The Miniaturist

[Slartybartfast]

Quite good.
very artistic.

I thought it was beautiful and atmospheric, and the miniatures in particular were a feast for the eyes.

The book was frustrating in that it didn't really reveal anything about the miniaturist - the TV adaptation added a scene with her, but it still didn't shed any more light on her motives/magic.

The story was really strange but I enjoyed the beautiful clothes, street scenes and interiors. It was filmed in Leiden where we had a lovely afternoon in the summer holidays (we were at Duinrell). DH enjoyed but we both like Dutch art and architecture.

Can anyone please remind me how it ends without me watching again? I can remember up to Otto meeting Thea but beyond that my memory has gone completely blank!

Well, that's sort of where it ends. Nella sits down at her husband's abandoned desk and starts looking through his paperwork to take over his business, the assumption being that she, Cornelia, Otto and Thea sail off into the sunset together as a family unit.

"it still didn't shed any more light on her motives/magic."

Motives, no, but it explained that she had no magic. She mainly did what she saw i.e. she had observed that Marin was pregnant, not predicted it, she only sent the black baby once it had been born. I suppose the dog is a bit more of a mystery.

Hmm....the set of keys in the bottom of the chest? The Jack Phillips doll stabbing Nella in the finger with his dagger? There has to be some magic somewhere. I guess that's where the book is better because it left you suspended and not knowing, rather than trying to spell it out with the extra miniaturist scene.

Does anyone have a male counterpart who enjoyed

My dh liked it.

I read the book and enjoyed it but it was a while ago now. I actually thought the woman playing marin was really wooden!

I thought Marin was well acted. I got the impression we were supposed to think she was horrible at the beginning and come to understand her more as the drama went on. Well done, I thought.

I too thought that Marin was well acted.

The book was frustrating in that it didn't really reveal anything about the miniaturist

The Miniaturist was totally irrelevant to the whole plot. They could have left her out entirely and the story would have been unaffected.

Found the book quite irritating.

I got the impression we were supposed to think she was horrible at the beginning and come to understand her more as the drama

Yeah I get that, I just thought her line delivery was mega stilted!

@squoosh I totally agree

I really enjoyed it.

I loved seeing the miniatures. I was surprised that the baby was Otto's. I think the casting was good.

I was slightly let down when Nella sat down at the desk at the end and said something along the lines of 'we'll make this work'. It seems like this was setting up for a second series but surely this is where the book ended. Or will there be a second series written by BBC producers possibly with Jessie Burton?

Also, something I didn't like-

I sympathised with Nella at the beginning when she entered the strange household and was ordered around by Marin. And suddenly after Nella had uncovered her husband's secret, Nella, Marin, Otto and Cornelia were fully open with oneanother and Nella was making the decisions. It just seemed too sudden and I can't imagine that Marin or the servants would have accepted this change.

I really liked it, as I liked the book. I enjoy things were the pace is slow and the layers can build up. It’s one of those stories where a lot remains ambiguous, but that’s part of its charm.

Yes I like the ambiguity as well.

Which is why the scene where she meets the Miniaturist is ill thought through.

squoosh I think that Marin was so upset by Nella because her domination of the whole house (and her brother) was put in jeopardy by the new 'wife'. Maybe her own pregnancy was also contributing to her discomfiture.

I don't like that actress in some thngs but I thought she was good in The Miniaturist.

Romola Garai is the actress ppeatfruit

Thanks Teddy I knew it was difficult name!

I really like Romola Garai, I think she's a wonderful actress. I thought she was the most watchable out of all of them in this. Perhaps she would've been more suited to the role of Nella but the ages would've been way off I suppose. I found the Nells character quite annoying. They all were really apart from Marin and Otto.

Well did you see her in The Hour Enid ? I'm still not sure what the director wanted her to do, She did NOTHING, it was strange.

Maybe it was just the whole thing, I was very disappointed because I liked the idea.

I haven't watched it yet. I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to seeing this (although I get that the book is a bit marmite).

My 12 year old dd wants to watch - is it appropriate? She might get bored but is intrigued as she has seen the trailers.

Well twofalls There is the homosexuality of Johannes (dealt with sensitively) , he is a sympathetic character. But there is one scene where he is discovered with another man in his office. Nothing is shown of course but he naked lying down.

It depends on how much your dd knows about sex I suppose.

I loved the book.
I enjoyed the adaptation.
It was beautifully lit, the costumes were gorgeous, all stunning.
I didnt think Johannes was the way he had looked in my imagination.

Thanks @ppeatfruit I think after a term on the school bus she knows a lot more about sex than she did!!

DH uncle is gay and very open. He had a partner for 50 years so homosexuality is understood and accepted by all the DC in the family.