Review: The Glass Hotel

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't read many descriptions before reading The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel but for some reason I thought it took place in the future.  It doesn't.  With few exceptions, it is firmly set in the 2000s.  It turned out to be nothing I quite expected.  We follow the lives of multiple characters, including a pair of half-siblings who anchor much of the activity because all of the other characters cross paths with them at some point.  It's also a ghost story.  I'm not quite sure who the narrator is although I got the feeling at times that I should know. That I missed a clue.  I've broadened my definition of "ghost."  There's a lot happening in this book.  Some mysteries are solved and others are left open to your interpretation.  And while I felt sometimes that there were too many stories going on at once, the beautifully crafted writing kept propelling me forward.  Read this if you want to know about Ponzi schemes but don't want all the technical details.  I think Emily St. John Mandel's books are also great for music lovers because they always contain some element of musicality.  

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