Historical Fictionistas discussion

I love the way Tracy Chevalier writes with such clarity and simplicity. She writes beautifully about everyday activities, such as dusting (Girl with a Pearl Earring) and quilt making (The Last Runaway) whilst at the same time making these activities into an integral and important part of the story. I particularly enjoyed the use of different voices in Falling Angels. Do you have a favourite Tracy Chevalier novel?

I think after reading all of her books, that The Girl with the Pearl Earring is her best work. Perhaps because it was her first title but when I saw the picture by Vermeer in person, I just had to read the book again.

I also enjoyed the Lady and the Unicorn - especially since I had seen the tapestries in person.

Are those the tapestries in Bayeux? I never saw them but my husband did when he was in Normandy. It's on my ever increasing bucket list.

I've only read The Lady and the Unicorn but I loved it - must look into buying some more of her books!

Nancy wrote: "Are those the tapestries in Bayeux? I never saw them but my husband did when he was in Normandy. It's on my ever increasing bucket list."

They are at the Musée Cluny in Paris. So lovely. The only other one I have read is the Girl with the Pearl Earring; however, I just got Burning Bright from the library.

Ok - we have never visited the Musee Cluny - I feel a trip to Paris coming on.

I read Burning Bright and would be curious to hear what you think about it after you read it.

Laura wrote: "I've only read The Lady and the Unicorn but I loved it - must look into buying some more of her books!"
Hi Laura, if you liked The Lady and the Unicorn you might like Falling Angels which also has multiple first person narrators and is great fun.

Nancy wrote: "Ok - we have never visited the Musee Cluny - I feel a trip to Paris coming on.

I read Burning Bright and would be curious to hear what you think about it after you read it."

I must also make a mental note to visit the Musee Cluny! I'd also like to know how you get on with Burning Bright because of all her books that's the one I never finished.

Margarita wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Ok - we have never visited the Musee Cluny - I feel a trip to Paris coming on.

I read Burning Bright and would be curious to hear what you think about it after you read it."

I wasn't going to say anything but I felt the same way. I did finish it but hardly enjoyed it.

I've given 5 stars to The Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Lady and the Unicorn, 4 stars to The Virgin Blue, and 3 to The Last Runaway and Burning Bright. I still have to read Falling Angels and Remarkable Creatures, though.

My favorite is Girl With Pearl Earring. I remember picking it up and thinking "This will be a nice book to read for a little before going to bed each night." After the first night I couldn't put it down and was done in 2 days. I fell asleep on the movie, though.

I also really liked The Lady and the Unicorn (and re-read it a few years before a trip to Musee Cluny).

I enjoyed Falling Angels, but not as much as the other two. It has stayed with me, though, and I especially remember the attention to detail rgarding mourning clothes.

I read Girl With Pearl Earring, The Lady and the Unicorn, and Virgin Blue and liked them all, but GWPE was definitely a favorite. I would like to read some of her other books, and I think now I will. This post reminded me how much I liked those books...

The Girl with the pearl earring will always be my favourite. The lanquid pacing is so rare in books these days that you can savour every moment. It's a quiet book but utter breath-taking. I adore book and movie!

I love Tracy's novels. I recently read The Last Runaway and loved it, particularly all of the quilting and sewing. The Quakers stuff was really interesting too.

I read Burning Bright and confess to being a bit disappointed. It seemed very realistic and well researched, but personally, I prefer historical fiction written in a language that believably sounds like the language of the era--especially when it's late 18th or early 19th century England, which isn't all that removed from our own ways of writing and speaking.

It is interesting how consistent these views are, that GWPE is her best and that Burning Bright didn't really work. I also very much enjoyed The Lady and the Unicorn and think she does excel at describing work (in that case weaving) so very beautifully, as Margarita says.
I felt very ambivalent about Remarkable Creatures and felt it didn't really ignite for me, but The Last Runaway was something of a return to form.

I just finished GWPE and thought it was fantastic. I also read the Lady and the Unicorn which was great but in different ways. GWPE definitely made me want to read more by her. :)

I loved Girl With a Pearl Earring too--that was Chevalier's first novel, wasn't it? It must have been hard for her to equal that one.

But I also really enjoyed Remarkable Creatures. The relationship between the fossil hunter and the spinster, two women forced to work within the confines of the patriarchy, intrigued me. Also, I liked the scientific and religious ideas explored.

I've never read The Lady and the Unicorn, but it sounds great.

