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The turnglass
‘A stunning, ingenious, truly immersive mystery. The Turnglass is a thrilling delight' Chris Whitaker
Stuart Turton meets The Magpie Murders in this immersive and unique story for fans of clever crime fiction.
Imagine you’re holding a book in your hands. It’s not just any book though. It’s a tête-bêche novel, beloved of nineteenth-century bookmakers. It’s a book that is two books: two intertwined stories printed back-to-back.
Open the book and the first novella begins. It ends at the middle of the book. Then flip the book over, head to tail, and read the second story in the opposite direction.
Both covers are front covers; and it can be read in either direction, or in both directions at once, alternating chapters, to fully immerse the reader in it.
1880s England. On the bleak island of Ray, off the Essex coast, an idealistic young doctor, Simeon Lee, is called from London to treat his cousin, Parson Oliver Hawes, who is dying. Parson Hawes, who lives in the only house on the island – Turnglass House – believes he is being poisoned. And he points the finger at his sister-in-law, Florence. Florence was declared insane after killing Oliver’s brother in a jealous rage and is now kept in a glass-walled apartment in Oliver’s library. And the secret to how she came to be there is found in Oliver’s tête-bêche journal, where one side tells a very different story from the other.
1930s California. Celebrated author Oliver Tooke, the son of the state governor, is found dead in his writing hut off the coast of the family residence, Turnglass House. His friend Ken Kourian doesn’t believe that Oliver would take his own life. His investigations lead him to the mysterious kidnapping of Oliver’s brother when they were children, and the subsequent secret incarceration of his mother, Florence, in an asylum. But to discover the truth, Ken must decipher clues hidden in Oliver’s final book, a tête-bêche novel – which is about a young doctor called Simeon Lee . . .
Stuart Turton meets The Magpie Murders in this immersive and unique story for fans of clever crime fiction.
Imagine you’re holding a book in your hands. It’s not just any book though. It’s a tête-bêche novel, beloved of nineteenth-century bookmakers. It’s a book that is two books: two intertwined stories printed back-to-back.
Open the book and the first novella begins. It ends at the middle of the book. Then flip the book over, head to tail, and read the second story in the opposite direction.
Both covers are front covers; and it can be read in either direction, or in both directions at once, alternating chapters, to fully immerse the reader in it.
1880s England. On the bleak island of Ray, off the Essex coast, an idealistic young doctor, Simeon Lee, is called from London to treat his cousin, Parson Oliver Hawes, who is dying. Parson Hawes, who lives in the only house on the island – Turnglass House – believes he is being poisoned. And he points the finger at his sister-in-law, Florence. Florence was declared insane after killing Oliver’s brother in a jealous rage and is now kept in a glass-walled apartment in Oliver’s library. And the secret to how she came to be there is found in Oliver’s tête-bêche journal, where one side tells a very different story from the other.
1930s California. Celebrated author Oliver Tooke, the son of the state governor, is found dead in his writing hut off the coast of the family residence, Turnglass House. His friend Ken Kourian doesn’t believe that Oliver would take his own life. His investigations lead him to the mysterious kidnapping of Oliver’s brother when they were children, and the subsequent secret incarceration of his mother, Florence, in an asylum. But to discover the truth, Ken must decipher clues hidden in Oliver’s final book, a tête-bêche novel – which is about a young doctor called Simeon Lee . . .
512 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2023
811 people are currently reading
10483 people want to read
About the author
Gareth Rubin
14 books44 followersGareth Rubin is a British journalist and author. His journalism covers social affairs, travel, architecture, arts and health. His novel Liberation Square is a mystery thriller set in Soviet-occupied London.
In 2013 he directed a documentary, Images of Bedlam, about the connection between art and mental illness and how art can help people express that which they cannot put into words. It was filmed at the Bethlem Royal Hospital (‘Bedlam’) and interviews artists with a history of psychiatric illness.
He previously worked as an actor on stage and television.
In 2013 he directed a documentary, Images of Bedlam, about the connection between art and mental illness and how art can help people express that which they cannot put into words. It was filmed at the Bethlem Royal Hospital (‘Bedlam’) and interviews artists with a history of psychiatric illness.
He previously worked as an actor on stage and television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 964 reviews
August 20, 2023
This seems like a good idea but the gimmick is ultimately failed by the mediocrity of the story, writing and character development. Like, it's fine, but I found myself rolling my eyes too often and didn't really care what happened. Or if I did care, I'd already guessed the twists miles out.
August 31, 2024
Entretenido y original.
Dice la sinopsis:
Inglaterra, 1881. El joven médico Simeon Lee acude a la llamada de su primo enfermo en la isla de Ray. El pastor Howes está convencido de que ha sido envenenado por su cuñada Florence, quien, tras ser acusada de matar a su esposo, vive encerrada en una habitación con paredes de cristal en la biblioteca de la mansión.
California, 1939. Todo apunta a que el escritor Oliver Tooke se ha suicidado, pero su amigo Ken Kourian no lo tiene claro, por lo que se sumerge en una investigación que lo lleva al secuestro del hermano de Oliver cuando ambos eran niños. Para descubrir la verdad, Ken deberá descifrar las pistas escondidas en la última novela de su amigo, Relojes de cristal, un libro con dos relatos capicúa sobre un joven médico llamado Simeon Lee.
Mis impresiones
Estamos ante un libro con un formato original. Dos historias capicúas interconectadas, una, la de 1881 es la correspondiente a la portada/reloj azul, la otra, la de 1939, la de la portada/reloj rojo. La novela se puede leer en el orden que se quiera, empiezas por uno de los relojes, cuando terminas la historia le das la vuelta al libro y lees la otra. Yo empecé por el azul. Creo que la experiencia de lectura puede ser distinta dependiendo de por cuál empieces. Me gustaría conocer la de aquellos lectores que lo hayan leído al revés. Aunque el libro está disponible en versión digital creo que parte del encanto puede perderse en ese formato.
Las dos historias están bien hilvanadas. Giran en torno al mismo tópico que no explicito por no hacer spoiler. La del pasado me tuvo muy interesada, en la del presente resulta todo más predecible, quizá porque ya vamos avisados por la lectura anterior. No descarto que, si las hubiera leído al revés la sensación fuese la contraria. Los capítulos son cortos y el ritmo ágil, engancha y se lee bien.
