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desiree930 's review for:
The Glass Hotel
by Emily St. John Mandel
It's been about three weeks since I finished The Glass Hotel, and I'm just now getting around to reviewing it. Part of that is because I just haven't had a lot of motivation for anything right now, but the other part is that I'm just unsure of how to talk about this book and my feelings for it.
One of my all-time favorite books is Station Eleven by this author. It's a fantastic exploration of the human spirit and need for connection in the face of chaos and apocalypse. (Just a note, it's not a book I would recommend people to read during a pandemic...but it is an amazing book.)
This book was one of my most anticipated since it was announced. Did I have any idea what it was about? No. Did the synopsis sound at all intriguing or like something I would normally pick up? Nope. I just knew that I loved her other book to pieces, and would absolutely give this one a try.
The end result? A little mixed. I know I gave this book 4 stars, and I stand by it, but I was still a little disappointed at the end, and I'm not sure I can articulate the reason for that. It just didn't feel like all the threads came together the way they did in Station Eleven.
It was actually a very strange reading experience. As I was reading, I was thoroughly engaged with these characters and their stories, even though they are incredibly flawed and there isn't much of an actual plot to speak of. Something about her writing completely sucks me in, even if I can't identify a real purpose for the story. There is a similarity in structure to Station Eleven, jumping back and forth through different points in time with our characters. I think it's less successful here, but it doesn't ruin the story. I did enjoy the alternate reality aspect. Several times throughout the book, we are given a look into what would have happened to these characters if they'd made other choices, and that's something that fascinates me and I think was well done.
At the end of the day, I'll absolutely pick up a book written by her in the future, because I think she is a supremely talented writer, but maybe I'll try to keep my expectations reasonable instead of expecting every book she writes to be another Station Eleven.
One of my all-time favorite books is Station Eleven by this author. It's a fantastic exploration of the human spirit and need for connection in the face of chaos and apocalypse. (Just a note, it's not a book I would recommend people to read during a pandemic...but it is an amazing book.)
This book was one of my most anticipated since it was announced. Did I have any idea what it was about? No. Did the synopsis sound at all intriguing or like something I would normally pick up? Nope. I just knew that I loved her other book to pieces, and would absolutely give this one a try.
The end result? A little mixed. I know I gave this book 4 stars, and I stand by it, but I was still a little disappointed at the end, and I'm not sure I can articulate the reason for that. It just didn't feel like all the threads came together the way they did in Station Eleven.
It was actually a very strange reading experience. As I was reading, I was thoroughly engaged with these characters and their stories, even though they are incredibly flawed and there isn't much of an actual plot to speak of. Something about her writing completely sucks me in, even if I can't identify a real purpose for the story. There is a similarity in structure to Station Eleven, jumping back and forth through different points in time with our characters. I think it's less successful here, but it doesn't ruin the story. I did enjoy the alternate reality aspect. Several times throughout the book, we are given a look into what would have happened to these characters if they'd made other choices, and that's something that fascinates me and I think was well done.
At the end of the day, I'll absolutely pick up a book written by her in the future, because I think she is a supremely talented writer, but maybe I'll try to keep my expectations reasonable instead of expecting every book she writes to be another Station Eleven.