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Vincent Ettrich #2
Glass Soup
For connoisseurs of imaginative fiction, the novels of Jonathan Carroll are a special treat that occupy a space all their own. His surreal fictions, which deftly mix the everyday with the extraordinary, have won him a devoted following. Now, in Glass Soup, Carroll continues to astound . . . .
The realm of the dead is built from the dreams--and nightmares--of the living. Octopuses drive buses. God is a polar bear. And a crowded highway literally leads to hell.
Once before, Vincent Ettrich and his lover, Isabelle Neukor, crossed over from life to death and back again. Now Isabelle bears a very special child, who may someday restore the ever-changing mosaic that is reality. Unless the agents of Chaos can lure her back to the land of the dead--and trap her there forever.
Glass Soup is another exquisite and singular creation from the author January magazine described as "incapable of writing a bad book much less an uninteresting one."
The realm of the dead is built from the dreams--and nightmares--of the living. Octopuses drive buses. God is a polar bear. And a crowded highway literally leads to hell.
Once before, Vincent Ettrich and his lover, Isabelle Neukor, crossed over from life to death and back again. Now Isabelle bears a very special child, who may someday restore the ever-changing mosaic that is reality. Unless the agents of Chaos can lure her back to the land of the dead--and trap her there forever.
Glass Soup is another exquisite and singular creation from the author January magazine described as "incapable of writing a bad book much less an uninteresting one."
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
22 people are currently reading
766 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Carroll
129 books1,165 followersJonathan Carroll (b. 1949) is an award-winning American author of modern fantasy and slipstream novels. His debut book, The Land of Laughs (1980), tells the story of a children’s author whose imagination has left the printed page and begun to influence reality. The book introduced several hallmarks of Carroll’s writing, including talking animals and worlds that straddle the thin line between reality and the surreal, a technique that has seen him compared to South American magical realists.
Outside the Dog Museum (1991) was named the best novel of the year by the British Fantasy Society, and has proven to be one of Carroll’s most popular works. Since then he has written the Crane’s View trilogy, Glass Soup (2005) and, most recently, The Ghost in Love (2008). His short stories have been collected in The Panic Hand (1995) and The Woman Who Married a Cloud (2012). He continues to live and write in Vienna.
Outside the Dog Museum (1991) was named the best novel of the year by the British Fantasy Society, and has proven to be one of Carroll’s most popular works. Since then he has written the Crane’s View trilogy, Glass Soup (2005) and, most recently, The Ghost in Love (2008). His short stories have been collected in The Panic Hand (1995) and The Woman Who Married a Cloud (2012). He continues to live and write in Vienna.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
July 12, 2010
I found this book during a random trip to Goodwill. Most of the times I've gone there I'll come out with a couple books that end up being nice additions to my collection. Most times, though, I usually don't find books that are just spot-on for my taste using this method. Living in the Bible Belt, there aren't just a whole lot of second hand books with metaphysical and surreal themes. Jonathan Carroll is known for his magical realism, which if you know me, you know I love some magic (read: any fantastic stories, not just witch/troll/fairies etc). However, I really don't like when authors go overboard with saccharine characters and perfectly predictable plots which end up with everything exactly as it should and all are happy and woodland critters help you clean your room and sing Disney songs to you... If you feel me.
In this book the afterlife is created out of the dreams and subconscious thoughts a person had while they were alive. Danger is following a living woman named Isabelle and her unborn child, whose birth will effect all of existence and the balance of power between Chaos and Order. The only person who can help her is a dead man who may not even know he is dead yet.
I made the mistake of reading this book without knowing it is actually a sequel to another book by Carroll, called White Apples. I had no idea it was a sequel until after I was done but it really didn't matter. This book is fine as an independent and worked well as a stand-alone, and I think that says something. (Although I will now be finding White Apples and reading it asap if its half as good as this one - but I hear its even better!)
In this book the afterlife is created out of the dreams and subconscious thoughts a person had while they were alive. Danger is following a living woman named Isabelle and her unborn child, whose birth will effect all of existence and the balance of power between Chaos and Order. The only person who can help her is a dead man who may not even know he is dead yet.
I made the mistake of reading this book without knowing it is actually a sequel to another book by Carroll, called White Apples. I had no idea it was a sequel until after I was done but it really didn't matter. This book is fine as an independent and worked well as a stand-alone, and I think that says something. (Although I will now be finding White Apples and reading it asap if its half as good as this one - but I hear its even better!)
December 19, 2008
This is the sequel to WHITE APPLES, so Vincent and Isabelle are front and center. Booklist stated:
"Prolific and imaginative, Carroll writes delectable novels that combine riddle-like metaphysics with Magritte-like surrealism and romantic fantasy. In his latest cosmic Vienna-based tale, he echoes Hermann Hesse and Steven Millhauser as he picks up the story of the passionate lovers Vincent and Isabelle, who starred in White Apples (2002). In spite of this connection, readers new to Carroll's magic need not hesitate. They won't be anywhere near as confused as Simon, a blatant womanizer who finds himself confronting an octopus driving a bus, a tiny yet dapper and bossy fellow named Broximon, and God in the form of a polar bear. Elsewhere, a shape-shifting villain has evil designs on Isabelle's two closest friends, and Chaos, a malevolent force, grows ever more destructive. Pregnant with a child crucial to the battle between order and chaos, Isabelle must stay safe, yet there seems to be little Vincent can do to protect her. Carroll's clever and spellbinding tale offers fans and newcomers alike startling perspectives on time and reality, an afterlife made of dreams, a glimmering vision of the divine, and a sweet tribute to love."
