I enjoyed this one, though I predicted the way it would end. The story goes back and forth between centuries, between the 2 major characters. An orphaned girl is asked by Ben Franklin to help him with his newest invention, the glass harmonica, after he hears her playing the musical glasses on a street corner in London. In the 21st century, a young woman is a musical prodigy skilled at playing the glass harmonica, but is haunted by ghostly visions. I loved all the musical & historical references throughout the book.

Read for Locus, review in Locus #479

This book is well-written: all the characters have backstories and motivations, and the setting is fully realized. Despite this, I felt no connection with the characters. I read the entire book, but I never felt drawn to the story, wondering what would happen next. And I should have, because this was an interesting idea. As a musician, I loved the history of the glass harmonica; as a historian, I thought Marley’s depiction of Benjamin Franklin was great; as a scientist, I loved the idea of applying music to neuro-therapy. As a writer, I thought something was lacking, which may be because the back cover copy made the story seem more action-oriented, a time-travel similar to The Lake House (which defies so many laws of physics and time-travel, even).

A pleasant read, the one thing that really annoyed me was Marley’s use of “’twas” and “’tis,” beyond the 1761 dialogue. For example: Eilish pushed the basket again, trying to make her two seed coins clink together. Talk brought no food. ‘Twas money she needed. In my opinion, Marley should have stuck with a first-person narrative for the 1761 story, and third-person for the 2018, if she wanted to write like that. But then, another reader will find it charming, and think I’m crazy for not liking it. Such a subjective profession this is…

Originally posted at http://worderella.com/2007/07/book-the-glass-harmonica/

Very clever story filled with parallelism about the girl who was the first to play Benjamin Franklin's "glass armonica" and the modern day girl in 2018 who plays the instrument professionally. I loved the characterization of Franklin and was able to apply some of what I read to my AP US history class! All in all, an enjoyable read.

This is an amazing book! Particularly so as I didn't expect to like it this much. Two stories that intertwine between the past and present.

I randomly checked this book out of the library a couple of years ago. I didn't know anything about it, didn't even read the summary on the back. But it turned out to be a treat. The writing was of high literary caliber but at the same time, it was compulsively readable. Once it was finished (all too quickly), I remember wanting either a sequel or to start all over again and experience that first read again. Highly recommended.

Semi-reread. I read this book for the first time when I was 12, because I was super into harmonicas. Note - the mouth harp is not the harmonica featured in this book. It is some sort of odd glass instrument.

Upon re-reading as an older, wise, more awesome version of me, here are my thoughts. I really hate the storyline with Erin and Charlie and Gene. Gene is weird and I don't like him, and Erin is a total whiny baby. I caught that even as a 12 year old, so it's pretty obvious. Their love is really forced and the ending is ridiculously rushed. There are some interesting ideas about "the future" but ... meh.

On the other hand I LOVE the storyline of Eilish. I thought it was fantastically well done and it's very compelling. I remember skipping the Erin parts as a kid and just reading Eilish's part. I love the history and the characters and the portrayal of Ben Franklin and that whole part. So yay.

A kind of obscure book about an obscure instrument. Overall, it's not one I would go out of my way to read again.

Eilish Eam is an orphan living in poverty in London in 1761. She earns her living by playing the water glasses on a street corner. When her music attracts the attention of Benjamin Franklin, he offers her a new life. All she has to do in return is help him with his latest musical invention, the glass harmonica. In 2018, Erin Rushton is a talented musician who plays the glass harmonica. At twenty-three, she's tried of being treated like a child by others who are mislead by her youthful appearance. Then she begins to see strange visions of a young girl who also plays the glass harmonica. As these two musicians are connected across time, their lives develop in ways that are both different, yet similar.

The Glass Harmonica is a book that has been sitting on my shelf for years, but has never been touched for one reason or another. After recently reading Felix J Palma's The Map of Time, I've found myself in the mood for more books that mix science fiction with historical fiction. The Glass Harmonica is a book that ends up accomplishing this feat with a greater degree of success than The Map of Time. One of the reasons The Glass Harmonica succeeds so well is the historical fiction and science fiction elements are very well balanced with each other. Both the past and future storylines are well developed and feature likable protagonists. Despite the connection between the two musicians, The Glass Harmonica is not a time travel story, as the actual interaction between the two musicians don't go much further than ghostly images. Instead, what ends up connecting them, and makes the book so interesting, is the many ways which their two lives parallel each other.

The greatest connection between the two storylines can be found in how the settings are developed. Until she encounters Benjamin Franklin, Eilish lives a life of stark poverty, an existence that at first clashes with the sci fi setting. In Erin's 2018 storyline, Marley has created a vision of future that is obsessed with the past, where people carefully cultivate neighborhoods to perfectly mimic how they once stood decades or more ago. The downside of these beautifully crafted neighborhoods is those who cannot afford them are forced into homelessness, living out their entire existences in tent cities. The stark separation between the upper and lower classes can be felt just as strongly though both time lines. Other ways which Eilish and Erin's life parallel each other end up digging into the issues of the emotional power of music, medical ethics, and family. Despite the fact that the novel can have it's shocking and sad moments, it's not an overly dark tale, and can also posses real warmth.

The Glass Harmonica is a fantastic mix of historical and science fiction. Although I found myself somewhat skeptical of some of the futuristic elements (mainly in relation to Dr. Berrick's medical experiments), I found the book on a whole to be rather enjoyable and look forward to reading more books by Louise Marley.

I'm not sure whether this was science fiction or fantasy. Possibly both. The doctor keeps alluding to some sort of scientific explanation, though it's never spelled out. But that doesn't seem important. The armonica's magic, is all. ""Tis like that, my little instrument." I really liked poor Elish.