Ambas partes se ambientan en casas que también son capicúas entre sí. El autor intenta dotar de un ambiente inquietante y opresivo a ambas con distintos resultados. Le funciona mejor con la de 1881 y su celda de cristal.
Los personajes correctos, destaco a Florence, la que más me ha gustado. Sobre el desenlace o desenlaces, explican los interrogantes sin que por ello cambie nada en la situación de los protagonistas, lo que me dejó, sobre todo en la historia de pasado con cierta sensación agridulce.
En conclusión un libro atractivo y original. Dos historias capicúas interconectadas que giran en torno al mismo tópico bien hilvanadas y de lectura entretenida. Recomendable.
Dice la sinopsis:
Inglaterra, 1881. El joven médico Simeon Lee acude a la llamada de su primo enfermo en la isla de Ray. El pastor Howes está convencido de que ha sido envenenado por su cuñada Florence, quien, tras ser acusada de matar a su esposo, vive encerrada en una habitación con paredes de cristal en la biblioteca de la mansión.
California, 1939. Todo apunta a que el escritor Oliver Tooke se ha suicidado, pero su amigo Ken Kourian no lo tiene claro, por lo que se sumerge en una investigación que lo lleva al secuestro del hermano de Oliver cuando ambos eran niños. Para descubrir la verdad, Ken deberá descifrar las pistas escondidas en la última novela de su amigo, Relojes de cristal, un libro con dos relatos capicúa sobre un joven médico llamado Simeon Lee.
Mis impresiones
Estamos ante un libro con un formato original. Dos historias capicúas interconectadas, una, la de 1881 es la correspondiente a la portada/reloj azul, la otra, la de 1939, la de la portada/reloj rojo. La novela se puede leer en el orden que se quiera, empiezas por uno de los relojes, cuando terminas la historia le das la vuelta al libro y lees la otra. Yo empecé por el azul. Creo que la experiencia de lectura puede ser distinta dependiendo de por cuál empieces. Me gustaría conocer la de aquellos lectores que lo hayan leído al revés. Aunque el libro está disponible en versión digital creo que parte del encanto puede perderse en ese formato.
Las dos historias están bien hilvanadas. Giran en torno al mismo tópico que no explicito por no hacer spoiler. La del pasado me tuvo muy interesada, en la del presente resulta todo más predecible, quizá porque ya vamos avisados por la lectura anterior. No descarto que, si las hubiera leído al revés la sensación fuese la contraria. Los capítulos son cortos y el ritmo ágil, engancha y se lee bien.
Ambas partes se ambientan en casas que también son capicúas entre sí. El autor intenta dotar de un ambiente inquietante y opresivo a ambas con distintos resultados. Le funciona mejor con la de 1881 y su celda de cristal.
Los personajes correctos, destaco a Florence, la que más me ha gustado. Sobre el desenlace o desenlaces, explican los interrogantes sin que por ello cambie nada en la situación de los protagonistas, lo que me dejó, sobre todo en la historia de pasado con cierta sensación agridulce.
En conclusión un libro atractivo y original. Dos historias capicúas interconectadas que giran en torno al mismo tópico bien hilvanadas y de lectura entretenida. Recomendable.
June 11, 2023
"You're holding a book in your hands. It's not just any book though. It's a tête-bêche novel, beloved of nineteenth-century bookmakers. It's a book that is two books: two intertwined stories printed back-to-back."
The Turnglass is about tête-bêche novels and is one itself. One half of the book is set in the 1880s and starts with young doctor, Simeon Lee. In need of money for worthy research, he accepts an offer to treat a cousin he knows little about, Oliver Hawes. Hawes is strangely, seriously ill. He believes he is being poisoned but his symptoms mystify Lee. Even more mysterious is Florence, incarcerated in a glass-fronted apartment within Hawes's library since killing her husband, Hawes's brother. They live on an English island in lonely Turnglass House. The setting is reminiscent of that in The Woman In Black. The key to the mystery of how Florence came to be imprisoned and subsequently Hawes's illness? His diary, kept within one half of a tête-bêche in the library. The other half tells of a family in 1930s California living in a glass house...
The other half of The Turnglass has Ken Kourian, aspiring actor, trying his luck in 1930s California. He meets and befriends rich writer, Oliver Tooke and Tooke's sister, Coraline. They live in Turnglass House, a house made of glass. Tooke helps Kourian in the film world and things seem to be looking up until Kourian finds Tooke dead. The police assume suicide but Kourian disagrees. He finds himself being followed and realises he may be getting too close to the truth. The truth about the Tooke family, their notorious past, and Tooke's death seems to lie hidden in Tooke's recently released tête-bêche novel, The Turnglass, about Dr Simeon Lee...
"Ken began to read from the start, but all the time he was searching for a meaning beneath the meaning."
Sounds delicious, doesn't it? I was so excited when I heard about The Turnglass and couldn't wait to see how this would work. It was the first I knew of tête-bêche novels and it's a great device. The fact that the two stories in The Turnglass are interlinked and self-referencing makes it irresistible for anyone who likes something clever and different. You could read either book in its entirety and then the other or do as I did and read a chapter from each book in turn. I thought I'd try the latter to see how well it would work and if I could cope with mysteries unfolding from both ends. And there is mystery aplenty here. The contrast between gloomy, isolated 1880s Turnglass House and glamourous 1930s Turnglass House helps the switching to work nicely. 1880s Turnglass is a dark, gothic setting of smuggling and secrets. 1930s Turnglass starts as a whirl of dazzling parties with the imminent threat of WWII lurking in the background. And despite their differences, there are curious parallels between the two houses and their inhabitants, tragedy, and loneliness on both fronts. And as both stories pick up pace, I couldn't help myself turning and turning both pages and the book. To write one good mystery is clever enough but to write two and have them work so well together is very impressive indeed. Nothing is as it seems and it's a delight to pick it apart. I will definitely be reading this one multiple times (and possibly in different ways) to catch all the clues in each story and between the two stories. Enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy this one very much. I can't wait to see how the author follows this one up :)
Many thanks to the publisher for a proof copy!
