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The Glittering World
In the tradition of Neil Gaiman (The Ocean at the End of the Lane), Scott Smith (The Ruins), and Jason Mott (The Returned), award-winning playwright Robert Levy spins a dark tale of alienation and belonging, the familiar and the surreal, family secrets and the search for truth in his debut supernatural thriller.
When up-and-coming chef Michael “Blue” Whitley returns with three friends to the remote Canadian community of his birth, it appears to be the perfect getaway from New York. He soon discovers, however, that everything he thought he knew about himself is a carefully orchestrated lie. Though he had no recollection of the event, as a young boy Blue and another child went missing for weeks in the idyllic, mysterious woods of Starling Cove. Soon thereafter, his mother suddenly fled with him to America, their homeland left behind.
But then Blue begins to remember. And once the shocking truth starts bleeding back into his life, his closest friends—Elisa, his former partner in crime; her stalwart husband, Jason; and Gabe, Blue’s young and admiring co-worker—must unravel the secrets of Starling Cove and the artists’ colony it once harbored. All four will face their troubled pasts, their most private demons, and a mysterious race of beings that inhabits the land, spoken of by the locals only as the Other Kind…
When up-and-coming chef Michael “Blue” Whitley returns with three friends to the remote Canadian community of his birth, it appears to be the perfect getaway from New York. He soon discovers, however, that everything he thought he knew about himself is a carefully orchestrated lie. Though he had no recollection of the event, as a young boy Blue and another child went missing for weeks in the idyllic, mysterious woods of Starling Cove. Soon thereafter, his mother suddenly fled with him to America, their homeland left behind.
But then Blue begins to remember. And once the shocking truth starts bleeding back into his life, his closest friends—Elisa, his former partner in crime; her stalwart husband, Jason; and Gabe, Blue’s young and admiring co-worker—must unravel the secrets of Starling Cove and the artists’ colony it once harbored. All four will face their troubled pasts, their most private demons, and a mysterious race of beings that inhabits the land, spoken of by the locals only as the Other Kind…
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 10, 2015
58 people are currently reading
5480 people want to read
About the author
Robert Levy
17 books91 followersROBERT LEVY is an author of unsettling stories and plays whose work has been seen Off-Broadway. A Harvard graduate subsequently trained as a forensic psychologist, his work has been called "frank and funny" (Time Magazine), "idiosyncratic and disarming" (The New York Times), "ambitious and clever" (Variety), "smart" (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction) and "bloody brave" (the UK's SFX Magazine).
His first novel, the contemporary dark fairy tale THE GLITTERING WORLD, was published by Gallery/Simon & Schuster and a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award as well as a Lambda Literary Award nominee, and also won an Earphones Award for exceptional audio from Audiofile Magazine. Shorter work has appeared in places like The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Nightmare, Black Static, The Dark, Shadows & Tall Trees, The Year’s Best Gay Speculative Fiction, and The Best Horror of the Year, among many others. His debut collection NO ONE DIES FROM LOVE: Dark Tales of Loss and Longing will be published by Word Horde in 2023.
Robert is a single dad who lives with his children in Brooklyn near a toxic canal, where he is awaiting his mutant powers to develop any day now. He teaches at the Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing.
His first novel, the contemporary dark fairy tale THE GLITTERING WORLD, was published by Gallery/Simon & Schuster and a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award as well as a Lambda Literary Award nominee, and also won an Earphones Award for exceptional audio from Audiofile Magazine. Shorter work has appeared in places like The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Nightmare, Black Static, The Dark, Shadows & Tall Trees, The Year’s Best Gay Speculative Fiction, and The Best Horror of the Year, among many others. His debut collection NO ONE DIES FROM LOVE: Dark Tales of Loss and Longing will be published by Word Horde in 2023.
Robert is a single dad who lives with his children in Brooklyn near a toxic canal, where he is awaiting his mutant powers to develop any day now. He teaches at the Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
February 25, 2015
A group of four friends travel from New York City to Cape Breton Island to oversee the sale of a home in beautiful Starling Cove. Blue, the man who inherited the property following his grandmother’s death, needs the cash to pay off some shady mobsters who had funded his expanding restaurant in Brooklyn. Originally from Cape Breton but having left at a young age, Blue barely recalls his home town outside of a few fleeting memories. All that changes when he visits his grandmother’s home and visions begin flooding into his brain, threatening to unravel his sanity.
I received an advanced copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review
It was an interesting experience to read a story set near my home town. Local businesses such as Needs (local convenience store) and Frenchy’s (a used clothing outlet) make cameos within the first dozen pages and while the town of Starling Cove doesn’t exist, it’s surrounded by real locations such as Kelly’s Mountain and Baddeck. While there are a few questionable geographic discrepancies, Levy states in the acknowledgements that things may have shifted in the course of his writing. It’s difficult to argue a strict adherence to geography given the creation of a fictional town – it’s honestly something I only noticed given that I’m from there and I doubt it takes much away from the story.
For a debut novel, Levy certainly shows talent with regard to pacing. The story progressed smoothly which had me turning the pages, reading it in large chunks. As far as criticism goes, I would note that he relied a little too heavily on adjectives in that the story felt overwritten at times. That being said, I haven’t read a lot of fantasy so it’s possible he’s exploring a style I’m not entirely familiar with.
It was great to see someone use Cape Breton Island as a destination for the weird and wonderful. I feel that it certainly has untapped potential as a setting for any genre. Maybe Levy’s The Glittering World will help establish it as Canada’s alternative to Stephen King’s Maine. Here’s hoping!
I received an advanced copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review
It was an interesting experience to read a story set near my home town. Local businesses such as Needs (local convenience store) and Frenchy’s (a used clothing outlet) make cameos within the first dozen pages and while the town of Starling Cove doesn’t exist, it’s surrounded by real locations such as Kelly’s Mountain and Baddeck. While there are a few questionable geographic discrepancies, Levy states in the acknowledgements that things may have shifted in the course of his writing. It’s difficult to argue a strict adherence to geography given the creation of a fictional town – it’s honestly something I only noticed given that I’m from there and I doubt it takes much away from the story.
For a debut novel, Levy certainly shows talent with regard to pacing. The story progressed smoothly which had me turning the pages, reading it in large chunks. As far as criticism goes, I would note that he relied a little too heavily on adjectives in that the story felt overwritten at times. That being said, I haven’t read a lot of fantasy so it’s possible he’s exploring a style I’m not entirely familiar with.
It was great to see someone use Cape Breton Island as a destination for the weird and wonderful. I feel that it certainly has untapped potential as a setting for any genre. Maybe Levy’s The Glittering World will help establish it as Canada’s alternative to Stephen King’s Maine. Here’s hoping!
January 30, 2015
Imagine: Kelly Link's "The Summer People" meets Elizabeth Hand's "Last Summer at Mars Hill" with a bit of the 'feel' of Graham Joyce (especially 'Some Kind of Fairytale').
If you haven't read those other stories, go read them now. But read this book too.
Blue is a young New York City restaurateur. Recently, the grandmother he never knew passed away, leaving him a cottage in the small community where he lived as a child. All he knows is that his mother left the place - some kind of hippie commune - and hated his grandmother. He's arranged to sell the house to pay off some debts, but figures he might as well see the place at least once before it's gone.
And hey, it's a good excuse for a getaway. He travels up to the rural community along with his best friend, her husband, and the young bus boy from his restaurant who's recently fallen into an obsessive friendship with him.
Once at their B&B, they're made welcome by the locals. (Maybe just a little bit too welcome.) But perhaps there was a reason Blue's mother made him promise to never visit this town. It might be related to the reason that Blue has very few memories from his childhood. And the tall tales that the eccentric locals tell about faeries gradually become more and more inescapable.
