THE BOOK:
I REALLY wanted to like The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel.
I absolutely hated it.
The Glass Hotel is about..jeez I can’t even really tell you. It’s basically about a Ponzi scheme and the trickle-down effect of how the scheme changed the lives of those effected by it.
Why didn’t I enjoy this book?
- I couldn’t keep up with the timeline to save my life. It jumped forwards in time, backwards in time, and I feel like there were times when it was present day. I felt confused constantly.
- I was bored reading it. I feel guilty for admitting this. There were times when I wasn’t bored, but every time I felt like I was enjoying myself I was being introduced to a new character and a new storyline. Was there even a plot? I can’t be certain.
- So. Many. Characters. I remember getting to the last few pages and still not being able to square away who was who.
After listening to the Readheads podcast on this book, I came to the conclusion that maybe I’m just not cut out for books with really deep literary meanings. This book was like a puzzle, if you want to read it–you must go into it knowing that this is not a leisurely read. The text is meant to be contemplated deeply to truly understand it.
I like to read to escape and for enjoyment! The Glass Hotel was not that!
I felt compelled to write about The Glass Hotel though, just in case any of my like 2 followers are wanting to read a book worth analyzing. If you are the type of person who enjoyed English classes and has a good time finding hidden meanings within words–this book is for you.
I’m still glad that I read this book, mostly because I enjoyed listening to the Readheads podcast about it so much! They made me laugh out loud with this one! I’m also proud of myself for finishing a book I hated, and for exposing myself to different writing styles.
I DO believe that every book is capable of teaching me something new. I feel a little bit more educated with every novel I cross off of my list, The Glass Hotel was no different. (I learned about Ponzi schemes, lol)
If you are up to cracking the code of literary-ness, grab your copy of The Glass Hotel HERE!
THE QUOTES
“Memories are always bent retrospectively to fit individual narratives”
“There is exquisite lightness in waking each morning with the knowledge that the worst has already happened.”
“Give me quiet, he thought, give me forests and ocean and no roads. Give me the walk to the village through the woods in summer, give me the sound of wind in cedar branches, give me mist rising over the water, give me the view of green branches from my bathtub in the mornings. Give me a place with no people in it, because I will never fully trust another person again.”
THE BATH
Boring books call for entertaining snacks. God bless these sour worms.
The best part of this bath was the Unicorn Fruit Body Butter I found at Ulta. Lather this on after a bath if you want to smell like vanilla icing!
Leave me a comment below and let me know how you liked The Glass Hotel! I could use some insight to help changed my mind. Please someone convince me that I should have enjoyed it!
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