I loved the historical detail in Girl with a Pearl Earring, but wished there had been a different ending.

I didn't like and didn't finish GwaPE. It took a long time for me to come around to reading her again, and what a mistake that was! I adored Remarkable Creatures and recently read, and enjoyed very much The Lady and the Unicorn (hmm, that reminds me, I know I reviewed it on my blog but never posted that review on GR).

Oh, and I also enjoyed Falling Angels. I appreciate the way she choses subjects that authors don't touch.

I loved Remarkable Creatures. I have read The Last Runaway and The Lady and the Unicorn as well. She is one of those authors that I plan to read all of her stuff. :)

Tasha wrote: "I loved Remarkable Creatures. I have read The Last Runaway and The Lady and the Unicorn as well. She is one of those authors that I plan to read all o..."

Remarkable Creatures was so enjoyable. I appreciate it when an author incorporates interesting ideas that provide added depth in the narrative.

I haven't yet read the other Chevalier novels you mention.

It's interesting to hear that you all loved her other books. Must give them a go.

I'm very on the fence with Tracy Chevalier. I absolutely loved loved Girl With a Pearl Earring. That got me excited to read Burning Bright. Unfortunately, I did not like this book nearly as much and felt pretty blah about it.

I'm so glad I found this thread because I have The Last Runaway on audiobook, but have been putting it off since I was so disappointed before. Now I am excited to read it thanks to everyone's high praise!

I, too, loved Remarkable Creatures. I must read more by her!

Girl with a Pearl Earring and Remarkable Creatures were great books. I loved the different voices in Falling Angels but the ending really let that one down. I was iffy about The Last Runaway, nice story but the main character was so wishy-washy.

Chevalier has a talent for seeing an object (a painting by Vermeer for Girl with a Pearl Earring, a fossil in a museum for Remarkable Creatures, an old quilt for The Last Runaway) and weaving a story from it. Also good on the little details that make for a textured historical world. I found an excellent TED talk by her here: Finding the story behind the painting.

I just finished her new book At the Edge of the Orchard and really enjoyed it.

I have re-read "Girl w/the Pearl Earring" several times but I also loved Remarkable Creatures.

I look forward
To reading her books.

I recently read At the Edge of the Orchard. It's been getting mixed reviews, but I liked it overall.

The early chapters are about a very dysfunctional family and are told from the viewpoint of the parents, who are horrible people. The rest is about their youngest son, and he's a much more sympathetic character. It's all well written, but the later scenes are more enjoyable, especially when he gets to California and the redwoods.

Margaret wrote: "I just finished her new book At the Edge of the Orchard and really enjoyed it."
Me too;I love the details in it. It makes me feel like I'm eaves-dropping on these people. Also it makes me believe that a young housemaid named Greit was the subject of that iconic painting.

My number one favorite is "Girl w/The Pearl Earring" then "Remarkable Creatures" I also really liked "At The Edge Of The Orchard"; it made seeing the giant Sequoias in California (where I live)something that I plan to do in the near future.!

I first picked up The Virgin Blue and loved it. At the End of the Orchard takes place (the Ohio half) about 10 miles from my home so I enjoyed reading it immensely. A few months ago Tracy spoke at the museum here and she mostly talked about At the End of the Orchard due to its local ties but it was interesting to hear her talk about her writing style and process.

That must have been a treat to hear, Laura! I love when writers of historical fiction let us in on the mysterious process of taking historical evidence and turning it into story.

I loved her book Remarkable Creatures!

My favorites are Girl with a Pearl Earring, Burning Bright, and The Lady and the Unicorn. I wish she would go back to writing about art!

I loved GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING. I believe I have read others by her, but that was before I started keeping track of what I had read. GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING does stand out in my memory though.

She has a new book out: The Glassmaker

Lynn and I have read several of her books focusing on art. I am blind, well mostly, and Lynn is an artist and photographer with a keen interest in art history.

I use the BARD system for the blind and print disabled, AKA Talking Books, from the Library of Congress. they have a number of Chevalier’s books we have not read. I too prefer her books focusing on art, BTW.

Fiona wrote: "She has a new book out: The Glassmaker"

Highly recommend it, although it was quite different from her other books with the way the timeline in it works (can't say too much about it without spoiling it, but I know this worked for some but not everyone. I thought it was great though!).

I loved Girl with the Pearl Earring as well and am looking forward to reading Remarkable Creatures which has been sitting in my TBR pile.