Glass Hotel, The
Mandel, Emily St JohnBrother and sister Paul and Vincent Smith's presence at the remote luxury Hotel Caiette on Vancouver Island is one of employment not recreation. However, when Vincent, a social chameleon of the highest order meets hotel owner and financier Jonathan Alkailitis, she enters a world centred on wealth. But this 'kingdom of money' with its luxurious complacency is doomed to go the way of all Ponzi schemes, ensuring financial collapse for all concerned.
With its many and varied settings moving between British Columbia, New York, a prison in South Carolina and a container ship in international waters, this intriguing fast-paced story exposes its interconnected and often haunted characters to a precarious world of greed and moral compromise.
Pages
301
301
Year
2020
2020
Reviews
04-03-2024
A clever book on a delicate subject. Our group appreciated the way the theme was unravelled. Some memorable characters.
10-01-2024
Enjoyed by most of our group. Some loved the structure and imagery but others not so much. Several of us are keen to read other books by this author.
26-09-2023
Most liked the book but some found the non-linear structure hard to cope with. Lots of ideas and themes arose and were discussed at length.
15-09-2023
Enjoyed by all. Provided very interesting discussions as the book was complex with many different aspects to explore.
13-07-2023
A wide range of feedback. Very well-written. For some, the number of characters and the weaving of the story was off putting. We are all well educated now about Ponzi schemes. An intriguing read.
28-09-2022
Mixed reactions - some were lukewarm, some loved it.
10-08-2022
We had a variety of reactions to this book. All agreed it was well-written. The discussion focused on what it was the author had intended; were the characters rounded; the purpose of the transitions backwards and forwards in time. ( as well as touching on N.Z financial scandals). Despite differing degrees of enthusiasm, everyone finished the book.
16-05-2022
Clever. More or less like a succession of short stories. Not entirely believable. But worth reading.
22-04-2022
We were a little disappointed in this book, having previously enjoyed 'Station Eleven'. Although we like her writing style and characterisations, we found this story disjointed with too many characters.