"Prolific and imaginative, Carroll writes delectable novels that combine riddle-like metaphysics with Magritte-like surrealism and romantic fantasy. In his latest cosmic Vienna-based tale, he echoes Hermann Hesse and Steven Millhauser as he picks up the story of the passionate lovers Vincent and Isabelle, who starred in White Apples (2002). In spite of this connection, readers new to Carroll's magic need not hesitate. They won't be anywhere near as confused as Simon, a blatant womanizer who finds himself confronting an octopus driving a bus, a tiny yet dapper and bossy fellow named Broximon, and God in the form of a polar bear. Elsewhere, a shape-shifting villain has evil designs on Isabelle's two closest friends, and Chaos, a malevolent force, grows ever more destructive. Pregnant with a child crucial to the battle between order and chaos, Isabelle must stay safe, yet there seems to be little Vincent can do to protect her. Carroll's clever and spellbinding tale offers fans and newcomers alike startling perspectives on time and reality, an afterlife made of dreams, a glimmering vision of the divine, and a sweet tribute to love."
August 31, 2012
I don’t want to talk too much about this excellent Jonathan Carroll novel because I want you to experience it (if ever you went ahead and read it – you should, you know) the way I experienced it. I didn’t read the blurb, and had no idea what the book was about, so essentially I threw myself into the first chapter empty of expectation. And lo, how I floundered. The novel has the most interesting chapter titles (“Tunica Molesta”, “Knee-Deep in Sunday Suits”) and the first chapter is called, “Simon’s House of Lipstick”. In it, Simon Haden gives a bus tour to a group of odd creatures (including a bag of caramels, who is bored) with a little man named Broximon, wondering how he can pay his bills. I read, interested, but the chapter was getting weirder and I didn’t know what was happening. Then I knew, and oh, what sweet bliss as I understood, and I kept on reading.
More than the characters and the incredible plot, I was amazed by Carroll’s pacing. How he leaves you with questions and gives you the answers, slowly, like a striptease. It made reading the story a wonderful experience. It was as if I were given a slice of the best chocolate cake and given all the time in the world to savor it.
More than the characters and the incredible plot, I was amazed by Carroll’s pacing. How he leaves you with questions and gives you the answers, slowly, like a striptease. It made reading the story a wonderful experience. It was as if I were given a slice of the best chocolate cake and given all the time in the world to savor it.
February 15, 2011
Everything in Glass Soup felt forced to me, from the premise to the plot to the writing. I love imaginative fiction and fabulism and everything like that, but this novel was not a good example of any of it. It's like Carroll flipped the formula around. Instead of creating an absurd scenario because it has meaning, he created an absurd scenario and then tried to infuse it with meaning. The result is a wandering, disjunct novel that doesn't deal in any new way with its rather simple premise of good versus evil. His own speculative premises about the afterlife are touched on too lightly, so that the most promising aspect of the work is left unrealized. If Carroll's storytelling were stronger, maybe these metaphysical weaknesses could be ignored, but there's really nothing strong enough in any aspect of the writing to carry the other aspects. His essayish prose never allows the potential of the story to emerge.
August 10, 2011
To live in Jonathan Carroll's world must be both beautiful and terrifying... his characters are preternaturally beautiful, graceful people with unusual names, but they have the most ordinary habits one could imagine—the men and women in a Carroll novel enjoy waking up between clean sheets; they eat big breakfasts with fresh-squeezed orange juice; they drive cars and talk on cellphones and have romances and affairs just like their mundane counterparts... but then their world just veers into the surreal, the way a small blue elephant appears under your Christmas tree or you notice as the bus pulls up that it's being driven by an octopus.
That octopus bus driver gave me a shock of recognition anyway—as it happens, I've used a similar image in a story of my own, though not yet published anywhere, and in mine the octopus is just a passenger ("The Octopus Rides Free," in a scene written in 2001). That's how a Carroll story works, though... the strangest things can happen, but they still have a certain internal logic. The logic of dreams.
Dreams, and death... it may seem that Carroll's world is ruled by iron whimsy, but these are adult fantasies, dark in all corners and deadly serious. When Isabelle Neukor crosses the border between death and life, the outcome matters—this isn't just a there-and-back-again fantasy where the status always returns to quo at the end of the book and there's always room for a sequel. Even though, ironically, Glass Soup is actually a sequel—Isabelle and her husband Vincent Ettrich return from White Apples (which I really need to go back and read again soon, obviously, though familiarity with the preceding work is by no means required).
Although Carroll's prose is most often clear and uninflected, never florid or especially verbose, he frequently makes pithy observations (usually placed gently in the mouths of his characters). It's only rarely that clunkers like the overused phrase "bits and bytes" fall from Carroll's fingers. More commonly, you'll read passages like this one (from Petras Urbsys, on pp.87-88):
Glass Soup goes a long way towards giving you the whole snake, not just the skin.
That octopus bus driver gave me a shock of recognition anyway—as it happens, I've used a similar image in a story of my own, though not yet published anywhere, and in mine the octopus is just a passenger ("The Octopus Rides Free," in a scene written in 2001). That's how a Carroll story works, though... the strangest things can happen, but they still have a certain internal logic. The logic of dreams.
Dreams, and death... it may seem that Carroll's world is ruled by iron whimsy, but these are adult fantasies, dark in all corners and deadly serious. When Isabelle Neukor crosses the border between death and life, the outcome matters—this isn't just a there-and-back-again fantasy where the status always returns to quo at the end of the book and there's always room for a sequel. Even though, ironically, Glass Soup is actually a sequel—Isabelle and her husband Vincent Ettrich return from White Apples (which I really need to go back and read again soon, obviously, though familiarity with the preceding work is by no means required).
Although Carroll's prose is most often clear and uninflected, never florid or especially verbose, he frequently makes pithy observations (usually placed gently in the mouths of his characters). It's only rarely that clunkers like the overused phrase "bits and bytes" fall from Carroll's fingers. More commonly, you'll read passages like this one (from Petras Urbsys, on pp.87-88):
"Do you really think people today can be trusted with magic and the power that comes with it? No, not at all. We cannot even be trusted to preserve ourselves. We cannot protect us from us! So that is the very good reason why they took it all away. And it is very sad because losing those things has made our world a smaller, less interesting place."
{...}
"All of it is gone now, Isabelle. The only thing left to see of that snake is its skin which are the sweet little myths and magic stories that we read to babies before they go to sleep. The skin is still very beautiful, but it is not the snake."
Glass Soup goes a long way towards giving you the whole snake, not just the skin.
July 29, 2011
De él ha dicho Neil Gaiman: “Carroll abre una ventana que no conocías y te invita a mirar a través. Te regala sus ojos para que veas con ellos, y te ofrece el mundo con toda su frescura, honestidad y novedad”. Y precisamente esto es lo que encontramos en Sopa de Cristales, una historia que nos combina lo lógico con lo fantástico.
Carroll escribe con un estilo que a simple vista parece simple y fácil. Tanto, que te lees sus libros de un tirón, y antes de que te des cuenta, te has olvidado de la comida,y estás completamente enganchada.
Su forma de escribir creo que sería capaz de volver a despertar la ilusión por la literatura a todos los que, por tedio de otros libros, ya no sienten interés.
En alguna parte he leído que Jonathan Carroll es el máximo exponente del surrealismo en literatura. No sabría valorar si es cierto o no, a mí simplemente me parece fantástico, tiene una capacidad genial para hacer de lo cotidiano algo "maravilloso" que me sorprende y me fascina. Sus ideas acerca de la vida y la muerte son interesantes y consiguen hacer pensar al lector, plantearse dudas y cuestionar cosas que a lo mejor de otro modo ni siquiera pasarían por su cabeza.
En Sopa de Cristales nos adentramos en el mundo de Simon, y pronto, muy pronto, nos damos cuenta de que estamos en un mundo diferente, irreal y confuso. Es el mundo de la muerte, donde el tiempo y la lógica que aplicamos en vida no tienen cabida. Es una muerte construida desde los sueños (y también las pesadillas) de Simon. Esta es una historia que nos hará navegar entre los dos mundos, el de la vida y el de la muerte, una historia onírica que nos hará concebir nuestro propio paraíso o infierno.
Carroll escribe con un estilo que a simple vista parece simple y fácil. Tanto, que te lees sus libros de un tirón, y antes de que te des cuenta, te has olvidado de la comida,y estás completamente enganchada.
Su forma de escribir creo que sería capaz de volver a despertar la ilusión por la literatura a todos los que, por tedio de otros libros, ya no sienten interés.
En alguna parte he leído que Jonathan Carroll es el máximo exponente del surrealismo en literatura. No sabría valorar si es cierto o no, a mí simplemente me parece fantástico, tiene una capacidad genial para hacer de lo cotidiano algo "maravilloso" que me sorprende y me fascina. Sus ideas acerca de la vida y la muerte son interesantes y consiguen hacer pensar al lector, plantearse dudas y cuestionar cosas que a lo mejor de otro modo ni siquiera pasarían por su cabeza.
En Sopa de Cristales nos adentramos en el mundo de Simon, y pronto, muy pronto, nos damos cuenta de que estamos en un mundo diferente, irreal y confuso. Es el mundo de la muerte, donde el tiempo y la lógica que aplicamos en vida no tienen cabida. Es una muerte construida desde los sueños (y también las pesadillas) de Simon. Esta es una historia que nos hará navegar entre los dos mundos, el de la vida y el de la muerte, una historia onírica que nos hará concebir nuestro propio paraíso o infierno.
March 29, 2015
It was strange picking up Glass Soup. While The Wooden Sea and White Apples fit together into the same sequence, they fit together plot wise but not so much right where the last one left off. Glass Soup is a very direct sequel to White Apples. There's enough background information in it that you don't necessarily have to read White Apples first, but I'd still recommend doing it. For one, it really helps you feel more for the characters and the choices they make.
I feel strangely about the book as well due to the ending. Having just finished it, I'm still in that strange post-reading haze where I can't decide what I think. The book was beautiful, as most of Carroll's books are. His commentary on the nature of life and his idea of God are also incredibly intriguing. It definitely takes the cake for the most shocking opening images, and did get a few laughs out loud.
Most of what I can say about it is that there was a marked difference between Carroll's worldview in Glass Soup than in The Ghost In Love. I think that is primarily what stopped me from enjoying it as much as I could have. I tend to be a bit more optimistic.
I feel strangely about the book as well due to the ending. Having just finished it, I'm still in that strange post-reading haze where I can't decide what I think. The book was beautiful, as most of Carroll's books are. His commentary on the nature of life and his idea of God are also incredibly intriguing. It definitely takes the cake for the most shocking opening images, and did get a few laughs out loud.
Most of what I can say about it is that there was a marked difference between Carroll's worldview in Glass Soup than in The Ghost In Love. I think that is primarily what stopped me from enjoying it as much as I could have. I tend to be a bit more optimistic.
October 2, 2017
This book is a sequel to “White Apples”, which I did not know before I started reading. Apparently it doesn’t much matter; the gist of it is that Vincent and Isabelle fell in love, Vincent died, and Isabell did the whole Orpheus thing and went to the land of the dead and brought him back to life. “Glass Soup” takes place very shortly after that. Isabelle is pregnant, and her child is a very important one: the fate of the universe hinges on whether he is born in the land of the living or of the dead. This novel is Order fighting against Chaos, with Isabelle’s child representing Order.