I found some of the details here fun but slightly distracting - the characters mention partying at Limelight, which is a club I worked at. That facet of their past did not endear them to me (although I got over it). Then, there's a mention of an incident where it becomes apparently that one of the main characters was a regular at the Slipper Room. (And drag king Murray Hill is performing!) Now, that's a night I might've been at! However, if you wanna be very nitpicky, x parties at Limelight and Murray Hill at the Slipper Room were not concurrent events. There's a few years between those two. And a Venn diagram describing the group of people who voluntarily attended both types of event would show the overlap to be very small (although not nonexistent). However, pretty much no one else in the world who reads this book is going to care about that... it's just background info.
Overall, this book is an excellent mix of faerie fantasy and contemporary thriller. An impressive debut.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book. It was right up my alley! As always, my opinions are my own.
[note: Looking at the author's website after writing this review, I see that both Elizabeth Hand and Kelly Link have glowingly blurbed this book... guess I was on to something there! ;-) ]
If you haven't read those other stories, go read them now. But read this book too.
Blue is a young New York City restaurateur. Recently, the grandmother he never knew passed away, leaving him a cottage in the small community where he lived as a child. All he knows is that his mother left the place - some kind of hippie commune - and hated his grandmother. He's arranged to sell the house to pay off some debts, but figures he might as well see the place at least once before it's gone.
And hey, it's a good excuse for a getaway. He travels up to the rural community along with his best friend, her husband, and the young bus boy from his restaurant who's recently fallen into an obsessive friendship with him.
Once at their B&B, they're made welcome by the locals. (Maybe just a little bit too welcome.) But perhaps there was a reason Blue's mother made him promise to never visit this town. It might be related to the reason that Blue has very few memories from his childhood. And the tall tales that the eccentric locals tell about faeries gradually become more and more inescapable.
I found some of the details here fun but slightly distracting - the characters mention partying at Limelight, which is a club I worked at. That facet of their past did not endear them to me (although I got over it). Then, there's a mention of an incident where it becomes apparently that one of the main characters was a regular at the Slipper Room. (And drag king Murray Hill is performing!) Now, that's a night I might've been at! However, if you wanna be very nitpicky, x parties at Limelight and Murray Hill at the Slipper Room were not concurrent events. There's a few years between those two. And a Venn diagram describing the group of people who voluntarily attended both types of event would show the overlap to be very small (although not nonexistent). However, pretty much no one else in the world who reads this book is going to care about that... it's just background info.
Overall, this book is an excellent mix of faerie fantasy and contemporary thriller. An impressive debut.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book. It was right up my alley! As always, my opinions are my own.
[note: Looking at the author's website after writing this review, I see that both Elizabeth Hand and Kelly Link have glowingly blurbed this book... guess I was on to something there! ;-) ]
June 25, 2017
I almost bailed on this one, not because of the fairy elements, which has been enough of a reason for previous bailings, but because the writing is so clunky at the beginning. Here's an example:
For some reason I picked it back up, giving it the benefit of the doubt, and found I somewhat enjoyed the story. The stakes seemed higher than in many faerie stories and I liked the complex relationships between the four major characters. I wanted to know more about Blue and I wanted to know about the "other folk" in the forest. I love the setting, Nova Scotia, so that may have saved it for me more than anything. Also this is one of the more beautiful book covers I've seen in the last few years.
I think if you are into urban fantasy or the fae, this will be more of a book for you than it was for me.
Thanks to the publisher for providing access to the title through NetGalley.
"Elisa settled on her sit bones in the passenger seat. She whipped out her vintage Konica—her constant companion of late—and shot a picture of her husband behind the wheel. Jason bopped his head and tapped his square, well-manicured nails....I kept scowling at the page thinking, really, she settled on her sit bones? Why not just say she is in the passenger seat? And for much of the beginning, the author makes the mistake of spending too much time on the details that don't matter, to the extent that it is difficult to focus on what is important. Unless this is just some fae magic, I'm not sure. What I'm sure of is that this is a first novel, because passages like this give that fact away.
For some reason I picked it back up, giving it the benefit of the doubt, and found I somewhat enjoyed the story. The stakes seemed higher than in many faerie stories and I liked the complex relationships between the four major characters. I wanted to know more about Blue and I wanted to know about the "other folk" in the forest. I love the setting, Nova Scotia, so that may have saved it for me more than anything. Also this is one of the more beautiful book covers I've seen in the last few years.
I think if you are into urban fantasy or the fae, this will be more of a book for you than it was for me.
Thanks to the publisher for providing access to the title through NetGalley.
February 1, 2015
I think I have a 'Love/hate' relationship with "The Glittering World". I basically haven't slept because I was completely swept away in the world of fantasy-fiction last night with Robert Levy's storytelling.
I read approx. 15 percent of this story early Sat. morning --then didn't return reading until approx. 10pm that night, (then never stopped until I finished it early this morning)
I immediately sent my friend an e-mail, saying In was 'mad'. How could this novel end the way it did without having 'Blue & Elisa' have more stage time? Doesn't the author know we, the readers, need more playful time with this couple to fulfill our craving-desires?/! lol
Much of this story is exquisite-a very enchanting fable. "Do you believe in fairy's"? "The Other people"? I sincerely raise my eyebrows in wonder. This is a very richly suggestive novel...captivating immediately! Its well worth reading. The community & characters are worth it alone!
One problem for 'me'....(but maybe not other readers) ---was towards the end things became a little more technical -graphic in details - for my 'mind' to fully comprehend. Oh --I understood the final context --so that was not the problem --(the journey was somewhat complicated for me)....
...I may have just been impatient --because I just wanted to have BLUE back in the story, so I must take that into account too. (In adored the character). Besides, could he 'cook'!
I look forward to reading more books by Robert Levy. I'm a fan already! I enjoyed his writing -his warmth and intimacy.
Just ask Robert Levy to bring back 'Blue', please! (thank you very much).... lol
Thank you, Netgalley! Deeply appreciated!
I read approx. 15 percent of this story early Sat. morning --then didn't return reading until approx. 10pm that night, (then never stopped until I finished it early this morning)
I immediately sent my friend an e-mail, saying In was 'mad'. How could this novel end the way it did without having 'Blue & Elisa' have more stage time? Doesn't the author know we, the readers, need more playful time with this couple to fulfill our craving-desires?/! lol
Much of this story is exquisite-a very enchanting fable. "Do you believe in fairy's"? "The Other people"? I sincerely raise my eyebrows in wonder. This is a very richly suggestive novel...captivating immediately! Its well worth reading. The community & characters are worth it alone!
One problem for 'me'....(but maybe not other readers) ---was towards the end things became a little more technical -graphic in details - for my 'mind' to fully comprehend. Oh --I understood the final context --so that was not the problem --(the journey was somewhat complicated for me)....
...I may have just been impatient --because I just wanted to have BLUE back in the story, so I must take that into account too. (In adored the character). Besides, could he 'cook'!
I look forward to reading more books by Robert Levy. I'm a fan already! I enjoyed his writing -his warmth and intimacy.
Just ask Robert Levy to bring back 'Blue', please! (thank you very much).... lol
Thank you, Netgalley! Deeply appreciated!
July 1, 2024
I can't rate this because I don't know wtf I just read. It's a changeling story, it's creepy, atrocious on certain parts, and told in an alien-abduction kind of way. The style is very literary fiction, suspenseful and mysterious. This is jut one strange cookie.
March 1, 2015
Review copy
There is a lot to like about Robert Levy's debut novel. There's the seemingly idyllic location of Starling Cove in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the writer's strong character development, and frequently stunning prose, to name a few.
