of how the beauty of art surpasses any social injustices throughout time.

I love almost all books that take me into the world of a painting ( )

This book was a powerful influence. The way Vreeland uses the connected story technique to trace a painting from its origins to its modern day owner was so unique, I had to read the book again. Recommended for all. ( )

http://home.comcast.net/~ktoonen/summ... ( )

Well-conceived (a lot like Girl with the Pearl Earring) but unsatisfying in its incompleteness. I wanted an ending to the beginning, at least, if not to all the intervening centuries. ( )

Great book that follows the life of a painting from creator to owners. Reveals a colorful history & great stories interwined with historical events. ( )

This is *so much better* than Girl with Pearl Earring which appeared around the same time and also involves Vermeer.

The Forest Lover by her is also excellent ( )

This nifty little novel reminds me of a cross between the 1998 Samuel L. Jackson film, The Red Violin and a novel, The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, also made into a film starring Scarlet Johansson and Colin Firth in 2003. I highly recommend both flicks and the book!
Hyacinth Blue revolves around a painting, some people believe to be a lost/unknown Vermeer, while others think it is a forgery done in the 1930s. Vreeland traces the provenance of the work that, real or not, enchants everyone who sees it. I have seen three Vermeers, and I understand that emotional response completely.
Vreeland’s novel is an easy read, and only research papers and preparation for finals prevented me from finishing it in a day or two. Not as good as Chevalier by any means, but still a worthwhile read.
Not every author can work their name into his or her own novel, but Vreeland has done that. A clever little marker which sets her work apart. My name happens to be in James Joyce’s Ulysses, but I had nothing to do with that!
--Jim, 12/09/2007 ( )

Girl in Hyacinth Blue is a series of vignettes chronicling the reverse history of a fictional Vermeer painting of the same name. Vreeland’s colorful portraits of Dutch life, from the wealthy to the poorest peasants, spanning several hundred years, are fascinating. I wouldn’t have minded delving further into each of the tales, and the only other thing that could have improved the book was if the painting, which plays a silent, starring role in each of the stories, really existed.

GiHB was enjoyable, but was a small disappointment after Vreeland's breathtaking Luncheon of the Boating Party. ( )

What a wonderful book! As I was reading this, I couldn't help but make little comparisons between it and Girl with a Pearl Earring, a book which was quite a disappointment to me. Both books tell a (fictionalized) story of a Vermeer painting; Girl in Hyacinth Blue, with its backwards timeline, managed to grab my attention with the first story, and once I started, I ended up finishing the entire book in almost one sitting! ( )

Interesting story of a painting and the lives it touched. It was a little hard to follow at points as it worked its way backward from present time to its creation. ( )

It's difficult for me to give this book a review because I typically base my reviews on whatever expectations I had of books or movies or whatever before I read/saw them....but I don't know that I had any expectations of this book. The research was done and the book was written very well, but it didn't really suck me in as have many books in the last year. Overall, I'd say if you liked 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', this book may interest you as it deals with the same artist, but I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone. ( )

The story of a painting told in a series of accounts from the present back over time to its creation. Very Dutch and very good.

"Chronicles the history of a painting and the lives with which it intersects, from the artist's inspiration to its admiration by two art scholars three hundred years later." ( )

A collection of interconnected short stories about people who come into possession of a priceless painting, the Girl in Hyacinth Blue raises intriguing questions about how beauty affects the soul. The answers Vreeland comes up with are surprising and insightful, but the stories themselves are uneven. One or two made me close the book so I could ponder their meaning, but I found many more of them a bit dull. ( )

I enjoyed this history of a painting novel and the various roles the painting plays in the lives of the people who are inspired by it. I was a little upset when I realized I was only going to get a snippet of each life. ( )

This book is frequently mentioned in connection with Girl with a Pearl Earring, both of them being the story of a painting of Vermeer's. However, that book is the story of a painting's creation, while this book - thematically and structurally - bears more similarities to the movie The Red Violin. Through a series of short stories, it tells the story of the painting, and more importantly, the lives it's touched, from the present back to the painting's creation. Though the short-story format keeps you from getting too emotionally involved with any one story, the language does a good job of catching you up in a feeling of light and space and beauty, and of the transcendence of these things beyond a single human lifespan. This is not the meatiest of books, but I certainly found it well-detailed and charming to read. ( )

this was more like a collection of very short stories than a novel. i would've preferred the author would've stuck to one story. wasnt that thrilled. ( )