The Turnglass is about tête-bêche novels and is one itself. One half of the book is set in the 1880s and starts with young doctor, Simeon Lee. In need of money for worthy research, he accepts an offer to treat a cousin he knows little about, Oliver Hawes. Hawes is strangely, seriously ill. He believes he is being poisoned but his symptoms mystify Lee. Even more mysterious is Florence, incarcerated in a glass-fronted apartment within Hawes's library since killing her husband, Hawes's brother. They live on an English island in lonely Turnglass House. The setting is reminiscent of that in The Woman In Black. The key to the mystery of how Florence came to be imprisoned and subsequently Hawes's illness? His diary, kept within one half of a tête-bêche in the library. The other half tells of a family in 1930s California living in a glass house...
The other half of The Turnglass has Ken Kourian, aspiring actor, trying his luck in 1930s California. He meets and befriends rich writer, Oliver Tooke and Tooke's sister, Coraline. They live in Turnglass House, a house made of glass. Tooke helps Kourian in the film world and things seem to be looking up until Kourian finds Tooke dead. The police assume suicide but Kourian disagrees. He finds himself being followed and realises he may be getting too close to the truth. The truth about the Tooke family, their notorious past, and Tooke's death seems to lie hidden in Tooke's recently released tête-bêche novel, The Turnglass, about Dr Simeon Lee...
"Ken began to read from the start, but all the time he was searching for a meaning beneath the meaning."
Sounds delicious, doesn't it? I was so excited when I heard about The Turnglass and couldn't wait to see how this would work. It was the first I knew of tête-bêche novels and it's a great device. The fact that the two stories in The Turnglass are interlinked and self-referencing makes it irresistible for anyone who likes something clever and different. You could read either book in its entirety and then the other or do as I did and read a chapter from each book in turn. I thought I'd try the latter to see how well it would work and if I could cope with mysteries unfolding from both ends. And there is mystery aplenty here. The contrast between gloomy, isolated 1880s Turnglass House and glamourous 1930s Turnglass House helps the switching to work nicely. 1880s Turnglass is a dark, gothic setting of smuggling and secrets. 1930s Turnglass starts as a whirl of dazzling parties with the imminent threat of WWII lurking in the background. And despite their differences, there are curious parallels between the two houses and their inhabitants, tragedy, and loneliness on both fronts. And as both stories pick up pace, I couldn't help myself turning and turning both pages and the book. To write one good mystery is clever enough but to write two and have them work so well together is very impressive indeed. Nothing is as it seems and it's a delight to pick it apart. I will definitely be reading this one multiple times (and possibly in different ways) to catch all the clues in each story and between the two stories. Enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy this one very much. I can't wait to see how the author follows this one up :)
Many thanks to the publisher for a proof copy!
September 24, 2023
The LA story was a lot better than Victorian London but i feel whichever you read first will read better.
July 8, 2024
Libro muy original. Dos historias que al final tienen que ver una con la otra.
La parte antigua es la que mas me ha gustado. Un thriller con giro que no esperaba.
La parte americana, 1939, se basa en la historia anterior así que vas desgranando la historia basandote en ella. Lo malo de ello, que me he dado cuenta de una parte importante de la historia así que no ha habido sorpresa final.
Pese a todo, libro recomendable por ser original y se lee facil
La parte antigua es la que mas me ha gustado. Un thriller con giro que no esperaba.
La parte americana, 1939, se basa en la historia anterior así que vas desgranando la historia basandote en ella. Lo malo de ello, que me he dado cuenta de una parte importante de la historia así que no ha habido sorpresa final.
Pese a todo, libro recomendable por ser original y se lee facil
July 10, 2024
Cuando vi que Relojes de cristal se iba a publicar en español me emocione mucho, como fan número uno de los libros un poco extraños y que juegan con los formatos narrativos. La obra de Gareth Rubin prometía dos relatos capicúa, dos historias interconectadas sobre una enigmática familia y dos casas similares, aunque situadas en dos emplazamientos muy diferentes. Estaba fichado en mi lista de deseos desde que lo vi por primera vez en inglés, aunque mantenía cierta duda de que no fuera un simple artificio comercial basado en el efectismo de llamar la atención por el hecho de poder empezar el libro por el lado que quisiera el lector. La respuesta rápida, es que no es una simple treta de venta, sino que realmente Relojes de cristal modela un rompecabezas único en el que el propio libro contiene las claves para la resolución de un misterio que permea en ambos relatos y duró décadas para la familia protagonista.
Dos historias, dos periodos temporales y dos protagonistas
La primera gracia de Relojes de cristal es que su sinopsis es complicada dependiendo de por el lado que quieras empezar, el azul o el rojo. El azul nos lleva hasta 1881, en un pueblecito de Inglaterra, donde el joven médico Simeon Lee acude a la llamada de su primo enfermo en la isla de Ray. El pastor Howes está convencido de que ha sido envenenado por su cuñada Florence, quien, tras ser acusada de matar a su esposo, vive encerrada en una habitación con paredes de cristal en la biblioteca de la mansión. La segunda —o la primera, depende de por donde empieces— nos traslada directos a 1939, al estado de California, donde todo apunta a que el escritor Oliver Tooke se ha suicidado. Sin embargo, su amigo Ken Kourian no lo tiene tan claro, por lo que se sumerge en una investigación que lo lleva al secuestro del hermano de Oliver cuando ambos eran niños. Para descubrir la verdad, Ken deberá descifrar las pistas escondidas en la última novela de su amigo —llamada Relojes de cristal—, un libro con dos relatos capicúa sobre un joven médico llamado Simeon Lee.
La novela tête-bêche
Tête-bêche (del francés, que significa “de la cabeza a la cola”) es un curioso formato de publicación en la que dos novelas cortas o colecciones de cuentos, generalmente de diferentes autores, se imprimen juntas, pero al revés, situándose dorso con dorso. De este modo hacen que leas una historia y luego tengas que dar físicamente la vuelta al libro para comenzar a leer la otra. Aunque su uso se remonta al s. XIX, fue en los años cincuenta y setenta cuando tuvieron un gran auge con la editorial estadounidense Ace Books y sus «Doble Ace» , que publicó cientos de novelas de ciencia ficción, western y suspenso en este curioso formato. Y ahí está la clave de Relojes de cristal y el ingenio de Gareth Rubin para ella, porque coge esa configuración y le da un pequeño toque creando dos historias en diálogo, y que en cierto modo, son una inversión la una de la otra, no estando solo vinculadas entre sí, sino que son autorreferenciales entre sí, presentando incluso una novela tête-bêche en su núcleo.
