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A Glittering Chaos
Fiction. The adage about "what happens in Vegas" is funny precisely because we know it's wishful thinking. A GLITTERING CHAOS is about what happens when "what happens in Vegas" comes home to haunt you. Melusine is a German librarian whose ho-hum world wobbles after she tags along when her husband Hans attends a Las Vegas optometry conference. A newly empty nester who speaks no English, Melusine's voyage of self-discovery is punctuated by the poetry of Ingeborg Bachmann, nude photos in the desert, a black dildo named Kurt, autoerotic asphyxia, and the unravelling of her husband's sanity because of a secret from his youth. A smart, funny and incredibly wise novel about marriage, secrets and lies, and unusual sexual proclivities.
344 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
23 people want to read
About the author
Lisa de Nikolits
25 books391 followersLisa de Nikolits is the author of twelve traditionally published novels. That Time I Killed You is forthcoming in 2026 (Level Best Books).
12. “In her new book MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON, Lisa de Nikolits lends her literary talents to noir, bringing wiseguy mobsters to the new millennium. She brings wiseguy mobsters to the new millennium. She's mastered spec-fic, thrillers, sci-fi, drama, and more; and now, with MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON, Lisa de Nikolits turns to noir!” – AllLitUp.ca
Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon is noir thriller. Christopher Moore comes to mind, or Carl Hiaasen with a dash of Quentin Tarantino, all bundled up in a 50's-styled gangster novel set in modern day times.
The dropdead-gorgeous protagonist, Jessica, dresses like a Hollywood movie star but she's razor sharp. She likes to hang out with Daisy, her leafy sea dragon pal while she waits for her mob boss lover, Enzo Esposito, take her out on the town. Enzo's a big fan of Weegee, the 1940's true crime photographer, and what Jessica discovers, will shock her and put her life in danger. She'll need all her wits about her to get out alive.
11. Everything You Dream is Real: "In this darkly funny, politically charged follow up, de Nikolits, always a fearless writer, taking no prisoners. Whether you've read The Rage Room or not, Everything You Dream is Real is a searing, accessible fable for our collective fears and weaknesses, as fun as it is thought-provoking."
10. The Rage Room: “In her latest captivating book, Lisa de Nikolits proffers not only a roller coaster of entertainment, but also, sharp political commentary in complicated times. The Rage Room is an intricately woven dystopian world, rich in strong female characters who easily whisk readers to a world of futuristic follies. Move over George Orwell—De Nikolits shows us how the future can be scary, exciting, and above all, female.”
—Kelly S. Thompson, national bestselling author of Girls Need Not Apply: Field Notes from the Forces
“Wow, what a ride! Lisa de Nikolits has written a pulse-pounding thriller set in a troubled future that might just be ours. We see the seeds of The Rage Room in our own digital landscape. Mind-bending yet all too believable in the hands of a masterful storyteller.”
—Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour
9. The Occult Persuasion and The Anarchist's Solution: "Lisa de Nikolits sets readers on a rollercoaster ride of clever twists and unexpected turns. The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution is a lot of fun and filled with some believable, yet zany characters. It bounces between the viewpoints of Lyndon and Margaux, a retired couple whose marriage speeds steadily downhill after Lyndon decides to call it quits and runs off. It’s the ultimate story of marriage meltdown told in a style all Lisa’s own, and this one should be on everybody’s must-read list." –Dietrich Kalteis, author of Zero Avenue
8. Rotten Peaches, "Wow. Just wow. Lisa de Nikolits’ Rotten Peaches blew me away. A dark, compulsive, and addictive story in which the characters’ secrets and needs conflict with each other and fold back in on themselves in an ever-tightening noose, Rotten Peaches will keep readers gripped until the very last page. Highly recommended!" —Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter
7. No Fury Like That, a murder mystery with excellent reviews by Metroland Media and high profile international crime writers. No Fury Like That will be published in Italian, under the title Una furia dell'altro mondo, in 2019.
6. The Nearly Girl was released to rave reviews by magazines, literary journals and readers.
5. Between The Cracks She Fell was released in August of 2015 and received excellent reviews in magazines as well as literary journals. It won the Bronze IPPY Award for Popular Fiction.