The story actually starts when Simon Haden wakes up into a world where he is a tour guide (it takes place in Vienna). The bus is driven by an octopus; one passenger is made of butter; another is a really bored bag of caramels. A 6” tall man named Broximon hangs out with him. It turns out that AC/DC was right: there is literally a multilane highway to Hell. Simon, as he finally figures out, is dead. The afterlife is made of every single dream and nightmare a person has had in their life. Ugh.
The plot has various beings- one of them a shape-shifting, womanizing, serial killer- trying to get Isabelle on one side of life or death or the other. I really liked it, and I’m not even sure why. I disliked pretty much all the characters. But overall the book as fascinating. It���s a love story, and a story of friendships, despite God being a polar bear. Four stars out of five.
The story actually starts when Simon Haden wakes up into a world where he is a tour guide (it takes place in Vienna). The bus is driven by an octopus; one passenger is made of butter; another is a really bored bag of caramels. A 6” tall man named Broximon hangs out with him. It turns out that AC/DC was right: there is literally a multilane highway to Hell. Simon, as he finally figures out, is dead. The afterlife is made of every single dream and nightmare a person has had in their life. Ugh.
The plot has various beings- one of them a shape-shifting, womanizing, serial killer- trying to get Isabelle on one side of life or death or the other. I really liked it, and I’m not even sure why. I disliked pretty much all the characters. But overall the book as fascinating. It���s a love story, and a story of friendships, despite God being a polar bear. Four stars out of five.
March 29, 2021
That’s more like it - it’s still too plotty for it to be Carroll at his very best, but it’s a far looser and stranger and darker and more focused novel than White Apple. There are some fantastic characters here, Flannery is even more terrifying an opponent than the previous one and Brox and Bob are all time classics. I’m also very fond of Sunday Suits and Jelden Butter, especially as they are mere cameos but created so brilliantly that they really dazzle. The plot resolves well and it’s all very satisfying and enjoyably wayward
But Simon Haden is possibly one of the richest characters in Carroll’s entire output. The schlubby mirror image of Vincent, he’s an unlikeable man whose vulnerabilities and pain slowly but surely resolve to make a man who redeems himself beautifully. It’s a wonderful and brilliantly done arc and possibly the most emotionally satisfying character I’ve read in a Carroll book. The book might be a bit overstuffed, like the predecessor, but it’s a glorious thing when it’s firing on all cylinders (also, a nicely subtle tie in with the Answered Prayers sequence)
But Simon Haden is possibly one of the richest characters in Carroll’s entire output. The schlubby mirror image of Vincent, he’s an unlikeable man whose vulnerabilities and pain slowly but surely resolve to make a man who redeems himself beautifully. It’s a wonderful and brilliantly done arc and possibly the most emotionally satisfying character I’ve read in a Carroll book. The book might be a bit overstuffed, like the predecessor, but it’s a glorious thing when it’s firing on all cylinders (also, a nicely subtle tie in with the Answered Prayers sequence)
March 25, 2008
Years ago, if anyone would have asked me who my favorite author was, my reaction would have been immediate and enthusiastic... Jonathan Carroll, of course. Then he left his Vienna characters behind and branched out into new worlds.
I found myself reading Kissing the Beehive, The Marriage of Sticks, and White Apples with increased detachment. They were still quick reads with interesting twists and turns, but it felt to me as if the "heart" had been removed from his writing. The characters were much less likeable. There seemed to be far fewer true glimpses into human nature... Around that time, we also saw him give a reading in New York, and it was less than magical. I assume it was a bad day for him, but he read without any joy and with very little inflection to his voice at all... The pedestal I had placed him upon had been blown apart.
So, when Caroline bought me Glass Soup for Christmas two years ago, I can't say that I was truly excited anymore. Hence why it took me this long to get around to reading it.
I liked it. It could be because I have been away from his writing style for so long that it was more refreshing than it would be otherwise, but I enjoyed the read. I liked it much better than White Apples. I liked it enough to pre-order his new novel on Amazon. I felt there were moments when he was close to his earlier novels. There were moments that made me remember why I loved his words before.
Having said that, though, there is still something missing from his prose for me. He is much more vulgar in his writing style than in the past (not necessarily a bad thing all of the time, but it seems out of place for him). His magical realism is far far less subtle and "magical" than it used to be -- everything is spelled out numerous times. There is little mystery. I also felt that the ending was rushed and felt a little flat. (I probably would have given it 4 stars if I would have stopped about 3/4 of the way through...)
Overall, I am hesitantly looking forward to his next book, but I think I need to go back and re-read some of his earlier wonderful novels. Those, for me, were truly a cut above the literary rest.
I found myself reading Kissing the Beehive, The Marriage of Sticks, and White Apples with increased detachment. They were still quick reads with interesting twists and turns, but it felt to me as if the "heart" had been removed from his writing. The characters were much less likeable. There seemed to be far fewer true glimpses into human nature... Around that time, we also saw him give a reading in New York, and it was less than magical. I assume it was a bad day for him, but he read without any joy and with very little inflection to his voice at all... The pedestal I had placed him upon had been blown apart.
So, when Caroline bought me Glass Soup for Christmas two years ago, I can't say that I was truly excited anymore. Hence why it took me this long to get around to reading it.
I liked it. It could be because I have been away from his writing style for so long that it was more refreshing than it would be otherwise, but I enjoyed the read. I liked it much better than White Apples. I liked it enough to pre-order his new novel on Amazon. I felt there were moments when he was close to his earlier novels. There were moments that made me remember why I loved his words before.
