Midnight Blue audiobook

Catrijn is a Dutch farm girl who has always wanted more than to stay on a farm forever, so when her husband dies she sells the property he leaves her and goes to the city. While she's there working as a maid one of her old farm hands finds her and threatens her with a secret from her past so she flees further away and finds a job painting pottery. I really enjoyed this book and I loved the writing. It's translated but the writing didn't seem to lose any dept or sound awkward at all. I loved Catrijn and I really am glad that the book ended the way it did. It's a good pleasure read, it's well written and kept me engaged through out. The main character meeting Rembrandt and Vermeer was a little questionable though and I'm not sure about the historical accuracy but I'm pretty sure the historical accuracy isn't the point of the book so.

This story is set during the 17th century Netherlands, period known as the Dutch Golden Age, and during that time art was among the most acclaimed in the world. The story briefly weaves in such artists as Rembrandt and Vermeer, focusing majorly on the Dutch Porcelain. It starts in 1654 in a small village of De Rijp. The fictional heroine, Catrin, after the death of her husband, moves out of her village, which is unheard of. She follows her dream to be in a city. She sells all her belongings and the only thing she takes with her is the talent for painting. She dreams of having her own business of painting pottery.In Amsterdam, Catrin takes a job as a housekeeper to the successful Van Nulandt merchant family. As a merchant he trades with China, bringing exquisite porcelain. No one in Europe knows how to make it. And what catches Catrin’s eye are the figures and landscape painted on big vases. But when the past catches up with her, she moves to Delft with recommendations from Van Nulandt’s. In Delft, she gets her dream job as pottery painter. Van Nulandt’s father started working with majolica – “rough earthenware with an ornamental glaze that originated in Italy.” His oldest son who took over the business shifted to faience – “a finer type of earthenware,” something of porcelain, but not so delicate. Catrin is introduced to the pottery when it is already in decline. An idea comes to her mind to introduce new motifs, not just the flowers that have been painted thousands of times already. She convinces her boss to try something new. She draws first Chinese figures and landscape, which later are copied on thousands of pottery. A revival starts, giving birth to Dutch Porcelain, later it was named Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue.The story also intertwines the Delft Explosion of 1654, gunpowder explosion caused by an inspector with a lantern. As well as 1655 plague; as with any previous epidemic that ravaged Europe, this one is no exception, leaving thousands dead.There is one part of the story, something in Catrin’s past which follows her throughout the story. I didn’t care for this part and I think the story would have been even stronger without it. But at the same time, I can see how this could be a great hook for others. Overall, it is an interesting story, reviving the Dutch Porcelain in history.@FB/BestHistoricalFiction@https://bestinhistoricalfiction.blogs...

3,5 sterren. Mooi boek, maar had er helaas meer van verwacht: het is zeker niet slecht geschreven of stom, maar ik vond het gewoon niet zo bijzonder. Duurde lang voor het op gang kwam en de schrijfstijl bleef erg aan de oppervlakte. Uitgebreide recensie: http://thebookreview.nl/recensies/rom...

"Albastrul din miez de noapte" e o carte despre condiția femeii ca artist, în secolul al XVII-lea olandez. E un roman care te duce cu gândul la o pictură, dar, până la urmă, se dovedește că că albastrul din miez de noapte nu a fost decât un amestec de vopsele folosit pentru disimularea unei crime.Un roman de ficțiune istorică agreabil, pe care îl recomand iubitorilor genului și pasionaților de artă olandeză. Nu te aștepta, totuși, la prea multă acuratețe istorică, e, până la urmă o operă de ficțiune.Am scris mai multe pe blog https://dorinadanila.com/2019/05/16/r...

