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Glass
Menashe Everett is a tormented man. He’s ruled by depression and addiction. He’s haunted by his past. At 37, he barely holds onto his job and lives in a haze of blurred reality. But to many in his life, he’s their only hope. For the past ten years, Menashe has been acting as a counselor to similarly afflicted clients who agree to his unorthodox brand of pseudo-therapy. When Menashe encounters two particularly challenging cases—a Vietnam vet and an anxious teenager—he is forced to finally cope with his own personal failures or risk losing everything. Set in Cleveland in the late 1980s, Glass tests traditional ideas of interpersonal responsibility and what it means to struggle with mental illness.
274 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2015
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33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 26, 2015
I'm not usually a fan of subject matter this heavy, but based on the premise alone, I felt drawn to read this book. I'm glad I did; as deep and dark as it was, I really found a lot to like about Glass. The characterizations in particular are terrific. The characters all stand out as real people, deeply flawed, and behaving as real people generally behave in my experience (Is he really going to change now? No. He's going to think about it for a minute, and then sit back down.) No magic steps in to improve anyone's lot, and everyone just pushes through with what they have. The writing is wonderfully clear and straightforward, and peppered with perfect details throughout. A singular vision, and a remarkable debut!
November 24, 2015
Fantastic real book. Well rounded characters I could relate to, and believe in. Awesome use of a flashback/forward style... giving us insight in how a character's past is affecting the current setting. "Normal" people with real problems, dealing(or not dealing) with said problems in a unique way. A flawed but likable lead character among a cast of equally flawed others. I found myself finding sympathy for all of them as I learned about who and why they were... It was a fast paced enjoyable read, I found difficult to put down, once I got into it!
December 12, 2018
Beyond interesting
I felt the characters pain and thought this had a great premise. It feel a bit short of being 5 stars for two reasons - the time jumps back and forth were very disconcerting, even with the month and year listing; and there were a number of grammar mistakes (not a lot, but a noticeable amount) that an editor (or a better editor if one was used) could have fixed.
I felt the characters pain and thought this had a great premise. It feel a bit short of being 5 stars for two reasons - the time jumps back and forth were very disconcerting, even with the month and year listing; and there were a number of grammar mistakes (not a lot, but a noticeable amount) that an editor (or a better editor if one was used) could have fixed.
February 26, 2019
Glass is so well written! Each character is explored in such detail. I am so impressed with the book, and can't believe I know the incredible writer! Wow!!!
November 7, 2015
A Review of Kate Kort’s Glass (Brick Mantel Books, 2015)
Can we read the book of our own lives, or are we just too close to it, caught up in deciphering the letters while the story outpaces us? For many of us, the meaning of our days comes into focus through the eyes of a sympathetic audience. For the variously damaged characters in Kate Kort’s debut novel, Glass, that sympathetic audience is Menashe, a student loans officer, art history enthusiast, and unlicensed therapist with an unconventional method. In Menashe’s “glass museum,” a number of broken men—Vietnam War veterans John and Austin, college student Murray, wealthy brat Roger—confront their personal demons through a combination of conversation and destruction. But is this unorthodox process healing or merely reopening old wounds? This question haunts Menashe throughout the novel, both in reference to his clients’ challenges and to his own struggles with alcoholism and the one failing in his past he would give anything to change. Who, however, analyzes the analyst?
Kort tells the story of Menashe and his clients as a mosaic of short episodes that jump around in time and place, moving easily between the present (the 1980s) and the past (the 1950s, 60s, and 70s). From a pragmatic perspective, this allows her to slowly reveal the backstory behind her characters’ current problems, which gives the novel a hint of detective fiction suspense. From a philosophical perspective, the structure suggests that we continue to live the past in the present. Through this intricate approach, Kort is able to take on a number of difficult topics—alcoholism, PTSD, abuse—without falling into cliché. Her characters’ obstacles, and the difficulty of determining what constitutes “progress” for these individuals, read as honest. Ultimately, Kort’s novel reminds us—in no easy or unearned way—that the true importance of our lives may not be a story we narrate for ourselves but a collection of many voices, that the fragile glass in which our selves are reflected has more facets than we alone can see.
Glass is an exciting debut, an engaging and a rewarding read.
Can we read the book of our own lives, or are we just too close to it, caught up in deciphering the letters while the story outpaces us? For many of us, the meaning of our days comes into focus through the eyes of a sympathetic audience. For the variously damaged characters in Kate Kort’s debut novel, Glass, that sympathetic audience is Menashe, a student loans officer, art history enthusiast, and unlicensed therapist with an unconventional method. In Menashe’s “glass museum,” a number of broken men—Vietnam War veterans John and Austin, college student Murray, wealthy brat Roger—confront their personal demons through a combination of conversation and destruction. But is this unorthodox process healing or merely reopening old wounds? This question haunts Menashe throughout the novel, both in reference to his clients’ challenges and to his own struggles with alcoholism and the one failing in his past he would give anything to change. Who, however, analyzes the analyst?
Kort tells the story of Menashe and his clients as a mosaic of short episodes that jump around in time and place, moving easily between the present (the 1980s) and the past (the 1950s, 60s, and 70s). From a pragmatic perspective, this allows her to slowly reveal the backstory behind her characters’ current problems, which gives the novel a hint of detective fiction suspense. From a philosophical perspective, the structure suggests that we continue to live the past in the present. Through this intricate approach, Kort is able to take on a number of difficult topics—alcoholism, PTSD, abuse—without falling into cliché. Her characters’ obstacles, and the difficulty of determining what constitutes “progress” for these individuals, read as honest. Ultimately, Kort’s novel reminds us—in no easy or unearned way—that the true importance of our lives may not be a story we narrate for ourselves but a collection of many voices, that the fragile glass in which our selves are reflected has more facets than we alone can see.
Glass is an exciting debut, an engaging and a rewarding read.
November 12, 2015
Tense, honest, true - all words that can describe Kate Kort's novel "Glass". Kort does not shy away from depicting mental illness in its most realistic representations. Despite the leaps and bounds that modern medicine has made with the spectrum of known mental illnesses, it is still regarded as a taboo topic to talk about. With Hollywood's sanitized representations of the various types of mental illness, including popular fiction and other media, Kort's "Glass" is a welcome wake-up call.
Her lead, Menashe Everett, is flawed in many ways, including being depressed and having an addiction problem. Despite being only 37, he's despondent and morose, making a living that is a daily battle to stay awake and alive. It's not like his job is a reprieve from being trapped in his own mind. Menashe is a counselor to those with similar traits and issues such as his. Several years ago, Menashe decided to open a "glass museum" where patients can let go of their anger by destroying rooms filled with clear glass. When times get particular rough for him, he tries to remember this service he is offering to other, providing him with a glimmer of hope and happiness.
With several clients who force Menashe to being to question his own motives and his abilities as a counsellor, the author deftly demonstrates the cacophony of voices in one's head at any given time. The author is kind and compassionate with her telling of Menashe's story, not providing any judgement on his lifestyle choices or therapeutic techniques. The narrative, in many ways, is akin to an omnipresent presence watching this one man's life and his particular set of issues. It's true and alive, and a great read.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com
Her lead, Menashe Everett, is flawed in many ways, including being depressed and having an addiction problem. Despite being only 37, he's despondent and morose, making a living that is a daily battle to stay awake and alive. It's not like his job is a reprieve from being trapped in his own mind. Menashe is a counselor to those with similar traits and issues such as his. Several years ago, Menashe decided to open a "glass museum" where patients can let go of their anger by destroying rooms filled with clear glass. When times get particular rough for him, he tries to remember this service he is offering to other, providing him with a glimmer of hope and happiness.
With several clients who force Menashe to being to question his own motives and his abilities as a counsellor, the author deftly demonstrates the cacophony of voices in one's head at any given time. The author is kind and compassionate with her telling of Menashe's story, not providing any judgement on his lifestyle choices or therapeutic techniques. The narrative, in many ways, is akin to an omnipresent presence watching this one man's life and his particular set of issues. It's true and alive, and a great read.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com
November 7, 2015
"Glass" by Kate Kort is a powerful read and, although it shouldn't be pigeonholed as a "mental illness" book, it definitely fills a void in the world of fiction. We as a society are finally starting to destigmatize mental health issues, however it is still rare to read a book that contains protagonists with mental illness. In "Glass", readers can connect with characters who are dealing with very relatable problems of anxiety, depression, PTSD, alcoholism, and abuse. These characters are flawed and feel very real and likable, especially the protagonist, Menashe Everett, who, though struggling to stay afloat in every sense of the phrase, is trying to help others with his alternative therapy.
Some of the sections were painful to read, but I think that is the sign of a good book, that it evokes strong emotions in its reader. This, combined with a non-linear timeline and chapters told from the perspective of different characters, makes for a compelling story and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Kort in the future.
Some of the sections were painful to read, but I think that is the sign of a good book, that it evokes strong emotions in its reader. This, combined with a non-linear timeline and chapters told from the perspective of different characters, makes for a compelling story and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Kort in the future.
May 10, 2016
Kate Kort's debut novel is one unlike most authors choose for their first work. Addressing the complex issues of mental illness, disintegrating family relationships, and depression would make a depressing book in less skillful hands. Ms. Kort, however, tells an uplifting tale of hope, redemption, and a journey to find one's self.
When one offers therapy to help others through their ills, when does that therapy become the solution for one's self?
When offering love to others, how does one keep love for themselves, when the world becomes an overwhelming burden?
At what point do those being helped by one person finally come to grips with the fact their help is needed in return?
And is it too late?
The courage found by the people in this story reflects that of the author who found the courage to address ills of our time. Kate Kort's words are as gentle hands upon the soul of those tormented by past transgressions, and become, in the end, a balm for life's trials.
When one offers therapy to help others through their ills, when does that therapy become the solution for one's self?
When offering love to others, how does one keep love for themselves, when the world becomes an overwhelming burden?
At what point do those being helped by one person finally come to grips with the fact their help is needed in return?
And is it too late?
The courage found by the people in this story reflects that of the author who found the courage to address ills of our time. Kate Kort's words are as gentle hands upon the soul of those tormented by past transgressions, and become, in the end, a balm for life's trials.
November 7, 2015
This fascinating novel is written in fragments of time allowing for reader intrigue to build as each new piece of information is collected. The characters are equally as jagged as their stories of broken expectations, misplaced memories, and attempts of reconstructing the past. 'Glass' is a remarkable, imperfect puzzle that, once pieced together, creates a fragile and gritty picture of genuine human experience.
January 6, 2016
Glass is a gripping and haunting tale of mental illness and addiction. The protagonist is flawed and yet, all to human. Menashe is a character that you will care about and Kort is able to make her characters come alive on the page. This is a story that will keep you thinking for days.
February 28, 2018
Glass delves into tragedies of life and the affects those tragedies have on the human psyche. A good read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews