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The Girl in the Glass
The Great Depression has bound a nation in despair -- and only a privileged few have risen above it: the exorbitantly wealthy ... and the hucksters who feed upon them. Diego, a seventeen-year-old illegal Mexican immigrant, owes his salvation to master grifter Thomas Schell. Together with Schell's gruff and powerful partner, they sail comfortably through hard times, scamming New York's grieving rich with elaborate, ingeniously staged séances -- until an impossible occurrence changes everything.
While "communing with spirits," Schell sees an image of a young girl in a pane of glass, silently entreating the con man for help. Though well aware that his otherworldly "powers" are a sham, Schell inexplicably offers his services to help find the lost child -- drawing Diego along with him into a tangled maze of deadly secrets and terrible experimentation.
At once a hypnotically compelling mystery and a stunningly evocative portrait of Depression-era New York, The Girl in the Glass is a masterly literary adventure from a writer of exemplary vision and skill.
While "communing with spirits," Schell sees an image of a young girl in a pane of glass, silently entreating the con man for help. Though well aware that his otherworldly "powers" are a sham, Schell inexplicably offers his services to help find the lost child -- drawing Diego along with him into a tangled maze of deadly secrets and terrible experimentation.
At once a hypnotically compelling mystery and a stunningly evocative portrait of Depression-era New York, The Girl in the Glass is a masterly literary adventure from a writer of exemplary vision and skill.
286 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
237 people are currently reading
2377 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Ford
238 books508 followersJeffrey Ford is an American writer in the Fantastic genre tradition, although his works have spanned genres including Fantasy, Science Fiction and Mystery. His work is characterized by a sweeping imaginative power, humor, literary allusion, and a fascination with tales told within tales. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he studied with the novelist John Gardner.
He lives in southern New Jersey and teaches writing and literature at Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. He has also taught at the summer Clarion Workshop for science fiction and fantasy writers in Michigan. He has contributed stories, essays and interviews to various magazines and e-magazines including MSS, Puerto Del Sol, Northwest Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Argosy, Event Horizon, Infinity Plus, Black Gate and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
He published his first story, "The Casket", in Gardner's literary magazine MSS in 1981 and his first full-length novel, Vanitas, in 1988.
He lives in southern New Jersey and teaches writing and literature at Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. He has also taught at the summer Clarion Workshop for science fiction and fantasy writers in Michigan. He has contributed stories, essays and interviews to various magazines and e-magazines including MSS, Puerto Del Sol, Northwest Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Argosy, Event Horizon, Infinity Plus, Black Gate and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
He published his first story, "The Casket", in Gardner's literary magazine MSS in 1981 and his first full-length novel, Vanitas, in 1988.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
November 2, 2008
Set in Depression New York, mostly Long Island, a group of scam artists exploits the sorrow and foolishness of the rich, pretending to speak to the “other side” so that they might communicate with departed loved ones. All is well until the chief of the operation sees what may be a real ghost, that of a missing child. There are fun characters, untroubled by excessive complexity, plenty of action sequences, a slight bit of payload re the scams, and what seemed to me a strained attempt to fill this world with Damon Runyonesque color. We learn also of the existence in the 1930s of substantial KKK popularity on the island, as well as the existence of a eugenics operation that sought to purify the race. That much is interesting. However, while I was charmed for a while, the tale eventually grew tedious. I found the development of events too much to believe and the ultimate explanation for the girl unsatisfactory. This may make a very entertaining film someday, but it will need some serious rewrite. Not recommended.
July 27, 2010
I read my first Ford short story online a few months ago, followed by a couple that I found in anthologies. A few weeks ago I followed that up with one of his story collections, followed immediately by this novel. I thought the stories were excellent, but they did not prepare me for this lovely novel. The prose feels effortless, which takes a lot of effort on the author's part.
The book is set on Long Island in the 1930s, and the setting feels authentic. The characters are well developed and feel real. I love the backstage look at the seances and cons. I loved the use of Coney Island sideshow freaks as a supporting cast, and the cameraderie of that group.
If there are a couple of elements in the main plot mystery that seemed a little rushed or forced, it was easy to forgive. I'm tempted to read another of his novels next.
The book is set on Long Island in the 1930s, and the setting feels authentic. The characters are well developed and feel real. I love the backstage look at the seances and cons. I loved the use of Coney Island sideshow freaks as a supporting cast, and the cameraderie of that group.
If there are a couple of elements in the main plot mystery that seemed a little rushed or forced, it was easy to forgive. I'm tempted to read another of his novels next.
October 3, 2007
In Jeffrey Ford's The Girl in the Glass, reality is a con, at least according to illegal Mexican immigrant Diego, his foster father Thomas Schell, and ex-circus strongman Antony Cleopatra. In 1932 Long Island, this diverse trio of confidence men pose as a team of spiritual mediums. Their marks are the city's naive wealthy. During a séance, the group's leader, Schell, experiences a ghastly vision of a murdered young girl, and even though it could destroy their livelihood, he decides to use their considerable talents to find her killer. This life-altering event leads to encounters with sideshow geeks, the Ku Klux Klan, governmental conspiracy, mad scientists, illegal immigrants, and butterflies. This is a story with romance, action, and humor. Reminiscent of Geek Love and Carter Beats the Devil, The Girl in the Glass is weird mystery at its finest.
Not that any of that could be gleaned from the book's inappropriate cover and packaging. At first glance, the novel appears to be what the publishing world dubs "Women's Fiction," a nice, staid novel that will only appeal to suburban mothers. This couldn't be further from the truth. The real con of The Girl in the Glass is the one that the publisher is trying to put over on the reading public. Ford weaves a complex plot that explores the nature of evil and the strength of family through the lens of a good mystery. While traversing disparate elements, the author manages to keep the story grounded in reality, never once veering off into the absurd. His portrait of Depression-era Long Island is both provocative and enchanting. Ford's characters and situations, while often unique, are familiar, as though they are from some unremembered communal past. I felt their pain, fear, anxiousness, and joy. Like all good cons, The Girl in the Glass is more than it appears. Beneath the surface of Jeffrey Ford's lyrical prose is a truth for all of us.
(This review originally appeared in The Austin Chronicle, August 12, 2005.)
Link: [http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyroba...]
Not that any of that could be gleaned from the book's inappropriate cover and packaging. At first glance, the novel appears to be what the publishing world dubs "Women's Fiction," a nice, staid novel that will only appeal to suburban mothers. This couldn't be further from the truth. The real con of The Girl in the Glass is the one that the publisher is trying to put over on the reading public. Ford weaves a complex plot that explores the nature of evil and the strength of family through the lens of a good mystery. While traversing disparate elements, the author manages to keep the story grounded in reality, never once veering off into the absurd. His portrait of Depression-era Long Island is both provocative and enchanting. Ford's characters and situations, while often unique, are familiar, as though they are from some unremembered communal past. I felt their pain, fear, anxiousness, and joy. Like all good cons, The Girl in the Glass is more than it appears. Beneath the surface of Jeffrey Ford's lyrical prose is a truth for all of us.
(This review originally appeared in The Austin Chronicle, August 12, 2005.)
Link: [http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyroba...]
May 1, 2018
Año 1932, en plena Depresión. Los pobres son más pobres y los ricos más ricos. Muchos de estos ricos están interesados en el mundo espiritual, en contactar con sus seres queridos en el más allá. Y aquí entran en juego Shell (timador ingenioso donde los haya), Anthony Cleopatra (guardaespaldas, chófer y trabajos varios) y Diego, nuestro joven protagonista y narrador de los hechos muchos años después, un mexicano de diecisiete años que acogió Shell como discípulo. Durante una de estas sesiones-timo, Shell ve una niña en el cristal de una ventana y es entonces cuando empiezan sus aventuras, ya que Shell está empeñado en averiguar la verdad sobre este hecho.
Novela entretenida en algunos momentos, no pretende otra cosa que hacer pasar un buen rato sin más. A mí no me ha gustado mucho, tal vez porque esperaba más de Ford, autor de 'La fisiognomía' y 'Memoranda', dos novelas de una imaginación desbordante, donde sí explotaba su vena fantástica. Entretenimiento sin más pretensiones.
Novela entretenida en algunos momentos, no pretende otra cosa que hacer pasar un buen rato sin más. A mí no me ha gustado mucho, tal vez porque esperaba más de Ford, autor de 'La fisiognomía' y 'Memoranda', dos novelas de una imaginación desbordante, donde sí explotaba su vena fantástica. Entretenimiento sin más pretensiones.
January 21, 2011
As he has done times before, Jeffrey Ford has captured my attention and my heart. This novel is captivating on all levels. The characters are deep, real, and full of life. The plot is well paced, the themes heartbreaking and hopeful, and the motifs, well, blue morpho? monarch? white pine? anybody? yeah, they are there too.
If you are familiar with Fords work, then you know what to expect. If your not, then you are in for a treat. Ford's words flow like a stream off of the page. He is simple to read, yet his writing holds untold depths. By far one of the best writers working today.
Other reviews offer a solid synopsis, so I will refrain from restating it again. Suffice it to day that this is a mystery novel first and foremost. Don't expect a supernatural thriller or a fantasy thrill ride. On a purely entertaining level, Ford offers the twists and turns you would expect from any well written mystery. You will be turning the pages at a steady pace just to find out where the latest clue leads.
On a literary level, this novel takes leaps and bounds. Ford has done his research into the 1930's era depression and he portrays it well. Your heart will break at the poverty that is around the city while the rich live in lavish (sound familiar?). He fits in the 'pop culture' of carnies, details about the KKK that flourished on Long Island at the time, and a look at one of America's most disturbing experiments: eugenics. As an added bonus he backs all of this up with his end acknowledgments by offering his readers the sources he used complete with titles and internet links when available.
This book delivers on all levels. Whether you are looking for a fun mystery, a depression era / history study, discussion of racial / social equality, or something a bit different. This book is HIGHLY recommended (and this all comes from a reviewer who is not a fan of mysteries). I hope that I can someday teach this story in conjunction with Doctorow's Ragtime.
If you are familiar with Fords work, then you know what to expect. If your not, then you are in for a treat. Ford's words flow like a stream off of the page. He is simple to read, yet his writing holds untold depths. By far one of the best writers working today.
Other reviews offer a solid synopsis, so I will refrain from restating it again. Suffice it to day that this is a mystery novel first and foremost. Don't expect a supernatural thriller or a fantasy thrill ride. On a purely entertaining level, Ford offers the twists and turns you would expect from any well written mystery. You will be turning the pages at a steady pace just to find out where the latest clue leads.
On a literary level, this novel takes leaps and bounds. Ford has done his research into the 1930's era depression and he portrays it well. Your heart will break at the poverty that is around the city while the rich live in lavish (sound familiar?). He fits in the 'pop culture' of carnies, details about the KKK that flourished on Long Island at the time, and a look at one of America's most disturbing experiments: eugenics. As an added bonus he backs all of this up with his end acknowledgments by offering his readers the sources he used complete with titles and internet links when available.
This book delivers on all levels. Whether you are looking for a fun mystery, a depression era / history study, discussion of racial / social equality, or something a bit different. This book is HIGHLY recommended (and this all comes from a reviewer who is not a fan of mysteries). I hope that I can someday teach this story in conjunction with Doctorow's Ragtime.
March 7, 2011
A group of scam artists help a man whose young daughter has disappeared - FREE! Even free help has problens as the group discovers his daughter was murdered and more murders occur. It was such a good read! The author did very nice research including the activity of the Ku Klux Klan in the Long Island area, the role of scam artists and spiritualists during the 1930s, the Repatriotism of Mexicans during the depression and other topics. This story was original and exciting. I commend Jeffrey Ford for a job well done and recommend this read to anyone interested in this period of history in our country.
February 3, 2020
Una lectura deliciosa. Aunque el componente fantástico está más que diluido, la historia resulta fascinante. Por otra parte, Ford escribe muy, muy bien y eso marca la diferencia en una trama que, de otro modo, podría haber resultado algo insulsa.
Recomendado para todo tipo de lectores.
Recomendado para todo tipo de lectores.
February 25, 2020
Stories within stories. Cons within cons. Jeffrey Ford is a HELL of a writer. "The Girl in the Glass" is one of those novels that will stick with me forever. Every bit the equal of "The Great Gatsby" or "Of Mice and Men." It's that special.
The Plot: 3 con men pretend to be "spiritualists" during the Great Depression to fleece rich people, thereby making a living off of the dead. The protagonist is Diego, a seventeen year old illegal immigrant from Mexico who is essentially adopted by Thomas Schell, the brains of the operation. Along with Antony (the former circus strong man and current muscle of the group) they form an unlikely and extremely touching family.
There are mysteries within mysteries here so I don't want to give anything away but I literally finished the last page and exclaimed out loud and to no one in particular "Damn it Jeffrey Ford! You've done it again!"
Read this book, I promise all the butterfly's in my Bugatorium that you'll love it.
The Plot: 3 con men pretend to be "spiritualists" during the Great Depression to fleece rich people, thereby making a living off of the dead. The protagonist is Diego, a seventeen year old illegal immigrant from Mexico who is essentially adopted by Thomas Schell, the brains of the operation. Along with Antony (the former circus strong man and current muscle of the group) they form an unlikely and extremely touching family.
There are mysteries within mysteries here so I don't want to give anything away but I literally finished the last page and exclaimed out loud and to no one in particular "Damn it Jeffrey Ford! You've done it again!"
Read this book, I promise all the butterfly's in my Bugatorium that you'll love it.
August 8, 2008
Jeffrey Ford is a genius. One of the best writers alive today. I can't say it enough!
The Girl in the Glass takes place in Depression-era New York, where con man Schell and his team (teenaged illegal Mexican immigrant Diego and strongman Antony Cleopatra) make a living bilking the "true believer" rich folks to want to make contact with the dead.
One night, during a routine seance, Schell unexpectedly sees something he and his team didn't rig up beforehand -- the ghost of a little girl. Schell, whose conscience is beginning to loom large after so many years of conning people, vows to find out who the girl is and what she wants.
This is Jeffrey Ford, so nothing is what it seems, and the mysteries go deeper and diverge more... well, diversely... than a lesser writer could ever achieve. Ford's rich imagination manages to string together rum running in Prohibition times, the KKK, sideshow freaks, a real-life dark spot on this country's "scientific progress," and much more to form a wild ride of a plot.
I have to admit, I didn't like this book quite as much as The Physiognomy or The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, but that's just personal taste talking. The Girl in the Glass is every bit as entertaining and well-crafted as Ford's previous books.
The Girl in the Glass takes place in Depression-era New York, where con man Schell and his team (teenaged illegal Mexican immigrant Diego and strongman Antony Cleopatra) make a living bilking the "true believer" rich folks to want to make contact with the dead.
One night, during a routine seance, Schell unexpectedly sees something he and his team didn't rig up beforehand -- the ghost of a little girl. Schell, whose conscience is beginning to loom large after so many years of conning people, vows to find out who the girl is and what she wants.
This is Jeffrey Ford, so nothing is what it seems, and the mysteries go deeper and diverge more... well, diversely... than a lesser writer could ever achieve. Ford's rich imagination manages to string together rum running in Prohibition times, the KKK, sideshow freaks, a real-life dark spot on this country's "scientific progress," and much more to form a wild ride of a plot.
I have to admit, I didn't like this book quite as much as The Physiognomy or The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, but that's just personal taste talking. The Girl in the Glass is every bit as entertaining and well-crafted as Ford's previous books.
March 31, 2015
An unusual story with a carnival cast of characters; the story line contains both the fantastic and the mundane, happily entwined. Our good guys are con men who run fake seances for the rich and muddled. It is depression time in the U.S. but our "spiritualists" including Ondoo the swami, are doing well. But something unusual happens during one of the seances which leads our good guys to running cons in the search for a missing little girl. Our bad guys reflect some shameful people and ideas; the true monster that is of course still alive and well and breathing hell into the world as usual. It is an amusing and engaging story despite the serious underpinnings.
May 29, 2018
What a great book!
It has everything a reader could want: mystery - a whodunit; entertainment -
a séance with all of the theatrics; education - teaching the reader some of the magic tricks used by the hucksters/ grifters; and romance - a little bit of young love to complicate all the other action going on.
As with much terrific fiction, this novel is one that the reader will not want to put down once she has started reading it.
And again, with such a great author as Jeffrey Ford, the reader will want to look for the other books that he has written, or will write in the near future.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
It has everything a reader could want: mystery - a whodunit; entertainment -
a séance with all of the theatrics; education - teaching the reader some of the magic tricks used by the hucksters/ grifters; and romance - a little bit of young love to complicate all the other action going on.
As with much terrific fiction, this novel is one that the reader will not want to put down once she has started reading it.
And again, with such a great author as Jeffrey Ford, the reader will want to look for the other books that he has written, or will write in the near future.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
December 2, 2021
5☆ Hands down.
This was such a cool story, full of wit, thrills and adventure. The characters were cunning and heartwarming. This book went beyond my expectations. I was expecting some supernatural romp, but it was a lot more than that, all packed tight in just under 300 pages. (The book is only 280 pages, so Goodreads is incorrect)
Highly recommend this book to anyone!
Can't wait to try out more works by Jeff Ford!
This was such a cool story, full of wit, thrills and adventure. The characters were cunning and heartwarming. This book went beyond my expectations. I was expecting some supernatural romp, but it was a lot more than that, all packed tight in just under 300 pages. (The book is only 280 pages, so Goodreads is incorrect)
Highly recommend this book to anyone!
Can't wait to try out more works by Jeff Ford!
May 19, 2018
This is the most well-rounded book I've read in a long time. It has history, humor, action, suspense, love, and a colorful and endearing cast of characters. I found it enjoyable consistently from start to finish and will definitely be checking into Ford's other books.
April 14, 2017
WHAT A SURPRISE! Not at all the kind of book I usually go for. Con men with a heart. Loved Anthony and the coming of age of Diego and of course, Thomas Schell. The 1930's on Long Island, the Depression, Prohibition and the KKK and early master race followers are all part of a very clever and fast moving story. I didn't know there was a move in the 1930's to send Mexicans back after they were no longer needed as cheap labor during the depression. Same old scape goats, I guess. Mr. Ford's writing is clear and specific with many artful carefully chosen descriptions that ring very true. I say this isn't my metier because I believe he is mostly known for fantasy stories. This was, for me, not that genre. I really enjoyed this book.
July 21, 2023
Fantastically engrossing! This book is outside of my normal genre (received in a bundle of books from a friend who was cleaning out a vacant house) and it was such a wonderful surprise. The author weaves a rich and colorful tale with a historical backdrop that was completely new to me. I highly recommend this book!
August 1, 2019
This was a nice change from seemingly the same story line. I found the story a bit slow but that may have been the choppy way I was able to read it.
July 20, 2017
The initial setup of the book is interesting, but the end was a letdown for me.
May 28, 2016
What a gem of a book. I was intrigued by the story of conmen, seances, and life on the fringe in 1930s US in the midst of prohibition and the Depression, not realizing it's on the brink of WWII. What made the book so affecting, however, was the real focus of the story - the real "monster" - that only became apparent midway through. The focus of this book couldn't be more timely as the current US mimics pre-WWII times and "Patriots" form behind a monied self-serving leader highlighting prejudice as a virtue. It's an easy read full of vivid characters existing in the moral grey of real humanity, vs the usual black and white of fiction. There are fascinating insights into the tools of the con in the 1930s as well as quick snapshots of a country of the very wealthy few next to the majority trying to scrape by in the Great Depression (sounding familiar yet?). I took away a star because this otherwise realistic tale lost its footing in creating the climactic battle, even though the reasoning behind the characters who joined the fight was clear. That glitch passed, the author did a good job bringing the story back to its core in the final chapters and the resolution and epilogue were a fitting resolution and warning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2012
This book is set in the 20's and 30's about a group of con-men doing "seance" sessions and contacting the "other side." Taking place during the Great Depression, the cons trick their "marks" into believing they truly are receiving messages from passed loved ones, etc. Until they get involved in a con that nearly claims all their lives and puts them on the tracks of a mad scientist doing horrific human experimentation. Solving murder, rescuing friends, romance and tricking the nations wealthiest families are all in this book yet...I felt it was missing something. It wasn't that it was boring. It wasn't slow. It wasn't hard to get into. I can't put my finger on what it was, but I felt something was missing. I did find a spelling/grammatical error or two, as well.
I suppose what irks me is that I can't categorize it.
It's not really historical, mystery, romance, horror or comedy but it had aspects of all of these genres. I think you have to be already interested in Great Depression stories and the like to really enjoy this book. I'd say, if that's the case, go ahead and read it. You'll probably really like it! If you're not, you're not missing out on anything mind-blowing.
I suppose what irks me is that I can't categorize it.
It's not really historical, mystery, romance, horror or comedy but it had aspects of all of these genres. I think you have to be already interested in Great Depression stories and the like to really enjoy this book. I'd say, if that's the case, go ahead and read it. You'll probably really like it! If you're not, you're not missing out on anything mind-blowing.
July 8, 2011
3.5--This story sucked me right in. The story is told by Diego, a 17-year-old illegal Mexican immigrant, in 1932 New York. He works with two other con men (Schell and Antony), holding seances for (and at the expense of) grieving wealthy clients. Then, during one of these seances, Schell (the boss) sees the image of a girl in a pane of glass. A supenseful page-turner. I would have given it a 4, except 1)Antony's favorite swear word, while no doubt accurately used, got a little tiresome after a while, and 2)after carefully laying groundwork and building suspense through the whole book, the "big event" towards the end sort of fell flat for me. I realize it was supposed to happen quickly, but it just didn't have the intensity of the rest of the book--it was almost morbidly comical. The very end/wrap-up was not a surprise, although I certainly didn't guess all the details--the one thing I was waiting for the author to do didn't happen until the last two paragraphs.
August 31, 2012
This wonderful book was pressed upon me by an employee in one of the bookstores I signed in earlier this year, and many, many thanks are due.
It's a tale set in the 1930s, during the long stupidity of prohibition, about three con artists whose specialty is seances, and their encounter with what just might be a real ghost that, in turn, leads them into exploring a particularly heinous murder. I loved this book, which won an Edgar in 2005 for best paperback original, and promptly went out and bought three other Jeffrey Ford novels.
It's intelligent and fascinatingly plotted, and the characters are all in three dimensions. I'm writing a series now that's all crooks, so I know how much fun it is to create them, but I'm in awe of Jeffrey Ford's crooks -- the breadth of the spectrum and how true they all ring.
It's a tale set in the 1930s, during the long stupidity of prohibition, about three con artists whose specialty is seances, and their encounter with what just might be a real ghost that, in turn, leads them into exploring a particularly heinous murder. I loved this book, which won an Edgar in 2005 for best paperback original, and promptly went out and bought three other Jeffrey Ford novels.
It's intelligent and fascinatingly plotted, and the characters are all in three dimensions. I'm writing a series now that's all crooks, so I know how much fun it is to create them, but I'm in awe of Jeffrey Ford's crooks -- the breadth of the spectrum and how true they all ring.
June 24, 2007
1932 Long Island. 3 con men hold séances for rich folks: Schell, the leader; Diego, a 17 year old Mexican and narrator of the story who poses as Odoo, the Indian Mystic; and Antony, the big man, body guard and chauffeur. All is great in their world until during a séance, Schell sees the image of a girl in a pane of glass. The next day, he sees a photo of the same girl in the paper: she’s gone missing. The three set out to find her and get drawn into a very tangled web indeed. Throw in moths, the KKK, eugenics, trained pigeons, and a large assortment of freaks including a fat lady, spider boy and rubber woman, and you’ve got yourself a book that’s impossible to put down!
August 23, 2013
I was expecting more of a ghost story, for some reason, and what I got was a feel-good, rollicking adventure with a zany cast of characters, including circus freaks and a by-golly Evil Mad Scientist--yowzah! What the heck, I'm at the beach. Sun, sand, surf, and an entertaining, unintellectual novel--vacation at its finest.
September 4, 2017
Timely
The discussion of "the Monster" and the use of disadvantaged immigrants as a scapegoat for economic troubles in the Great Depression made me think this novel was written and published in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. It was not, but it should have been. Whatever the case, it's a fun read as well as a timely commentary on human nature.
The discussion of "the Monster" and the use of disadvantaged immigrants as a scapegoat for economic troubles in the Great Depression made me think this novel was written and published in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. It was not, but it should have been. Whatever the case, it's a fun read as well as a timely commentary on human nature.
August 26, 2014
This is almost more of a mystery/thriller novel than an SF/fantasy novel, since the supernatural elements are all susceptible to rational explanation. It's a gripping read, though. I think this would have been a better choice for the 2007 Nebula Award than Seeker.
July 22, 2016
4.5 stars, actually. Loved it.
September 17, 2020
Rated as literature, this would be a three. I rated it a four due to the timeliness and resonance of the themes for today's news. It is set in the 1930's amidst Depression, Prohibition, robber baron capitalism, and a culture of acceptance of spiritualism (use of mediums and seances to communicate with the dead), anti semitism, and racism.
I learned things about the period. Did you know that in the 1920's there was a very large and open KKK group in Long Island New York, holding rallies? Henry Ford was writing anti-semitic screeds and publishing them in the Dearborn newspaper and distributing them in all the Ford dealerships. He also re published as fact the racist conspiracy theory forgery Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and distributed half a million copies. He and a number of the other wealthy capitalists believed in white supremacy in the genetic sense and in eugenics, a plan to purify Aryan blood through "scientific" breeding plans.
Henry Ford helped inspire Hitler and was the only American mentioned in Mein Kampf. On Ford's 75th birthday, Hitler awarded Ford the highest civilian medal of Nazi German. The Protocol of the Elders posits a cabal of rich Jews who are secretly plotting to take over the world. Jewish bankers would take over and control the world economies, Jews would take over and control the press, and ultimately they would destroy civilization-as-we-know-it. Hitler relied on the Protocols as justification for his persecution of Jews and quoted extensively from it in Mein Kampf.
As is obvious, the QANON conspiracy theory is The Protocols of the Elders warmed over and made even more stupid. Trump and Trumpist Republicans have been promoting QANON ideas and people. Trump also believes that he has superior genes, that the fact that he has an uncle who is a MIT professor means that he (DJT) is at least equally smart and knows things intuitively without having to study. This year Trump visited Ford Motor Co and praised Henry Ford, noting that he has "good bloodlines."
So back to the book. The book refers to the racism, anti semitism and spiritualism of the times and specifically to Ford. It educated me on some things I didn't know. Best the end it brings the theme forward referring to this strain of racist, white supremacist thought as The Monster and predicting that it would keep re-emerging. (The book was published in 2004, well before Trump.). So it had strong resonance for me.
As literature, not so great. It is a murder mystery where the "detective" trying to solve the case is a young con artist in training. He and his mentor are fake mediums taking advantage of gullible, rich spiritualists. He has a team of carnie side show people to help him, literally the most motley crew ever assembled. There are a couple of romances, but none of the women come alive as real people. In the way of a certain genre of murder mystery, the bodies start proliferating, it gets gorier and gorier. There is a bloody climactic scene where our hero and the motley crew kill seven bad guys in various creatively gruesome ways.
So recommended for the history, but the history is mostly backdrop and the rest is a just so so book.
I learned things about the period. Did you know that in the 1920's there was a very large and open KKK group in Long Island New York, holding rallies? Henry Ford was writing anti-semitic screeds and publishing them in the Dearborn newspaper and distributing them in all the Ford dealerships. He also re published as fact the racist conspiracy theory forgery Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and distributed half a million copies. He and a number of the other wealthy capitalists believed in white supremacy in the genetic sense and in eugenics, a plan to purify Aryan blood through "scientific" breeding plans.
Henry Ford helped inspire Hitler and was the only American mentioned in Mein Kampf. On Ford's 75th birthday, Hitler awarded Ford the highest civilian medal of Nazi German. The Protocol of the Elders posits a cabal of rich Jews who are secretly plotting to take over the world. Jewish bankers would take over and control the world economies, Jews would take over and control the press, and ultimately they would destroy civilization-as-we-know-it. Hitler relied on the Protocols as justification for his persecution of Jews and quoted extensively from it in Mein Kampf.
As is obvious, the QANON conspiracy theory is The Protocols of the Elders warmed over and made even more stupid. Trump and Trumpist Republicans have been promoting QANON ideas and people. Trump also believes that he has superior genes, that the fact that he has an uncle who is a MIT professor means that he (DJT) is at least equally smart and knows things intuitively without having to study. This year Trump visited Ford Motor Co and praised Henry Ford, noting that he has "good bloodlines."
So back to the book. The book refers to the racism, anti semitism and spiritualism of the times and specifically to Ford. It educated me on some things I didn't know. Best the end it brings the theme forward referring to this strain of racist, white supremacist thought as The Monster and predicting that it would keep re-emerging. (The book was published in 2004, well before Trump.). So it had strong resonance for me.
As literature, not so great. It is a murder mystery where the "detective" trying to solve the case is a young con artist in training. He and his mentor are fake mediums taking advantage of gullible, rich spiritualists. He has a team of carnie side show people to help him, literally the most motley crew ever assembled. There are a couple of romances, but none of the women come alive as real people. In the way of a certain genre of murder mystery, the bodies start proliferating, it gets gorier and gorier. There is a bloody climactic scene where our hero and the motley crew kill seven bad guys in various creatively gruesome ways.
So recommended for the history, but the history is mostly backdrop and the rest is a just so so book.
January 31, 2021
It really took me to about halfway to really get into the swing of this book. But once you've made it and have a feeling what's up or is yet to come, then you definitely will be racing to the finish to see the result. The beginning was quite confusing at times and hard to keep up, so it was very hard to get into those first few nights reading. Even though the plot was already there and seemed interesting enough on the onset, it just took a much longer time than I anticipated to get into the book, that's why I have to rate it at 3-stars.
One thing the author does a great job of was their descriptive language. That I must give to him, it is weaved throughout the entire story, as well as his use of other literary devices constantly.
This story also has a lot of history to it (I know the author says he isn't a historian, but he did a pretty good job I must say). And history that I feel most Americans are quite unfamiliar with. Yes it takes place during the years after the Great Depression, leading up to an FDR presidency. There are subtle hints of historical facts like Prohibition still being in law, and the secretive presence of KKK in places like Long Island that modern day readers would be surprised by. The other fascinating factor is his emphasis of the characters of Mexican descent, and how important it was to tell their side of the story especially as many Latin Americans immigrated during the Depression to the states. So while the setting of the Depression may make you think one thing, I was pleasantly surprised to learn so much else.
One thing the author does a great job of was their descriptive language. That I must give to him, it is weaved throughout the entire story, as well as his use of other literary devices constantly.
This story also has a lot of history to it (I know the author says he isn't a historian, but he did a pretty good job I must say). And history that I feel most Americans are quite unfamiliar with. Yes it takes place during the years after the Great Depression, leading up to an FDR presidency. There are subtle hints of historical facts like Prohibition still being in law, and the secretive presence of KKK in places like Long Island that modern day readers would be surprised by. The other fascinating factor is his emphasis of the characters of Mexican descent, and how important it was to tell their side of the story especially as many Latin Americans immigrated during the Depression to the states. So while the setting of the Depression may make you think one thing, I was pleasantly surprised to learn so much else.
September 20, 2024
There's a lot to love about the first quarter (maybe even a third) of The Girl in the Glass. There are lots of interesting parts to it: con men pretending to be psychics (one of them being an illegal immigrant from Mexico, thus pretending to be an Indian mystic) in order to prey on rich gullible people. Then something seemingly quasi-supernatural happens, which unravels a murder mystery, and the novel becomes a different animal.
The first portion of the novel is rich in character and, to an extent, atmosphere (at times it reminded me of a Robert McCammon novel); but it's when it becomes a straight-up murder mystery--beat by beat, and very formulaic--I lost interest. Then with about 50 pages or so to go, the secret antagonist just sort of... explains everything. Like a Scooby-Doo villain.
And the problem with this? I know everything there is to know (or at least I feel like I do) with 50 pages to go, and the momentum has completely stopped. I found myself skimming the pages at that point.
The Girl in the Glass is like a locomotive at full steam right off the bat. Then it loses momentum so gradually you don't even know it. Then it sort of just anticlimactically goes off the tracks, but it's still kind of confidently moving along, pretending that it's all part of the ride--it's not a train-wreck, per se, it's just kind of disappointing.
The first portion of the novel is rich in character and, to an extent, atmosphere (at times it reminded me of a Robert McCammon novel); but it's when it becomes a straight-up murder mystery--beat by beat, and very formulaic--I lost interest. Then with about 50 pages or so to go, the secret antagonist just sort of... explains everything. Like a Scooby-Doo villain.
And the problem with this? I know everything there is to know (or at least I feel like I do) with 50 pages to go, and the momentum has completely stopped. I found myself skimming the pages at that point.
The Girl in the Glass is like a locomotive at full steam right off the bat. Then it loses momentum so gradually you don't even know it. Then it sort of just anticlimactically goes off the tracks, but it's still kind of confidently moving along, pretending that it's all part of the ride--it's not a train-wreck, per se, it's just kind of disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2019
Finally able to sneak in a little me-time since the birth of my beautiful son. He's wonderful, but he's very needy of attention and most of the time he cries when I leave him alone longer than 10 minutes.
But he's sleeping now..
The Girl in the Glass.. not sure what to think of it. I stumbled upon this not too long a story, because I've got so many e-books that I've taken to choosing one randomly.
It's set during the 1930's when America was going through the first Wall Street crash and depression and Prohibition was in full process.
We're following a sliver of the life of a small group of con-men, who try to earn a nickel from the rich imposing as clairvoyants. While doing so, they get tangled into a mystery where a vanished girl turns up dead and drained of blood.
The search for the killer takes them onto a path in the very dark bowels of white America, which has tentacles that reach over the Atlantic. The need for superiority taking monstrous proportions.
I enjoyed the story, but the narrator didn't spark anything more. It read like I was watching it enfold behind a think pane of glass, there wasn't any emotional connection.
But he's sleeping now..
The Girl in the Glass.. not sure what to think of it. I stumbled upon this not too long a story, because I've got so many e-books that I've taken to choosing one randomly.
It's set during the 1930's when America was going through the first Wall Street crash and depression and Prohibition was in full process.
We're following a sliver of the life of a small group of con-men, who try to earn a nickel from the rich imposing as clairvoyants. While doing so, they get tangled into a mystery where a vanished girl turns up dead and drained of blood.
The search for the killer takes them onto a path in the very dark bowels of white America, which has tentacles that reach over the Atlantic. The need for superiority taking monstrous proportions.
I enjoyed the story, but the narrator didn't spark anything more. It read like I was watching it enfold behind a think pane of glass, there wasn't any emotional connection.
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