The Glittering World is the story of Michael "Blue" Whitley and his closest friends, Elisa and her husband Jeremy, & Blue's young and admiring co-worker, Gabe, who all travel from NYC, to the place of his birth, essentially to facilitate the sale of his late grandmother's home. "All four will face their troubled pasts, their most private demons, and a mysterious race of beings that inhabits the land, spoken of by the locals as only the Other Kind..."
If I had to pick a genre for The Glittering World, I'd call it literary horror. Nothing wrong with that, but there were times when the story slowed considerably because of to too much extrapolation and not enough action. I did mention Robert's beautiful prose, but there were also many times I found it to be cumbersome and a bit of a distraction Too much of a good thing.
In conclusion, there is a hauntingly beautiful story hidden amongst all the words. One that many readers are likely to enjoy.
The Glittering World is available now in both hardback and as an ebook from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Publishers.
There is a lot to like about Robert Levy's debut novel. There's the seemingly idyllic location of Starling Cove in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the writer's strong character development, and frequently stunning prose, to name a few.
The Glittering World is the story of Michael "Blue" Whitley and his closest friends, Elisa and her husband Jeremy, & Blue's young and admiring co-worker, Gabe, who all travel from NYC, to the place of his birth, essentially to facilitate the sale of his late grandmother's home. "All four will face their troubled pasts, their most private demons, and a mysterious race of beings that inhabits the land, spoken of by the locals as only the Other Kind..."
If I had to pick a genre for The Glittering World, I'd call it literary horror. Nothing wrong with that, but there were times when the story slowed considerably because of to too much extrapolation and not enough action. I did mention Robert's beautiful prose, but there were also many times I found it to be cumbersome and a bit of a distraction Too much of a good thing.
In conclusion, there is a hauntingly beautiful story hidden amongst all the words. One that many readers are likely to enjoy.
The Glittering World is available now in both hardback and as an ebook from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Publishers.
October 31, 2014
Robert Levy's The Glittering World is that rare and wonderful kind of book that takes something old and makes it new again. Like those who disappear into the woods in this novel, once you step into these lush and mysterious pages, be prepared to return to your own world altered.
May 14, 2015
Clever, different, creepy, adult, and difficult in the right ways. A very impressive debut!
February 17, 2015
When I saw that the blurb for the Glittering World compared it to Neil Gaiman, I knew I wanted to read it. Neil Gaiman is amazing. I adore everything of his that I have ever read and I adore him. I may have a wee bit of a fan girl crush on him…. HOWEVER, that is not the point of this post. This is about The Glittering World by Robert Levy. Which, so far, is a good book; quite good in fact.
When I requested a copy of this book, I didn’t know anything about it, other than its comparison to Neil Gaiman (swoon) and I was seeing it all over the bookish world or my little corner of it anyway. So I was not expecting this story to take place in Cape Breton, let alone in Canada. Michael “Blue” Whitely and three of his closest friends are making their way to Cape Breton from New York City to facilitate the sale of Blue’s deceased grandmothers house. Right from the beginning of their trip though, things seem a little off. Blue is nervous about making his way back to his childhood home and tells everyone that he remembers nothing about it, his mother doesn’t want him to go, and Blue doesn’t tell any of the locals they meet that he spent his early childhood living in the local commune, or even the real reason for his visit. It’s pretty clear that Blue is not even sure of his reasons. He could have sold the house in absentia, but he feels compelled to visit once more, telling himself that he needs a break from all of his New York problems – where his restaurant is not doing that well and he owes a lot of money to some unsavoury characters.
His friends, who know a little bit more than everyone else, all have their own issues as well. Elisa & Blue, best friends since their drugged out, rave attending, dancing the night away, teenage years seem to be a little too close, while Jason, Elisa’s therapist husband watches on. And then there is Gabe, a lost youth who clings to Blue a little too fiercely and a little too longingly. They all seem like people trying to run away from something, but like most of us, they are running in the wrong direction. On their first night in Cape Breton, things start to go awry. Blue is seeing and hearing things and he and Gabe learn a potentially dangerous secret about Elisa. The next few days pass relatively normally, with the four of them doing some touristy things, but Blue’s visions and audio hallucinations grow and grow until the day he visits his grandmother’s house where he recalls a memory so vivid and horrific that he’s not sure he’ll ever recover. That night, he and Elisa disappear.
The next part of the book starts 10 days after the disappearance, with Jason and Gabe frantically trying to find Blue and Elisa, and wondering why they have disappeared. The police are doing as much as they can, but there are forest fires in the area and missing hikers. This is also where we start to learn a little more about Blue and the reason for his visions… and we learn more about the fairy folk living under ground in this Cape Breton community, and what they might have to do with Blue and Elisa’s disappearance.
Cape Breton is an area rich with legend and folklore, and Levy has done a great job of making it come to life. I would think that it would be impossible for anyone today to not have heard stories about fairies, or fey, or changeling babies being swapped for humans, but in Cape Breton there are (or were) many who believe these stories to be true. They are direct descendants from Scottish Highlanders, where these stories weren’t stories but fact, and although many claim to not believe, superstition runs deep and beliefs are not always acknowledged. He’s also done a fairly good job with the main characters, they are well fleshed out, although mid-way through there is definitely some more character building to be done, and I do find that some of the back stories are a little cliché. His secondary characters though, are wonderful. Maureen and Donald, who own the house where the 4 friends are staying, and where Jason and Gabe plan their search, are perfectly drawn. Donald, the scientist turned believer, is losing his mind and potentially finding his way to the fairies, and Maureen, once a young mi’kmaq girl who is now trying to pretend that she doesn’t believe the old legends. There is Fred Cronin, who without a doubt knows the fairies exist; and then there is Daniel Jessed, the police officer liaising with Jason and Gabe, who although we have not spent much time with him, has a dark secret of his own.
Like I said, I am quite enjoying this so far. I am pretty sure of where the story is going, but I never really think that is a bad thing as long as you are enjoying the journey. I was a little surprised to learn that Levy is not from Canada even, and am intrigued that he has chosen Cape Breton as the scene for his novel, although the folklore rich island is the perfect setting for this story. The only one tiny little issue that has been bothering me…. And that most people wouldn’t even notice… is his confusion of the Cape Breton Police Force and the RCMP; he uses the term mounties for members of the separate police force. However, given that I am employed by the policing community, this is a distinction that I’m sure would be passed over by readers at large. All in all, I am looking forward to the second half of this debut novel.
When I requested a copy of this book, I didn’t know anything about it, other than its comparison to Neil Gaiman (swoon) and I was seeing it all over the bookish world or my little corner of it anyway. So I was not expecting this story to take place in Cape Breton, let alone in Canada. Michael “Blue” Whitely and three of his closest friends are making their way to Cape Breton from New York City to facilitate the sale of Blue’s deceased grandmothers house. Right from the beginning of their trip though, things seem a little off. Blue is nervous about making his way back to his childhood home and tells everyone that he remembers nothing about it, his mother doesn’t want him to go, and Blue doesn’t tell any of the locals they meet that he spent his early childhood living in the local commune, or even the real reason for his visit. It’s pretty clear that Blue is not even sure of his reasons. He could have sold the house in absentia, but he feels compelled to visit once more, telling himself that he needs a break from all of his New York problems – where his restaurant is not doing that well and he owes a lot of money to some unsavoury characters.
His friends, who know a little bit more than everyone else, all have their own issues as well. Elisa & Blue, best friends since their drugged out, rave attending, dancing the night away, teenage years seem to be a little too close, while Jason, Elisa’s therapist husband watches on. And then there is Gabe, a lost youth who clings to Blue a little too fiercely and a little too longingly. They all seem like people trying to run away from something, but like most of us, they are running in the wrong direction. On their first night in Cape Breton, things start to go awry. Blue is seeing and hearing things and he and Gabe learn a potentially dangerous secret about Elisa. The next few days pass relatively normally, with the four of them doing some touristy things, but Blue’s visions and audio hallucinations grow and grow until the day he visits his grandmother’s house where he recalls a memory so vivid and horrific that he’s not sure he’ll ever recover. That night, he and Elisa disappear.
The next part of the book starts 10 days after the disappearance, with Jason and Gabe frantically trying to find Blue and Elisa, and wondering why they have disappeared. The police are doing as much as they can, but there are forest fires in the area and missing hikers. This is also where we start to learn a little more about Blue and the reason for his visions… and we learn more about the fairy folk living under ground in this Cape Breton community, and what they might have to do with Blue and Elisa’s disappearance.
Cape Breton is an area rich with legend and folklore, and Levy has done a great job of making it come to life. I would think that it would be impossible for anyone today to not have heard stories about fairies, or fey, or changeling babies being swapped for humans, but in Cape Breton there are (or were) many who believe these stories to be true. They are direct descendants from Scottish Highlanders, where these stories weren’t stories but fact, and although many claim to not believe, superstition runs deep and beliefs are not always acknowledged. He’s also done a fairly good job with the main characters, they are well fleshed out, although mid-way through there is definitely some more character building to be done, and I do find that some of the back stories are a little cliché. His secondary characters though, are wonderful. Maureen and Donald, who own the house where the 4 friends are staying, and where Jason and Gabe plan their search, are perfectly drawn. Donald, the scientist turned believer, is losing his mind and potentially finding his way to the fairies, and Maureen, once a young mi’kmaq girl who is now trying to pretend that she doesn’t believe the old legends. There is Fred Cronin, who without a doubt knows the fairies exist; and then there is Daniel Jessed, the police officer liaising with Jason and Gabe, who although we have not spent much time with him, has a dark secret of his own.
Like I said, I am quite enjoying this so far. I am pretty sure of where the story is going, but I never really think that is a bad thing as long as you are enjoying the journey. I was a little surprised to learn that Levy is not from Canada even, and am intrigued that he has chosen Cape Breton as the scene for his novel, although the folklore rich island is the perfect setting for this story. The only one tiny little issue that has been bothering me…. And that most people wouldn’t even notice… is his confusion of the Cape Breton Police Force and the RCMP; he uses the term mounties for members of the separate police force. However, given that I am employed by the policing community, this is a distinction that I’m sure would be passed over by readers at large. All in all, I am looking forward to the second half of this debut novel.
March 17, 2016
Robert Levy’s debut novel is a difficult one to classify. Billed by the publisher as a supernatural thriller (which it unequivocally is), it also sporadically plunges headlong into contemporary fantasy, mystery, fairy tale, and what could be described as rural noir. There’s much going on here, but it works, and at its core The Glittering World is really a love story that’s fantastic in every sense of the word.
Michael Whitley (also known as Blue) and three close friends have left New York to go and settle some of Michael’s late grandmother’s affairs in Starling Cove, a small community in Nova Scotia, Canada. It’s the first time Michael’s been to Starling Cove since his mother fled there with him when he was a child. His memories of the place and its strange denizens are tenuous, but soon begin to return unbidden. As this happens, against his better judgment and the counsel of others, he’s drawn with an almost magnetic propulsion to the nearby woods, which hold secrets of their own.
Complicating things further is the magnetic pull Michael himself seems to have on his longtime friend Elisa, and Gabe, the young man enamored with and devoted to Michael. Somewhere in the middle of this is Jason, Elisa’s husband. As much as this may sound like a typical love triangle (or square) shoehorned in, it’s anything but. The attraction and relationships between the characters are part of the backbone of the plot and integral to the story’s supernatural aspects.
The main characters are impeccably drawn and very much likable, flaws and all. Each of the book’s four sections is written from a different perspective, and each character has a distinctive voice that moves the plot quickly along while deepening and slowly unraveling its mysteries and unexpected twists.
The story goes to some very dark places, both fantastical and of a more realistic variety. The creatures inhabiting the woods and the ground beneath are at once beautiful and terrifying, familiar and alien, but the Starling Cove locals have some monstrous aspects in their own shared history. There’s a heavy emphasis on the bonds of family in its many forms, and even the human element here is imbued with a palpable sense of magic.
The inviting cadence of the prose makes many of the sentences a pleasure to read in themselves. This, along with Levy’s attention to character and the magical within the mundane, makes for a book that’s hard to put down. More than the sum of its parts, The Glittering World is one of those all-too-rare books that’s compelling on so many levels you’re not likely to want to put it down until it’s finished anyway. Recommended.
Michael Whitley (also known as Blue) and three close friends have left New York to go and settle some of Michael’s late grandmother’s affairs in Starling Cove, a small community in Nova Scotia, Canada. It’s the first time Michael’s been to Starling Cove since his mother fled there with him when he was a child. His memories of the place and its strange denizens are tenuous, but soon begin to return unbidden. As this happens, against his better judgment and the counsel of others, he’s drawn with an almost magnetic propulsion to the nearby woods, which hold secrets of their own.
Complicating things further is the magnetic pull Michael himself seems to have on his longtime friend Elisa, and Gabe, the young man enamored with and devoted to Michael. Somewhere in the middle of this is Jason, Elisa’s husband. As much as this may sound like a typical love triangle (or square) shoehorned in, it’s anything but. The attraction and relationships between the characters are part of the backbone of the plot and integral to the story’s supernatural aspects.
The main characters are impeccably drawn and very much likable, flaws and all. Each of the book’s four sections is written from a different perspective, and each character has a distinctive voice that moves the plot quickly along while deepening and slowly unraveling its mysteries and unexpected twists.
The story goes to some very dark places, both fantastical and of a more realistic variety. The creatures inhabiting the woods and the ground beneath are at once beautiful and terrifying, familiar and alien, but the Starling Cove locals have some monstrous aspects in their own shared history. There’s a heavy emphasis on the bonds of family in its many forms, and even the human element here is imbued with a palpable sense of magic.
The inviting cadence of the prose makes many of the sentences a pleasure to read in themselves. This, along with Levy’s attention to character and the magical within the mundane, makes for a book that’s hard to put down. More than the sum of its parts, The Glittering World is one of those all-too-rare books that’s compelling on so many levels you’re not likely to want to put it down until it’s finished anyway. Recommended.
December 15, 2015
Robert Levy's luminescent debut novel defies easy categorization. It possesses elements of contemporary fantasy, but it's never twee; it has horrific moments, but they are always tinged with wonder; it contains mysteries, but they are more Dionysian than cozy or hard-boiled. Levy deftly straddles the realistic and fantastical realms, offering psychological authenticity to his diverse characters and a transcendental sense of the Romantic sublime to the world they inhabit. His prose is effulgent--though not aggressively so--lit with its own radiance but never overshining its own meaning. It's difficult to imagine that this is a first novel, so rich is it in language, character, depth, and charm. It seems the otherworldly offspring of Tim Powers and Elizabeth Hand, but one who spent summers with its godfather, Jeffrey Ford. My highest recommendation.
October 31, 2021
The blurb hyped it up to much for me when it compared it to Neil Gaiman. Often getting disappointed when a blurb say "if you like this then you'll enjoy this". I had difficulty connecting with the writing enough to get invested in the story, something about it I just didn't gel with.
February 14, 2015
The Glittering World is a book with a very different take on the fae. I could go on for hours about the uniqueness of the author's vision, but I think that's better discovered by the reader.
