Glass Mountain

by Cynthia Voigt

We are none of us what we seem. Or are we? a predatory butler, a promiscuous heir, an intellectual heiress- all living in New York City and all familiar with multidigit incomes, high society, art, and the theater. From the outside, they seem to live in a fairy-tale world. But when it's spring time in New York City and the boundaries dividing the classes seem to have melted with the last snow, life in the leisure class is anything but simple, and everything is possible, but even marriage. In spring, a playboy's thoughts can turn to marriage, a plain and un-sought-after woman can find herself the object of seduction, an opportunist's ship can come in. In spring, lovers might reveal themselves and conceal themselves. When almost anything is possible, almost anything will happen. Discover who the heirs and heiresses, butlers and lovers, really are in this entertaining novel by Cynthia Voigt.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Adult, Adult Fiction, Contemporary

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1991

About the author

Cynthia Voigt is an American author of books for young adults dealing with various topics such as adventure, mystery, racism and child abuse.


Awards:
Angus and Sadie: the Sequoyah Book Award (given by readers in Oklahoma), 2008
The Katahdin Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Anne V. Zarrow Award, for lifetime achievement, 2003
The Margaret Edwards Award, for a body of work, 1995
Jackaroo: Rattenfanger-Literatur Preis (ratcatcher prize, awarded by the town of Hamlin in Germany), 1990
Izzy, Willy-Nilly: the Young Reader Award (California), 1990
The Runner: Deutscher Jungenliteraturpreis (German young people's literature prize), 1988
Zilverengriffel (Silver Pen, a Dutch prize), 1988
Come a Stranger: the Judy Lopez Medal (given by readers in California), 1987
A Solitary Blue: a Newbery Honor Book, 1984
The Callender Papers: The Edgar (given by the Mystery Writers of America), 1984
Dicey's Song: the Newbery Medal, 1983

Reviews

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a true gem. No one is who they seem, and just when you figure it out, they surprise you again. A gorgeous, effervescent romance, one that defies the genre. This book is less about smoldering looks and more about a marriage of true minds. The characters are superb and the prose, as is characteristic of Voigt, is just gorgeous. A must-read.

[Spencer Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a good modern romance, like if Jane Austen wrote in the early 90's.

[Galowa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stodgy at first, with a main character who is maddeningly methodical (and effective), and whose motives are never fully immediately clear - not even, perhaps, to himself. Actually, this book is quite stodgy and stilted nearly all through, yet this very stodginess comes to define and exemplify our protagonist, nay, to embody him -and the nacre shell he has created to protect himself, from what?

At times it seems almost as if the author is trying too hard NOT to write to young adults, her usual and primary audience. That being said, read it - and then RE-read it. This book is not at all geared to young readers. It's also a book which is even more enjoyable on a second read. Knowing the ending at the beginning - and the twists therein - makes this book feel like a conspiracy between author and reader, which is thoroughly enjoyable! Being privy, as the story unfolds, to the ironies of Gregor's relationships with almost all the other characters gives the story a delicious edge of hilarity.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from June 10, 2024: I can't believe it. I'm upping my rating to a four. Someone told me that this book got better on a second read, and they were right. The first 50 or so pages suck because I find it so hard to care about rich people, but then it got so good. Voigt's talent for dialogue really came through. I still don't think this book holds a candle to The Tillerman Saga or The Kingdom series, but this was better than I remembered it being.

Original review of May 25, 2021: Behold, ladies and gentlemen (and non-binary/trans/people all across the gender spectrum), my friends, a Cynthia Voigt book that I did not love! I'm not even sure if I liked it. The first few chapters were rough; Gregor's head voice was so smarmy and obnoxious that it scared me. Around chapter 4, I got sucked in, but I never felt like I was enjoying myself. Cynthia Voigt is still one of the best writers out there, and her skill is evident here, but this book was not my favorite.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit to being ambigious about this book in the beginning. I picked it up because it was written by Cynthia Voigt. I used to read a lot of her YA books at one time and wasn’t aware she had written anything for adults. I was simply curious. I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable read. It had a lovely, unexpected twist at the end. Ms. Voigt uses this book to address the masks we all wear from time to time and the roles we play in society. This is often quite different from our authentic selves. Sometimes, we forget who we are and just play the role. This can cost us a great deal. I ended up quite liking this book and am glad I picked it up.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. The beginning was rough to get into because the narrator just starts the story without introducing the characters. You just have to figure them out for yourself. Then everybody lies about who they are to everybody. Some of the plot twists make no sense and some of the dialogue is clunky, but overall an enjoyable story.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I read it when I was heartbroken and it was balm to my soul.

[Kolleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

People want to be loved for being them

[Ysth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her best book, one I reread regularly. Note that there are additions in the ebook.

[Berit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of print, which is such a shame. I want a sequel, too.

[Beckie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was excited to discover that she had written a book for adults that i'd never heard of, but i think i should just stick to rereading the dicey and jeff books because this was almost as disappointing as the last book of hers i read. it was a fairly lame story with a predictable short story style twist at the end. what i kept wondering about (more than the characters or plot) was when the book was supposed to be set. it was written in 1991 and there are references to hiv (i think she took the opportunity to put more gratuitous sex in than might be acceptable in a ya book) but it had a weirdly old fashioned feel. the characters' attitudes to women and the kind of prudish-while-trying-to-appear-otherwise treatment of sex reminded me very much of madeleine l'engle, and sadly not in a good way.

[Elizabeth Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun - lovely/funny writing, and it seemed like a 1940's screwball comedy. The one weird thing is that it should have just been set in 1940 instead of present day (well, it was writing in 1990-something, so that present day) because you'd go for chapters assuming it was 1940 and then there'd be a sudden reminder that it wasn't (like an answering machine). It was also nice to see Cynthia Voigt switch up her style. I had just tried to read "David and Jonathan" by her (and gave up) and this was so much lighter.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Cynthia Voigt, and thus I was thrilled to find she had written a book for adults. I really enjoyed this novel. It's a lighthearted, clever little mystery, and definite proof of Voigt's excellent writing skills.

[Amanda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading if you can find it. Sexy story about a butler. Also contains references to the musical Into the Woods, bonus.

[Britt Lovelady · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not interesting and I did not like any of the characters. The best thing about it was that it was short. I give it a D-.

[Katie Bruell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, but couldn't hold a candle to her other books.

[Tascha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm generally not a huge fan of urban high society novels, but this one is quite good.

[Sarita · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent adult fiction from a writer gifted with insight into human hearts.