She appears both stoic and prudish yet easily gives into her basic desires. Marin is a woman filled with contradictions. I enjoyed the characterisation of Marin who still confuses me after reading (in a good way!). I respect Burton for showing the racism in which Otto would have faced without being sensationalist nor making Otto a victim we pity. Whilst Johannes treats Otto with respect and care I believe this involvement causes murkiness despite Johannes being mostly sympathetic. I enjoyed the subtle moral ambiguity surrounding Johannes due to his involvement in the sugar trade originating from slave labour and buying the freedom of his black servant Otto. Whilst romantic love never arises from this relationship I enjoyed both their respect and emotional intimacy. However, when they begin to interact with each other properly even Nella herself notes how Johannes treats her as an equal. At first it appears that Nella was in a subservient position due to Johannes often ignoring and dismissing Nella. I enjoyed the dynamic between both Nella and Johannes. I’ll start with what I did enjoy about the story. Nella encounters an extremely eccentric miniaturist who sends her miniature dolls of everybody in the house secretly unveiling the dark secrets of the household. One day, Johannes gives Nella a miniature house as a belated wedding present mirroring his own house. Nella feels frustrated and trapped within her marriage due to Johannes’s neglect. Nella quickly picks up upon the strange atmosphere within the house due to the overtly hostile nature of Johannes’s sister Marin and the forwardness of the maid Cornelia.
Petronella (nicknamed Nella) Oortman becomes married to wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt. So the basic plot of the story is that it is based in Amsterdam from 1686-87. But as I continued reading I picked up on some frustrating setbacks and something felt quite lacking in the plot. It’s strange as I was hooked on the book when I was starting out reading it and I could read over 100 pages in a night. To be honest I’m slightly disappointed considering the critical acclaim and buzz surrounding the book when it was first released. Probably because I’ve only finished this book a few days ago. I’m very conflicted about what to think about this book.
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