4. The Witchdoctor’s Bones launched in Spring 2014 to acclaim from Canadian Living magazine and many
12. “In her new book MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON, Lisa de Nikolits lends her literary talents to noir, bringing wiseguy mobsters to the new millennium. She brings wiseguy mobsters to the new millennium. She's mastered spec-fic, thrillers, sci-fi, drama, and more; and now, with MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON, Lisa de Nikolits turns to noir!” – AllLitUp.ca
Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon is noir thriller. Christopher Moore comes to mind, or Carl Hiaasen with a dash of Quentin Tarantino, all bundled up in a 50's-styled gangster novel set in modern day times.
The dropdead-gorgeous protagonist, Jessica, dresses like a Hollywood movie star but she's razor sharp. She likes to hang out with Daisy, her leafy sea dragon pal while she waits for her mob boss lover, Enzo Esposito, take her out on the town. Enzo's a big fan of Weegee, the 1940's true crime photographer, and what Jessica discovers, will shock her and put her life in danger. She'll need all her wits about her to get out alive.
11. Everything You Dream is Real: "In this darkly funny, politically charged follow up, de Nikolits, always a fearless writer, taking no prisoners. Whether you've read The Rage Room or not, Everything You Dream is Real is a searing, accessible fable for our collective fears and weaknesses, as fun as it is thought-provoking."
10. The Rage Room: “In her latest captivating book, Lisa de Nikolits proffers not only a roller coaster of entertainment, but also, sharp political commentary in complicated times. The Rage Room is an intricately woven dystopian world, rich in strong female characters who easily whisk readers to a world of futuristic follies. Move over George Orwell—De Nikolits shows us how the future can be scary, exciting, and above all, female.”
—Kelly S. Thompson, national bestselling author of Girls Need Not Apply: Field Notes from the Forces
“Wow, what a ride! Lisa de Nikolits has written a pulse-pounding thriller set in a troubled future that might just be ours. We see the seeds of The Rage Room in our own digital landscape. Mind-bending yet all too believable in the hands of a masterful storyteller.”
—Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour
9. The Occult Persuasion and The Anarchist's Solution: "Lisa de Nikolits sets readers on a rollercoaster ride of clever twists and unexpected turns. The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution is a lot of fun and filled with some believable, yet zany characters. It bounces between the viewpoints of Lyndon and Margaux, a retired couple whose marriage speeds steadily downhill after Lyndon decides to call it quits and runs off. It’s the ultimate story of marriage meltdown told in a style all Lisa’s own, and this one should be on everybody’s must-read list." –Dietrich Kalteis, author of Zero Avenue
8. Rotten Peaches, "Wow. Just wow. Lisa de Nikolits’ Rotten Peaches blew me away. A dark, compulsive, and addictive story in which the characters’ secrets and needs conflict with each other and fold back in on themselves in an ever-tightening noose, Rotten Peaches will keep readers gripped until the very last page. Highly recommended!" —Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter
7. No Fury Like That, a murder mystery with excellent reviews by Metroland Media and high profile international crime writers. No Fury Like That will be published in Italian, under the title Una furia dell'altro mondo, in 2019.
6. The Nearly Girl was released to rave reviews by magazines, literary journals and readers.
5. Between The Cracks She Fell was released in August of 2015 and received excellent reviews in magazines as well as literary journals. It won the Bronze IPPY Award for Popular Fiction.
4. The Witchdoctor’s Bones launched in Spring 2014 to acclaim from Canadian Living magazine and many
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 5, 2017
Lisa Young states on the back cover that "here is a writer who is willing to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche..." Yes, de Nikolits includes some dark shit in her narrative, but she does so in a very shallow and cringeworthy manner. The way in which she treats subjects like mental health, transgender issues (OMG, did she just call the transgender character a cross-dresser?), spousal abuse, etc. are incredibly problematic.
None of the characters are likeable. I was rooting for no one. A bunch of miserable people. The son, Jonas, was particularly flat. If I had to read this adult son say "Mami" one more time...
The beginning of the story and the end of the story do not mesh. The beginning, which seemed like another ho-hum tale of a repressed, forty-something wife and vanilla sex scenes would have been more powerful if we had never heard Hans' voice. If he had been going through the same things, and it had come out slowly through Melusine's point-of-view, that would have been interesting. Even more interesting is exploring a relationship where the man is just an asshole without a messy, incest backstory. It was lazy that the author dropped Hans' point-of-view once he crossed into madness, rather than exploring the dark corners of a person's mind. Though, with the way she treated other aspects, it is probably best that she did not attempt this.
I also could not stand that every character was more worried about poor Hans than the fact that he was an awful husband/father for years, sexually assaulted a young girl, etc.
Lastly, this story supposedly took place in Germany, but the treatment of love and relationships and other cultural things in the narrative were very North American. The German setting was not believable.
