Map of Glass, A

Urquhart, Jane

  1 Reviews

Jerome is a young earth-artist spending a few months on an island in Lake Ontario. But his idyll is shattered when he discovers a man frozen in the ice near the shore. One year later Sylvia, the dead man's lover, appears at his studio driven by the need to recount her story to the stranger who discovered him. A tender and haunting story unfolds which stretches long and wide, a story that begins with Sylvia's childhood and mysterious illness and ends with her lover's tragic death. [Taken from book cover.]

Comments from Groups

We all felt that, while it wasn't 'an easy read', it was well worth persevering with. We had one of our most interesting discussions for some time, as everyone had differing views. Tauranga 023

Half the group thought the book did not really go anywhere, and the other half thought it was great. We all had a most interesting discussion on the characters and the meaning of art! Havelock North 005

This book caused a great deal of discussion. Did Sylvia have a 'condition' - perhaps Asperger's or mild autism? Were her recollections her own fantasy as her husband suggested? Her relationship with her husband was an unusual one, and she seemed to be trapped in the family home. The author constructed and crafted this story beautifully, using some unusual and poignant language. Thoroughly enjoyed by all. Carterton 001

We felt we have missed some of the metaphors as we did not find that it flowed, and we had differing opinions on why various characters were the way they were! We would do better a second time, but we didn't like any of the characters very much! Definitely a good book for reflection and good character studies. Overall a good discussion book. Rawene 001

A beautifully written book, but the characters lacked believability.... Lower Hutt 004

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