The Glass Hotel, Emily St John Mandel, Alfred A Knopf, 2020, 301 pp
I have read and loved every one of Mandel's novels. She has certain preoccupations: young women, loneliness, travel, lost mothers, to name a few. The Glass Hotel places these topics in a story about the financial disaster of 2008.
Vincent began life on Vancouver Island and lost her mother at a young age. She has a troubled brother. One night while tending bar at the most grand hotel on the island, she meets the owner. Jonathan is a super wealthy "investment manager." A year later she marries him, not for love but to get her off the island. Her time with Jonathan takes place among the wealthy in New York City.
This could all have been a device to explore the financial depravity and devastation of the times. It was so much more because of the brilliance of Vincent as a character. Mandel circles through several viewpoints and reading the story is like watching a mirror ball rotating and reflecting the scenes from many facets.
Vincent (and to a lesser degree, her brother) are the everywoman and everyman. As in any great work of fiction they show us ourselves, our dangerous inattention to what goes on around us, our preoccupation with personal issues. It is a gently piercing wake up call just as much as Station Eleven was.
I got to the end, wishing the story could have gone on forever. I remembered how much I always get immersed in the worlds of Emily St John Mandel. The condition of melancholy wraps around me as a reader while at the same time making me feel less alone.
the mirror ball gizmo brings roller skating rink days, cruising around the oval effortlessly; boy, that was eons ago!!
ReplyDeleteHappy to give you a pleasant memory. The dance clubs in NYC still have mirror balls I think.
DeleteSounds excellent. I'll be trying her soon(ish). I've just finished an excellent 'End of the World' novel that I think you'll like. It'll be a while until I review it (my backlog is starting to get passably impressive) but I'll let you know.
ReplyDeleteI will keep my eyes peeled!
DeleteI've never read a book by Emily St John Mandel. The Glass Hotel sounds really interesting. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteYou can't go wrong with her books, should you decide to read one.
DeleteWonderful review Judy. I'm really looking forward to this one. So Vincent I gather is female ... interesting name? Mandel is a master how she weaves it around and the various viewpoints. Some people in Canada try to get off that island ... while others nearing retirement age try to get on it. Ha.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan. I have always wanted to visit Vancouver Island. I have a girlfriend (American) who loves it there. I think during the years Vincent would have been growing up there and in the remote spot where the hotel is set, it would have been a place to leave.
DeleteI have only read Station Eleven. I want to read this and some of Mantel's other books.
ReplyDeleteI agree, sometimes sad stories will be a positive thing for a reader as it helps one understand that someone else feels like they do. I think that the same thing is true with music lyrics and other art forms.
You are so right, Brian!
DeleteSounds like a really interesting read! I hate to say that I’d never even heard of this author before but I should change that!
ReplyDeleteI think you would love her novels.
DeleteStation Eleven is the only one of her books I've read, though Last Night in Montreal has been on my list for a while. Saw your excellent review on goodreads this morning and added this one to my list as well.
ReplyDeleteGreat, JoAnn! I will await your review.
DeleteI really must read her books. I've heard and read so much glowing comment about them. It seems as though they are the kinds of books that a reader can easily lose herself in. Not a bad recommendation at the moment.
ReplyDeleteYou really must!
DeleteI was so confused by her name at first and had to reread several times to realize Vincent was a female and then it made sense. My brain may never recover from the last two and a half months!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry. I put a "her" in the sentence where I introduced Vincent. But I surely know about the brain issues lately!
DeleteYes, that is what got me. At first I thought you were talking about the mother with the 'her'. All sorted now! :)
DeleteI got the feeling it was a bit melancholic, by the cover, but you confirmed that in your review! I'm really curious about it. I don't think I've read anything by this author and I'm always curious to explore books by authors I don't know yet.
ReplyDeleteI find that I usually like Canadian born authors and she is one of my favorites.
DeleteWOW, so happy you loved this so much. I have a copy. I remember how much you like Overstory, Powers and the audio was a DNF for me. I really wanted to try this one and thought print might be way to go so I ordered a copy. I hope to add it to my summer pile.
ReplyDeleteI don't do audio, so I can't really say, but I think the Overstory might be hard to follow in that format. There is a lot going on!
DeleteI hope you like The Glass Hotel.
A new author to me. Thanks
ReplyDeleteIntroducing a great Canadian author to your part of the world!
DeleteSounds like an interesting read. Never heard of the author, either.
ReplyDeleteI can recommend this one for you.
DeleteThat and Station Eleven are both on my wishlist now. I doubt I would have even looked at them closer if I had just seen the title or the cover. So, thank you.
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