Discussion Questions
(The questions below were kindly submitted to LitLovers by Joanna Brown and Wendy Mazenauer, who developed them for their book club discussion. Thank you, Joanna and Wendy!)
1. In retrospect, we realise the identity of the very first character we meet in the church. She plays the part of a fleeting observer. Does this allure to her importance in the story?
2. It wasn't a conventional marriage and initially, Johannes is very cold towards Nell. How did you perceive their marriage?
3. "Words are water in this city. One drop of rumour could drown us." says Marin. Discuss the irony of this statement.
4. Peebo's escape could almost be marked as symbolic of events to come. Discuss?
5. In what way did Nella's discovery of her husband's homosexuality change her personality?
6. What part does Cornelia play in the narrative? How does her cooking add to this?
7. Throughout the novel, Nella is often referred to as "childlike". In what way would you say this is so? How do we see her mature?
8. When Nella discovers that the Miniaturist is a woman, her whole perception of the person changes. Discuss this and the effect that the Miniaturist has on the storyline.
9. Given Miren's puritanical exterior, how do you feel about her more worldly, private acceptance of her brother's homosexuality and her own secret life? Does she gain your respect?
10. How do Nella's feelings towards Johannes change as the story progresses?
11. Do you see Johannes as a victim or a hero?
12. In this novel we are confronted with the still-life subject matter of the Dutch painters during the 17th century. These painters were often depicting political innuendoes. How does this subject matter (‘natures mortes’—death in life: rotting fruit with insects crawling through it; slaughtered animals; dying plants etc) relate to the state of Holland at that time? Think also of the starling trapped in the church; the moulding sugar and the phrase “things can change."
(Questions kindly submitted by Joanna Brown and Wendy Mazenauer, two LitLovers readers.)