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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Steeping away from my usual genres of choice, I found myself basking in the beauty of Chevalier’s writing about Murano glass and bead-making, something I knew nothing about. We follow Orsolo Rosso’s family life and how it develops on Murano while time moves in great leaps away from the island. This inventive way of moving time forward means we can view history and all its effects and similarities from the Great Plague to the Covid outbreak. I’m so entranced, I’ll be heading to Chevalier’s backlist soon.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
A fascinating insight into the life of a city and a family over the course of 500 years. Whilst the city is ever-changing, the family at its core remains more or less constant over time - a great way to show the impact on individuals of war, sickness, economic changes and modernity. Packed with detail around glassmaking and scattered with colourful Venetian/Italian phrases it won’t be long before the reader becomes proficient in cursing and is ready to turn their hand to glassmaking!
The story proceeds at a steady pace - but not in a negative way - as the Rosso family adapts to changes, with Orsola tentatively, over time, carving out a new pathway for herself.
I like the ‘skimming’ technique however some of those jumps could have been executed a little faster in my opinion. The glass dolphins piqued my interest throughout and I was interested to see how that thread would pan out (I was, in truth, a little disappointed on this score.)
A worthy read.
The story proceeds at a steady pace - but not in a negative way - as the Rosso family adapts to changes, with Orsola tentatively, over time, carving out a new pathway for herself.
I like the ‘skimming’ technique however some of those jumps could have been executed a little faster in my opinion. The glass dolphins piqued my interest throughout and I was interested to see how that thread would pan out (I was, in truth, a little disappointed on this score.)
A worthy read.
This is an enthralling novel of historical fiction which portrays the life of a family of glassmakers from Murano. Special attention is paid to Orsola, the daughter of the family who, contrary to social norms, has a fascination with glassmaking and the desire to show the world what she can do with it, and with her life. We travel through time witnessing her struggles, her joys, her loves and her fascinating life. Tracy Chevalier is a fabulous writer, a creator of wonderful characters and the amount of research undertaken for this book is clear in the depth and details of the world. On finishing this book I immediately picked up another by the author and will seek out any others I might have missed.
The story begins in 1486 on the island of Murano which lies across the lagoon from Venice. Murano is home to traditional glassmakers including the Rosso family who have operated their business for generations. It’s a skill and tradition passed down from father to son, the women relegated to looking after their fathers, husbands, brothers and children, as well as running the household. That is until headstrong Orsola Rosso comes along with a bold plan to save the family from financial ruin. She embarks on a clandestine venture, learning to make her own beautiful glassware which, despite the odds, becomes a success. I wasn’t too sure about how the skipping stones through time element would work, whereby time moved by throughout the centuries, the story spanning over 500 years but with the main characters living through it all, but, it worked and I enjoyed the book. Seeing how the same characters’ lives changed and adapted to the myriad of tumultuous Venetian and world events that took place over that time was very interesting, as was Venice’s role and place in the world. Characters, setting and plot all well done.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Che Bella! Loved the descriptions of Venice and glassmaking. I wasn’t really into the time travelling device to begin with, but I think it worked overall to give a full history of Venice.