None of the characters are likeable. I was rooting for no one. A bunch of miserable people. The son, Jonas, was particularly flat. If I had to read this adult son say "Mami" one more time...
The beginning of the story and the end of the story do not mesh. The beginning, which seemed like another ho-hum tale of a repressed, forty-something wife and vanilla sex scenes would have been more powerful if we had never heard Hans' voice. If he had been going through the same things, and it had come out slowly through Melusine's point-of-view, that would have been interesting. Even more interesting is exploring a relationship where the man is just an asshole without a messy, incest backstory. It was lazy that the author dropped Hans' point-of-view once he crossed into madness, rather than exploring the dark corners of a person's mind. Though, with the way she treated other aspects, it is probably best that she did not attempt this.
I also could not stand that every character was more worried about poor Hans than the fact that he was an awful husband/father for years, sexually assaulted a young girl, etc.
Lastly, this story supposedly took place in Germany, but the treatment of love and relationships and other cultural things in the narrative were very North American. The German setting was not believable.
May 1, 2013
The adage about “what happens in Vegas” is funny precisely because we know it’s wishful thinking. A Glittering Chaos is about what happens when “what happens in Vegas” comes home to haunt you.
Melusine is a German librarian whose ho-hum world wobbles after she tags along when her husband Hans attends a Las Vegas optometry conference. A newly empty nester who speaks no English, Melusine’s voyage of self-discovery is punctuated by the poetry of Ingeborg Bachmann, nude photos in the desert, a black dildo named Kurt, autoerotic asphyxia, and the unravelling of her husband’s sanity because of a secret from his youth.
Lisa de Nikolits manages to integrate all these surprising pieces into a jigsaw that is a poignant, at times even lyrical, story of sexual coming-of-age, and the sometimes hard price paid for the wisdom of middle-age.
– Beverly Akerman, author of The Meaning of Children
(With this book, I'm now officially a "blurber"!)
Melusine is a German librarian whose ho-hum world wobbles after she tags along when her husband Hans attends a Las Vegas optometry conference. A newly empty nester who speaks no English, Melusine’s voyage of self-discovery is punctuated by the poetry of Ingeborg Bachmann, nude photos in the desert, a black dildo named Kurt, autoerotic asphyxia, and the unravelling of her husband’s sanity because of a secret from his youth.
Lisa de Nikolits manages to integrate all these surprising pieces into a jigsaw that is a poignant, at times even lyrical, story of sexual coming-of-age, and the sometimes hard price paid for the wisdom of middle-age.
– Beverly Akerman, author of The Meaning of Children
(With this book, I'm now officially a "blurber"!)
September 16, 2014
This book had so many winds and turns that I could barely keep up.
It was romance, mystery, thriller all rolled into one.
I bought this book at the Humanities and Social Science Conference. Inanna Publications convinced me that it was feminist publication. Perhaps I missed something !
I finished this books because I was curious what was going to happen - so perhaps that says something or perhaps because my Mom taught me that I should always finish books !
It was romance, mystery, thriller all rolled into one.
I bought this book at the Humanities and Social Science Conference. Inanna Publications convinced me that it was feminist publication. Perhaps I missed something !
I finished this books because I was curious what was going to happen - so perhaps that says something or perhaps because my Mom taught me that I should always finish books !
July 7, 2015
Melusine is a German librarian who accompanies her husband on a trip to Las Vegas for his business conference. Their son has just left home for school, and things seem kind of boring at home so Melusine jumps at the chance for some excitement and change of scenery. Shortly after arriving, she meets Gunther, and quickly falls into a romantic and passionate affair, unlike anything she has ever done or experienced before. Her formerly boring husband, Hans, has some secrets of his own too, as he has lied about his reasons for traveling to Vegas. Hans past secret obsession collides with Melusine’s passionate affair, and life will never be the same again for this couple after what happens in Vegas…
When I first started reading this book, I was taken aback quite a bit. At the beginning, it was almost immediately very sexual, as well as very strange. I was surprised and kind of confused, unsure of how I would feel about it. However, I kept reading, and right around the time that Melusine encounters Gunther, I was hooked. I got really into the story and didn’t want to stop reading. The descriptive details of Las Vegas pulled me in and made me so anxious to visit there someday. In fact, Jerry and I had actually considered Vegas for our honeymoon this October, but eventually settled on a cruise instead. I’ve always wanted to visit, but this book made me want to even more so. All the lights, action, and “glittering chaos” captured my attention.
Aside from the magnificent and breathtaking setting, I was just plain astounded by the actions of Melusine and her weird husband, Hans. While I obviously disliked that Melusine was cheating, I was still rooting for her and Gunther because it was evident that 1. they had something special, and 2. something with Hans was not quite right at all. Gunther changed Melusine, and brought out a whole new side of her. Then there’s the story of Hans and his past which was incredibly creepy. I could not believe the secrets he was keeping. While his story was very interesting, what kept me the most interested was the story of Melusine and Gunther… their passionate whirlwind of an affair, their heartbreak upon leaving, and their effort to keep the relationship going via written correspondence upon returning home.
This is just what happened in Vegas… when Melusine and Hans return home, things get even weirder when Hans remains obsessed with his past and slips into a severe insanity. Watching Melusine, her son, and friends cope with this is fascinating and heartbreaking all at once.
This book is incredibly dark and very, very bizarre… but anyone who knows me knows that I love bizarre (Chuck Palahniuk being one of my favorite authors)! This book is not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something different, this would definitely fit the bill. I am anxious to read more of this author’s work.
Note: I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
When I first started reading this book, I was taken aback quite a bit. At the beginning, it was almost immediately very sexual, as well as very strange. I was surprised and kind of confused, unsure of how I would feel about it. However, I kept reading, and right around the time that Melusine encounters Gunther, I was hooked. I got really into the story and didn’t want to stop reading. The descriptive details of Las Vegas pulled me in and made me so anxious to visit there someday. In fact, Jerry and I had actually considered Vegas for our honeymoon this October, but eventually settled on a cruise instead. I’ve always wanted to visit, but this book made me want to even more so. All the lights, action, and “glittering chaos” captured my attention.
Aside from the magnificent and breathtaking setting, I was just plain astounded by the actions of Melusine and her weird husband, Hans. While I obviously disliked that Melusine was cheating, I was still rooting for her and Gunther because it was evident that 1. they had something special, and 2. something with Hans was not quite right at all. Gunther changed Melusine, and brought out a whole new side of her. Then there’s the story of Hans and his past which was incredibly creepy. I could not believe the secrets he was keeping. While his story was very interesting, what kept me the most interested was the story of Melusine and Gunther… their passionate whirlwind of an affair, their heartbreak upon leaving, and their effort to keep the relationship going via written correspondence upon returning home.
This is just what happened in Vegas… when Melusine and Hans return home, things get even weirder when Hans remains obsessed with his past and slips into a severe insanity. Watching Melusine, her son, and friends cope with this is fascinating and heartbreaking all at once.
This book is incredibly dark and very, very bizarre… but anyone who knows me knows that I love bizarre (Chuck Palahniuk being one of my favorite authors)! This book is not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something different, this would definitely fit the bill. I am anxious to read more of this author’s work.
Note: I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2013
At times when reading A Glittering Chaos I could hear my grandmother’s voice in my head saying, “Oh dear me.” (Seems Melusine’s husband Hans isn’t the only one hearing voices ) Yes, it’s true there were a few parts of A Glittering Chaos that were a bit shocking for a small town gal like me.
But it quickly became clear that those sections weren’t the pivotal part of the story. It wasn’t the actions as much as the motivation. WHY did the people do what they did? A Glittering Chaos is the literary equivalent of the pebble dropped into a pond. The ripples of one young girl’s actions extend further and further across time, people, and places affecting everyone. And there are other smaller pebbles…like Dietrich falling for Martin. The way people’s lives are woven together after the most minor actions is fascinating.
At times the action slowed, we seem to be killing time, waiting for the next important event. But after Hans rapid descent into madness things really pick up as countless new and old people are thrown into the mix and you feel a bit mad yourself as you try to determine what will happen next. Love? Motherhood? Reunion? Death? New relationships? Old relationships? Forgiveness? Revenge?
But it quickly became clear that those sections weren’t the pivotal part of the story. It wasn’t the actions as much as the motivation. WHY did the people do what they did? A Glittering Chaos is the literary equivalent of the pebble dropped into a pond. The ripples of one young girl’s actions extend further and further across time, people, and places affecting everyone. And there are other smaller pebbles…like Dietrich falling for Martin. The way people’s lives are woven together after the most minor actions is fascinating.
At times the action slowed, we seem to be killing time, waiting for the next important event. But after Hans rapid descent into madness things really pick up as countless new and old people are thrown into the mix and you feel a bit mad yourself as you try to determine what will happen next. Love? Motherhood? Reunion? Death? New relationships? Old relationships? Forgiveness? Revenge?