Cambiando de estilos
Cada uno de los lados de Relojes de cristal tiene también la peculiaridad de ser pariente cercana de un estilo de novela de misterio. La más antigua, la que nos lleva a 1881, deambula entre el melodrama y el gótico victoriano, recolectando elementos clásicos como casas en medio de la nada, hogares sombríos o pantanosos y revelaciones asombrosas e inesperadas. Todo ello intercalado con cartas y diarios que tejen una red de secretos y conspiraciones intrincadas que no se revelan hasta los compases finales al puro estilo Agatha Christie. Simeón y toda su investigación tiene ecos de Jekyll y Mr. Hyde, de La mujer de negro o incluso un poco de Dorian Gray. Sin embargo, la segunda, con Ken Kourian como protagonista, es un hard-boiled en toda regla. Frío, violento y con cierta truculencia características de subgénero. Gente adinerada, mucha más acción y de nuevo secretos familiares se mueven en torno al trágico personaje de Oliver Tooke. Sin embargo, aunque técnicamente las dos historias son muy diferentes entre sí, tienen momentos en que se sienten como espejos, como dos historias dialogando en un mismo libro, con ciertas escenas que parecen hablar entre sí.
Un adorno o algo más
Lo que me llevo preguntando desde que termine de leer el libro es si me hubiera gustado tanto si no fuera por su estructura. Creo que probablemente no, aunque las dos historias están bien elaboradas —gustándome más la de 1881 que la de 1939— funcionan mejor dada su disposición estructural. La nota del editor dice que el libro puede leerse en cualquier dirección —o en ambas a la vez, alternando capítulos—, pero sugeriría (y esto es personal) leerlo en orden cronológico para disfrutar de lo complementario que se hace la primera historia de la segunda. La dualidad funciona más allá del simple libro, como en sus temas (el bien/el mal, apariencia y sociedad, el pasado tormentoso o el futuro inmutable) y en algunos de sus personajes que funcionan como espejos de los otros en su versión más contemporánea, que se vuelven claves cuando debemos resolverlo todo. Al final, Relojes de cristal es más que un adorno físico, es un libro ingenioso de suspense que se deja leer prácticamente solo, atrapando al lector en sus complots y planes familiares que van saliendo a la luz tras varias generaciones de una familia enturbiada por su pasado. Dos libros que en realidad son uno, y aunque parezca una contradicción, a la vez (también) son dos.
Reseña en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...
Dos historias, dos periodos temporales y dos protagonistas
La primera gracia de Relojes de cristal es que su sinopsis es complicada dependiendo de por el lado que quieras empezar, el azul o el rojo. El azul nos lleva hasta 1881, en un pueblecito de Inglaterra, donde el joven médico Simeon Lee acude a la llamada de su primo enfermo en la isla de Ray. El pastor Howes está convencido de que ha sido envenenado por su cuñada Florence, quien, tras ser acusada de matar a su esposo, vive encerrada en una habitación con paredes de cristal en la biblioteca de la mansión. La segunda —o la primera, depende de por donde empieces— nos traslada directos a 1939, al estado de California, donde todo apunta a que el escritor Oliver Tooke se ha suicidado. Sin embargo, su amigo Ken Kourian no lo tiene tan claro, por lo que se sumerge en una investigación que lo lleva al secuestro del hermano de Oliver cuando ambos eran niños. Para descubrir la verdad, Ken deberá descifrar las pistas escondidas en la última novela de su amigo —llamada Relojes de cristal—, un libro con dos relatos capicúa sobre un joven médico llamado Simeon Lee.
La novela tête-bêche
Tête-bêche (del francés, que significa “de la cabeza a la cola”) es un curioso formato de publicación en la que dos novelas cortas o colecciones de cuentos, generalmente de diferentes autores, se imprimen juntas, pero al revés, situándose dorso con dorso. De este modo hacen que leas una historia y luego tengas que dar físicamente la vuelta al libro para comenzar a leer la otra. Aunque su uso se remonta al s. XIX, fue en los años cincuenta y setenta cuando tuvieron un gran auge con la editorial estadounidense Ace Books y sus «Doble Ace» , que publicó cientos de novelas de ciencia ficción, western y suspenso en este curioso formato. Y ahí está la clave de Relojes de cristal y el ingenio de Gareth Rubin para ella, porque coge esa configuración y le da un pequeño toque creando dos historias en diálogo, y que en cierto modo, son una inversión la una de la otra, no estando solo vinculadas entre sí, sino que son autorreferenciales entre sí, presentando incluso una novela tête-bêche en su núcleo.
Cambiando de estilos
Cada uno de los lados de Relojes de cristal tiene también la peculiaridad de ser pariente cercana de un estilo de novela de misterio. La más antigua, la que nos lleva a 1881, deambula entre el melodrama y el gótico victoriano, recolectando elementos clásicos como casas en medio de la nada, hogares sombríos o pantanosos y revelaciones asombrosas e inesperadas. Todo ello intercalado con cartas y diarios que tejen una red de secretos y conspiraciones intrincadas que no se revelan hasta los compases finales al puro estilo Agatha Christie. Simeón y toda su investigación tiene ecos de Jekyll y Mr. Hyde, de La mujer de negro o incluso un poco de Dorian Gray. Sin embargo, la segunda, con Ken Kourian como protagonista, es un hard-boiled en toda regla. Frío, violento y con cierta truculencia características de subgénero. Gente adinerada, mucha más acción y de nuevo secretos familiares se mueven en torno al trágico personaje de Oliver Tooke. Sin embargo, aunque técnicamente las dos historias son muy diferentes entre sí, tienen momentos en que se sienten como espejos, como dos historias dialogando en un mismo libro, con ciertas escenas que parecen hablar entre sí.
Un adorno o algo más
Lo que me llevo preguntando desde que termine de leer el libro es si me hubiera gustado tanto si no fuera por su estructura. Creo que probablemente no, aunque las dos historias están bien elaboradas —gustándome más la de 1881 que la de 1939— funcionan mejor dada su disposición estructural. La nota del editor dice que el libro puede leerse en cualquier dirección —o en ambas a la vez, alternando capítulos—, pero sugeriría (y esto es personal) leerlo en orden cronológico para disfrutar de lo complementario que se hace la primera historia de la segunda. La dualidad funciona más allá del simple libro, como en sus temas (el bien/el mal, apariencia y sociedad, el pasado tormentoso o el futuro inmutable) y en algunos de sus personajes que funcionan como espejos de los otros en su versión más contemporánea, que se vuelven claves cuando debemos resolverlo todo. Al final, Relojes de cristal es más que un adorno físico, es un libro ingenioso de suspense que se deja leer prácticamente solo, atrapando al lector en sus complots y planes familiares que van saliendo a la luz tras varias generaciones de una familia enturbiada por su pasado. Dos libros que en realidad son uno, y aunque parezca una contradicción, a la vez (también) son dos.
