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Girl in Hyacinth Blue Audiobook
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(3.00) - 17,754 listener ratings
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Picture this: "A most extraordinary painting in which a young girl wearing a short blue smock over a rust-colored skirt sat in profile at a table by an open window." Susan Vreeland imagined just such a humble domestic scene, suggested it was created in 17th-century Holland, and attributed it to Jan Vermeer. Then she wrote a beguiling novel about this canvas, which so closely resembles the 35 extant works of the Dutch master that it might as well be one of his--long, lost, finally found, and as exquisite as ever. The artistic journey Vreeland recounts begins in present-day Pennsylvania, where a schoolteacher claims he owns an authentic Vermeer, a legacy from his late father, who acquired it under heinous circumstances: a Nazi officer, the father had looted it from the home of Dutch Jews. Moving back in time and across the Atlantic, Vreeland traces the treasured painting from owner to owner. In doing so, she demonstrates the enduring power of art in the face of natural disaster, political upheaval, and personal turmoil. Ultimately, she ends the odyssey in Delft, where the painting's haunting subject is identified and tells her own poignant story about the picture's origins. Each of the eight linked chapters has an irresistible painterly quality--finely wrought, artfully illuminated, and subtly executed. Together, they constitute a literary masterpiece, one that the New York Times Book Review praised as "intelligent, searching, and unusual... filled with luminous moments; like the painting it describes so well."
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"I don't usually read books of short stories, and I don't tend to pick up slim volumes, both because I like to really get into a book and its characters. But a friend lent me this book, so I read it, and I really did like it. Although the characters in nearly every story are different, the stories all center around one painting, its history, and its owners. I liked that format, and I like the way the stories went farther and farther into the past, while we learned more and more about the painting itself."
— Marsha (4 out of 5 stars)
Girl in Hyacinth Blue Listener Reviews
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" an entertaining read, but without substance. "
— Huma, 2/9/2014 -
" Essentially this is a collection of short stories revolving the ownership of a Vermeer painting. I enjoyed this book for the most part. I did have a little trouble remembering how each owner came to have the painting in their posession but only because I was captivated by what one piece of art can mean to so many different people and their own stories around the painting. "
— Kim, 2/7/2014 -
" Historical Fiction + Mystery + Geneology + a dash of sexy = Great. "
— Molly, 2/5/2014 -
" This is a series of short stories about the owners of a possible Vermeer painting. It's an interesting premise, I enjoyed learning about Holland and Vermeer. It made me think more about art. I think I now need to read The Girl with the Pearl Earring. "
— Anita, 2/4/2014 -
" Finished this book. Took me a while to understand that I was going backwards in history. "
— Marykay, 1/19/2014 -
" a masterpiece, sure to be a classic. left me breathless! now I remember why i studied literature, art, music and everything could get my hands on that was european. Mon Dieu... "
— Paulah, 12/14/2013 -
" I love Vreeland's books. This is not my favorite though. "
— J., 12/6/2013 -
" Susan Vreeland has a compact manner of writting. It is a short book that does not leave you wanting for more. She manages to fit a 600 page book into abjout 250 pages! This is a beautiful story well worth your time! "
— Heather, 11/15/2013 -
" Quick read about the life of a painting! "
— Kristen, 9/27/2013 -
" Loved how the stories connected in this. Not quite in the same league as Cloud Atlas but still vg. "
— Rose, 8/2/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book. It was a little slow to read, but I really liked the book being told in reverse chronological order. The book was written really beautifully and I would recommend this book to everyone. "
— Mickolus, 7/23/2013 -
" I loved this book, which follows a fictional Vermeer painting back in time. This story made me want to seek out more Susan Vreeland books. "
— Charissa, 7/6/2013 -
" I'd forgotten that I read this a while back... it's a great companion to Girl with Pearl Earring... how come I'm so enchanted with that era?! "
— Joyce, 3/19/2013 -
" Really enjoyed traveling with the painting through time. "
— Erika, 1/27/2013 -
" Really liked this book. It traces a Vermeer painting from the current owner back to the painting itself. In this way, the author introduces to a myriad of characters and shows us how a single painting can impact a variety of people in different ways. "
— Jane, 1/16/2013 -
" A lovely story tracing the history of Vermeer's painting. Each chapter a short story of the owner until reaching the story of the girl in hyacinth blue herself. "
— Sarah, 10/29/2012 -
" I liked this book much better than Clara & Mr. Tiffany. It was reminiscent of The Red Violin in that the story followed each of the owners of the beautiful painting from today back to its creation. "
— Barbara, 10/23/2012 -
" Read for the Library Book Club... a story and the history of a painting! Not one I would read on my own. "
— Lissi, 8/2/2012 -
" A series of intimate short stories shows us the lives of people who owned or cared about a painting, from the present day back to its creation during the Dutch High Renaissance. "
— Mary, 6/12/2012 -
" Excellent story. But I think the last two chapters are reversed. "
— Laurie, 4/16/2012 -
" Loved it! It was fascinating to read about the places the painting had been and what it meant to each family. A MUST read! "
— Stacey, 12/7/2011 -
" reintroduce to love of painting, I was good time to finish on Art Gallery night at Malmo "
— Devraj, 9/9/2011 -
" The story was told in a very interesting way. I enjoy books about historical fiction and art, but this was okay. I enjoyed "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and that portrayal of Vermeer more. This is a good bookgroup book for discussion! "
— Heidi, 9/6/2011 -
" Absorbing book tracing the path of a painting through history, told through stories about various characters in contact with the painting in reverse time order. Loved the way it was put together. "
— Vanessa, 7/4/2011 -
" just when it starts to get good or you make sense of the new situation...the painting changes ownerships and the story shifts...easily forgotten "
— Jamie, 5/24/2011 -
" An interlocked set of 8 short stories - with a reversed chronological order - tracing an imaginary Vermeer painting from its present owner, the son of a Nazi, to the model, Vermeer's daughter. "
— Terry, 5/21/2011 -
" A little too disjointed for my liking but some parts were great. "
— Beth, 5/20/2011 -
" Listened to the book on mp3 player while woking in my garden. "
— Deb, 5/12/2011 -
" An amazing book that threads together from one painting. "
— Andrea, 5/11/2011 -
" This book is just not my style. Other people whom I like did enjoy it. "
— Jessica, 4/22/2011 -
" just ok, not very memorable, interesting to learn more about vermeer "
— Therese, 4/17/2011 -
" Loved the weaving of this tale. . . "
— Jennifer, 4/15/2011 -
" Interesting idea, not that well executed "
— Gita, 4/12/2011 -
" So far, I love that Vreeland is able to assume different writing voices for each era. Adagio's style, for example, fits with texts of the 19th century. <br/> <br/>Some of the chapters are better than others; the first and last are wonderful buoys for what comes between. Sublime. "
— Rachel, 4/10/2011 -
" 1788 I love Vermeer paintings, so I enjoyed this fictional possibility. "
— Lily, 4/7/2011 -
" I liked how there were stories within the story and you were able to find out the origin of the painting. I thought it was a little dull. "
— Cortney, 4/4/2011 -
" It was an unusual story in that it went back in time. "
— Edithandersen, 3/29/2011 -
" Clever construction, classic Vreeland as she explores the power of art. "
— Marian, 3/28/2011 -
" A book in a different format, about a painting and tracing it backwards as we learn the stories of each family who has possessed it "
— Sandi, 3/28/2011
About Susan Vreeland
Susan Vreeland is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including Luncheon of the Boating Party, Life Studies, The Passion of Artemisia, The Forest Lover, and Girl in Hyacinth Blue. She lives in San Diego.