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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
I've been to Venice, but reading this book gave me all new insights to that lovely city. Who knew, for example, that it once was actually an island?!? That citizens of Murano did not originally consider themselves Venetians?!? That the "mainland" of Italy was called "terra firma"?!? And, that Murano glass is in a class of its own. Tracy Chevalier has done it again - bringing the history of a beautiful artform to us.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really got immersed in the Murano/Venice setting of the Rosso Family and was intrigued by Orsola’s journey as a woman and glassmaker throughout the…centuries? That is what didn’t really work for me, as the time-skipping sections felt disruptive and weird. It was interesting to see Orsola live in several time periods, but it didn’t really work for me as a reader overall and I would’ve preferred to see time progress through the eyes of her descendants.
The Plague section being mirrored in the COVID-19 pandemic section was certainly a trip and a very troubling one as someone who lived through the latter. I also appreciated that Chevalier incorporated the climate crisis and its effects on Venice.
I would love to get hot chocolate (overpriced though it is) at Caffè Florian in Venice, and see some glassmaking on Murano.
The Plague section being mirrored in the COVID-19 pandemic section was certainly a trip and a very troubling one as someone who lived through the latter. I also appreciated that Chevalier incorporated the climate crisis and its effects on Venice.
I would love to get hot chocolate (overpriced though it is) at Caffè Florian in Venice, and see some glassmaking on Murano.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The time gimmick used in this book didn't work for me. I guess the author wanted to explore the glassmaking craft on Murano through the centuries, but also wanted to develop one single cast of characters. Unfortunately, I didn't find the characters to be particularly well-developed, even after 500 years with them. The idea is just so problematic. Orsola in 1600 is not going to be the same person as Orsola in 1915. That's not how human beings work, even when they are part of a protected and traditional culture. We are shaped by our time and even by our technology. I think this book might have been better if it was a non-fiction book about glassmaking on Murano through history. The stone-skipping image was silly, and the abrupt reviews of European history were jarring.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The time traveling situation did not register until the end and then I didn’t quite understand why that was happening
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
i got 70% through this book and then honestly it was simply too boring, should probably have stopped at 40% actually but kept on soldiering on hoping for something that at 70% i realised was never going to come - i know it’s in the title but all the ever do is making flipping glass x
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
life in Vienna during different periods of history, family dynamics, class struggles, men vs women in glass making