Reseña en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...
September 2, 2023
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this before, where you can simply split it in half and once you’ve read one story you can turn the book upside down and viola, you have another story to read. And we know there’s nothing I love more than stories that intertwine with each other so this was an absolutely wonderful reading experience for me.
The pacing in both of the stories was exquisite and I felt myself needing to read more so that I could piece it all together. There were some great twists in the stories that I didn’t see coming (but probably should have?) and honestly I can’t believe the talent it would take to write two great stories that intertwine in the same book together. Absolute madness, I bloody love it.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a proof of this wonderful read.
The pacing in both of the stories was exquisite and I felt myself needing to read more so that I could piece it all together. There were some great twists in the stories that I didn’t see coming (but probably should have?) and honestly I can’t believe the talent it would take to write two great stories that intertwine in the same book together. Absolute madness, I bloody love it.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a proof of this wonderful read.
February 18, 2024
La storia di per sé è anche carina, ma non mi è piaciuta molto come è stata sviluppata. Avessi costruito io il libro (no spoiler) sarei partita dalla parte rossa e, a un certo punto, avrei stoppato la storia e rimandato alla parte blu. Leggere tutta la parte blu all’inizio e poi la rossa non ha molto senso a mio avviso.
“Capovolgi il romanzo e scopri la verità”, peccato che non ci sia alcuna verità da scoprire nella parte blu 😅
“Capovolgi il romanzo e scopri la verità”, peccato che non ci sia alcuna verità da scoprire nella parte blu 😅
November 18, 2023
L' idea è carina....e qui finisce tutto quello che posso dire di positivo.
Il contesto storico inizia e finisce con le date scritte all' inizio dei due romanzi, manca completamente l' uso di un linguaggio adeguato ai tempi. La trama è carente, i personaggi appena abbozzati. Decisamente una delusione.
Il contesto storico inizia e finisce con le date scritte all' inizio dei due romanzi, manca completamente l' uso di un linguaggio adeguato ai tempi. La trama è carente, i personaggi appena abbozzati. Decisamente una delusione.
March 17, 2024
O rany, jak mi się to podobało! Świetne historie, które pięknie się zazębiają. Świetna forma, niezłe wykonanie i interesujące rozwiązanie. Radzę zacząć od niebieskiej części, myślę, że gdy ona będzie pierwsza, to będzie się miało więcej zabawy.
August 10, 2024
Read the blue half first. Enjoyed myself, was compelled by the mystery, liked the setting and the premise, and then was left wondering what the hell the red half could have to offer because everything seemed tied up. But still, it was well done with some unimportant loose ends about the glass house. Overall, this part would have gotten a good 3,5 stars.
The red half barely desevered 2 stars. The setting sucked (WHY in gods name did it matter Ken was trying to get into movies), the characters sucked and then the resolution didn't suck, because there was none. Just a "this is what happened" and nothing else, even though the state governor ADMITTED to having practiced eugenics?? The tie-in of the other half was nice, but I was promised that both sides needed the other to make sense and then it just.. wasn't that. It seemed an attempt to make the reader think, but it didn't offer enough actually unsolved mystery to actually do that. The whole thing was just so unsatisfactory I skimmed through the last 200 pages to just get to the freaking end.
This could have been so cool if there was more of a reason for James and Florence to be obsessed with the book in their time. But there wasn't, and the two stories can basically exist apart from one another until the last two or three chapters of the red side when Ken figured it out. A good premise, painfully poor execution.
The red half barely desevered 2 stars. The setting sucked (WHY in gods name did it matter Ken was trying to get into movies), the characters sucked and then the resolution didn't suck, because there was none. Just a "this is what happened" and nothing else, even though the state governor ADMITTED to having practiced eugenics?? The tie-in of the other half was nice, but I was promised that both sides needed the other to make sense and then it just.. wasn't that. It seemed an attempt to make the reader think, but it didn't offer enough actually unsolved mystery to actually do that. The whole thing was just so unsatisfactory I skimmed through the last 200 pages to just get to the freaking end.
This could have been so cool if there was more of a reason for James and Florence to be obsessed with the book in their time. But there wasn't, and the two stories can basically exist apart from one another until the last two or three chapters of the red side when Ken figured it out. A good premise, painfully poor execution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2023
3,5 stelline (e sono buona).
Purtroppo ha un po’ deluso le mie aspettative.
Sicuramente è molto interessante il fatto che il libro contenga due storie che si intrecciano tra di loro e che fanno comprendere appieno le vicende solo dopo averle lette entrambe. Tuttavia ho trovato il racconto della parte verde un po’ più accattivante (almeno per l’atmosfera) dell’altro che invece mi ha davvero delusa.
Sarà che me lo avevano venduto come un libro inquietante e che invece di angosciante ha solo un pizzico di atmosfera nella parte iniziale (del libro verde), ma non sono riuscita a farmelo piacere completamente.
Si tratta di un giallo, di una storia familiare, ma non sicuramente di un libro inquietante o gotico.
Il mistero inoltre è facilmente intuibile, sia per quanto riguarda la parte verde che per quanto riguarda la parte rossa, quindi zero suspance.
Per quanto riguarda i personaggi, boh, alcuni non sono riuscita proprio a decifrarli.
Per agevolare la lettura consiglio comunque di iniziare dalla parte verde e poi di passare a quella rossa, altrimenti si rischia di spoilerare alcuni aspetti.
Purtroppo ha un po’ deluso le mie aspettative.
Sicuramente è molto interessante il fatto che il libro contenga due storie che si intrecciano tra di loro e che fanno comprendere appieno le vicende solo dopo averle lette entrambe. Tuttavia ho trovato il racconto della parte verde un po’ più accattivante (almeno per l’atmosfera) dell’altro che invece mi ha davvero delusa.
Sarà che me lo avevano venduto come un libro inquietante e che invece di angosciante ha solo un pizzico di atmosfera nella parte iniziale (del libro verde), ma non sono riuscita a farmelo piacere completamente.
Si tratta di un giallo, di una storia familiare, ma non sicuramente di un libro inquietante o gotico.
Il mistero inoltre è facilmente intuibile, sia per quanto riguarda la parte verde che per quanto riguarda la parte rossa, quindi zero suspance.
Per quanto riguarda i personaggi, boh, alcuni non sono riuscita proprio a decifrarli.
Per agevolare la lettura consiglio comunque di iniziare dalla parte verde e poi di passare a quella rossa, altrimenti si rischia di spoilerare alcuni aspetti.
March 8, 2025
Ciekawa historia, którą ja traktuję jako jedność, a nie dwie osobne opowieści, audiobook przesłuchałam na raz i byłam całkiem wciągnięta. 4⭐
Want to read
October 12, 2023I want to read this for the format but many reviews say the story itself is mediocre ugh
November 9, 2023
“‘It begins in February 1939.’ Simeon closed the book, … and examined it more closely. Florence had wanted him to read this so there had to be some significance he could not yet see. … It carried the name ‘O. Tooke’. Whoever he was, he was writing about the future, and describing it as the past.”
My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for an eARC via NetGalley of Part One of ‘The Turnglass’ by Gareth Rubin. I subsequently purchased the entire book and this review reflects both parts.
This is both a tête-bêche, or head-to-tail book, and features one as part of its intricate plot. Usually these were two works by different authors, that are printed back-to-back with one upside down, so that the volume has, in effect, two front covers. However, ‘The Turnglass’ is written by one author with its novellas featuring a number of cross-references.
The first novella opens in 1879. Idealistic young doctor, Simeon Lee, is summoned from London to treat his cousin, Parson Oliver Hawes, who is sickening from an unknown illness. Hawes lives at Turnglass House, on Ray, a desolate tidal island located off the Essex coast.
Parson Hawes believes that he is being poisoned and accuses his sister-in-law, Florence. Simeon learns that Florence had been declared insane after killing Oliver’s brother in a jealous rage. She is being held in a glass-walled, self-contained apartment in Oliver’s library. The story of how she came to be there is found in Oliver’s tête-bêche journal, where one side tells a very different story from the other…..
The second part is set in late 1930s Los Angeles. Aspiring actor Ken Kourian befriends celebrated author Oliver Tooke, the son of the state governor. Then Oliver is found dead in his writing hut off the coast of the family residence, Turnglass House. Ken doesn’t believe Oliver would take his own life. His investigations lead him to secrets that link back to the family’s original home on Ray, a shocking kidnapping, and the incarceration of his mother, Florence, in an asylum. The key to the mystery appears to be Oliver’s final book, a tête-bêche novel about a young doctor called Simeon Lee . .
This was quite an intriguing tale and I felt that Gareth Rubin did well in recreating his historical settings from the bustling streets of Victorian London to the barren Essex coast with its culture of smuggling and then Los Angeles in 1939 as the world is poised for war in Europe.
While the nature of a tête-bêche allows the reader to start with either novella, I read them in chronological order.
Overall, I found ‘The Turnglass’ such an original concept and admired Gareth Rubin’s skill in creating this fascinating literary mystery. I feel that given its multilayered nature that it is the kind of book that will reveal further interconnections during a reread.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for an eARC via NetGalley of Part One of ‘The Turnglass’ by Gareth Rubin. I subsequently purchased the entire book and this review reflects both parts.
This is both a tête-bêche, or head-to-tail book, and features one as part of its intricate plot. Usually these were two works by different authors, that are printed back-to-back with one upside down, so that the volume has, in effect, two front covers. However, ‘The Turnglass’ is written by one author with its novellas featuring a number of cross-references.
The first novella opens in 1879. Idealistic young doctor, Simeon Lee, is summoned from London to treat his cousin, Parson Oliver Hawes, who is sickening from an unknown illness. Hawes lives at Turnglass House, on Ray, a desolate tidal island located off the Essex coast.
Parson Hawes believes that he is being poisoned and accuses his sister-in-law, Florence. Simeon learns that Florence had been declared insane after killing Oliver’s brother in a jealous rage. She is being held in a glass-walled, self-contained apartment in Oliver’s library. The story of how she came to be there is found in Oliver’s tête-bêche journal, where one side tells a very different story from the other…..
The second part is set in late 1930s Los Angeles. Aspiring actor Ken Kourian befriends celebrated author Oliver Tooke, the son of the state governor. Then Oliver is found dead in his writing hut off the coast of the family residence, Turnglass House. Ken doesn’t believe Oliver would take his own life. His investigations lead him to secrets that link back to the family’s original home on Ray, a shocking kidnapping, and the incarceration of his mother, Florence, in an asylum. The key to the mystery appears to be Oliver’s final book, a tête-bêche novel about a young doctor called Simeon Lee . .
This was quite an intriguing tale and I felt that Gareth Rubin did well in recreating his historical settings from the bustling streets of Victorian London to the barren Essex coast with its culture of smuggling and then Los Angeles in 1939 as the world is poised for war in Europe.
While the nature of a tête-bêche allows the reader to start with either novella, I read them in chronological order.
Overall, I found ‘The Turnglass’ such an original concept and admired Gareth Rubin’s skill in creating this fascinating literary mystery. I feel that given its multilayered nature that it is the kind of book that will reveal further interconnections during a reread.
Highly recommended.
October 27, 2024
The original term “tête-bêche” was usually used in printing, where a mistake in the setting of a signature could mean that something would be printed upside down - but sometimes, this was done intentionally. In this case, Gareth Rubin took his chance of a two in one publishing deal with his book(s): the two crime novellas are in fact printed and bound upside down, so that they both begin at the ends of the phisical book and meet in the middle, and when you finish reading one you can simply turn the book over (the imagery of the hourglass that pervades the book is a neat reminder of this feature).
This was the first hurdle I found when reading the book on the Netgalley app, as the novelty of the phisicality of the book as an object can’t be transposed on an ebook (or, it can, but it’s more of an inconvenience), so this detail was sadly lost on me. If the only reason you’re picking up this book is this one, then I would suggest getting a physical copy.