Midnight Blue is a novel set in the Netherlands in the 17th century and written by Dutch author Simone van der Vlugt. Originally published in Dutch, this edition from HarperCollins features an English translation by Jenny Watson.As the novel opens in 1654, we meet Catrin, a young woman who lives in the village of De Rijp and who has recently been widowed. Hoping to make a new start, Catrin says goodbye to her family and sets out on the long journey to Amsterdam, where she has been offered work. Arriving in the city, she takes up her new position as housekeeper to the merchant Adriaan van Nulandt.As she settles into her job and gets to know the family, an attraction forms between Catrin and Adriaan’s younger brother, the charismatic and adventurous Matthias. She also watches with envy and fascination as Adriaan’s wife, Brigitta, is encouraged to pursue her passion for painting, something for which Catrin also has a talent. It’s not long, however, before a face Catrin thought she had left behind reappears, threatening to tear apart the new life she has built for herself – and so she decides it’s time to move on again, this time to Delft and the home of another Van Nulandt brother, Evert. Evert owns a pottery workshop and it is here that Catrin finds an opportunity to put her artistic abilities to good use at last…Although Catrin’s personal story is fictional, the world in which Simone van der Vlugt places her is grounded in historical fact. My knowledge of Dutch history is very limited, picked up mainly from the few other novels I’ve read set in the country, and it’s always good to have the opportunity to learn something new! The period covered by the novel includes such notable events as the Delft Explosion of 1654 and an outbreak of the plague. Life in Catrin’s home village of De Rijp and the cities of Amsterdam and Delft is vividly described, and as Catrin spends so much time travelling from one place to another, we are also given descriptions of the scenery seen from the canals and rivers which link her various destinations.The time during which the novel is set – known as the Dutch Golden Age – saw art, science, trade and industry flourishing in the Netherlands, including the pottery industry which forms such an important part of the story. You can expect to learn a lot about mixing chemicals, painting designs, glazing pots and firing them in kilns…and you’ll come away from the novel with an admiration for Delft Blue, the blue and white pottery produced at Evert’s workshop. Several historical figures from the art world are incorporated into the story too, although I found it difficult to believe that Catrin would have come into contact with so many famous artists of the period – Rembrandt, Vermeer, Nicolaes Maes and Carel Fabritius all make an appearance and all have words of advice or encouragement for Catrin.Catrin herself is an interesting character. The novel is written in first person present tense, which is not my favourite for historical fiction, but it does mean that we get to know our narrator quite well. Even so, we don’t know everything about her immediately; Catrin keeps some parts of her past hidden to be revealed later on – and when the past does begin to catch up with her, this introduces a thriller element to the novel which adds another layer of interest. I was occasionally pulled out of the 17th century by the use of a word or phrase which felt too modern, but it’s difficult to say how much of this was due to the translation and how much to the original text.Midnight Blue is a light and entertaining novel which I would recommend to readers who have enjoyed other books with Dutch settings such as Girl with a Pearl Earring or The Miniaturist.

3.5 stars, rounded Following the tale of Catrin, we have a glimpse into the times: married at 17 and widowed by 25, she’s left her small village and taken a post as housekeeper with a successful merchant family, the wife spending her time in painting lessons from the master, Rembrandt. One of Catrin’s joys is the paintings and art she’s seeing for the first time, and with encouragement from her mistress’ teacher, she perhaps has a new and more creative option. But her past is never far behind, and one who knows her secret has discovered her whereabouts, forcing Catrin to flee, again, this time to Delft, a place soon to be known for its unique blue and white pottery – an attempt to rival the fine Chinese porcelains so in demand by the masses. In Delft, a new opportunity arises as her gift with a brush provide her a living, and she is soon consumed with her new life and new-found independence as a pottery painter, leaving the past and its scandals behind her. Much of the history of both import and trade, as well as insights into art, life and the history of Delft pottery are revealed, all as part of Catrin’s story. Of course, the past arrives again to threaten her new life, and decisions must be made. Overall, I enjoyed the history presented here, even as I had some issues with the language attributed to Catrin and her contemporaries. It was often far too modern, and her own behaviors were very forward for the time and her position – she was a far more ‘modern’ figure than one would or should expect, even if she was able to make a living from her own talent. While the writing, in translation, didn’t feel stilted or particularly off, the mix of Catrin’s present with the secrets and scandal of her past, and her very decidedly modern feel just didn’t blend with the historic information or feel that I wished were more prevalent as I read. But, it was interesting and engaging for the history and setting, giving a sense, if not wholly accurate, of the time and place for one woman as she lived her life. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility. Review first appeared at I am, Indeed

It's a story of a woman in 17th century Netherlands and the start of the Delft porcelain. I really liked the story, and was fascinated by the history of Delft.

