Historical fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres, so when I don't like a historical fiction novel, it's doubly disappointing. :-( 
 This was ... not a success, for me. I don't know if I feel totally okay giving only one star, but I also don't feel justified giving it two. There were some moments when I could see the potential of this book fulfilled - the first 40ish pages, a few of the lovely descriptions, and especially the powerful writing of (view spoiler)[the childbirth scene. That was incredible, and the one time during the book that I was truly engaged with the story and characters (hide spoiler)]. There was some genuinely beautiful writing in this book, a couple of interesting characters (especially Marin, who would make this into a 2.5 star review by herself if I could give half stars), and a chance to read about a fascinating city during a time very different from ours. 
 But that's where the good ends, for me. I love reading about cities and urban settings - so often, the city itself becomes a major character. But Burton's Amsterdam never came to life for me. There were canals and barges, and Calvinism meant some serious austerity measures. That's about it. Nella makes one or two trips into the city, but for the most part, she keeps intending to go out but never does. I enjoyed the use of Dutch words and the glossary at the end, but it felt like an easy way to try and make the reader feel like they're in 17th century Amsterdam without actually, you know, writing about it. 
 The characters rang hollow, and I had trouble believing a lot of the development. For example, (view spoiler)[Cordelia and Nella seem antagonistic at first, and then suddenly are best friends? Or Johannes telling Nella that she's "exceptional", or a "miracle". Really? I wonder how he came to that conclusion, since they spent approximately twenty minutes together during the first 2/3 of the book. What was with Marin letting Jack kiss her during that bizarre confrontation? Johannes was obviously a long-term successful trader, but suddenly he's not interested in helping people he doesn't respect - why? Did he have some kind of epiphany? And if so, why even accept the job? Why let the product sit and spoil, knowing it would anger the clients? What was his ultimate goal? (hide spoiler)] Don't even get me started on (view spoiler)[Nella repeatedly thinking that she'd use Marin's baby to give her marriage to Johannes some kind of credibility - I get that she's young and innocent, but she has clear understanding of pregnancy and babies, and I can't believe she'd think that a four-month marriage could produce a full-term baby and no one would question it. (hide spoiler)] 
 Finally, my biggest issue is the actual miniaturist plotline - and judging from other reviews, I'm not alone in this. The miniaturist character could essentially be removed from the book and it wouldn't change the basic plot at all. It adds a pseudo-supernatural mystery that is never resolved - why? I have no idea. 
 The primary impression I got from this book is one of a two-dimensional picture. Pretty to look at, I guess, but little underneath.