The book has another interesting aspect, however, and that makes it worth reading in however format you prefer if you’re a fan of crime fiction: the two stories, despite being set many decades apart, play a mirrorlike reference of each other. Without going too much in detail as not to spoil anything, both novellas hinge around the Turnglass House and the mysteries it contains.
The blurb says that the book can be read in either “direction”, but I would advise to read the novella set in 1881 first, as the other one “spoils” some moments by giving further insight — whereas, where you to read them the other way around I feel like you would have some preconceptions about the story that leave you with more questions than answers.
The idea behind the book is the one that pulled me in, while both mysteries are nothing to write home about. I definitely enjoyed the one set in the UK more: I really didn’t care about the protagonists of the novella set in California, and guessed the key mystery pretty soon in the story, so I waited for a hundred pages for the confirmation of my hypothesis.
Despite everything I would still recommend it! The length of the novellas and the accessible language make it a perfect entry point for the people that are wary of getting into the genre, a quick dip just to see if you like the temperature.
(The racist portrayal of Romani people is one thing I couldn't look past though: the book is very aware of the racism towards Black people and makes sure to rectify the language when African American characters are addressed, and you can see the difference in the way the "bad guys" and the internal pov of the protagonist talk about them them - this amount of grace is not bestowed on Romani people, who are used as an overlooked scapegoat for violence and brutality.)
This was the first hurdle I found when reading the book on the Netgalley app, as the novelty of the phisicality of the book as an object can’t be transposed on an ebook (or, it can, but it’s more of an inconvenience), so this detail was sadly lost on me. If the only reason you’re picking up this book is this one, then I would suggest getting a physical copy.
The book has another interesting aspect, however, and that makes it worth reading in however format you prefer if you’re a fan of crime fiction: the two stories, despite being set many decades apart, play a mirrorlike reference of each other. Without going too much in detail as not to spoil anything, both novellas hinge around the Turnglass House and the mysteries it contains.
The blurb says that the book can be read in either “direction”, but I would advise to read the novella set in 1881 first, as the other one “spoils” some moments by giving further insight — whereas, where you to read them the other way around I feel like you would have some preconceptions about the story that leave you with more questions than answers.
The idea behind the book is the one that pulled me in, while both mysteries are nothing to write home about. I definitely enjoyed the one set in the UK more: I really didn’t care about the protagonists of the novella set in California, and guessed the key mystery pretty soon in the story, so I waited for a hundred pages for the confirmation of my hypothesis.
Despite everything I would still recommend it! The length of the novellas and the accessible language make it a perfect entry point for the people that are wary of getting into the genre, a quick dip just to see if you like the temperature.
(The racist portrayal of Romani people is one thing I couldn't look past though: the book is very aware of the racism towards Black people and makes sure to rectify the language when African American characters are addressed, and you can see the difference in the way the "bad guys" and the internal pov of the protagonist talk about them them - this amount of grace is not bestowed on Romani people, who are used as an overlooked scapegoat for violence and brutality.)
December 29, 2024
Do ove knjige nikada nisam vidio tête-bêche format u praksi, iako autor tvrdi da je to nekad bilo popularno. Jedan roman s dvostrukim početkom – doslovno! A sadržaj poput pješčanog sata, prelijeva se iz jedne forme u drugu. Čitate jedan dio do sredine, okrenete knjigu naopačke i čitate drugi. Baza, zar ne? Osim što vas tjera da pogodite s koje strane krenuti. (Ja sam, naravno, krenuo od ranije godine radnje, čisto iz želje da budem kronološki dosljedan, i pogodio!)
No moram reći – ovo nije knjiga za ljubitelje e-knjiga. Ako ne možete osjetiti knjigu u rukama, cijeli taj „'okreni-knjigu-naopačke' trik gubi smisao.
Rubin je odabrao jednostavan pristup: prvi dio priče istražuje drugi. Stilski, ovo je pravi old-school krimić, s atmosferom koja podsjeća na Arthura Conana Doylea i Agathu Christie (Simeon Lee je ime lika iz Božića Hercula Poirota). Engleski dio, s viktorijanskom gotikom i izolacijom kuće na otoku, definitivno mi je bio draži od holivudske kalifornijske predratne vreve. No, obje priče se prožimaju – i to nije slučajnost.
Ako volite misterije s obiteljskim tajnama, pomalo bizarne likove i twistove, Pješčani sat vas neće razočarati. A tête-bêche format nakon premijere u 18. stoljeću, zaslužuje novih pet minuta slave!
Pješčani sat je stvoren za one koji vole razmišljati o knjizi i prije nego je otvore – s koje strane početi? A jednom kad počnete, teško ćete stati. Rubin je vratio starinski šarm u modernu misteriju i usput nas podsjetio da i forma može biti dio čitateljskog užitka.
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Pročitajte i druge osvrte na Dalmatinskom portalu: https://dalmatinskiportal.hr/kolumna/...
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No moram reći – ovo nije knjiga za ljubitelje e-knjiga. Ako ne možete osjetiti knjigu u rukama, cijeli taj „'okreni-knjigu-naopačke' trik gubi smisao.
Rubin je odabrao jednostavan pristup: prvi dio priče istražuje drugi. Stilski, ovo je pravi old-school krimić, s atmosferom koja podsjeća na Arthura Conana Doylea i Agathu Christie (Simeon Lee je ime lika iz Božića Hercula Poirota). Engleski dio, s viktorijanskom gotikom i izolacijom kuće na otoku, definitivno mi je bio draži od holivudske kalifornijske predratne vreve. No, obje priče se prožimaju – i to nije slučajnost.
Ako volite misterije s obiteljskim tajnama, pomalo bizarne likove i twistove, Pješčani sat vas neće razočarati. A tête-bêche format nakon premijere u 18. stoljeću, zaslužuje novih pet minuta slave!
Pješčani sat je stvoren za one koji vole razmišljati o knjizi i prije nego je otvore – s koje strane početi? A jednom kad počnete, teško ćete stati. Rubin je vratio starinski šarm u modernu misteriju i usput nas podsjetio da i forma može biti dio čitateljskog užitka.
==
Podržite Timbar lajkom na Facebooku https://www.facebook.com/timbarnalibar
Pročitajte i druge osvrte na Dalmatinskom portalu: https://dalmatinskiportal.hr/kolumna/...
==
https://dalmatinskiportal.hr/zivot/-t...