July 20, 2013
A Glittering Chaos reaches out and grabs your attention with that old favorite: sex. But it quickly becomes clear that this book isn't about that. It is an exploration of many different types of relationships. Melusine, a German housewife, comes to Las Vegas on a business trip with her husband Hans. Turns out their relationship isn't what we (and Melusine) thought. Melusine falls into a one night stand with a fellow tourist. And that turns out to be more than it originally seems. All of the relationships in this book are fascinating and full of many facets, reflecting the real world. Because whose relationship is what it appears to be?
Too often, the plots of books are predictable. You can sort of see where you are headed. It doesn't ruin the book because you still get to enjoy the journey but, well...surprise is fun. A Glittering Chaos is one surprise after another. This plot is no straight line from Point A to Point B. The characters themselves are quite wild. Even Melusine, who starts out so conventional and familiar, transforms into someone you never would have guessed. If you want a summer read that will be memorable, something you can recommend to your friends that will stand apart from all the other books on the Summer Reading Lists, try A Glittering Chaos.
Too often, the plots of books are predictable. You can sort of see where you are headed. It doesn't ruin the book because you still get to enjoy the journey but, well...surprise is fun. A Glittering Chaos is one surprise after another. This plot is no straight line from Point A to Point B. The characters themselves are quite wild. Even Melusine, who starts out so conventional and familiar, transforms into someone you never would have guessed. If you want a summer read that will be memorable, something you can recommend to your friends that will stand apart from all the other books on the Summer Reading Lists, try A Glittering Chaos.
July 16, 2013
"A Glittering Chaos" was one of my 'summer reads'for 2013...I wanted a story that would grab me, and it did not disappoint. A literary romance/mystery/potboiler with an intricate storyline that keeps the characters balanced on criss-crossing tightropes. Sexy in a dark, mysterious way -- the relationship between Melusine and Gunther unfolds slowly and suspensefully. This is not a conventional 'love story' (I'm happy to say) but something more mature, intriguing and interesting -- a woman discovering a new, more sexual side of herself and starting a new life. Pick it up and just try to put it down.
April 28, 2013
An outrageous delight!
Melusine, a 40-something German librarian with a penchant for existential poetry and a large black dildo named Kurt, visits Las Vegas with her husband where she meets Gunther, a fashion photographer. While the husband attends a conference, Melu and Gunther start a steamy affair that sparks a coming of age for the staid librarian. Back at home in Germany, she unleashes her talents in directions she'd never dreamed of taking. Sometimes comical, sometimes touching, sometimes outrageous, A Glittering Chaos is a riveting read from start to finish.
Melusine, a 40-something German librarian with a penchant for existential poetry and a large black dildo named Kurt, visits Las Vegas with her husband where she meets Gunther, a fashion photographer. While the husband attends a conference, Melu and Gunther start a steamy affair that sparks a coming of age for the staid librarian. Back at home in Germany, she unleashes her talents in directions she'd never dreamed of taking. Sometimes comical, sometimes touching, sometimes outrageous, A Glittering Chaos is a riveting read from start to finish.
September 20, 2013
A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits is a book that lives up to its title. Set in Las Vegas and Germany, and hosting a cast of diverse characters, it never lets you get too comfortable before throwing a new and unexpected twist into the mix. Sex, intrigue, mental illness, a missing person, poetry and a touching love story travel in parallel yet intersecting lines toward a tragedy that threatens to tear apart a family. I can hardly wait to see what de Nikolits has in store for us in her next novel.
July 28, 2013
Can't recall which reco list I picked this up from, but I'm glad I did. This story went in directions I was not expecting. It even read as though it was first written in German. Really liked it and think it would make for an excellent book club selection.
December 3, 2013
A Glittering Chaos is dazzling. Nikolits keeps her readers on their toes in this page-turner. Sex, love, loyalty, madness, a mysterious disappearance, unlikely friends, hints of incest - it's all there!
June 6, 2013
Interesting story about addiction and mental illness.
Full review will be up on my blog on Thurs. 6/13 - http://booksithinkyoushouldread.blogs...
Full review will be up on my blog on Thurs. 6/13 - http://booksithinkyoushouldread.blogs...
September 3, 2013
not sure at the beginning, but it is worth giving it some time
December 4, 2013
An interesting read. Not for the average person. I like bizarre and needless to say I loved the book. If you want shocking entertainment and page-turning roller-coaster rides , grab this novel.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews