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The Glass Town Game
A Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner
"Dazzling." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Charlotte and Emily Bront� enter a fantasy world that they invented in order to rescue their siblings in this "lovely, fanciful" (Booklist, starred review) novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.
Inside a small Yorkshire parsonage, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne Bront� have invented a game called Glass Town, where their toy soldiers fight Napoleon and no one dies. This make-believe land helps the four escape from a harsh reality: Charlotte and Emily are being sent away to a dangerous boarding school. But then something incredible happens: a train whisks them all away to a real Glass Town, and the children trade the moors for a wonderland all their own.
This is their Glass Town...almost. Their Napoleon never rode into battle on a fire-breathing porcelain rooster. And the soldiers can die; wars are fought over a potion that raises the dead, a potion Anne would very much like to bring back to England. But returning is out of the question--Charlotte will never go back to that horrible school.
Together the Bront� siblings must battle their own imaginations in this magical celebration of authorship, creativity, and classic literature from award-winning author Catherynne M. Valente.
"Dazzling." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Charlotte and Emily Bront� enter a fantasy world that they invented in order to rescue their siblings in this "lovely, fanciful" (Booklist, starred review) novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.
Inside a small Yorkshire parsonage, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne Bront� have invented a game called Glass Town, where their toy soldiers fight Napoleon and no one dies. This make-believe land helps the four escape from a harsh reality: Charlotte and Emily are being sent away to a dangerous boarding school. But then something incredible happens: a train whisks them all away to a real Glass Town, and the children trade the moors for a wonderland all their own.
This is their Glass Town...almost. Their Napoleon never rode into battle on a fire-breathing porcelain rooster. And the soldiers can die; wars are fought over a potion that raises the dead, a potion Anne would very much like to bring back to England. But returning is out of the question--Charlotte will never go back to that horrible school.
Together the Bront� siblings must battle their own imaginations in this magical celebration of authorship, creativity, and classic literature from award-winning author Catherynne M. Valente.
560 pages, Library Binding
First published September 5, 2017
131 people are currently reading
5042 people want to read
About the author
Catherynne M. Valente
255 books7,771 followersCatherynne M. Valente was born on Cinco de Mayo, 1979 in Seattle, WA, but grew up in in the wheatgrass paradise of Northern California. She graduated from high school at age 15, going on to UC San Diego and Edinburgh University, receiving her B.A. in Classics with an emphasis in Ancient Greek Linguistics. She then drifted away from her M.A. program and into a long residence in the concrete and camphor wilds of Japan.
She currently lives in Maine with her partner, two dogs, and three cats, having drifted back to America and the mythic frontier of the Midwest.
She currently lives in Maine with her partner, two dogs, and three cats, having drifted back to America and the mythic frontier of the Midwest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews
September 1, 2017
Because this is a Valente book, the writing is stunning. And, because this is a Valente book, The Glass Town Game is very... odd. I'm rounding up to three stars for this combination of one of today's best fantasy authors and the juvenilia of some of my favourite authors of all time, but I struggle to know who to recommend it to.
The Glass Town Game goes back to the childhood of the four Bronte children - Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne - and explores their inner world in a strange tale that blurs fantasy and reality. When Charlotte and Emily must go back to their dreaded boarding school, their father instructs Branwell to guide them there, and take young Anne with him. However, their journey is disturbed by a bizarre turn of events - their childhood toys and stories have come to life.
I found myself torn between a stunning literary display of vivid imagery, metaphor, whimsy and nods to the Bronte writings and a story that was way too juvenile for my tastes.
Who is this book for? Many adults and older teens will surely be put off by the quirky story that consists of toy soldiers coming to life and taking the children on an adventure. I must confess that I found exploring the fictional worlds created by the young Brontes to be a bit boring. If you are an adult/YA looking for a children's story with a touch of whimsy and that classic feeling, I'd recommend Rooftoppers instead.
What’s strange, though, is that while the plot itself is very juvenile, the writing and literary references feel far suited to an older audience. Will many middle-grade readers appreciate the metaphor and literary nods? I'm doubtful.
Though beautifully-written, I struggle to imagine the kind of reader who will fully enjoy this book. It seems too young for adults and older teens; too mature for the target middle-grade audience.
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The Glass Town Game goes back to the childhood of the four Bronte children - Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne - and explores their inner world in a strange tale that blurs fantasy and reality. When Charlotte and Emily must go back to their dreaded boarding school, their father instructs Branwell to guide them there, and take young Anne with him. However, their journey is disturbed by a bizarre turn of events - their childhood toys and stories have come to life.
I found myself torn between a stunning literary display of vivid imagery, metaphor, whimsy and nods to the Bronte writings and a story that was way too juvenile for my tastes.
Who is this book for? Many adults and older teens will surely be put off by the quirky story that consists of toy soldiers coming to life and taking the children on an adventure. I must confess that I found exploring the fictional worlds created by the young Brontes to be a bit boring. If you are an adult/YA looking for a children's story with a touch of whimsy and that classic feeling, I'd recommend Rooftoppers instead.
What’s strange, though, is that while the plot itself is very juvenile, the writing and literary references feel far suited to an older audience. Will many middle-grade readers appreciate the metaphor and literary nods? I'm doubtful.
Though beautifully-written, I struggle to imagine the kind of reader who will fully enjoy this book. It seems too young for adults and older teens; too mature for the target middle-grade audience.
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March 28, 2017Valente could write the backs of ketchup bottles and I'd read them.
July 25, 2018
Thought experiment: What would it be like to transport a handful of Regency-Era children from their playtime expositions into a very real and rich toyland stolen right out of their own noggins like Athena from Zeus's brow?
Add an amazingly rich assortment of famous real and imaginary personages of the time period showing up as children's characters their own age but as dolls, luggage, rags, pins, buttons, or ANYTHING that might be found in the playroom, stir, give vivid life, and then turn it into a rich drama full of intrigue and a war between Wellington and Napoleon, and it's *almost* a smidge like a much BETTER Narnia mixed with the delightful wordplay of Valente's Fairyland books, turned Regency and Hans Christain Anderson.
And it's a pure delight. It is absolutely for young readers, Middle-Grade, apparently, but it also doesn't dumb ANYTHING down, keeping the words right but never stinting on the hard questions or the tragedies or the heartache. Would it be one of those more difficult but infinitely more rewarding books for, say, 9-year-olds? Absolutely.
Is it rich enough for any adult to be transported and delighted by the wordplay and cleverness and the realness of the tale underneath the sheer imagination? Absolutely.
Of course, I'm biased. I'm a huge fan of Valente anyway and no matter whether she's writing for adults with very, very adult themes (read pornographic) or a battle between life and death or going for the humorous angle in Space Opera or Radiance or being utterly delightful with all five of her fantastic Fairyland books, I can't seem to get enough.
She's a master of the writing craft. I have no doubt about it. :) Pure gold.
Add an amazingly rich assortment of famous real and imaginary personages of the time period showing up as children's characters their own age but as dolls, luggage, rags, pins, buttons, or ANYTHING that might be found in the playroom, stir, give vivid life, and then turn it into a rich drama full of intrigue and a war between Wellington and Napoleon, and it's *almost* a smidge like a much BETTER Narnia mixed with the delightful wordplay of Valente's Fairyland books, turned Regency and Hans Christain Anderson.
And it's a pure delight. It is absolutely for young readers, Middle-Grade, apparently, but it also doesn't dumb ANYTHING down, keeping the words right but never stinting on the hard questions or the tragedies or the heartache. Would it be one of those more difficult but infinitely more rewarding books for, say, 9-year-olds? Absolutely.
Is it rich enough for any adult to be transported and delighted by the wordplay and cleverness and the realness of the tale underneath the sheer imagination? Absolutely.
Of course, I'm biased. I'm a huge fan of Valente anyway and no matter whether she's writing for adults with very, very adult themes (read pornographic) or a battle between life and death or going for the humorous angle in Space Opera or Radiance or being utterly delightful with all five of her fantastic Fairyland books, I can't seem to get enough.
She's a master of the writing craft. I have no doubt about it. :) Pure gold.
March 15, 2021
Reading Catherynne Valente, I have felt many things: beguiled, repulsed, bewildered. This is the first book of hers in which I have felt bored.
The Glass Town Game is a sort of children's portal fantasy in which the four Bronte siblings - Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne - are whisked away from the grim reality of boarding school into a world that seems to have been shaped by their own imaginations. The wooden soldiers they played with are life-sized and alive in Glass Town, the stalwart troops of Duke Wellington in an ongoing war against Napoleon ("Boney," literally made of bone with muskets for arms) and his army of frogs (yes, amphibian ones). There are magical trains, famous authors and historical personages as interpreted by the Brontes, death-defying potions; dashing through space and time at the speed of bad news (nothing travels faster), harrowing betrayals, and...sentient luggage.
If it had been about 200 pages shorter, it could have been fun, but at a bloated 531 pages, Glass Town Game is a slog. It can't decide whether it wants to be children's fiction or an affectionate homage to Romanticism and the Bronte oeuvre, so it tries to be both. And even as the niche reader who likes both genres and doesn't require a zippy plot, I found that it got bogged down by the weight of its own literary allusions. There's a governess made of slate called Agnes Grey, Emily meets a ghost named Cathy with a tragic and romantic history, Charlotte takes an instant dislike to Jane Austen, a fusspot literally made of teacup handles. If these were limited to occasional Easter eggs for adult readers, that would be one thing, but quite a lot of space is devoted to them. The fancy dress Wildfell Ball stretches from page 277 and 398 and introduces a large cast of such characters who do nothing to further the plot. (As a misanthrope, I must say that it is also just far, far too much time to spend even at a fictional ball.)
I did enjoy Valente's characterizations of the Brontes in their formative years. When asked what she dreams of, Emily answers, "I like dogs with white ears, and half-blind old ravens, and extremely tidy rooms, the opposite of arguments, and thunderstorms on the moors, and...and ghosts," Emily breathed out all at once, adding the last without quite meaning to. "I...I suppose...I should like to love someone who makes me fell the way I feel when the thunder storms on the moors. And to not be a governess ever."
Valente writes imaginatively and well, offering tart commentary on everything from censorship to parallel worlds to sibling rivalry and grief, yet her strengths as a writer do not make up for the sluggish pace and total loss of momentum in the middle. The Glass Town Game has a bit of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel, but it is missing the one thing that could have made it good: a merciless editor.
The Glass Town Game is a sort of children's portal fantasy in which the four Bronte siblings - Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne - are whisked away from the grim reality of boarding school into a world that seems to have been shaped by their own imaginations. The wooden soldiers they played with are life-sized and alive in Glass Town, the stalwart troops of Duke Wellington in an ongoing war against Napoleon ("Boney," literally made of bone with muskets for arms) and his army of frogs (yes, amphibian ones). There are magical trains, famous authors and historical personages as interpreted by the Brontes, death-defying potions; dashing through space and time at the speed of bad news (nothing travels faster), harrowing betrayals, and...sentient luggage.
If it had been about 200 pages shorter, it could have been fun, but at a bloated 531 pages, Glass Town Game is a slog. It can't decide whether it wants to be children's fiction or an affectionate homage to Romanticism and the Bronte oeuvre, so it tries to be both. And even as the niche reader who likes both genres and doesn't require a zippy plot, I found that it got bogged down by the weight of its own literary allusions. There's a governess made of slate called Agnes Grey, Emily meets a ghost named Cathy with a tragic and romantic history, Charlotte takes an instant dislike to Jane Austen, a fusspot literally made of teacup handles. If these were limited to occasional Easter eggs for adult readers, that would be one thing, but quite a lot of space is devoted to them. The fancy dress Wildfell Ball stretches from page 277 and 398 and introduces a large cast of such characters who do nothing to further the plot. (As a misanthrope, I must say that it is also just far, far too much time to spend even at a fictional ball.)
I did enjoy Valente's characterizations of the Brontes in their formative years. When asked what she dreams of, Emily answers, "I like dogs with white ears, and half-blind old ravens, and extremely tidy rooms, the opposite of arguments, and thunderstorms on the moors, and...and ghosts," Emily breathed out all at once, adding the last without quite meaning to. "I...I suppose...I should like to love someone who makes me fell the way I feel when the thunder storms on the moors. And to not be a governess ever."
Valente writes imaginatively and well, offering tart commentary on everything from censorship to parallel worlds to sibling rivalry and grief, yet her strengths as a writer do not make up for the sluggish pace and total loss of momentum in the middle. The Glass Town Game has a bit of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel, but it is missing the one thing that could have made it good: a merciless editor.
October 30, 2017
I loved the atmosphere and the language, but this book was altogether too long! I empathized with the four girls at their fears and dreams, and frequently felt Branwell was a little snot. I, however, just kind of ran out of gas for this story about 200 pages in, and felt like I was heaving each wonderful description over my shoulder just so I could get to the plot. There were several chapters where I struggled to sustain my interest, and took to skimming my way through the remaining 300 or so pages just so I could find out how the kids returned home.
Want to read
January 17, 2018This copy is an uncorrected proof Advanced Readers Copy of the hardcover edition.
December 7, 2020
An enjoyable read - fun, entertaining, and filled with Brontë references.
July 25, 2018
This book by Catherynne Valente is for younger readers. Supposedly. One of the great things about this author is that she doesn't let it show because she knows that little readers are just as smart and deserving of a good tale and complex characters as big readers are.
We follow Charlotte, Bran(well), Emily and Anne. Yep, the Bronte siblings. Their two oldest siblings, Maria and Elizabeth, have died not too long ago, as has their mother. Now, their father wants to send Charlotte and Emily off to the same school where Maria and "Lizzy" caught their mortal infection. Naturally, the girls are more than a bit reluctant to go.
When their brother Bran and youngest sister Anne accompany them to the coach that is supposed to take them to the school, however, there is a train at the station that has peculiar staff. They recognize the conductor as he is one of their toy soldiers and after boarding the train, a wonderfully fantastic journey into another world begins.
Yes, this sounds like a number of other stories featuring children that travel to different worlds to have adventures. And in a way it is. But as usual, Valente turns everything on its head.
We have toys that come to life to lead lives of their own; everything in this world is exactly what the label says (the sea lion is a lion with a skin made of the sea).
Add to that some historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington, Jane Austen, Lord Byron, Queen Victoria and some fictional characters that populate this world and live out the apparently never-ending conflict that so resembles the struggles of the children and the people in their world. Oh, and we get lots of hints strewn in for future people and plot elements of the Bronte novels.
This wouldn't be Valente, though, if she didn't round off this adventurous tale full of important topics such as the equality of boys and girls and coming to terms with (not necessarily your own but loved ones') mortality with her typical beautiful language. Here, it's especially great because of the protagonists and some of the afore-mentioned real-life characters. Thus, we get wonderful poetry, intelligent turns of phrases and puns that complete the vivid imagery that already is full of double or even triple meaning on its own.
Compared to some of her other works, this is slightly toned down, but there are still dark topics addressed here because the author knows how important it is not to shield children entirely but to prepare them. And boy, does she ever. In a clever, charismatic way full of heart and wit and fun. It's not her best (which is to say: not my favourite by her) but at this author's incredibly high level, it doesn't really matter.
I've been listening to the audiobook while also taking the occasional peek into my hardcover edition for the beautiful poems and gorgeous illustrations and can say that I have been charmed by both.
We follow Charlotte, Bran(well), Emily and Anne. Yep, the Bronte siblings. Their two oldest siblings, Maria and Elizabeth, have died not too long ago, as has their mother. Now, their father wants to send Charlotte and Emily off to the same school where Maria and "Lizzy" caught their mortal infection. Naturally, the girls are more than a bit reluctant to go.
When their brother Bran and youngest sister Anne accompany them to the coach that is supposed to take them to the school, however, there is a train at the station that has peculiar staff. They recognize the conductor as he is one of their toy soldiers and after boarding the train, a wonderfully fantastic journey into another world begins.
Yes, this sounds like a number of other stories featuring children that travel to different worlds to have adventures. And in a way it is. But as usual, Valente turns everything on its head.
We have toys that come to life to lead lives of their own; everything in this world is exactly what the label says (the sea lion is a lion with a skin made of the sea).
Add to that some historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington, Jane Austen, Lord Byron, Queen Victoria and some fictional characters that populate this world and live out the apparently never-ending conflict that so resembles the struggles of the children and the people in their world. Oh, and we get lots of hints strewn in for future people and plot elements of the Bronte novels.
This wouldn't be Valente, though, if she didn't round off this adventurous tale full of important topics such as the equality of boys and girls and coming to terms with (not necessarily your own but loved ones') mortality with her typical beautiful language. Here, it's especially great because of the protagonists and some of the afore-mentioned real-life characters. Thus, we get wonderful poetry, intelligent turns of phrases and puns that complete the vivid imagery that already is full of double or even triple meaning on its own.
Compared to some of her other works, this is slightly toned down, but there are still dark topics addressed here because the author knows how important it is not to shield children entirely but to prepare them. And boy, does she ever. In a clever, charismatic way full of heart and wit and fun. It's not her best (which is to say: not my favourite by her) but at this author's incredibly high level, it doesn't really matter.
I've been listening to the audiobook while also taking the occasional peek into my hardcover edition for the beautiful poems and gorgeous illustrations and can say that I have been charmed by both.
November 26, 2018
The cleverness of this! I don't know if kids would get a lot of it, I really feel like it was written for the Bronte-Loving Inner Child. The jokes and puns - they go incognito to the Wildfell BALL, meet a woman made of gray chalkboards who is named Agnes- had me laughing out loud, but I know my kids wouldn't get it. They would, however, enjoy the adventure of the story, and the beautiful and strange imagery!
September 4, 2017
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/09/04/...
As a relative newcomer to Catherynne M. Valente, having only read my first book by her earlier this year, I’ve grown increasingly curious about her other work especially her Middle Grade/Children’s projects. And so when the opportunity to read The Glass Town Game came to me, it sounded like it could be the perfect place to start.
Inspired by the fantastical stories and worlds created by the Brontë siblings as children, this novel follows Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne as they are spirited away to a land populated by the creatures and denizens of their own imagination. The book opens with the two oldest girls preparing to leave for Cowan Bridge School, a situation none of the youngsters are happy about, considering how their two older sisters had just recently died from a fever contracted from that very same place. As the only brother, Branwell is instructed to accompany them to the carriage station, while also bringing along Anne. In town, however, the children are distracted by the sights and sounds, and instead of continuing on to Cowan Bridge, they find themselves unexpectedly carried off on a magical train bound for another realm.
To the children’s surprise and excitement, the place they find themselves is Glass Town, a perfect replica of the world they have created in their imaginations during play sessions, complete with all their dolls and wooden toy soldiers come to life. Unfortunately though, as they soon find out, the rules they’ve come up with during their fun and games have also become binding, and innocent joy quickly turns to worry as the siblings begin to wonder if they’ll ever find their way home.
At the beginning of this review, I posited that The Glass Town Game might be a good jumping on point for readers curious about Valente’s Middle Grade books. However, after finishing this novel, I’ve started to rethink that initial assessment. The truth is, I’m having a hard time figuring out its audience. The publisher’s recommendation is for children between Grades 4-7, which ostensibly makes sense, considering the ages of the main characters as well as the silly and somewhat juvenile nature of their adventures. Kids who delight in wild, whimsical descriptions and situations (like Napoleon Bonaparte riding to war on a giant chicken, for example) will no doubt eat this one right up.
However, linguistically and stylistically, I feel that the writing in this book is actually geared towards readers much older than the ages recommended. The story’s pacing suggests this to me as well, with large swaths of the book that could have been cut down or scrapped completely, for they added no real substance to the plot. While adult and young adult readers might gain some appreciation for all this exposition by finding value in the character or relationship development, I have to wonder if the majority of Middle Grade readers will have the same amount of patience for these slower sections, not to mention how the double meanings behind many of the “punny” jokes might go over their heads.
Honestly, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with this book. Characters and storytelling are topnotch. The writing is as gorgeous and technically sound as it can be. At the end of the day, I think I liked The Glass Town Game. Still, as I went back and forth between thinking like an adult and thinking like a middle schooler while reading this, I just couldn’t figure out who would benefit the most. Other questions that went through my head were, would this book hold the average nine-year-old’s attention for 500+ pages? Or, would an adult fantasy reader be able to look past all the silliness? Because of this, the novel strikes me as a bit confused as to what it wants to accomplish, and that was what hurt it the most, ultimately affecting my overall enjoyment and rating.
But for fans of Catherynne M. Valente, I doubt they’d want to miss this. The mixed feelings I have for The Glass Town Game notwithstanding, I can’t fault the beautiful prose, the fanciful imagery, or the author’s magnificent talent for bringing the Brontë children and their world to life. This book is getting filed under “Interesting Experiences” for now, but I’ll definitely continue keeping my eye out for Valente’s future work.
As a relative newcomer to Catherynne M. Valente, having only read my first book by her earlier this year, I’ve grown increasingly curious about her other work especially her Middle Grade/Children’s projects. And so when the opportunity to read The Glass Town Game came to me, it sounded like it could be the perfect place to start.
Inspired by the fantastical stories and worlds created by the Brontë siblings as children, this novel follows Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne as they are spirited away to a land populated by the creatures and denizens of their own imagination. The book opens with the two oldest girls preparing to leave for Cowan Bridge School, a situation none of the youngsters are happy about, considering how their two older sisters had just recently died from a fever contracted from that very same place. As the only brother, Branwell is instructed to accompany them to the carriage station, while also bringing along Anne. In town, however, the children are distracted by the sights and sounds, and instead of continuing on to Cowan Bridge, they find themselves unexpectedly carried off on a magical train bound for another realm.
To the children’s surprise and excitement, the place they find themselves is Glass Town, a perfect replica of the world they have created in their imaginations during play sessions, complete with all their dolls and wooden toy soldiers come to life. Unfortunately though, as they soon find out, the rules they’ve come up with during their fun and games have also become binding, and innocent joy quickly turns to worry as the siblings begin to wonder if they’ll ever find their way home.
At the beginning of this review, I posited that The Glass Town Game might be a good jumping on point for readers curious about Valente’s Middle Grade books. However, after finishing this novel, I’ve started to rethink that initial assessment. The truth is, I’m having a hard time figuring out its audience. The publisher’s recommendation is for children between Grades 4-7, which ostensibly makes sense, considering the ages of the main characters as well as the silly and somewhat juvenile nature of their adventures. Kids who delight in wild, whimsical descriptions and situations (like Napoleon Bonaparte riding to war on a giant chicken, for example) will no doubt eat this one right up.
However, linguistically and stylistically, I feel that the writing in this book is actually geared towards readers much older than the ages recommended. The story’s pacing suggests this to me as well, with large swaths of the book that could have been cut down or scrapped completely, for they added no real substance to the plot. While adult and young adult readers might gain some appreciation for all this exposition by finding value in the character or relationship development, I have to wonder if the majority of Middle Grade readers will have the same amount of patience for these slower sections, not to mention how the double meanings behind many of the “punny” jokes might go over their heads.
Honestly, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with this book. Characters and storytelling are topnotch. The writing is as gorgeous and technically sound as it can be. At the end of the day, I think I liked The Glass Town Game. Still, as I went back and forth between thinking like an adult and thinking like a middle schooler while reading this, I just couldn’t figure out who would benefit the most. Other questions that went through my head were, would this book hold the average nine-year-old’s attention for 500+ pages? Or, would an adult fantasy reader be able to look past all the silliness? Because of this, the novel strikes me as a bit confused as to what it wants to accomplish, and that was what hurt it the most, ultimately affecting my overall enjoyment and rating.
But for fans of Catherynne M. Valente, I doubt they’d want to miss this. The mixed feelings I have for The Glass Town Game notwithstanding, I can’t fault the beautiful prose, the fanciful imagery, or the author’s magnificent talent for bringing the Brontë children and their world to life. This book is getting filed under “Interesting Experiences” for now, but I’ll definitely continue keeping my eye out for Valente’s future work.
February 13, 2018
The Glass Town Game feels a little like Fairyland-lite. Based on the childhood games and stories of the Brontes, including Branwell, Valente delivers another kind of portal fantasy in which the Brontes find themselves in the middle of their own imagined world. The four are generally fun to follow, though Branwell is rather annoying (probably quite in line with the real Branwell). It’s all very whimsical and charming, but the Fairyland books are better at that, so it didn’t quite work for me; I’ve seen Valente do it better.
That aside, it’s an absorbing read, with so much cleverness, including sly references to the Brontes adult work and little pieces from their biographies, etc. It ticks along at a fine pace, and each of the siblings gets the eye of the narrator on them in turn, dissecting their faults and flaws and cheering for their strengths and cleverness. You can’t quite root for Branwell (though you can understand him), but Charlotte in particular makes an excellent heroine. The first half is a little slower, and might take some getting into, but after the halfway point it picks up pace a lot.
If I were recommending somewhere to start with Valente’s work, it wouldn’t be this, but it’s definitely entertaining and beautifully written. It’s more in line with the Fairyland books in terms of style than her adult novels; it doesn’t come across as more poetry than prose, if that’s something which bothers you about her books like Deathless and Palimpsest.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
That aside, it’s an absorbing read, with so much cleverness, including sly references to the Brontes adult work and little pieces from their biographies, etc. It ticks along at a fine pace, and each of the siblings gets the eye of the narrator on them in turn, dissecting their faults and flaws and cheering for their strengths and cleverness. You can’t quite root for Branwell (though you can understand him), but Charlotte in particular makes an excellent heroine. The first half is a little slower, and might take some getting into, but after the halfway point it picks up pace a lot.
If I were recommending somewhere to start with Valente’s work, it wouldn’t be this, but it’s definitely entertaining and beautifully written. It’s more in line with the Fairyland books in terms of style than her adult novels; it doesn’t come across as more poetry than prose, if that’s something which bothers you about her books like Deathless and Palimpsest.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
October 26, 2017
Stayed up all night and read it straight through!
March 17, 2019
I expected this to be something other than what it was. That was difficult to overlook, but I do have some other complaints about TGTG. My main ones surround the question: who was the target audience? The vocabulary and imagery were almost too complex for me, an adult. I don't think many middle grade readers would be able to easily read this book. Many of the Brontë references in here are only apparent to those who have already read the Brontës' works, which aren't many people under the age of 16. There was also romances between preteen characters, which was unnecessary and a bit unsettling. There were many appearances of real world figures, like Lord Byron and Queen Victoria, which most middle grade readers wouldn't understand. These real world characters were also aged down to preteens, but then still acted like adults, which was perplexing and frustrating. The extent of Glass Town's world building seemed to be that things are made out of bits of other things and little else. There didn't seem to be much internal logic or rules to Glass Town that couldn't easily be subverted. There were a few plot points that brought up morally and ethically ambiguous situations that felt too adult and where also not fully explored. And finally, I don't think the personalities of the Brontë siblings were captured. The sisters seemed interchangeable at times. Branwell was the only boy in the story, and he was mean all of the time. Once the siblings go to Glass Town, they could have been any four children and ceased to feel like the Brontës specifically. I don't think middle grade readers will feel inspired to read the novels by the Brontës just by having read The Glass Town Game. I know I had too high of hopes and the wrong expectations for this work, but I also don't think it did what it set out to do.
December 14, 2017
There is something in this woman's writing that makes me queasy. I find everything she writes to be precious to the point of twee. Her earlier stuff was marketed as YA, but this 500+ page attack on the Brontes is being labeled as, I guess, fiction for "older elementary students."
Now maybe there are some rare, brilliant beyond their years children who will read a 500+ page book that isn't by J.K Rowling. Perhaps they are the same ones who will know all about the Brontes, their childhood play with toy soldiers and imaginary kingdoms, and will get all the allusions.|
And if you are one of those nice, brilliant young folk, don't bother to write me an indignant rebuttal here. Bless your heart, but you are NOT the average reader, you are the sort of reader who would read the back of a medicine bottle if there were no other reading matter. And why would my opinion matter to you anyway?
But mostly this is aimed at the same silly 20 somethings who read the rest of Valente's crap--perhaps some of whom have managed to read a Bronte or two, or at least have seen some of the film versions. And I am sure they will be putting up their "OMG, this is the BEST book ever!" reviews, complete with stupid little GIFS.
As for me, I am going to have to be more careful, because I wasted money on this sucker, and wasn't smart enough to note the author's name. Clearly I was reading reviews one afternoon after I'd done several story hours in the morning, and was too tired to spot it.
Bleh!
Now maybe there are some rare, brilliant beyond their years children who will read a 500+ page book that isn't by J.K Rowling. Perhaps they are the same ones who will know all about the Brontes, their childhood play with toy soldiers and imaginary kingdoms, and will get all the allusions.|
And if you are one of those nice, brilliant young folk, don't bother to write me an indignant rebuttal here. Bless your heart, but you are NOT the average reader, you are the sort of reader who would read the back of a medicine bottle if there were no other reading matter. And why would my opinion matter to you anyway?
But mostly this is aimed at the same silly 20 somethings who read the rest of Valente's crap--perhaps some of whom have managed to read a Bronte or two, or at least have seen some of the film versions. And I am sure they will be putting up their "OMG, this is the BEST book ever!" reviews, complete with stupid little GIFS.
As for me, I am going to have to be more careful, because I wasted money on this sucker, and wasn't smart enough to note the author's name. Clearly I was reading reviews one afternoon after I'd done several story hours in the morning, and was too tired to spot it.
Bleh!
September 18, 2017
So I accidentally fell head-over-heels in love with this book.
Recently I read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Valente, and I thought it was pretty much perfect, (as you can see in this casually self-promoted review, if you would like.) Well. This one was even better, which is saying a lot.
5 Things About The Glass Town Game
1. The writing is gorgeous. I'm convinced it is actually made out of magic and I would like to go live in it, thank you. I love Valente's writing so, so much. If I could live in it I would. I like it because it's magical and descriptive without being so verbose and dense it's aggravating. (Dramatic, I know, but I get annoyed by aggravatingly verbose writing.) Here are some of my favorite snippets:*
Hatred felt like the terrible burning lye soap they used for laundry splashing up onto her heart
instead of onto her hands.
Well, I would have said books, too, you know, but books are just obvious. That's like saying you
like air!
Charlotte's lies spooled out like perfect, silken thread, and whatever they touched stuck together
fast.
I should like to love someone who makes me feel the way I feel when the thunder storms on the
moors.
You couldn't ever really fix a sad story. You could only make another. And another. And another,
until you found the right one at last, the one that ends in joy.
Okay, I'm going to stop now before I quote the whole book or start crying again. But seriously. The whole book is a work of art and PLEASE you need to dive in and get lost in the writing too.
*All quotes are from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication blah blah etc.
2. This book is, admittedly, a tiny bit strange. Okay, um, maybe more than a tiny bit. This book is strange and odd, but I actually think that is one the best things about it. I'll admit I was a little lost for the first couple hundred pages BUT that was because a) I was suffering a major reading slump and b) I was really overwhelmed with school and wasn't letting myself take time to enjoy reading. But! I finally broke out of my reading slump two days ago, and I read 300 pages of this book in one sitting and loved every single word, so I don't think this book was too weird that it wasn't enjoyable. I liked the weirdness and the whimsy. This book isn't odd in a weird way; it's odd in a happy, carefree, whimsical way. It made me feel happy. But do know that this story is, well, different; there are talking suitcases and wooden soldiers and a Napoleon who rides a rooster. A lot of whether you like this book will depend on just how much whimsy you can handle.
3. This book is loaded with metaphors and little Easter eggs that were SO FUN to find. Like all the metaphors about the Napoleonic battles and England. And the way the author discusses death. Another fun thing was seeing famous figures from throughout literary history pop up. The way the Valente portrayed Jane Austen was hiLARIOUS and I am still laughing. We also see Lord Byron who is this brooding eleven-year old poet who quotes himself and falls in love with Emily Bronte. It was all so much fun. At one point there is this cute little exchange:
No, Ellis - Emily! I would love you! I would be your husband!"
"I'm ten!"
"So?" shouted Lord Byron desperately. "I'm eleven! Emily, my darling, don't be so dramatic. You
would be a Baroness, and dance every night, and never want for a single thing!"
4. The characters were phenomenally developed. I'm not an expert on the Bronte kids, but I've read (most of) Jane Eyre and I loved Wuthering Heights, so I know a little bit about Charlotte, Emily, Branwell, and Anne. I think the author did a perfect job of showing us a way they might have been when they were all little. Charlotte's character felt like a person who could grow up to write Jane Eyre, for example. Plus it was SO COOL to see how their magical adventures in Glass Town would affect their books - and lives - later on.
5. This book feels really old, even though obviously it is not. The writing style and story style reminds me of the classic Victorian fairytales, like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan and The Secret Garden. It's not like it's dense or hard to read like classics sometimes are; it's like it's timeless and like it's been here forever. There's just something magical about feeling like you're reading something that was written 100 years ago.
One more quick thing: This is a middle grade book, but I think adults would like it just as much (or maybe more) as the target audience. I know I like it much more now than i would have at age 10-12. That's not to say kids won't like it, I just think this story has the potential to resonate deeply with anyone, even though on the surface it may just look like a kid's book.
Recently I read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Valente, and I thought it was pretty much perfect, (as you can see in this casually self-promoted review, if you would like.) Well. This one was even better, which is saying a lot.
5 Things About The Glass Town Game
1. The writing is gorgeous. I'm convinced it is actually made out of magic and I would like to go live in it, thank you. I love Valente's writing so, so much. If I could live in it I would. I like it because it's magical and descriptive without being so verbose and dense it's aggravating. (Dramatic, I know, but I get annoyed by aggravatingly verbose writing.) Here are some of my favorite snippets:*
Hatred felt like the terrible burning lye soap they used for laundry splashing up onto her heart
instead of onto her hands.
Well, I would have said books, too, you know, but books are just obvious. That's like saying you
like air!
Charlotte's lies spooled out like perfect, silken thread, and whatever they touched stuck together
fast.
I should like to love someone who makes me feel the way I feel when the thunder storms on the
moors.
You couldn't ever really fix a sad story. You could only make another. And another. And another,
until you found the right one at last, the one that ends in joy.
Okay, I'm going to stop now before I quote the whole book or start crying again. But seriously. The whole book is a work of art and PLEASE you need to dive in and get lost in the writing too.
*All quotes are from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication blah blah etc.
2. This book is, admittedly, a tiny bit strange. Okay, um, maybe more than a tiny bit. This book is strange and odd, but I actually think that is one the best things about it. I'll admit I was a little lost for the first couple hundred pages BUT that was because a) I was suffering a major reading slump and b) I was really overwhelmed with school and wasn't letting myself take time to enjoy reading. But! I finally broke out of my reading slump two days ago, and I read 300 pages of this book in one sitting and loved every single word, so I don't think this book was too weird that it wasn't enjoyable. I liked the weirdness and the whimsy. This book isn't odd in a weird way; it's odd in a happy, carefree, whimsical way. It made me feel happy. But do know that this story is, well, different; there are talking suitcases and wooden soldiers and a Napoleon who rides a rooster. A lot of whether you like this book will depend on just how much whimsy you can handle.
3. This book is loaded with metaphors and little Easter eggs that were SO FUN to find. Like all the metaphors about the Napoleonic battles and England. And the way the author discusses death. Another fun thing was seeing famous figures from throughout literary history pop up. The way the Valente portrayed Jane Austen was hiLARIOUS and I am still laughing. We also see Lord Byron who is this brooding eleven-year old poet who quotes himself and falls in love with Emily Bronte. It was all so much fun. At one point there is this cute little exchange:
No, Ellis - Emily! I would love you! I would be your husband!"
"I'm ten!"
"So?" shouted Lord Byron desperately. "I'm eleven! Emily, my darling, don't be so dramatic. You
would be a Baroness, and dance every night, and never want for a single thing!"
4. The characters were phenomenally developed. I'm not an expert on the Bronte kids, but I've read (most of) Jane Eyre and I loved Wuthering Heights, so I know a little bit about Charlotte, Emily, Branwell, and Anne. I think the author did a perfect job of showing us a way they might have been when they were all little. Charlotte's character felt like a person who could grow up to write Jane Eyre, for example. Plus it was SO COOL to see how their magical adventures in Glass Town would affect their books - and lives - later on.
5. This book feels really old, even though obviously it is not. The writing style and story style reminds me of the classic Victorian fairytales, like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan and The Secret Garden. It's not like it's dense or hard to read like classics sometimes are; it's like it's timeless and like it's been here forever. There's just something magical about feeling like you're reading something that was written 100 years ago.
One more quick thing: This is a middle grade book, but I think adults would like it just as much (or maybe more) as the target audience. I know I like it much more now than i would have at age 10-12. That's not to say kids won't like it, I just think this story has the potential to resonate deeply with anyone, even though on the surface it may just look like a kid's book.
December 29, 2019
3.5 stars.
C. M. Valente does a fair impression of a British writer. Her humor (chiefly wry sarcasm) is sophisticated and literary as usual. Her imagery is vivid and playful. Her imagination is inexhaustible.
However,
I found myself struggling to justify the setting. You have Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne Brontë as the protagonists, underaged, with guest appearances from Byron, Mary Shelley, P. B. Shelley and others. Interesting puns and goofy side characters a la Alice in Wonderland, and a whole lot of magic. I felt that the liberties taken with the description of these historical figures, placing them in a magical world only served to strain credibility. I'm sure she knows her stuff and read biographies and what not, but the real world has very little significance in this novel. It could have been a fascinating historical novel with magical elements. That might have given it depth and more appeal for older readers. Why not just name the characters something different. Instead, the reader is constantly reminded that these are the authors of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. Her choice of setting allows for a wealth of literary allusions, but I argue that the allusions could have been made without resorting to directly placing those people in the story.
In any case, there are precious moments, since the narration takes place chiefly from the children's perspective. Quite a lot of cognitive dissonance, since reality blends seamlessly with dream. It takes Lewis Carroll's technique and extends it into tried and true territory, but I daresay it is not Valente's boldest or most brilliant work. The writing is clever and funny, but I found it less nuanced than Deathless and her early work. She goes for jokes sometimes, instead of meaningful emotion.
Animate toys are as serviceable as any other device. Why not add talking books? However, very rarely did I find myself lost in the story. It felt like story time, like she were making up the plot off the cuff, from a list of literary puns and images she had compiled. The tone is decidedly juvenile, unlike her recent Space Opera, but I liked it better than that book. Thus, if I had been younger I think I would have appreciated its whimsicality more, though I would not have appreciated the literary references.
Valente is one of the most exciting writers working today, and I hope she keeps experimenting and creating worlds. The tea parties and train stations and play wars just didn't lead to quite enough enjoyment for me. I rated Lewis Carroll no better, and I think this makes a case for itself as much as his crazy fantasy ever did, though this book does run a tad long.
C. M. Valente does a fair impression of a British writer. Her humor (chiefly wry sarcasm) is sophisticated and literary as usual. Her imagery is vivid and playful. Her imagination is inexhaustible.
However,
I found myself struggling to justify the setting. You have Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne Brontë as the protagonists, underaged, with guest appearances from Byron, Mary Shelley, P. B. Shelley and others. Interesting puns and goofy side characters a la Alice in Wonderland, and a whole lot of magic. I felt that the liberties taken with the description of these historical figures, placing them in a magical world only served to strain credibility. I'm sure she knows her stuff and read biographies and what not, but the real world has very little significance in this novel. It could have been a fascinating historical novel with magical elements. That might have given it depth and more appeal for older readers. Why not just name the characters something different. Instead, the reader is constantly reminded that these are the authors of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. Her choice of setting allows for a wealth of literary allusions, but I argue that the allusions could have been made without resorting to directly placing those people in the story.
In any case, there are precious moments, since the narration takes place chiefly from the children's perspective. Quite a lot of cognitive dissonance, since reality blends seamlessly with dream. It takes Lewis Carroll's technique and extends it into tried and true territory, but I daresay it is not Valente's boldest or most brilliant work. The writing is clever and funny, but I found it less nuanced than Deathless and her early work. She goes for jokes sometimes, instead of meaningful emotion.
Animate toys are as serviceable as any other device. Why not add talking books? However, very rarely did I find myself lost in the story. It felt like story time, like she were making up the plot off the cuff, from a list of literary puns and images she had compiled. The tone is decidedly juvenile, unlike her recent Space Opera, but I liked it better than that book. Thus, if I had been younger I think I would have appreciated its whimsicality more, though I would not have appreciated the literary references.
Valente is one of the most exciting writers working today, and I hope she keeps experimenting and creating worlds. The tea parties and train stations and play wars just didn't lead to quite enough enjoyment for me. I rated Lewis Carroll no better, and I think this makes a case for itself as much as his crazy fantasy ever did, though this book does run a tad long.
August 20, 2017
This is one of those wonderful children's books that adults can enjoy even more than children because of the backstory. The four Bronte children invent a game called Glass Town in which their toy soldiers fight against Napoleon. Unexpectedly, the children find themselves in a real Glass Town, which is much like their own creation, though some things are oddly different. Then two of the children are taken captive by Napoleon's men, and the other two much find their siblings before it is too late.
What a fun ride. It is witty and clever and surprising and delightful. The children and the other historical figures in the tale are just as I've always imagined them, and the plot is filled with little surprises.
What a fun ride. It is witty and clever and surprising and delightful. The children and the other historical figures in the tale are just as I've always imagined them, and the plot is filled with little surprises.
March 24, 2020
I think the main problem in The Glass Town Game is that Valente couldn't decide whether to write a fantasy novel for adults or whimsical middle grade novel; the fantasy world that Brontë siblings created is incredible as its' own and now the novel is in the border of both age groups, making confusing. The imaginary and the word choices are incredibly complex, almost too complex for an adult reader to understand the world Valente has created. There are multiple Easter eggs for Brontë lovers to the point in which it becomes almost daunting. You can't expect middle grade readers to have read all the Brontë classics and understand the references. The Brontë siblings become annoying stereotypes of children instead of recognizable people. This all makes the story even feel a bit pointless as it is so badly done.
Read
January 16, 2019DNF
I salute the uncompromising strangeness of this book, which I can understand how people love.
Nonetheless I got to the 50% mark and decided to give up. It's very clever, but I somehow don't feel emotionally involved with the characters. Not sure what is at stake emotionally despite the direness of everything, and the decision to take turns with close third-person on all four Brontes was a gamble that did not pay off for me.
I salute the uncompromising strangeness of this book, which I can understand how people love.
Nonetheless I got to the 50% mark and decided to give up. It's very clever, but I somehow don't feel emotionally involved with the characters. Not sure what is at stake emotionally despite the direness of everything, and the decision to take turns with close third-person on all four Brontes was a gamble that did not pay off for me.
dnf
December 15, 2017This is definitely not something I ever thought I'd say about anything written by Catherynne Valente but... this one really wasn't for me. I got a solid third of the way through by sheer grit-teethed effort, and decided that her words didn't deserve an un-enthused reader.
April 19, 2024
Valente is very hit-or-miss for me, and I didn't like this one anywhere near as much as her Fairyland series. It starts strong and the worldbuilding is beautifully imaginative, but that soon dries out and you're left with a pack of grieving children and entirely too much insight into the mind of a small boy who is the living embodiment of Victorian toxic masculinity. While I can appreciate the accuracy, it was very tiresome.
November 19, 2017
God I love her....
October 15, 2017
Two stars - "it was ok." Maybe 2.5. I really wanted to like this book, since I love the Brontes, I've read the biography, I wrote essays about them in high school and college, I've read Charlotte's juvenilia and Emily's poems. But I did not like the writing style. It was way too full of puns that form the basis of how this magical world works, and made up words so strange I had to pause to even figure out how to think the words. Some other reviewers have expressed they didn't like it but that maybe a Bronte fan would, but here's a Bronte fan saying "nope!" I pushed myself to read the last half of the book in a couple days to move on to other things. This is the first book I've read by this author, so I can't compare it with her other works. But being a Bronte fan alone isn't a guarantee that you'll like it.
October 31, 2017
Much like her The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making series, Glass Town is full of whimsy. And there's just the right amount of literary nose tapping for those of us who know our British lit, while still being approachable to middle graders not yet familiar with the Brontes, Lord Byron, or Jane Austen (all characters that appear). In Glass Town, the Brontes become sucked into their own recreation of the Napoleonic Wars, but now all their toy soldiers are real. And then Anne and Branwell are kidnapped, and it's up to Charlotte and Emily to save them.
Does anyone really need anymore from a review than a synopsis of the book? If a middle grade about the young Bronte siblings transported to their created world of Glass Town doesn't make you squeal, than this is probably a skip for you.
A fun, whimsical read.
Does anyone really need anymore from a review than a synopsis of the book? If a middle grade about the young Bronte siblings transported to their created world of Glass Town doesn't make you squeal, than this is probably a skip for you.
A fun, whimsical read.
September 26, 2020
It was an alright story but I did found myself little disappointed
March 14, 2019
This book. I've finished it and I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
On the one hand, I love that it's based on the Brontë children. It's packed with cleverness out of the Brontës' juvenilia, and history, and just general creativity. I enjoyed many of the details, especially the names that came from the Brontë sisters' books, and even the former version of their last name, Brunty.
But on the other hand, the many, many details expanded this book to over 500 pages, 500 pages in which there are many clever details and ideas, but not all that much plot. That made the book hard for me to get through. And although we got inside each of the Brontë siblings' heads in turn, I never felt that I knew them all that well by the end of the book.
On the one hand, I love that it's based on the Brontë children. It's packed with cleverness out of the Brontës' juvenilia, and history, and just general creativity. I enjoyed many of the details, especially the names that came from the Brontë sisters' books, and even the former version of their last name, Brunty.
But on the other hand, the many, many details expanded this book to over 500 pages, 500 pages in which there are many clever details and ideas, but not all that much plot. That made the book hard for me to get through. And although we got inside each of the Brontë siblings' heads in turn, I never felt that I knew them all that well by the end of the book.
September 1, 2023
Set in the imaginative minds of the Brontë children, this Regency Era fantasy is incredibly clever and very creatively written. I loved how it really felt so spot on with what children would think and imagine. And how perfectly they mispronounced and jumbled common words.
“Maybossibly when you say a year and I say a year we don’t meandicate the same thing. Sometimes a day in my own room thinking my own thoughts feels just like a year. Sometimes, when I tell a long, complicatory story, years go by in a word or two.”
I’ve now read three of Valente’s books and have thoroughly enjoyed each other them. She has a very original way of writing with brightly vivid characters and worlds she creates. This is definitely a middle grade I recommend for fantasy and historical fiction lovers!
“Maybossibly when you say a year and I say a year we don’t meandicate the same thing. Sometimes a day in my own room thinking my own thoughts feels just like a year. Sometimes, when I tell a long, complicatory story, years go by in a word or two.”
I’ve now read three of Valente’s books and have thoroughly enjoyed each other them. She has a very original way of writing with brightly vivid characters and worlds she creates. This is definitely a middle grade I recommend for fantasy and historical fiction lovers!
July 6, 2024
What I Liked
• The exploration of Charlotte’s mindset about being the oldest child, even though she wasn’t born into it, and Branwell’s need to be the one in charge or the one making a difference, either because he’s the only boy or because he feels like he should be in the position of the eldest child
• The book was not predictable. At no point did I ever feel like I knew what was going to happen next or how the story was going to end.
• The end of the book was so good. It was heart-wrenching but also not without hope.
What I Didn’t Like
• The head hopping (in every single chapter!)
What I’m Unsure About
• The puns and play on words. They’re not my favorite as an adult, though I probably would have enjoyed them quite a bit as a kid or younger teen.
• The exploration of Charlotte’s mindset about being the oldest child, even though she wasn’t born into it, and Branwell’s need to be the one in charge or the one making a difference, either because he’s the only boy or because he feels like he should be in the position of the eldest child
• The book was not predictable. At no point did I ever feel like I knew what was going to happen next or how the story was going to end.
• The end of the book was so good. It was heart-wrenching but also not without hope.
What I Didn’t Like
• The head hopping (in every single chapter!)
What I’m Unsure About
• The puns and play on words. They’re not my favorite as an adult, though I probably would have enjoyed them quite a bit as a kid or younger teen.
November 1, 2017
Charlotte and Emily have to go back to school, and nobody is happy about it. Their older sisters died of an illness they caught from school and everyone’s worried that their group will continue to dwindle. Besides that, they’ll be separated from Branwell and Anne, and the games they play will have to be put on hold until they return. On their walk to the carriage that will take them to school, they stop off at the train station to see if they can see a train, and something amazing happens — a train guarded by tin soldiers appears, and a man made entirely of magazines and papers runs onto it. They get on the train and discover that the games they’ve been playing with their tin soldiers in Glass Town have come to life, and now they’re stuck right in the middle of a war of their own making.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love that it takes British history and really plays with it, especially with having the Brontes as the main characters. Glass Town is an exceptionally fantastical and whimsical place, very much feeling like the product of children’s imaginations. I especially enjoyed how literal Glass Town is with what they do. For example, champagne flutes are flutes you play in order to get the feeling of drinking champagne. The whole idea of Glass Town and how it works and how words work within it is just plain fun.
However, in the midst of all that fun, there is the darker, serious side note of war. This book explores the concepts of being a villain and gets very meta with dissecting children’s play and how games would translate to real life. It also greatly plays with the idea of “stories,” where they come from, and the idea of a world being created when you write a story. If you don’t want to analyze this book too seriously, though, it still contains plenty of action and drama, so it’s enjoyable on multiple levels.
The single problem I had with this is that I’m not really sure what the intended audience is. It’s written at a very readable middle grade level, but the humor and content require someone with a college-level understanding of history and literature. So, I’m not sure how much middle grade readers would enjoy it, but I do think that older readers will get a kick out of the characterizations of Wollstonecraft, Byron, Shelley, and the like in this fantasy world that the Brontes have created. (If someone who knows of children who’ve read this can report back to me on how they liked it, that’d be great! I’d love to recommend it to students, but don’t know how well the story holds up if you have little knowledge of British history.)
What I can say is that English majors who are in the mood for a whimsical, middle-grade-esque story will certainly enjoy this one. It’s delightful.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love that it takes British history and really plays with it, especially with having the Brontes as the main characters. Glass Town is an exceptionally fantastical and whimsical place, very much feeling like the product of children’s imaginations. I especially enjoyed how literal Glass Town is with what they do. For example, champagne flutes are flutes you play in order to get the feeling of drinking champagne. The whole idea of Glass Town and how it works and how words work within it is just plain fun.
However, in the midst of all that fun, there is the darker, serious side note of war. This book explores the concepts of being a villain and gets very meta with dissecting children’s play and how games would translate to real life. It also greatly plays with the idea of “stories,” where they come from, and the idea of a world being created when you write a story. If you don’t want to analyze this book too seriously, though, it still contains plenty of action and drama, so it’s enjoyable on multiple levels.
The single problem I had with this is that I’m not really sure what the intended audience is. It’s written at a very readable middle grade level, but the humor and content require someone with a college-level understanding of history and literature. So, I’m not sure how much middle grade readers would enjoy it, but I do think that older readers will get a kick out of the characterizations of Wollstonecraft, Byron, Shelley, and the like in this fantasy world that the Brontes have created. (If someone who knows of children who’ve read this can report back to me on how they liked it, that’d be great! I’d love to recommend it to students, but don’t know how well the story holds up if you have little knowledge of British history.)
What I can say is that English majors who are in the mood for a whimsical, middle-grade-esque story will certainly enjoy this one. It’s delightful.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
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