What I will say however, is that I found the method Levy chose to use to communicate the story extremely interesting. Told from the point of view of four different protagonists, you'll find yourself wondering whose story is it really? How is it possible to really tell?
Arguably, Blue goes through the largest change, but I think Gabe makes the biggest transformation, going from a meek, addict-like personality to a strong individual in his own right. But even this character development feels incomplete, given his lack of presence and personality in the first half of the book. You discover new things about each of the four (Blue, Elisa, Gabe and Jason) as you shift to another person's perspective.
None of the characters are simply parts of a puzzle, however they're too tangled up in each other to be anything but. Much like the role of the fae in our human world.
3.5 glittering stars
What I will say however, is that I found the method Levy chose to use to communicate the story extremely interesting. Told from the point of view of four different protagonists, you'll find yourself wondering whose story is it really? How is it possible to really tell?
Arguably, Blue goes through the largest change, but I think Gabe makes the biggest transformation, going from a meek, addict-like personality to a strong individual in his own right. But even this character development feels incomplete, given his lack of presence and personality in the first half of the book. You discover new things about each of the four (Blue, Elisa, Gabe and Jason) as you shift to another person's perspective.
None of the characters are simply parts of a puzzle, however they're too tangled up in each other to be anything but. Much like the role of the fae in our human world.
3.5 glittering stars
October 18, 2016
A damn cool novel. Scarier than advertised! Very interesting to discover that the book is divided into 4 parts of totally equal measure. 4 different POVs. Makes the story even more mysterious...
Strange thing: I finished reading this book at a cafe in my neighborhood and then looked up the author on FB. One of the first pics is of the author standing in the same cafe about 4 feet from where I'm currently sitting.
Strange thing: I finished reading this book at a cafe in my neighborhood and then looked up the author on FB. One of the first pics is of the author standing in the same cafe about 4 feet from where I'm currently sitting.
July 27, 2015
A very engaging, character-focused story that hooked me right from the beginning. There are four main characters -- Blue, Jason, Elisa and Gabriel -- and about a quarter of the book follows the perspective of each. The Glittering World is the first thing I've read by Robert Levy, and I enjoyed it so much I'll definitely seek out his work in the future.
February 2, 2015
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The marketing compared it to Neil Gaiman, so I was intrigued. I can see where the comparison comes in for sure. It's a modern-day fantasy in which an ex-club-kid turned chef returns to his roots only to discover that he is not the person he's always thought himself to be.
I wasn't really sure what to expect, since the author was unknown to me, and urban fantasy isn't typically my thing. Robert Levy is, luckily, a skilled writer. A Harvard grad and forensic psychologist with a taste for the dark and mystical. He's also an award-winning playwright, although I'm not sure which plays he's written.
I gave the book three stars because, although the writing was good and I enjoyed the story overall, the writing suffered a bit from trying to be an ensemble piece rather than telling one person's story. In the end, I felt like I didn't quite get enough of any one person's story and almost every story left left off before it was really over.
The book starts off from the point of view of Michael Whitley, aka Blue, who is returning to his birth place to sell off the home his grandmother left him. He hasn't been there since he was a child and his return sets off a whole series of events that reveal his true nature. Hint: he isn't really human.
One Blue discovers his true nature, he disappears and the story leaves him and jumps to another point of view. Jason, the husband of Blue's best friend takes over for a while, then Jason's wife Elisa, then finally Blue's young companion Gabe. While the perspective shift is necessary to reveal the history and internal thoughts and motivations of each character, that necessity means that each time the perspective shifts, you cease to understand the thoughts, feelings and motivations of every other character, since they are all secretive, opaque, hiding their true feelings and motivations from each other.
You begin the story thinking Blue is the main character, but only about 1/4 of the way in, he largely disappears, except as a thin, ghostly alien presence who only communicates in the vaguest of ways. It becomes difficult to care or root for any character because as soon as you begin to care, their point of view is withdrawn and they all but leave the story or cease to exist in any meaningful way.
I found the story to have a lot of beauty and the plot was well-paced, making it a page-turner but ultimately I felt a bit empty at the end. I wasn't entirely sure of the purpose of the story and I had a hard time feeling closure, as each character's ending but one was seen from someone else's point of view, so you had no idea what any of them were thinking or feeling as they reached their resolution. I guess that ultimately makes it Gabe's story as you are left, in the end, with his point of view and his resolution. It's hard to feel satisfied with that, though, since you know almost nothing about him for 3/4 of the book. Returning to Blue after Gabe's ending could have provided a richer conclusion, with insight into how he thought and felt after returning to his true self and some true closure on what really should have been his story all along.
I wasn't really sure what to expect, since the author was unknown to me, and urban fantasy isn't typically my thing. Robert Levy is, luckily, a skilled writer. A Harvard grad and forensic psychologist with a taste for the dark and mystical. He's also an award-winning playwright, although I'm not sure which plays he's written.
I gave the book three stars because, although the writing was good and I enjoyed the story overall, the writing suffered a bit from trying to be an ensemble piece rather than telling one person's story. In the end, I felt like I didn't quite get enough of any one person's story and almost every story left left off before it was really over.
The book starts off from the point of view of Michael Whitley, aka Blue, who is returning to his birth place to sell off the home his grandmother left him. He hasn't been there since he was a child and his return sets off a whole series of events that reveal his true nature. Hint: he isn't really human.
One Blue discovers his true nature, he disappears and the story leaves him and jumps to another point of view. Jason, the husband of Blue's best friend takes over for a while, then Jason's wife Elisa, then finally Blue's young companion Gabe. While the perspective shift is necessary to reveal the history and internal thoughts and motivations of each character, that necessity means that each time the perspective shifts, you cease to understand the thoughts, feelings and motivations of every other character, since they are all secretive, opaque, hiding their true feelings and motivations from each other.
You begin the story thinking Blue is the main character, but only about 1/4 of the way in, he largely disappears, except as a thin, ghostly alien presence who only communicates in the vaguest of ways. It becomes difficult to care or root for any character because as soon as you begin to care, their point of view is withdrawn and they all but leave the story or cease to exist in any meaningful way.
I found the story to have a lot of beauty and the plot was well-paced, making it a page-turner but ultimately I felt a bit empty at the end. I wasn't entirely sure of the purpose of the story and I had a hard time feeling closure, as each character's ending but one was seen from someone else's point of view, so you had no idea what any of them were thinking or feeling as they reached their resolution. I guess that ultimately makes it Gabe's story as you are left, in the end, with his point of view and his resolution. It's hard to feel satisfied with that, though, since you know almost nothing about him for 3/4 of the book. Returning to Blue after Gabe's ending could have provided a richer conclusion, with insight into how he thought and felt after returning to his true self and some true closure on what really should have been his story all along.
March 6, 2015
This had such a promising start, but it just never delivered for me. I didn't care even slightly about any of the characters. The writing was totally bizarre--the metaphors were genuinely often distracting, and would jar me out of the narrative. But the thing, I think, that really killed it for me was that all of these characters are in thrall to "The Other Kind" for reasons that I just never felt. The way The Other Kind are described is unremittingly disgusting, and we are told repeatedly that their smell and their touch etc. is LITERALLY INTOXICATING, but from the writing I never felt it in a visceral way. Which just made all the characters seem crazy. Especially when I got to Gabriel's chapter. I really wanted to like the kid, but the writing in his chapter was particularly obnoxious and made him seem almost schizophrenic. I feel that that must have been somewhat intentional, but it just didn't work for me.
Especially disappointing since I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Hand and Kelly Link. Their good reviews were largely what led me to pick this one up.
Especially disappointing since I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Hand and Kelly Link. Their good reviews were largely what led me to pick this one up.
February 1, 2015
The first half of The Glittering World was a lovefest for me, I was devouring it. Number one, it has a road trip. Blue has inherited a house in Cape Breton from his grandmother. Against his mother's wishes, he and three friends head to Nova Scotia for a look at the place before the sale is finalized. Number two, in chronological order, the narrator shifts from one main character to the next. This was an interesting literary device that worked well. Three, and this was the most exciting thing, there were faeries. Not Disney fairies with gossamer wings, but the fey of dark literature.
The second half of the book lacked the requisite tension that should have intensified with every page. Beautifully written, but the promise of the first half slowly seeped away. This is a first novel by playwright Robert Levy and I expect better things are on the way.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The second half of the book lacked the requisite tension that should have intensified with every page. Beautifully written, but the promise of the first half slowly seeped away. This is a first novel by playwright Robert Levy and I expect better things are on the way.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
February 8, 2015
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Chef, Michael Whitley--known to his friends as Blue, inherits his grandmother’s cottage in a bucolic community in Nova Scotia. His friends Elisa, Jason and Gabe accompany him to Starling Cove in the Cape Breton area to see the house one last time before Blue signs off on the sale of the property.
The community of free-thinking, aging hippies and artists warmly welcome the New Yorkers. As their stay progresses, tensions rise and the friends are a little less comfortable with one another while their neighbors behavior becomes stranger. Blue eventually goes to his grandmother house and discovers something in the basement that opens a fissure in his mind, and the memories gush to the surface. Life will never be the same for Blue and his friends once they unravel the secrets of Starling Cove and the remnants of the one time artist colony and commune.
Robert Levy’s first novel is magical yet dark and somber. It’s an exploration of loss, longing, fear, and the need to belong. It’s a search for meaning and desire. Levy blends faerie folklore, mysticism, mythology, and even a little Hermeticism to create an earthy, pungent world where the Other Kind observe and interact with humans. The Other Kind secretly live in Levy's vibrant, almost psychedelic, underworld. This suspenseful and enthralling fantasy reaffirms the circle of life with analogies of bees, other insects and the living forest. The myth of the Green Man comes to mind: a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of decay and growth; a vegetative deity.
Levy’s story is told in four parts; each part is told from the perspective of one of the four friends. Through each of their points of view, the overall story progresses while the reader learns more about each character’s past traumas and demons. In different ways, the characters are given the chance to open themselves up to new possibilities or close themselves off and live in the tight boundaries that (human) society defines for them.
While I did find the descriptions magical and the mystery and suspense gripping, I felt the author tried entirely too hard to incorporate as many three and four syllable words as he could. Usually, I thoroughly enjoy reading a book that contains a few words that drive me to open a dictionary, but Robert Levy’s thesaurus needs a rest. The cover perfectly depicts the essence of the story.
The Glittering World by Robert Levy is a high voltage wire humming with power and energy.
Chef, Michael Whitley--known to his friends as Blue, inherits his grandmother’s cottage in a bucolic community in Nova Scotia. His friends Elisa, Jason and Gabe accompany him to Starling Cove in the Cape Breton area to see the house one last time before Blue signs off on the sale of the property.
The community of free-thinking, aging hippies and artists warmly welcome the New Yorkers. As their stay progresses, tensions rise and the friends are a little less comfortable with one another while their neighbors behavior becomes stranger. Blue eventually goes to his grandmother house and discovers something in the basement that opens a fissure in his mind, and the memories gush to the surface. Life will never be the same for Blue and his friends once they unravel the secrets of Starling Cove and the remnants of the one time artist colony and commune.
Robert Levy’s first novel is magical yet dark and somber. It’s an exploration of loss, longing, fear, and the need to belong. It’s a search for meaning and desire. Levy blends faerie folklore, mysticism, mythology, and even a little Hermeticism to create an earthy, pungent world where the Other Kind observe and interact with humans. The Other Kind secretly live in Levy's vibrant, almost psychedelic, underworld. This suspenseful and enthralling fantasy reaffirms the circle of life with analogies of bees, other insects and the living forest. The myth of the Green Man comes to mind: a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of decay and growth; a vegetative deity.
Levy’s story is told in four parts; each part is told from the perspective of one of the four friends. Through each of their points of view, the overall story progresses while the reader learns more about each character’s past traumas and demons. In different ways, the characters are given the chance to open themselves up to new possibilities or close themselves off and live in the tight boundaries that (human) society defines for them.
While I did find the descriptions magical and the mystery and suspense gripping, I felt the author tried entirely too hard to incorporate as many three and four syllable words as he could. Usually, I thoroughly enjoy reading a book that contains a few words that drive me to open a dictionary, but Robert Levy’s thesaurus needs a rest. The cover perfectly depicts the essence of the story.
The Glittering World by Robert Levy is a high voltage wire humming with power and energy.
February 3, 2015
2.5 stars. I requested/downloaded this book from netgalley.com because of its comparison to Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which I loved. This book had some of the fairy tale aspects of Gaiman's but didn't really live up to the comparison.
The story revolves around Blue and his friend Elisa, her husband Jason, and Blue's puppyish hanger-on, Gabe. Travelling to Nova Scotia for Blue to sell his dead grandmother's house and take a little vacation, Blue begins to uncover hazy memories of growing up at an artist's colony in the area. And then Blue and Elisa go missing and the friends must unravel the secrets of Starling Cove and the artists’ colony. All four will face their troubled pasts, their most private demons, and a mysterious race of beings that inhabits the land, spoken of by the locals only as the Other Kind…
The story alternated between engaging and tedious. Blue is supposed to have this unnatural charm and obviously Elisa and Gabe are under his spell, but Jason isn't. And there isn't really an explanation. I wanted to know more about the Other Kind but the story was told in alternating perspectives: Blue's, Jason's, Elisa's and Gabe's, and we never got into Blue's head once the first section was done. And Gabe's whole section was very inconsistent. It was just... unsatisfying.
The story revolves around Blue and his friend Elisa, her husband Jason, and Blue's puppyish hanger-on, Gabe. Travelling to Nova Scotia for Blue to sell his dead grandmother's house and take a little vacation, Blue begins to uncover hazy memories of growing up at an artist's colony in the area. And then Blue and Elisa go missing and the friends must unravel the secrets of Starling Cove and the artists’ colony. All four will face their troubled pasts, their most private demons, and a mysterious race of beings that inhabits the land, spoken of by the locals only as the Other Kind…
The story alternated between engaging and tedious. Blue is supposed to have this unnatural charm and obviously Elisa and Gabe are under his spell, but Jason isn't. And there isn't really an explanation. I wanted to know more about the Other Kind but the story was told in alternating perspectives: Blue's, Jason's, Elisa's and Gabe's, and we never got into Blue's head once the first section was done. And Gabe's whole section was very inconsistent. It was just... unsatisfying.
October 22, 2014
I received an e-copy of this book from net galley.
I loved this book, at first I was worried because I thought that the plot was moving too fast. However, this was just me guessing at where I thought the book would go, but I was wrong.
I found all of the characters enthralling, none of them seemed to have bad points, yet I found myself loving them all. There aren't too many characters within the book, so it feels self-contained, and it really adds to the feel of the book. The atmosphere of the novel is one of mystery, and deep-rooted fear. The creatures in the book are never fully explained, yet I didn't actually want any more information about them, I was content to make my own theories.
I devoured this book, I was enthralled and captivated. I really can't find any bad points about it. The plot is exciting and imaginative, the characters are interesting, and the changes in points of view within the book reveals details to the reader that would otherwise not be known.
I really recommend this book.
I loved this book, at first I was worried because I thought that the plot was moving too fast. However, this was just me guessing at where I thought the book would go, but I was wrong.
I found all of the characters enthralling, none of them seemed to have bad points, yet I found myself loving them all. There aren't too many characters within the book, so it feels self-contained, and it really adds to the feel of the book. The atmosphere of the novel is one of mystery, and deep-rooted fear. The creatures in the book are never fully explained, yet I didn't actually want any more information about them, I was content to make my own theories.
I devoured this book, I was enthralled and captivated. I really can't find any bad points about it. The plot is exciting and imaginative, the characters are interesting, and the changes in points of view within the book reveals details to the reader that would otherwise not be known.
I really recommend this book.
March 28, 2015
Fairies are the dullest of supernatural creatures. Pale, haughty supermodels who are soo above it all. Levy makes them stranger and creepier and more interesting, though they're still pretty haughty. Told in turns by the four main characters, this is a pensive tale about The Other Kind and the people who can't resist their allure. I really enjoyed the fascinating first half of the novel, where the characters explore an old hippie commune in Nova Scotia. This part is told by the enigmatic Blue, who was born there, and Jason, down-to-earth stock broker turned psychologist. The second half, told by Jason's wife/Blue's best friend, and Blue's employee/biggest fan, is more opaque, and even more introspective. The yearning for the fairies and the descent into their underworld didn't interest me as much as the real-life relationships between the characters. Still, there is something fresh and original about the book and I'm curious to see what the author writes next.
February 5, 2015
I adored this book. It's compelling, wonderfully written, and ingeniously plotted. I'm a sucker for a well-done shift in point of view and it's masterful here. Most importantly (at least for holding my interest), I immediately wanted to be friends with these characters. A great story on so many levels. Enthusiastically recommended!
June 24, 2015
*Thank you to Gallery for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Don't mind my review... I haven't actually gotten it yet but I didn't want to have it as 'unread' anymore. I'll review it for real as soon as I get it :)
update: I'll get it June! yay
Don't mind my review... I haven't actually gotten it yet but I didn't want to have it as 'unread' anymore. I'll review it for real as soon as I get it :)
update: I'll get it June! yay
August 3, 2016
This one started out really strong but grew steadily worse until I was just skim reading to the finish. Unlikeable people doing horrible things and making stupid decisions. I will say that the characters were well crafted, but like good actors in a bad movie there wasn't much for them to do.
September 27, 2024
Loved it. Dark. Weird. Surreal. Perfect characters. Very very well-written with flawless editing. It takes a HARD left turn between part 1 and part 2 and it’s PERFECTION. When it reaches its zenith and all the dark fae lore comes together it’s sublime.
January 30, 2015
I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. I am going to be completely honest here, the only reason I read the synopsis for this book and subsequently request it for review was because I though the cover was absolutely gorgeous. It ended up being an interesting read that reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Hands stories (Waking the Moon, Blacklight).
Michael “Blue” Whitley returns to his home village of Starling Cove, a remote town in Canada to sell his grandmother’s house. He is a successful chef but deeply in debt after starting his own restaurant. Three of his friends; Elisa, Jason, and Gabe accompany him. When Blue gets to Starling Cove things start to get weird, Blue disappeared into the Starling Cove woods for 2 weeks when he was younger and couldn’t remember any of that time. Now that Blue is back he is hearing voices and the woods are calling to him. Blue will find that the truth of Starling Cove is stranger than he ever imagined.
This was an interesting book. It has a very dreamy quality to it. The book is broken into four section and we hear from each of the characters in those section. First we hear from Blue, then Jason, then Elisa, and then Gabe. Each section is further along in time...so the story progresses in time but is told from a different viewpoint.
The dreamy quality and the magic that at first seems to be mystical realism but ends up being something far stranger reminds me of Elizabeth Hand’s books. This book is also compared to Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Land...and it is somewhat similar to that book in feel as well.
Strangely enough the book also has a bit of an alien invasion feel to it. Our character’s run-ins with the Other Kind, commonly called fey by the people in town, are very otherworldly and a bit disturbing.
This is an odd little story. I enjoyed it and enjoyed the descriptions, but it is one of those stories that is a bit ambiguous. At the end you are kind of sitting there like...well, okay...what exactly just happened here. Also this is definitely an adult book; there are definitely some disturbing parts in here including torture and some sexual aspects.
Overall I enjoyed this book, it is very different from other books about fey I have read. The description throughout is well done. The book starts out with a lot of elements of mystical realism and then evolves into something that is outright fantasy. I enjoyed the characters and the dreamlike setting of Starling Cove. The story has a very dreamy feel to it and is somewhat ambiguous at parts. I enjoyed how it was structured with the four points of view progressing through time. I would recommend to those who enjoy dreamy mystical realism stories and don’t mind a bit of ambiguity in their story.
Michael “Blue” Whitley returns to his home village of Starling Cove, a remote town in Canada to sell his grandmother’s house. He is a successful chef but deeply in debt after starting his own restaurant. Three of his friends; Elisa, Jason, and Gabe accompany him. When Blue gets to Starling Cove things start to get weird, Blue disappeared into the Starling Cove woods for 2 weeks when he was younger and couldn’t remember any of that time. Now that Blue is back he is hearing voices and the woods are calling to him. Blue will find that the truth of Starling Cove is stranger than he ever imagined.
This was an interesting book. It has a very dreamy quality to it. The book is broken into four section and we hear from each of the characters in those section. First we hear from Blue, then Jason, then Elisa, and then Gabe. Each section is further along in time...so the story progresses in time but is told from a different viewpoint.
The dreamy quality and the magic that at first seems to be mystical realism but ends up being something far stranger reminds me of Elizabeth Hand’s books. This book is also compared to Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Land...and it is somewhat similar to that book in feel as well.
Strangely enough the book also has a bit of an alien invasion feel to it. Our character’s run-ins with the Other Kind, commonly called fey by the people in town, are very otherworldly and a bit disturbing.
This is an odd little story. I enjoyed it and enjoyed the descriptions, but it is one of those stories that is a bit ambiguous. At the end you are kind of sitting there like...well, okay...what exactly just happened here. Also this is definitely an adult book; there are definitely some disturbing parts in here including torture and some sexual aspects.
Overall I enjoyed this book, it is very different from other books about fey I have read. The description throughout is well done. The book starts out with a lot of elements of mystical realism and then evolves into something that is outright fantasy. I enjoyed the characters and the dreamlike setting of Starling Cove. The story has a very dreamy feel to it and is somewhat ambiguous at parts. I enjoyed how it was structured with the four points of view progressing through time. I would recommend to those who enjoy dreamy mystical realism stories and don’t mind a bit of ambiguity in their story.
February 13, 2015
Trinitytwo's Point of View
The Glittering World is an intelligent supernatural thriller that kept me riveted to its pages. Michael Whitley or Blue, as he’s called by friends, is off to Canada to sell the house left to him by his grandmother, a woman he hasn’t seen or heard from since he was five years old. Due to some desperate financial difficulties pertaining to his restaurant in New York, Blue is eager to sign the legal papers, but he wants to see the old place first hoping to stir up the lost memories of his youth. Vibrant Elisa, Blue’s newly married best friend, persuades Blue that he needs some R & R so a week away from it all while checking out the place would do just the trick. Blue invites Gabe, his “it’s complicated” companion; an emotionally wounded and physically scarred young man. Jason, Elisa’s husband, books four plane tickets from New York to Halifax and the pilgrimage to Blue’s birthplace begins. Blue rents a vacation cottage by a lake, near the ruins of the Starling Cove Friendship Colony, on the remote island of Cape Breton where he had lived as a child. On the night of their arrival, at a party held by their neighbors, Blue has the sensation of being watched from the woods. The next day, during a hike with his friends, he hears strange, alien voices. Something in Starling Cove awakens the memories of his long forgotten past and the mysteries that surround it. Something beckons to him and seems to welcome him home.
