rjmaupin 's review for:

The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier

4.5

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As someone obsessed with glass history, I worried this book might be misinformed or lacking in terms of glass process, but I think it was actually quite well done for an author who hasn’t spent much time around glass communities. Anyway, I loved the time skipping concept at first and the description of flow for craftspeople. The literary device of time jumping both showed the stability of glass in Murano for an unfathomable amount of time while also sketching out nuances, especially related to geopolical, social, and economic conditions. I will say I was somewhat dissatisfied by the ending, as I was picturing Orsola’s life to have been picked up and recontextualized from chapter to chapter, rather than her actually experiencing 500 years of history. I wanted the Antonio plot to be more satisfying as well. Regardless of that, I think the book took a risk that is fascinating to think about and it was quite touching, even if I think it isn’t perfect.