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jgtruesdell's review against another edition
2.0
I felt like this book was all over the place. The whole mysterious life of Strobel complete with his treatment of Johanna could have been cut completely. It had nothing to do with the story and he disappears from the entire book after that. I wasn't even sure I liked the sisters much. I felt they were quite self absorbed and they didn't generate a lot of sympathy from me.
amadacla's review against another edition
5.0
“La soffiatrice di vetro” di Petra Durst-Benning
Su questo libro ho letto commenti non univoci che mi facevano dubitare che fosse una lettura di interesse. Invece man mano che procedeva la storia ho superato ogni scetticismo e mi sono fatta coinvolgere dalle vicende di queste tre sorelle tanto unite e determinate quanto diverse tra loro per inclinazioni, carattere e attitudine. Questo conferma che ogni libro è una scoperta soggettiva e come tale va giudicato e valutato. Sembra incredibile leggere dei tabù per le donne nel campo dell’imprenditoria femminile alla fine dell’Ottocento. Ma quando si possiede talento, senza distinzioni di sesso, è un peccato verso noi stessi non metterlo a frutto e con la perseveranza, l’impegno, lo studio e la disciplina si può ben sperare ... il seguito è ancora tutto da scoprire.
Su questo libro ho letto commenti non univoci che mi facevano dubitare che fosse una lettura di interesse. Invece man mano che procedeva la storia ho superato ogni scetticismo e mi sono fatta coinvolgere dalle vicende di queste tre sorelle tanto unite e determinate quanto diverse tra loro per inclinazioni, carattere e attitudine. Questo conferma che ogni libro è una scoperta soggettiva e come tale va giudicato e valutato. Sembra incredibile leggere dei tabù per le donne nel campo dell’imprenditoria femminile alla fine dell’Ottocento. Ma quando si possiede talento, senza distinzioni di sesso, è un peccato verso noi stessi non metterlo a frutto e con la perseveranza, l’impegno, lo studio e la disciplina si può ben sperare ... il seguito è ancora tutto da scoprire.
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning is a delightful novel set in the 1800’s in Lauscha, Germany. It is about the Steinmann sisters, Ruth, Joanna, and Marie. The girls live with their father, Joost, who is a glassblower. The girls decorate the glass, polish it, and pack it. When their Father dies suddenly, the girls are at a loss. Their Father never let them socialize with the young people in town, did not teach them to blow glass (it is only passed on to son’s), and did not even let them know about the finances. The three girls are offered a job with Heimer who runs the biggest and most profitable glassworks in the town. While the Heimer family is rich, they are misers and have horrible manners (they are very crude). The business is not run the best way, and Joanna tries to suggest changes. Mr. Heimer does not take them well and Joanna is left without a job. Ruth and Miriam stay with Heimer. Ruth fancies Mr. Heimer’s son, Thomas (one of three). Miriam is a gifted and creative painter. Mr. Heimer takes advantage of Miriam’s skills to make him more money while paying her a pittance. Joanna gets herself a job in Sonneberg with a wholesaler, Mr. Strobel. Joanna continues to work for Mr. Strobel, taking on more responsibility, until something horrible happens to her. Ruth marries Thomas when she ends up pregnant and her marriage is not a happy one. Thomas is a lot like his Father (stingy, mean, and abusive).
In the second part of the book the girls decide to make some changes. Miriam has been learning to blow glass in secret (she had the house to herself after Joanna went to work in Sonneberg and Ruth married Thomas). She has been making small Christmas bulbs to be her canvas. Ruth (after she leaves her husband for his abuse) takes Miriam’s beautiful bulbs into Sonneberg to show Mr. Woolworth (Frank Winfield Woolworth of the Woolworth Stores). Mr. Woolworth bought many beautiful handmade items for his stores in Germany. Mr. Woolworth loves her Christmas ornaments (the sound like they are gorgeous works of art) and places a big order with the girls. For the first order Miriam continues to work at Mr. Heimer’s during the day and blow glass at night. Ruth and Joanna paint the ornaments, silver them, and pack them. The ornaments are a hit in the states. Mr. Woolworth then places an order for heart ornaments. Miriam can now quit her job and work full-time on the ornaments. Joanna falls in love with Peter who has lived next door to the girls for a long time (he has loved her for many years). Ruth falls in love with Mr. Woolworth’s right hand man, Steven (yes, she is still married to Thomas and Thomas will not give her a divorce).
This is a wonderful book. I loved the second half of the book more than the first part. I have written only a little of what happens in this book. The story will make you laugh and cry. I hope you will take the time to read The Glassblower and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The American Lady! The Glassblower is also available under Kindle Unlimited on Amazon.com. I was provided a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Happy Reading!
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-glassblower-by-petra-durst-benning.html
In the second part of the book the girls decide to make some changes. Miriam has been learning to blow glass in secret (she had the house to herself after Joanna went to work in Sonneberg and Ruth married Thomas). She has been making small Christmas bulbs to be her canvas. Ruth (after she leaves her husband for his abuse) takes Miriam’s beautiful bulbs into Sonneberg to show Mr. Woolworth (Frank Winfield Woolworth of the Woolworth Stores). Mr. Woolworth bought many beautiful handmade items for his stores in Germany. Mr. Woolworth loves her Christmas ornaments (the sound like they are gorgeous works of art) and places a big order with the girls. For the first order Miriam continues to work at Mr. Heimer’s during the day and blow glass at night. Ruth and Joanna paint the ornaments, silver them, and pack them. The ornaments are a hit in the states. Mr. Woolworth then places an order for heart ornaments. Miriam can now quit her job and work full-time on the ornaments. Joanna falls in love with Peter who has lived next door to the girls for a long time (he has loved her for many years). Ruth falls in love with Mr. Woolworth’s right hand man, Steven (yes, she is still married to Thomas and Thomas will not give her a divorce).
This is a wonderful book. I loved the second half of the book more than the first part. I have written only a little of what happens in this book. The story will make you laugh and cry. I hope you will take the time to read The Glassblower and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The American Lady! The Glassblower is also available under Kindle Unlimited on Amazon.com. I was provided a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Happy Reading!
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-glassblower-by-petra-durst-benning.html
vegprincess's review against another edition
2.0
Warning: Possible Spoilers!!!
I liked this book at first. It was interesting getting to know the three main characters, sisters who were forced to make their own way after the death of their father in late 1890s Germany. Previously they worked for their father, who was a Glassblower with his own shop. We follow them as they gain employment quickly (conveniently) and eventually run a shop of their own with the help of some neighbors. Things really started to go downhill rapidly toward the end. The characters became more one dimensional and stereotypical. One of the sisters ended up marrying a drunk abusive man who, once she left him, began to stalk her and beg for her to come back to him. That same woman fell immediately in love another man who, of course, fell immediately in love with her. Their relationship was "perfect" and disgustingly sweet. Reading about their romance was eye roll-inducing. "Not a day has gone by when I do not yearn for you morning, noon and night. Sometimes I even wake at night and see your angelic face before me. I hear your voice and the wonderful things you say. Sometimes I long for you so much it hurts", wrote Steven to Ruth. And don't get me started discussing their sex scene. I was alternately laughing and shaking my head during that. The writing at that the end of the book reminded me of the sappy crap my friends and I wrote when we were pre-teens. Ultimately this is one of those books that start out well enough but falls flat and gets wrapped up at the end with a nice little bow. I was glad when I finally finished it. I understand that this book is the first in a series of three. I don't read many series and I can safely say that I won't continue with this one.
I liked this book at first. It was interesting getting to know the three main characters, sisters who were forced to make their own way after the death of their father in late 1890s Germany. Previously they worked for their father, who was a Glassblower with his own shop. We follow them as they gain employment quickly (conveniently) and eventually run a shop of their own with the help of some neighbors. Things really started to go downhill rapidly toward the end. The characters became more one dimensional and stereotypical. One of the sisters ended up marrying a drunk abusive man who, once she left him, began to stalk her and beg for her to come back to him. That same woman fell immediately in love another man who, of course, fell immediately in love with her. Their relationship was "perfect" and disgustingly sweet. Reading about their romance was eye roll-inducing. "Not a day has gone by when I do not yearn for you morning, noon and night. Sometimes I even wake at night and see your angelic face before me. I hear your voice and the wonderful things you say. Sometimes I long for you so much it hurts", wrote Steven to Ruth. And don't get me started discussing their sex scene. I was alternately laughing and shaking my head during that. The writing at that the end of the book reminded me of the sappy crap my friends and I wrote when we were pre-teens. Ultimately this is one of those books that start out well enough but falls flat and gets wrapped up at the end with a nice little bow. I was glad when I finally finished it. I understand that this book is the first in a series of three. I don't read many series and I can safely say that I won't continue with this one.
karma_narwhal's review
4.0
At first I wasn't sure I would like this book. I love a good historical fiction but I'm a bit leery of most of the "free" books on the Amazon kindle unlimited but I'm very glad I gave this one a try! I quickly fell in love with all three of the girls and I cannot wait for the next book to come out!
d52s's review
1.0
This isn't historical fiction; more of a romance set in history, or historical chic-lit maybe.
beckimoody29's review
3.0
I listened to the audio version and I actually liked most of the book. I really enjoyed learning more about glass-blowing and the culture. It had the problem of many historical novels where people (especially the women) behave in far too modern a fashion. I also REALLY object to rape as a plot device! It seems to be used far too frequently as “something for women to overcome” (I guess starvation isn’t enough?!) and a way for the males to ride to the rescue. I liked the characters ok, but not sure it was enough to read the sequel(s?)
this_fishy_reads's review
3.0
I really thought I knew where his novel was going, and I was pleased and then disappointed when it turned out I was wrong.
There were all sorts or horrible mishaps that could befall the Steinmann sisters, and they were sheltered enough to easily stumble into all of them, or at least the most obvious ones. But! About halfway through, Durst-Benning mixed everything and everyone up so nothing shook out how I thought it would. Thank goodness, right? No cliches. Except the entire second half of the book was their journey to a better life, and nothing went wrong. Nothing. So many things could have ruined their ventures, but everything went so absolutely perfect that it was dull and sadly anticlimactic.
There were all sorts or horrible mishaps that could befall the Steinmann sisters, and they were sheltered enough to easily stumble into all of them, or at least the most obvious ones. But! About halfway through, Durst-Benning mixed everything and everyone up so nothing shook out how I thought it would. Thank goodness, right? No cliches. Except the entire second half of the book was their journey to a better life, and nothing went wrong. Nothing. So many things could have ruined their ventures, but everything went so absolutely perfect that it was dull and sadly anticlimactic.
luciearan's review against another edition
3.0
Hodnocení: 3,5/5 ✩
Křehká krása mě zaujala na první pohled, jak svým vzhledem, tak prostředím, a já se neskutečně těšila, až si ji budu moct přečíst. Ale jak už to tak mnohdy bývá, čím větší je počáteční nadšení, tím větší bývá i zklamání. A to, v případě této knihy, následovalo už po několika málo stránkách.
Pokud jde o historický obsah, nemám k němu příliš výhrad. Celkově jsem ochotná uvěřit, že v dané době a situaci, se mnoho od reality neodklonil. Naopak, dokonce bych řekla, že svým způsobem zobrazuje, alespoň v některých pasážích, její vstřícnější stránku. Co mě však zklamalo, bylo zpracování příběhu.
První třetina knihy, byla celkem nezáživná, měla jsem docela problém, se začíst. Druhá pak, spíše průměrná. Až teprve v závěrečné části, příběh trochu ožil a začal se odvíjet podle svého. Škoda, že tomu tak nebylo, od samotného počátku. Další věcí, která si mě příliš nezískala, byly postavy. I když sestry neměly lehký život, a útrapy na sebe nenechaly dlouho čekat, neoblíbila jsem si ani jednu z nich. Působily poněkud mechanicky, jejich ztvárnění bylo ploché a nedalo se, do nich vcítit. A to platí nejen pro ně, ale v podstatě pro všechny postavy, této knihy. Celkové zklamání pak ještě umocňuje to, že jsem se těšila hlavně na prostředí sklářství, a skláren. Toho se mi však, minimálně pocitově, dostalo opravdu pomálu. Na rozdíl o více či méně romantických zápletek, které vlastně tvořili, páteř samotného příběhu.
Pokud to tedy celkově shrnu... Kniha to byla zajímavá, zasazená do originálního a poutavého prostředí. Její potenciál však, zůstal zcela nenaplněn. Což je z mého hlediska, obrovská škoda.
Křehká krása mě zaujala na první pohled, jak svým vzhledem, tak prostředím, a já se neskutečně těšila, až si ji budu moct přečíst. Ale jak už to tak mnohdy bývá, čím větší je počáteční nadšení, tím větší bývá i zklamání. A to, v případě této knihy, následovalo už po několika málo stránkách.
Pokud jde o historický obsah, nemám k němu příliš výhrad. Celkově jsem ochotná uvěřit, že v dané době a situaci, se mnoho od reality neodklonil. Naopak, dokonce bych řekla, že svým způsobem zobrazuje, alespoň v některých pasážích, její vstřícnější stránku. Co mě však zklamalo, bylo zpracování příběhu.
První třetina knihy, byla celkem nezáživná, měla jsem docela problém, se začíst. Druhá pak, spíše průměrná. Až teprve v závěrečné části, příběh trochu ožil a začal se odvíjet podle svého. Škoda, že tomu tak nebylo, od samotného počátku. Další věcí, která si mě příliš nezískala, byly postavy. I když sestry neměly lehký život, a útrapy na sebe nenechaly dlouho čekat, neoblíbila jsem si ani jednu z nich. Působily poněkud mechanicky, jejich ztvárnění bylo ploché a nedalo se, do nich vcítit. A to platí nejen pro ně, ale v podstatě pro všechny postavy, této knihy. Celkové zklamání pak ještě umocňuje to, že jsem se těšila hlavně na prostředí sklářství, a skláren. Toho se mi však, minimálně pocitově, dostalo opravdu pomálu. Na rozdíl o více či méně romantických zápletek, které vlastně tvořili, páteř samotného příběhu.
Pokud to tedy celkově shrnu... Kniha to byla zajímavá, zasazená do originálního a poutavého prostředí. Její potenciál však, zůstal zcela nenaplněn. Což je z mého hlediska, obrovská škoda.
silver_and_vengeance's review
4.0
I enjoyed reading about Johanna, Ruth and Marie's journey through hardships and coming out the other side victorious. Im looking forward to the next book in the series.