I bought this book at a discount shop, looking for some light reading and the subject matter making me believe that it would appeal to me.
My house is full of beautiful artisan-made articles, bought when money was easier, and costing many hundreds of pounds. And this book is equally full of wonderfully crafted descriptions and intrigues
I was not prepared for the sheer depth of this skillfully written story. Set in mid-17th. Century Amsterdam, at the point where the power of the Dutch East India Company was just beginning to turn, it is a story of intrigue, cruelty, and other-worldliness.
I thought it would be a book that would only appeal to like-minded people with an interest in miniatures, but I believe it will appeal to anybody who wants a good story.
It concerns a young girl from a faded genteel family, who marries a rich man who loves her, but does not want her, and his wedding present to her - a replica of their house in a cabinet, and the miniatures that she receives to furnish it,
I'm trying very hard not to give a clue as to the significense of these miniatures - to do so would be to ruin the drama, twists and turns of the story
Just go buy or borrow a copy and read it. You won't regret it
If I could give it a 6 I would, but as my top mark is 5, it must be 5/5