Having said that, though, there is still something missing from his prose for me. He is much more vulgar in his writing style than in the past (not necessarily a bad thing all of the time, but it seems out of place for him). His magical realism is far far less subtle and "magical" than it used to be -- everything is spelled out numerous times. There is little mystery. I also felt that the ending was rushed and felt a little flat. (I probably would have given it 4 stars if I would have stopped about 3/4 of the way through...)
Overall, I am hesitantly looking forward to his next book, but I think I need to go back and re-read some of his earlier wonderful novels. Those, for me, were truly a cut above the literary rest.
March 30, 2020
This book started out really interesting and I enjoyed the author's use of language, like "some answers in life are so weird yet satisfying that on hearing them, all the mind can do is sit back and burp." Then again, this metaphor doesn't quite make sense, which is a lot like the rest of the novel; there is something off about it. It started out fine - I was intrigued by the main character, despite his being an asshat and the surreality of his world. And then the ladies showed up, and they were ok for a while, but by about halfway the novel just petered out and stayed flat. The characters didn't change and hardly any of them were likeable - why are all the women cheats? Flatterny's behaviour would have been atrocious had Flora and Leni been single, genuine, nice women, but I wanted them to get hurt because they were such, well, turds. Isabelle and Vincent's relationship wasn't fleshed out- the author spent way too much time telling us about them instead of showing. Truthfully, I didn't give a shit about anyone in this novel, so I stopped caring about their fate and only finished the novel because it was simplistic to read.
The book also brought God and the worst explanation of the Big Bang I have ever read. And Carroll got lazy it seemed - he started repeating himself and ignoring little things like how the heck was Isabelle supposed to run when she was as pregnant as she supposedly was; he just didn't stop to think about that. And there was no concept of time passing and no explanation for why certain things happened. The novel was a total let-down after the halfway point. It's like the author had this fantastic idea, started to write it, screwed it up, lost interest, and just finished the novel because he was too far along to stop.
The book also brought God and the worst explanation of the Big Bang I have ever read. And Carroll got lazy it seemed - he started repeating himself and ignoring little things like how the heck was Isabelle supposed to run when she was as pregnant as she supposedly was; he just didn't stop to think about that. And there was no concept of time passing and no explanation for why certain things happened. The novel was a total let-down after the halfway point. It's like the author had this fantastic idea, started to write it, screwed it up, lost interest, and just finished the novel because he was too far along to stop.
September 20, 2010
I was a bit disappointed ... and I can't put my finger on why.
Carroll is one of my favorite authors of all time, but the last 2 novels I've read have left me feeling flat. Something about the writing seems cockier ... the storyline sloppier.
I feel less rooted, with a few shakes of the surreal. It's more like trying to ride an eel through Wonderland or the like.
The premise is that Chaos wants to rule the world and upset the balance of life by having a live human give birth to a child in the afterlife of someone else. It's fascinating, yes. True to form, it is full of strange twists and turns.
But it felt lacking.
Perhaps I am simply getting too old for Carroll. Or perhaps the time is off for me, somehow. Whatever the cause, I was sad I didn't love it more. It's not a bad book. Not by a mile. I was just let down that it wasn't stellar.
Carroll is one of my favorite authors of all time, but the last 2 novels I've read have left me feeling flat. Something about the writing seems cockier ... the storyline sloppier.
I feel less rooted, with a few shakes of the surreal. It's more like trying to ride an eel through Wonderland or the like.
The premise is that Chaos wants to rule the world and upset the balance of life by having a live human give birth to a child in the afterlife of someone else. It's fascinating, yes. True to form, it is full of strange twists and turns.
But it felt lacking.
Perhaps I am simply getting too old for Carroll. Or perhaps the time is off for me, somehow. Whatever the cause, I was sad I didn't love it more. It's not a bad book. Not by a mile. I was just let down that it wasn't stellar.
May 25, 2016
Jonathan Carroll is one of my favorite authors, because of his inspired word pairings, wise insights into life and interesting characters. Glass Soup does contain all that, but it's a sequel to his previous novel White Apples, and, unfortunately, it feels too much like a sequel. Although it's been years since I read White Apples, Glass Soup seemed to repeat some of the former's best parts, without adding much to them. It's not a bad book, and it's certainly accessible to people who haven't read White Apples, but it was a bit of a let-down for a Carroll book. I was torn between 3 and 4 stars, so I'll clarify that to me it's 4 stars as a novel in general, but 3 for a Carroll novel.
September 30, 2016
Phantasmagorical, surrealistic. There is a battle between God, who at the time of the Big Bang, exploded into the infinite numbers of things in the universe, the mosaic of which compose a supreme being, and Chaos. Not a preachy book, but rather one which is full of delight and wonder. I read Carroll's first book Land of Laughs when it first came out 36 years ago and I have delved into his writing intermittently over the years. I always find him immensely enjoyable, even if I can't remember details a day later. Just like dreams.
September 22, 2019
This will probably be a short review – which is odd given how much I love Jonathan Carroll’s books. I read them out of order, so I am always a bit lost in his world(s). The same characters appear in several books, but I can’t keep track of what they’ve done and how they are all connected…but I am perfectly fine with that. In fact, I love it.
I was lucky enough to attend one of his readings of “White Apples” – and was sucked into his universe. Life, death, love, bull terriers, life sized bags of caramels…his “magical realism” (per his website) is a delight.
For instance, I can be reading along – interested enough in the first character in “Glass Soup”, Simon Haden, when suddenly, the following paragraph yanks my eyebrows up into my hairline.
“If someone had told Simon Haden that he was a colossal prick and why, he would not have understood. He would not have denied it, he would not have understood. Because pretty people think the world should forgive whatever their sins are simply because they exist.”
“He finished in the bathroom and went to the bedroom. The envelope containing the day’s instructions lay on the dresser. In his underpants and sheer black socks, he picked it up and tore it open.”
“A little man the size of a candy bar stepped out of the envelope and into his hand. ‘Haden, how you doin’?’”
HELLO! My attention has been kicked into overdrive and I remember why I like these books so much. I love being caught off guard.
The story progresses as Simon gets onto his tour bus, “There were a few people, a few animals, two cartoon characters, and an almost six foot tall bag of caramels.”
I don’t mean to suggest that Carroll’s writing or characters or plot are goofy or silly…everything has its reason for existing in his world. Everything is a symbol, a link to another book or another character’s life.
I am a lazy Carroll reader, I must admit. I KNOW there is so much more to be gleaned from his books, but I mostly just settle back and enjoy the ride.
“God’s office was nothing special. By the way it was furnished it could just as easily have belonged to a North Dakota dentist or some comb-over in middle management. The secretary/receptionist was a forty-something nondescript who told Haden in a neutral voice to take a seat. “He’ll be with you in a minute.” Then she went back to typing – on a typewriter. God’s secretary used a manual typewriter.”
But still? Sometimes I put down this box of literary bon-bons and savor an idea like this one:
“Another time they might have had a rewarding relationship. But there are people we meet in life that miss being important to us by inches, days or heartbeats. Another place or time or emotional frame of mind and we would willingly fall into their arms; gladly take up their challenge or invitation. But as it is, we encounter them when we are discontent or content and they are not. Whatever serious chemistry might have possible if, isn’t.”
Hmmm. Maybe this review wasn’t that short after all.
I was lucky enough to attend one of his readings of “White Apples” – and was sucked into his universe. Life, death, love, bull terriers, life sized bags of caramels…his “magical realism” (per his website) is a delight.
For instance, I can be reading along – interested enough in the first character in “Glass Soup”, Simon Haden, when suddenly, the following paragraph yanks my eyebrows up into my hairline.
“If someone had told Simon Haden that he was a colossal prick and why, he would not have understood. He would not have denied it, he would not have understood. Because pretty people think the world should forgive whatever their sins are simply because they exist.”
“He finished in the bathroom and went to the bedroom. The envelope containing the day’s instructions lay on the dresser. In his underpants and sheer black socks, he picked it up and tore it open.”
“A little man the size of a candy bar stepped out of the envelope and into his hand. ‘Haden, how you doin’?’”
HELLO! My attention has been kicked into overdrive and I remember why I like these books so much. I love being caught off guard.
The story progresses as Simon gets onto his tour bus, “There were a few people, a few animals, two cartoon characters, and an almost six foot tall bag of caramels.”
I don’t mean to suggest that Carroll’s writing or characters or plot are goofy or silly…everything has its reason for existing in his world. Everything is a symbol, a link to another book or another character’s life.
I am a lazy Carroll reader, I must admit. I KNOW there is so much more to be gleaned from his books, but I mostly just settle back and enjoy the ride.
“God’s office was nothing special. By the way it was furnished it could just as easily have belonged to a North Dakota dentist or some comb-over in middle management. The secretary/receptionist was a forty-something nondescript who told Haden in a neutral voice to take a seat. “He’ll be with you in a minute.” Then she went back to typing – on a typewriter. God’s secretary used a manual typewriter.”
But still? Sometimes I put down this box of literary bon-bons and savor an idea like this one:
“Another time they might have had a rewarding relationship. But there are people we meet in life that miss being important to us by inches, days or heartbeats. Another place or time or emotional frame of mind and we would willingly fall into their arms; gladly take up their challenge or invitation. But as it is, we encounter them when we are discontent or content and they are not. Whatever serious chemistry might have possible if, isn’t.”
Hmmm. Maybe this review wasn’t that short after all.
September 18, 2022
Desconcertante como pocos libros que haya leído, Sopa de cristales, tiene como principal aliciente su exagerada originalidad y una fantasía desbocada que te arrastra a la confusión más absoluta. Pero, curiosamente, ambos elementos funcionan rematadamente bien y consiguen engancharte muy rápido.
Ya había leído algún libro anteriormente del autor, Jonathan Carroll, y tengo que reconocer que tiene una imaginación desbordante. Y eso se plasma en un estilo de escritura dinámico y desenfadado, pero siempre correcto. Su prosa fluida y armoniosa, cuenta con un lenguaje pragmático, unas descripciones sorprendentes y llenas de detalles, y unos personajes correctos, aunque no del todo atractivos para el lector que echa de menos algo más minucioso y mejor construido.
Sopa de cristales tiene una trama que cuesta desentrañar de lo disparatada que resulta en ocasiones. Pero, y tratando de simplificar todo el argumento para poder hacer una sinopsis en condiciones, diremos que seguimos a la pareja compuesta por Vince Ettrich e Isabelle Neukor, la cual está embarazada. Pueden parecer una feliz pareja más, pero no lo son. Vince murió de cáncer e Isabelle viajó al mundo de los muertos para traerlo de vuelta. Ahora, el hijo de ambos, Anjo, es el único capaz de luchar contra el Caos, algo que hace que sus padres corran un peligro mortal. Y hasta aquí puedo desvelar. Aunque, aparte de esta trama principal, también aparecen múltiples secundarias: como se construye el mundo de los muertos a través de los sueños, una idea de Dios y del universo, francamente interesante, o como el Caos actúa en nuestra vida convirtiéndola en un infierno en segundos. Estas historias secundarias son realmente entretenidas e intercaladas con la principal, consiguen que no te aburras. Sin embargo, si pasamos a temas más profundos, tengo que reconocer que no he sido capaz de encontrar nada mínimamente aleccionador. Puede que el mensaje se me haya escapado o que, en realidad, no haya ninguno.
El final es bastante decepcionante y un poco confuso. Para empezar resulta demasiado abrupto y precipitado. Hay algunos cabos sueltos, que no sé si se resolverán en próximas entregas, pero que en cualquier caso, te dejan una sensación de pérdida de tiempo.
Definitivamente, Sopa de Cristales, es tan llamativo como su título. Y, como él, resulta una lectura fuera de lugar, aunque sumamente interesante. Aunque prescindible, merece la pena embarcarse en su lectura aunque solo sea por lo original y curioso que resulta. Y, aunque parezca mentira, el nombre tiene un significado. Y es que resulta que “Sopa de cristales” es una verdad universal y trascendente. Lástima que ni nosotros ni el autor, conozcamos el lenguaje de los muertos…
Ya había leído algún libro anteriormente del autor, Jonathan Carroll, y tengo que reconocer que tiene una imaginación desbordante. Y eso se plasma en un estilo de escritura dinámico y desenfadado, pero siempre correcto. Su prosa fluida y armoniosa, cuenta con un lenguaje pragmático, unas descripciones sorprendentes y llenas de detalles, y unos personajes correctos, aunque no del todo atractivos para el lector que echa de menos algo más minucioso y mejor construido.
Sopa de cristales tiene una trama que cuesta desentrañar de lo disparatada que resulta en ocasiones. Pero, y tratando de simplificar todo el argumento para poder hacer una sinopsis en condiciones, diremos que seguimos a la pareja compuesta por Vince Ettrich e Isabelle Neukor, la cual está embarazada. Pueden parecer una feliz pareja más, pero no lo son. Vince murió de cáncer e Isabelle viajó al mundo de los muertos para traerlo de vuelta. Ahora, el hijo de ambos, Anjo, es el único capaz de luchar contra el Caos, algo que hace que sus padres corran un peligro mortal. Y hasta aquí puedo desvelar. Aunque, aparte de esta trama principal, también aparecen múltiples secundarias: como se construye el mundo de los muertos a través de los sueños, una idea de Dios y del universo, francamente interesante, o como el Caos actúa en nuestra vida convirtiéndola en un infierno en segundos. Estas historias secundarias son realmente entretenidas e intercaladas con la principal, consiguen que no te aburras. Sin embargo, si pasamos a temas más profundos, tengo que reconocer que no he sido capaz de encontrar nada mínimamente aleccionador. Puede que el mensaje se me haya escapado o que, en realidad, no haya ninguno.
El final es bastante decepcionante y un poco confuso. Para empezar resulta demasiado abrupto y precipitado. Hay algunos cabos sueltos, que no sé si se resolverán en próximas entregas, pero que en cualquier caso, te dejan una sensación de pérdida de tiempo.
Definitivamente, Sopa de Cristales, es tan llamativo como su título. Y, como él, resulta una lectura fuera de lugar, aunque sumamente interesante. Aunque prescindible, merece la pena embarcarse en su lectura aunque solo sea por lo original y curioso que resulta. Y, aunque parezca mentira, el nombre tiene un significado. Y es que resulta que “Sopa de cristales” es una verdad universal y trascendente. Lástima que ni nosotros ni el autor, conozcamos el lenguaje de los muertos…
April 9, 2025
First, let me confess that I'm reviewing this for Netgalley as an Audiobook. Let me further admit that it's a toss-up whether I prefer reading over listening. His prose is akin to being told a strange tale by your favorite beloved 'black sheep' of an uncle. Carroll has brought me so much joy. He's quite an avuncular listening/reading experience!
I adore how he lulls me with these gritty descriptions of the mundane only to 'make the floor suddenly tilt.' Then I find myself in the 'Outside.' that invisible realm that minds wiser than mine have intuited. Carroll exceeds in what Iain Banks calls an 'Outside Context Problem.' Problems that cannot be measured or quantified by the instruments of science.
The 'metaphysics' on offer in these books is just so refreshing, so full of light especially when I compare his imaginal prose to what's being marketed by the tired religious monopolies. I wrote Carroll after a dark period in my life and he sent me a note to 'Just Follow the Light.' So do what he told me. Read his work, become a better person. Last thing, you can read this novel without reading White Apples but why deprive yourself of a singular spiritual experience?
I adore how he lulls me with these gritty descriptions of the mundane only to 'make the floor suddenly tilt.' Then I find myself in the 'Outside.' that invisible realm that minds wiser than mine have intuited. Carroll exceeds in what Iain Banks calls an 'Outside Context Problem.' Problems that cannot be measured or quantified by the instruments of science.
The 'metaphysics' on offer in these books is just so refreshing, so full of light especially when I compare his imaginal prose to what's being marketed by the tired religious monopolies. I wrote Carroll after a dark period in my life and he sent me a note to 'Just Follow the Light.' So do what he told me. Read his work, become a better person. Last thing, you can read this novel without reading White Apples but why deprive yourself of a singular spiritual experience?
October 31, 2020
The afterlife is the stuff of dreams...literally. The book opens with pretty-but-dumb Simon Haden, who is dead but doesn't quite know it. His after-death reality is the sum of all dreams he had while alive; like dreams, it is discordant and uncomfortable and non-nonsensical. It's an interesting premise - if your dreams were the stuff of worries while you were alive (missing flights, sleeping through exams, not being able to run when someone is chasing), your death is more of the same; if your dreams were filled w/ puppies and unicorns and always having the right pithy comeback, go you! Seems a bit unfair to saddle us with our dream state, Mr Carroll (and it implies that we're already experiencing death when we dream). However, there's an out: When you recognize the dreamland for what it is, you obtain some power over what happens in it. Simon is an unlikely protagonist - he needs alot of help, bless his soul. In parallel, Vincent and pregnant Isabelle are alive and well in Vienna. Note: Vincent *had* died and Isabelle had brought him back (somehow; in a previous novel). Because of this, and because he loves Isabelle, Vincent leaves his wife and two children in the US (infidelity is a common thread). Ever since Isabelle saved Vincent, she can visit others' afterlives, and her child is "chosen," a danger to those who control the afterlife.
I really wanted to like this book, but it ultimately doesn't hold up. There is too much that doesn't make sense, that doesn't add up. There are too many loose ends; the fray distracts and frustrates.
I find it very interesting that very little critical writing has been done about Jonathan Carroll. Why does it seem he is more ignored than other fantasy writers?
Ranking of books by Carroll:
1. Land of Laughs
2. Glass Soup
3. Wooden Sea
4. Sleeping in Flame
5. Marriage of Sticks
I really wanted to like this book, but it ultimately doesn't hold up. There is too much that doesn't make sense, that doesn't add up. There are too many loose ends; the fray distracts and frustrates.
I find it very interesting that very little critical writing has been done about Jonathan Carroll. Why does it seem he is more ignored than other fantasy writers?
Ranking of books by Carroll:
1. Land of Laughs
2. Glass Soup
3. Wooden Sea
4. Sleeping in Flame
5. Marriage of Sticks
May 9, 2025
this was a really odd and strange story, maybe I didn’t understand or maybe it wasnt for me… anyway I didn’t enjoy it, and I cant even say that at least I liked the narration, because it was ok, but not amazing…
I got to listen to the audiobook, and often I felt lost and going back on the start of the “chapter” to trying to understand what was going on… like I said before, maybe this book wasnt for me, for instance I like zombie stories and I know they arent based on reality but human connections are, and I don’t feel the reality here, and that puts me off… I couldn’t relate the characters or the story…
Thank you Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, for the free AAC and this is my honest opinion.
I got to listen to the audiobook, and often I felt lost and going back on the start of the “chapter” to trying to understand what was going on… like I said before, maybe this book wasnt for me, for instance I like zombie stories and I know they arent based on reality but human connections are, and I don’t feel the reality here, and that puts me off… I couldn’t relate the characters or the story…
Thank you Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, for the free AAC and this is my honest opinion.
May 24, 2022
This book had a wild premise and the unreliable reality I'm usually really fond of. The secrets of creation have been revealed by a person crossing the wrong way back and forth across the barrier of mortality, and the truth is... glass soup. Yes, it turns out our frail mortal brains are not equipped to receive messages from the afterlife. Really an enjoyable book, but the characters just weren't particularly relatable to me. If you like your speculative fiction weird, check it out for yourself.
February 6, 2025
Mein Lieblingsbuch von Jonathan Carroll (vielleicht, weil es das erste war, was ich von ihm gelesen habe, vielleicht auch nicht). Ich weiß nicht, wie er es schafft, vermeintlich unbeschreibliche Dinge so in Worte zu fassen. Jeder kennt das Gefühl: Wenn man träumt, scheint alles einer Logik zu folgen, und wenn man aufwacht, ergibt es plötzlich keinen Sinn mehr. Dieses Buch fühlt sich an, als würde man so einen Traum lesen können.
April 20, 2019
Not having read any Jonathan Carroll for about 20 years, I was unsure about this book, but he didn’t fail to please!!! This is the second book and I hadn’t read the first, but it didn’t seem to matter. It is a mad insight into death, which makes you think about what it could be like on the other side of life!
October 23, 2019
I love Carroll’s metaphysical fantasies. They’re rich in weird incident and literary spectacle, but at the centre of them beats a very human heart. We navigate our lives through narrative and Carroll reminds us how rich and vital stories are. A brilliant novel, whose explorations of God, death and life are fascinating and delightful.
January 18, 2022
Kontynuacja "Białych jabłek". Bardzo dziwna, mocno odklejona od rzeczywistości. Może dlatego, że na pierwszym planie chaos.
Troszkę się zawiodłam. Jabłka bardziej mi się podobały. Nie znaczy to, że książka słaba. Ciut gorsza niż poprzednio przeczytane pozycje Carrolla. Nie mniej jednak polecam. A sama będę sięgać po kolejne.
Troszkę się zawiodłam. Jabłka bardziej mi się podobały. Nie znaczy to, że książka słaba. Ciut gorsza niż poprzednio przeczytane pozycje Carrolla. Nie mniej jednak polecam. A sama będę sięgać po kolejne.
May 30, 2022
At times astoundingly harmonious with beautiful scenes and incisive character descriptions (e.g. the polar bear) But at times the dialogue feels like 1920s silent film captions and the story serves you up a twist that goes nowhere and it tastes a bit dry and empty.
December 31, 2022
Kontynuacja i zakończenie książki "Białe jabłka". Rewelacyjna w każdym calu. Dla tych którzy lubią rozmyślać o rzeczach raczej niemodnych w dzisiejszych konsumpcyjnych czasach. Ciekawe teorie, trafne spostrzeżenia, uczta literacka. Polecam.
January 26, 2019
A decent follow-up to "White Apples".
May 9, 2020
Come tutti i libri di Carroll, ti affascina solo dopo qualche capitolo, il tempo necessario ad entrare nel suo mondo visionario. Non a livello di Mele Bianche, ma con un paio di spunti memorabili.
January 10, 2021
Absolutely favorite book of all time! Characters are easy to fall in love with and the story line changes the way you think about life. Really makes you think! Love! Love! Love this book!
September 7, 2021
Now and again you judge a book by its cover and you judge correctly—this is a ride worth taking more than once.
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