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Marchpane's Reviews > The Glass Hotel

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
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bookshelves: 2020-releases

You may be wondering if The Glass Hotel is anything like Emily St John Mandel’s previous novel Station Eleven? The answer is no. AND yes.

Don’t get me wrong, The Glass Hotel is a very different kind of book. Its setting is realistic, not speculative. In place of Station Eleven’s focus on art (Shakespeare, music, comics) there is filthy lucre – specifically a Ponzi scheme bearing a striking resemblance to Bernie Madoff’s massive fraud. The romanticism of Station Eleven – its starlit gauziness and heady atmosphere, beauty seen in a wildflower by the side of a highway clogged with rusted automobile carcasses – is dialled down here. Mandel’s writing is as evocative as ever, but her emphasis has shifted. In this novel full of morally questionable individuals, there aren’t as many pinpricks of light.

And yet common threads do emerge. Both books have a diffuse cast of characters; both narratives skip forwards and backwards, orbiting a central catastrophic worldwide event that forever bisects life into a before and an after. Station Eleven’s was a flu pandemic, The Glass Hotel’s is the 2008 financial crisis, which triggers the Ponzi scheme’s collapse. In both, the fallout from the singular event claims lives, and those that do survive are set to wandering.

There are more direct links too. Characters from the earlier book reappear here, and the idea of parallel universes – first raised in Station Eleven when characters imagine “a universe in which civilization hadn’t been so brutally interrupted” – also recurs. Mandel ties this to her theme of regret: the characters’ rueful ‘if only’ thinking manifests as reverberations between alternate realities, the ghost versions of lives that might have been, had they made different choices.

It’s as if Station Eleven – which had the feeling of a dream all along – is Oz and The Glass Hotel is Kansas. From parallel worlds arise parallel tales, different tonally but at heart, similar compositions. Mandel’s sensitive characterisations, meticulous layers, and musings on loss, regret and the frangibility of life are all here. It’s just a little less magical. 4 stars.
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Reading Progress

July 9, 2018 – Shelved
July 9, 2018 – Shelved as: to-read
June 8, 2019 – Shelved as: 2020-releases
October 28, 2019 – Started Reading
October 31, 2019 –
40.0%
November 3, 2019 –
80.0%
November 7, 2019 – Finished Reading

Comments Showing 1-50 of 62 (62 new)


Tammy Excellent, Marchpane. I need to review this. I liked it a bit better than you did but I haven’t read Station. I enjoyed your comparisons and contrasts between the two


Charles It’s as if Station Eleven – which had the feeling of a dream all along – is Oz and The Glass Hotel is Kansas.

"Oz" as in the informal reference to Australia or the realm of the Red Queen? 🤔


Caroline "It’s as if Station Eleven – which had the feeling of a dream all along – is Oz and The Glass Hotel is Kansas."

Going by the comparison of TGH to Kansas, my guess is Marchpane refers to the Oz of "The Wizard of Oz."


Marchpane Tammy wrote: "Excellent, Marchpane. I need to review this. I liked it a bit better than you did but I haven’t read Station. I enjoyed your comparisons and contrasts between the two"

Thanks Tammy. I really enjoyed it a lot - maybe should have gone with 4.5 stars? Looking forward to reading your thoughts on it too.

It will be interesting to see how the reviews fall between people who have/haven't read SE.


Marchpane Caroline wrote: "Going by the comparison of TGH to Kansas, my guess is Marchpane refers to the Oz of "The Wizard of Oz..."

Exactly! Land of the Wicked Witch, not the Red Queen :)


Charles Marchpane wrote: "...Exactly! Land of the Wicked Witch, not the Red Queen :)"

My grasp of all things Ozian is tenuous. 🤓


message 7: by Dan (new) - rated it 5 stars

Dan Marchpane, very interesting review. You may enjoy any of Emily St. John Mandel's pre-Station Eleven novels. They're written on small scales, each centering on one or two oddball characters in oddball situations. I enjoyed them all immensely. Although I thought that Station Eleven was an excellent departure for Mandel, I do hope that she returns at some time to her earlier smaller scale plots.


Marchpane Thanks Dan, I'm definitely keen to check out Mandel's earlier works. In the two I've read, she has a way of zooming in to focus on smaller stories within the larger sweep. "Oddball characters in oddball situations" sounds pretty good to me!


Dianne Terrific insightful review, Marchpane.


Michael Finocchiaro Great review. I guess I’ll read Station Eleven first though


message 11: by Deanna (new)

Deanna Fabulous and motivating review.

I was a disappointed reader of Station Eleven—admiring but not enthralled as the hordes of true fans. Since I may be more Kansas than Oz (I love your metaphor), I feel ready to get into this one.


message 12: by Judith (new)

Judith Superb review. Thank you.


Marchpane Michael wrote: "Great review. I guess I’ll read Station Eleven first though"

Thanks Michael - I think that's optional but it is also the way I chose to do it, and I have no regrets. Hope you enjoy!


Marchpane Deanna wrote: "Fabulous and motivating review.

I was a disappointed reader of Station Eleven—admiring but not enthralled as the hordes of true fans. Since I may be more Kansas than Oz (I love your metaphor), I ..."


If you enjoyed the writing style then you may get along better with this. I am becoming more Kansas as I age I think!


Marchpane Dianne & LostKnight, thank you so much!


Marchpane Judith wrote: "Superb review. Thank you."

Judith, thank you also!


Marchpane Nathan wrote: "I thought this book isn't out yet, how have you read it?"

Hi Nathan, I received an advance copy from the publisher.


message 18: by Bookslut (new)

Bookslut Great review


message 19: by Marchpane (last edited Feb 29, 2020 11:01PM) (new) - rated it 4 stars

Marchpane Bookslut wrote: "Great review"

Thank you so much!


message 20: by Stacey (new) - added it

Stacey It sounds more like her work prior to Station Eleven. In those works, what she lacked in story she made up for with beatiful language.


message 21: by Mike (new) - added it

Mike Finn I love the Oz / Kansas comparison


message 22: by Judith (new)

Judith Astute and lovely review. Time to send a few to The NY Times magazine or something at that level and see if they'll supplement your income. Seriously.


message 23: by Rory (new) - rated it 5 stars

Rory Powell What a great review, thanks!


Helene Thorup-Hayes Do not do that survey that Deepen provided above. It’s a scammy marketing ploy to trick you into allowing to receive direct marketing phone calls and messages from sellers.


David Benson I just finished the book and I think it’s a beautiful work of art. Who are the crossover characters with Station Eleven? It’s been a while since I read that one and I don’t remember.


Marchpane Hi David! I know people like spotting these things for themselves, so I'll put this under a spoiler tag:

(view spoiler)

There may be more crossovers that I've since forgotten as I read this nearly six months ago now.


Renee Godding I love your review, especially the Oz-Kansas comparison. Somehow Station Eleven has a kind of magical realism vibe to it, even thought it definitely isn’t a magical realism novel. This doesn’t have that, but it does have all the other elements that make Emily’s writing great.


message 28: by Mia (new) - added it

Mia I would not stand Station Eleven and had to put it away to not waste more time. Can i expect something different from this?


Patricia Completely agree!


Tracie Landry Thank you for this review. I really didn’t know what I thought when I finished the book and this helped me clarify my muddy thinking on this book.


Maria Montgomery One of the best written reviews on goodreads! Thanks!


Faisal Khatri the most boring book of all time.


Marchpane Faisal wrote: "the most boring book of all time."

big call.


Sarah BB Great review, totally agree


message 35: by Nita (new) - rated it 4 stars

Nita Yes, completely agree with this.


Hanan Ghaith How can I read your list of crossover characters?


Marchpane Hi Hanan, if you mean my comment at Message 28 above, I think you may need to view it via the Goodreads website (not the app) to see behind the spoiler tag.


Susan Fantastic review - totally spot on!


Blaine A really insightful review!


message 40: by Cindy (new) - added it

Cindy Brown Ash Beautifully written review, thank you!


message 41: by Liz (new) - rated it 3 stars

Liz Very boring, took me forever to read!!!


message 42: by Jam (new) - rated it 4 stars

Jam F Great review. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, not least, because of the Canadian content. I was confused by who was talking in the first person at the end of the book when the scandal is revealed. Anyone know who that was?


Marchpane Hi J. Do you mean Chapter 10 - "The Office Chorus"? If so, I think the answer is there in the chapter heading: the first person 'we' is meant to represent all of Alkaitis' employees, speaking as a collective. It's not any character in particular.


message 44: by Kim (new) - rated it 4 stars

Kim Another excellent review Marchpane! I recently enjoyed Station 11 and I love the idea of sliding door or parallel lives so I'll pick this one up now, sooner than later.


Marchpane Thanks Kim! I'll be interested to see what you think of it.


message 46: by Jam (new) - rated it 4 stars

Jam F Thanks @marchpane. I think that’s it!


message 47: by Paula (new) - added it

Paula Not great, found there was no purpose...why was she telling me such a disjointed and useless story.


message 48: by Iris (new) - rated it 5 stars

Iris Yes! I read “Station Eleven” years ago & remember little other than loving it. Is Miranda from “The Glass Hotel” the comics author/shipping exec in “Station Eleven”? When she appeared in the book I had a blip of deja vu...


message 49: by Kim (new) - rated it 4 stars

Kim Iris wrote: "Yes! I read “Station Eleven” years ago & remember little other than loving it. Is Miranda from “The Glass Hotel” the comics author/shipping exec in “Station Eleven”? When she appeared in the book I..."
Oh wow! I think you're right! I'm just reading this now, was feeling a bit confused about that bit.
Ty :D


message 50: by Marchpane (last edited Apr 07, 2024 03:45PM) (new) - rated it 4 stars

Marchpane Iris and Kim : I talked a bit about this earlier in the comment thread. If you scroll up to Message 26, it's there (under a spoiler tag).


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