But the radiant honesty of 1930 that the house, with its unique glass room. Spine creases, wear to binding and pages from reading. Simon mawer s beautifully wrought novel evokes a time and place in a way rarely achieved by historical fiction writers thomas flanagan comes to mind. The glass room by simon mawer takes place over the span of 60 years.
In 2009, the glass room was shortlisted for walter scott and man booker prize. Mawers control of his themes of language, desire, memory and the power of place is extraordinary as haunting and mysterious as the effect of sunlight on the wall of golden onyx that survives all the convulsions by which his characters are engulfed. For the glass room is an historical novel and both the sometimes subtle presence and sometimes ironic impact of historical context is integral to the story. Starting in the early 1920s before world war ii and spanning into the cold war that gripped eastern europe. The glass room book the indianapolis public library. The precisions of science, the wild variance of lust, the catharsis of confession and the fear of failure these are things that happen in the glass room. Simon mawers superbly suspenseful novel, the glass room, revolves around a similar house built by an austrian architect in a czechoslovakian town twenty. But the radiant honesty and idealism of 1930 that the house seems to engender quickly tarnishes as the storm clouds of world war two gather. This novel was shortlisted for both the booker prize in. Jan 14, 2009 the home at the heart of the glass room, simon mawer s eighth novel, is the opposite of primitive. Onyx wall and glass room of the restored laundauer house actually, the villa tugendhat in brno, per wikipedia acknowledgment.
The glass room, by british author simon mawer, was published in 2009 by other press in the united states and little brown in the united kingdom. The glass room this book is so slow i almost gave up but it started to come alive in chapter 24 all the way to about ch 29 we went into repetition again. The slow slide of the pane downwards as though to remove the barrier that exists between reality and fiction, the fabricated world of the living room and the hard fact of snow and vegetation. The glass room summary by michael mcgoodwin, prepared 20. Simon mawers superbly suspenseful novel, the glass room, revolves around a similar house built by an austrian architect in a czechoslovakian town twenty years earlier. It deals with important subject matter in the nazi era, atrocities and evil science included, is. The glass room book washington county cooperative library. May contain limited notes, underlining or highlighting that does affect the text. Author simon mauer has always created exciting plots with important thematic overtones, and in this novel he outdoes. It was shortlisted for the man booker prize in 2009. In 2009, mawer published the glass room, a novel about a modernist villa built in a czech city.
We have the glass room available now to read in the superior epub and mobi formats. Inspired by a real house, an amazing modernist symbol, simon mawer has written his best novel yet, a story guaranteed to. It comes to life again from chapter 42 to the endplease read this book it explains what true love really is in its many forms. Possible ex library copy, thatll have the markings and stickers associated from the library. Choose from contactless same day delivery, drive up and more. Simon mawer talks about the glass room radio prague. Jan 18, 2021 that simon mawer s style mimicked a novel in translation, yet was really tremendously well controlled is just one of the aspects that make this book stand out from other historical novels.
High on a czechoslovak hill, the landauer house shines as a marvel of steel and glass and onyx. Jan 24, 2009 the glass room is a novel of ideas, yet strongly propelled by plot and characterised by an almost dreamlike simplicity of telling. The glass room follows a recently married couple, the landauers, who commission a german architect to build them a modern house in brno. It is a book with more than a passing relevance to the czech republic, as the hero is a building that stands to this day on the edge of the city of brno. The inspiration for the major motion picture the affair, now available on demand. The glass room is his eighth novel hes also turned out two nonfiction books. This novels setting is an ultramodern house, built in the late 1920s in what is now the. Quotations are for the most part taken from that work. Simon mawer is author of eleven novels and two non fiction books. Apr 22, 2010 the glass room is a fiction of many remarkable qualities. The glass room is a novel of ideas, yet strongly propelled by plot and characterised by an almost dreamlike simplicity of telling. However, before being able to live there, world war ii breaks out, and they have to flee the country. He builds for them a home to embody their exuberant faith in the future, and the landauer house becomes an instant masterpiece.
The glass room by simon mawer book club discussion. Leasil landau is a true lady right to the end of this book. Comparisons with the work of michael frayn would not be misplaced, and there are occasional moments of illuminating brilliance, when the novel becomes like the glass room of the title. A 2009 best book by the economist, the daily telegraph, financial times, london evening. Comparisons with the work of michael frayn would not be misplaced, and there are occasional moments of illuminating brilliance, when the novel becomes like the glass room. Honeymooners viktor and liesel landauer are filled with the optimism and cultural vibrancy of central europe of the 1920s when they. The glass room, published by little, brown in january 2009, was on the man booker shortlist. This work has been summarized using the other press 2009 paperback edition one of the sloan technology series books. The glass room is a fiction of many remarkable qualities. Comparisons with the work of michael frayn would not be misplaced.