Această poveste este situată în secolul al XVII-lea în Olanda, perioadă cunoscută sub numele de Epoca de Aur olandeză, iar în acea perioadă arta a fost printre cele mai apreciate din lume. Povestea îi pomenește scurt și pe marii artiști precum Rembrandt și Vermeer, dar se concentrează - în principal - pe arta porțelanul olandez.După moartea soțului ei, Catrjin se mută din satul ei, De Rijp, un lucru nemaiauzit, mai ales în 1654. Ea își urmărește visul de a locui într-un mare oraș unde să poată trăi din pictură, marea ei pasiune. Își vinde toate bunurile și singurul lucru pe care îl ia cu ea este talentul căci visează să aibă propria afacere care să-i asigure traiul zilnic.În Amsterdam, Catrjin ocupă un post de menajeră la familia lui Adrian Van Nulandt, o familie bogată de comercianți. Ca negustori, ei fac comerț cu China, aducând porțelan rafinat pe care nimeni din Europa nu știe cum să-l producă. Ceea ce atrage atenția lui Catrjin sunt figurile și peisajele pictate pe vazele mari, de un alb pur. Ghinionul o urmărește și în Amsterdam, iar trecutul nu o lasă să trăiască. Aici Catrjin se îndragostește de Matthias, fratele lui Adrian, și cel care se ocupă de procurarea produselor pe care Adrian le comercializează. Matthias iubește viața, iubește marea și iubește aventura. Nu este genul de bărbat care să poată sta într-un singur loc.Când trecutul o prinde din urmă, ea fuge din Amsterdam în Delft sperând să poată ține ascunse păcatele trecutului. În Delft, ea obține cu ușurință o slujbă ca pictor de ceramică datorită talentului ei. Familia Van Nulandt a început să lucreze cu majolica - „o faianță aspră, cu o glazură ornamentală, originară din Italia”. Fiul cel mare și cel care a preluat afacerea la moartea părintelui său - Evert - a început să lucreze cu faianță - „un tip mai fin de porțelan, dar nu atât de delicat". Catrjin este introdusă în arta ceramicii, iar spiritul ei de observație ține afacerea pe linia de plutire. Are curajul de a vorbi, chiar dacă este femeie (ciudat, nu-i așa, să ai curajul să vorbești în fața bărbaților?) și propune idei care se dovedesc a fi inedite și care au un success imediat. Ea își convinge șeful să încerce ceva nou. Astfel, ia naștere epoca porțelanului olandez, care ulterior a fost numit Delftware sau ceramică din Delft, cunoscută și sub numele de Delft Blue.Viața personală a lui Catrjin nu a fost una ușoară, dar ea se dovedește a fi o femeie extrem de puternică ce poate să răzbată în viață în ciuda greutăților întâlnite. Dacă fericirea îi este destinată, asta rămâne de văzut.În poveste regăsim și alte evenimente istorice care au avut loc în epoca respectivă ca explozia din Delft din 1654 sau ciuma din 1655. Există o parte a poveștii, ceva din trecutul lui Catrjin care o urmărește pe tot parcursul poveștii. Nu mi-a pasat de această parte, dar cred că fără asta povestea nu ar fi fost la fel. Este un roman în care avem parte de dragoste, prietenie, trădare, teamă, crime, chiar și de o pandemie :).

Nachtblauw van Simone van der VlugtNa de lege stad is dit voor mij de tweede keer dat ik een historische roman van Simone van der Vlugt lees en weer ben ik net als de vorige keer daardoor helemaal in de ban. Wat schrijft zij toch geweldig. Met Nachtblauw is het net of dat ik me echt in Delft bevind en bekende schilders zoals Rembrandt uit vroegere tijden ontmoet. De manier hoe dat het Delfts blauw ontstaat, lijkt net of dat het allemaal echt waar is en tijdens het lezen zie je alles zo gebeuren. Het leven van Catrijn maakt hier een meeslepend liefdesverhaal omheen in een zeer drukke en woelige tijd. Van mij mag er weer snel een volgende historische roman uitkomen. Gelukkig heb ik nog 2 stuks van haar niet gelezen en dat zijn Rode sneeuw in december en Jacoba, dochter van Holland.Nachtblauw krijgt van mij 5 sterren.

Usually this is not my cup of tea, but, I really enjoyed listening to this one as an audiobook. I couldn’t stop listening....even though it’s the middle of the night and tomorrow I’ll have to go to work. A masterpiece! 5 golden stars

Zanimljiva knjiga, dobra za opuštanje. Dijelom zasnovana na istinitim istorijskim činjenicama koje dosad možda niste znali. Ako vas zanima umjetnost, ova knjiga bi vam mogla biti interesantna. "Ako živiš u strahu, živiš samo pola života."

En un principio me había parecido muy semejante a “La joven de la perla” de Tracy Chevalier, libro y autora que me encantan. Y, aunque el tema de los pintores se trata de manera superficial, fue agradable reencontrar a Vermeer, esta vez en sus inicios.La ambientación y el marco histórico están muy cuidados, a pesar de que ciertos aspectos del comportamiento de la protagonista no acaben de encuadrarse totalmente en su época. Más parece estar en la nuestra que en la del siglo XVII. Catrijn se mueve y actúa con una libertad que no creo que tuviesen muchas mujeres en aquellos años.El utilizar la primera persona hace que la autora nos vaya explicando los hechos según la protagonista quiere, con lo que al principio no contamos con todos los datos y vamos descubriendo la verdadera historia conforme discurre el libro. Incluso se puede pensar que nos cuenta lo que ella quiere que pensemos de su forma de guiarse, como si pretendiese que nos pusiésemos de su parte y no la juzgásemos duramente. Porque si pensamos lo que hace fríamente tal vez, en algún momento, no nos pusiésemos de su parte. El resto de los personajes parecen meros medios para conseguir lo que quiere como comenta Jacob en un par de ocasiones. Tal vez este sea el único personaje que ve claramente el trasfondo o tal vez sea impresión mía. Ahí estaría el problema de la primera persona, pues no sabemos si lo que vemos es la verdad o la verdad que ella quiere mostrarnos.Lo más interesante, a mi entender, es la visión que nos da sobre la vida en aquella época con sus momentos buenos y malos y, sobre todo, el auge de la manufactura de la llamada “porcelana holandesa”. Incluso la autora reconoce que la historia surgió de una propuesta de su editora para que escribiese sobre este asunto.