Everything about this story impressed me. Robert Levy’s rich descriptions will envelop his readers in an eerie world filled with unfamiliar sounds, smells and feelings. The four companions' adventures in the forest and mountains of this secluded place are packed as much with peculiar events as with their personal baggage. The Glittering World is written in four separate sections, one from each of the main characters’ point of view but advancing with the unfolding events. Levy explores each person’s motivations and personality in a way that opens them completely to the reader. The complexities of the human spirit and soul are deeply delved into as each of his character's vulnerabilities and suffering is revealed.
For full review and interview with the author:
http://qwillery.blogspot.com/2015/02/...
The Glittering World is an intelligent supernatural thriller that kept me riveted to its pages. Michael Whitley or Blue, as he’s called by friends, is off to Canada to sell the house left to him by his grandmother, a woman he hasn’t seen or heard from since he was five years old. Due to some desperate financial difficulties pertaining to his restaurant in New York, Blue is eager to sign the legal papers, but he wants to see the old place first hoping to stir up the lost memories of his youth. Vibrant Elisa, Blue’s newly married best friend, persuades Blue that he needs some R & R so a week away from it all while checking out the place would do just the trick. Blue invites Gabe, his “it’s complicated” companion; an emotionally wounded and physically scarred young man. Jason, Elisa’s husband, books four plane tickets from New York to Halifax and the pilgrimage to Blue’s birthplace begins. Blue rents a vacation cottage by a lake, near the ruins of the Starling Cove Friendship Colony, on the remote island of Cape Breton where he had lived as a child. On the night of their arrival, at a party held by their neighbors, Blue has the sensation of being watched from the woods. The next day, during a hike with his friends, he hears strange, alien voices. Something in Starling Cove awakens the memories of his long forgotten past and the mysteries that surround it. Something beckons to him and seems to welcome him home.
Everything about this story impressed me. Robert Levy’s rich descriptions will envelop his readers in an eerie world filled with unfamiliar sounds, smells and feelings. The four companions' adventures in the forest and mountains of this secluded place are packed as much with peculiar events as with their personal baggage. The Glittering World is written in four separate sections, one from each of the main characters’ point of view but advancing with the unfolding events. Levy explores each person’s motivations and personality in a way that opens them completely to the reader. The complexities of the human spirit and soul are deeply delved into as each of his character's vulnerabilities and suffering is revealed.
For full review and interview with the author:
http://qwillery.blogspot.com/2015/02/...
February 29, 2016
2.5 stars
This is simply a case of not for me. Since I was expecting fantasy, the start in an ordinary world was jarring for me and took me a bit to jive with the story. I was also put off by the language and sexual content. If I had not won this book, I would have quietly closed it and it would have been deleted off my bookshelf. But after debating about it for a few days, that commitment got the better of me and I decided to finish it.
Of the four characters, Jason was the only one I connected with, but they were all appropriately fleshed out, especially Gabe, who while his neediness made me uncomfortable, it fit his character. It was the authenticity of it that made me uncomfortable. I didn't particularly like that the book ended with his point of view, since I wasn't that interested in finding out what happened to him, but I still liked the events at the climax.
Levy is particularly talented in his metaphorical descriptions, which fit so beautifully in this story. Even though I didn't love Elisa, I liked her section best since in it I started to discover this other world and I liked the mystique and almost plausibility of it. I did however struggle with his physical descriptions quite often. I got lost visualizing what he was describing, but at least it didn't keep me from understanding his point or the more important aspects of the novel.
The only reason I clicked three stars instead of two was for Levy's writing. Even though the story wasn't my cup of tea, I can see why so many people liked it. I won't be keeping this book, but I'm not opposed to reading Levy again.
This is simply a case of not for me. Since I was expecting fantasy, the start in an ordinary world was jarring for me and took me a bit to jive with the story. I was also put off by the language and sexual content. If I had not won this book, I would have quietly closed it and it would have been deleted off my bookshelf. But after debating about it for a few days, that commitment got the better of me and I decided to finish it.
Of the four characters, Jason was the only one I connected with, but they were all appropriately fleshed out, especially Gabe, who while his neediness made me uncomfortable, it fit his character. It was the authenticity of it that made me uncomfortable. I didn't particularly like that the book ended with his point of view, since I wasn't that interested in finding out what happened to him, but I still liked the events at the climax.
Levy is particularly talented in his metaphorical descriptions, which fit so beautifully in this story. Even though I didn't love Elisa, I liked her section best since in it I started to discover this other world and I liked the mystique and almost plausibility of it. I did however struggle with his physical descriptions quite often. I got lost visualizing what he was describing, but at least it didn't keep me from understanding his point or the more important aspects of the novel.
The only reason I clicked three stars instead of two was for Levy's writing. Even though the story wasn't my cup of tea, I can see why so many people liked it. I won't be keeping this book, but I'm not opposed to reading Levy again.
March 2, 2016
Warning: spoilerific info below.
This was an interesting book. It's basically a story about changelings. The Other Kind (this author's stand-in for the Fae/Sidhe/Elves/People Under the Hill aren't like our traditional depictions of elves. The one thing the Other Kind have in common with Elves is their ability to enchant humans and draw them away from our world, sometimes. The changelings that are left in the outside world (the ones that survive) have similar "enchanting" qualities.
The story happens when one of the changelings (Blue) returns to the place of his birth. He doesn't KNOW he's a changeling, though, until he gets home. The rest of the story is the fallout of what happens when he hears the old voices of home, realizes what he is, and disappears.
I was reminded a bit of Graham Joyce's Some Kind of Fairy Tale. (TBH, SKoFT is a much more polished and interesting book, written by a very skilled author.) The first part of the book builds up a sense of dread and suspense. It's one of those books that I shouldn't have been reading as I was falling asleep!
Then the ending. The ending was full of strangeness that didn't really work for me. Remember the ending of Stephen King's It? The ending of this book reminded me a little of that, crossed with Aliens, though without ALL the horror. Honestly, I kinda skimmed through the last section (Gabe's), finished, and thought "Well, huh. That was an ending." That's why it's 3 stars instead of 4 for me. I don't need to have everything wrapped up in a tidy package, but there was a certain amount of WTFery for me here.
But the novel was a worthy effort. I think this is the author's first novel. Good work for that.
This was an interesting book. It's basically a story about changelings. The Other Kind (this author's stand-in for the Fae/Sidhe/Elves/People Under the Hill aren't like our traditional depictions of elves. The one thing the Other Kind have in common with Elves is their ability to enchant humans and draw them away from our world, sometimes. The changelings that are left in the outside world (the ones that survive) have similar "enchanting" qualities.
The story happens when one of the changelings (Blue) returns to the place of his birth. He doesn't KNOW he's a changeling, though, until he gets home. The rest of the story is the fallout of what happens when he hears the old voices of home, realizes what he is, and disappears.
I was reminded a bit of Graham Joyce's Some Kind of Fairy Tale. (TBH, SKoFT is a much more polished and interesting book, written by a very skilled author.) The first part of the book builds up a sense of dread and suspense. It's one of those books that I shouldn't have been reading as I was falling asleep!
Then the ending. The ending was full of strangeness that didn't really work for me. Remember the ending of Stephen King's It? The ending of this book reminded me a little of that, crossed with Aliens, though without ALL the horror. Honestly, I kinda skimmed through the last section (Gabe's), finished, and thought "Well, huh. That was an ending." That's why it's 3 stars instead of 4 for me. I don't need to have everything wrapped up in a tidy package, but there was a certain amount of WTFery for me here.
But the novel was a worthy effort. I think this is the author's first novel. Good work for that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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