The novel sees the home pass through several owners. In 2003, mawer s book, the fall won boardman tasker and man booker prize. Shortlisted for the man booker prize, simon mawer s the glass room brilliantly evokes six decades of eastern european history, beginning in 1930s czechoslovakia. Buy the glass room by simon mawer online at alibris.
Oct 02, 2009 the upclose version, though, is gnarlier. Mar 12, 2019 simon mawer is author of eleven novels and two non fiction books. Mawer s control of his themes of language, desire, memory and the power of place is extraordinary as haunting and mysterious as the effect of sunlight on the wall of golden onyx that survives all the convulsions by which his characters are engulfed jane shilling, the daily telegraph the glass room s poetic success. The glass room, by british author simon mawer, was published in 2009 by other press in the united states and little brown in the united. The glass room is the eye on the world that witnesses life, love, horror, redemption. For a book to be optioned for a movie adaptation, it has to be unique and stand out from the crowd in its genre. High on a czechoslovak hill, the landauer house shines as a marvel of steel, glass and onyx.
The glass room by siman mawer is about a glass room in a house and the people who inhabit it over the years. Simon mawer has 15 books on goodreads with 46550 ratings. The wellresearched and melodramatic in a good way novel is set in and around a modernist villa in the czech city of brno. One of the most acclaimed books to be published in the last couple of years is the man booker prize shortlisted novel, the glass room, by the. Published in britain by little, brown, january 2009 and in the us by the other press, october 2009. Jewish newlyweds viktor and liesel landauer build their dream home, and despite the low hum of the german war machine reverberating through the land, the two look forward to a life of promise. The glass room high on a czechoslovak hill, the landauer house shines as a marvel of steel, glass and onyx. Sep 24, 2010 shortlisted for the man booker prize, simon mawer s the glass room brilliantly evokes six decades of eastern european history, beginning in 1930s czechoslovakia. Comparisons with the work of michael frayn would not be misplaced, and there are occasional moments of illuminating brilliance. The glass room is a novel that succeeds on so many levels that it becomes hard in his novel, the glass room, simon mawer starts with a picture of privilege. Built specially for newlyweds viktor and liesel landauer, a jew married to a gentile, it is one of the wonders of modernist architecture.
Accessories such as cd, codes, toys, may not be included. His 2012 book the girl who fell from the sky was received positively on both sides of the atlantic, described as a professionally crafted and engaging story and a skillfully and intelligently executed thriller. The glass room, by simon mawer the independent the. But the radiant honesty and idealism of 1930 that the house. Sep 15, 2010 simon mawer is the author of several novels including the man booker shortlisted the glass room, the girl who fell from the sky and tightrope.
Listen free to glass room by simon mawer with a free trial. The story follows the relationship of liesel and viktor landauer and the house they build to share their lives together in. The glass room by simon mawer book cover, description, publication history. Jewish newlyweds viktor and liesel landauer build their dream home, and despite the low hum of the german war machine reverberating through the land, the two look forward to a life. A new york times bestseller honeymooners viktor and liesel landauer are filled with the optimism and cultural vibrancy of. In this stirring historical novel, shortlisted for the 2009 man. Viktor and liesel, a rich jewish mogul married to a thoughtful. The glass room a novel a novel by simon mawer by simon mawer by simon mawer by simon mawer. Customers who bought this item also bought page 1 of 1 start over page 1 of 1. As the landauers struggle for survival abroad, their home slips from hand to hand, from czech to nazi to soviet possession and finally back to the czechoslovak state, with new inhabitants always falling under the fervent and unrelenting influence of the glass room. It is a book with more than a passing relevance to the czech republic, as the hero is a building that stands to. The glass room is a book about a culture slipping from decadence into. One of the most acclaimed books to be published in the last couple of years is the man booker prize shortlisted novel, the glass room, by the british writer, simon mawer.
390 1405 1085 1479 344 684 1429 1146 1266 1241 1070 960 796 1067 850 984 1203 895 106 257 755 127 530 1110 1561 355 1162 1144 1210 998 558 529 1184 1160 586 672 1321 446 446