==
https://stilus-knjiga.hr/proizvod/pje...
==
August 25, 2024
Poteva essere una buona idea ma ci sono varie debolezze che non mi hanno entusiasmato.
Personaggi sterili con poca introspezione, discorsi diretti fini a se stessi senza costrutto nella narrazione e infine movente troppo debole per sostenere la storia e le sue implicazioni.
Peccato.
Personaggi sterili con poca introspezione, discorsi diretti fini a se stessi senza costrutto nella narrazione e infine movente troppo debole per sostenere la storia e le sue implicazioni.
Peccato.
November 26, 2023
So disappointing.
October 5, 2023
Interesting pair of linked novellas where the physical book is turned over to read the other one: a work apparently referred to as a tete-beche. The blue side (cover) is set in the late 19th century, about a doctor Simeon Lee, who is called to examine a distant relation, a parson called Oliver Hawes, who believes he is being poisoned. On arrival at the remote house, on a small island off the coast of Essex, linked by a causeway to the mainland at one end and a larger island on the other, he discovers that Oliver is in charge of Florence, his sister-in-law who was implicated in the death of the parson's brother. She apparently threw a heavy object at him which cut him on the cheek, and the wound subsequently became infected. It is implied that she also did other things, resulting in her incarceration behind a wall of glass in the large upstairs library. This was the alternative than sending her to an unpleasant lunatic asylum.
Gradually, Simeon discovers that there is more behind this story than Oliver admits. It's a very murky story of opium dens and other ills of the period including the subservient position of women. The motif of a book that can be read in two ways features in the story itself, when Simeon reads a book which is, at one end, a story set in the then-future of 1938 and in California, and at the other an incriminating journal. I did find the ending odd in that Simeon had destroyed one piece of evidence, and they were talking about destroying the journal, when surely those could have been used to exonerate Florence.
The other (red cover) end of the book is the story set in California in 1938 when Oliver Tooke, celebrated author and son of the state governor, befriends a young man called Ken Kourian. When Oliver is murdered, Ken sets out to discover the killer and finds his own life in jeopardy. The solution involves the story in the 'blue' half of the book, in which Oliver has placed various clues. I must admit to guessing the big twist quite a bit before the end. I also found the scene where the police nearly murder Ken in a jail cell not terribly convincing as there didn't seem to be a reason for going so far.
One distraction for me was the name Simeon Lee immediately conjured up the association with the character of the same name in 'Hercule Poirot's Christmas' by Agatha Christie. The writing was creaky in places - I especially found parson Oliver's journal unconvincing. On the positive side, the non-stop action of the California segment resembled a 1930s pot-boiler crime novel in contrast to the slow burn of the tale in Victorian England. Despite that it seemed the 'real' story and the Victorian one the pastiche by Oliver Tooke.
On balance, I would award this four stars. I'd like to thank the publishers and author for a free copy of the hardcover obtained in a giveaway.
Gradually, Simeon discovers that there is more behind this story than Oliver admits. It's a very murky story of opium dens and other ills of the period including the subservient position of women. The motif of a book that can be read in two ways features in the story itself, when Simeon reads a book which is, at one end, a story set in the then-future of 1938 and in California, and at the other an incriminating journal. I did find the ending odd in that Simeon had destroyed one piece of evidence, and they were talking about destroying the journal, when surely those could have been used to exonerate Florence.
The other (red cover) end of the book is the story set in California in 1938 when Oliver Tooke, celebrated author and son of the state governor, befriends a young man called Ken Kourian. When Oliver is murdered, Ken sets out to discover the killer and finds his own life in jeopardy. The solution involves the story in the 'blue' half of the book, in which Oliver has placed various clues. I must admit to guessing the big twist quite a bit before the end. I also found the scene where the police nearly murder Ken in a jail cell not terribly convincing as there didn't seem to be a reason for going so far.
One distraction for me was the name Simeon Lee immediately conjured up the association with the character of the same name in 'Hercule Poirot's Christmas' by Agatha Christie. The writing was creaky in places - I especially found parson Oliver's journal unconvincing. On the positive side, the non-stop action of the California segment resembled a 1930s pot-boiler crime novel in contrast to the slow burn of the tale in Victorian England. Despite that it seemed the 'real' story and the Victorian one the pastiche by Oliver Tooke.
On balance, I would award this four stars. I'd like to thank the publishers and author for a free copy of the hardcover obtained in a giveaway.
November 10, 2023
The Turnglass è un libro tete-beche, cioè è composto da due storie intrecciate con diversi ordini di lettura. Possiamo leggerlo partendo dalla copertina, e leggere la storia ambientata nell’epoca vittoriana, oppure partire dalla fine, e leggere la storia ambientata a LA nei primi 900. Se siete impavidi, potete anche alternare un capitolo di ogni storia. Io consiglio il primo ordine.
Turnglass è la storia di una famiglia. Ci sarà un bel mistero da risolvere e leggendo, potrete capire qual è il collegamento tra le due storie.
Devi dire che è un libro che si fa leggere e divorare, è solo per questo vi direi leggetelo.
C’è un però: la storia manca di incisività. L’intreccio sembra scontato e non sconvolge il lettore, dato anche forse dal fatto che i protagonisti della storia mancano di introspezione.
È un libro che intrattiene molto bene. Ti tiene compagnia per 2-3 giorni, il mistero è interessante (sopratutto quello vittoriano) e la storia è carina.
Bastava quel poco in più per farlo diventare capolavoro, che purtroppo non è .
Peccato.
Turnglass è la storia di una famiglia. Ci sarà un bel mistero da risolvere e leggendo, potrete capire qual è il collegamento tra le due storie.
Devi dire che è un libro che si fa leggere e divorare, è solo per questo vi direi leggetelo.
C’è un però: la storia manca di incisività. L’intreccio sembra scontato e non sconvolge il lettore, dato anche forse dal fatto che i protagonisti della storia mancano di introspezione.
È un libro che intrattiene molto bene. Ti tiene compagnia per 2-3 giorni, il mistero è interessante (sopratutto quello vittoriano) e la storia è carina.
Bastava quel poco in più per farlo diventare capolavoro, che purtroppo non è .
Peccato.
January 20, 2025
Both stories are relatively straightforward, with little depth and underdeveloped characterizations. While I’m no expert in detective plots, it quickly became clear to me how the resolution would unfold. The characters are intriguing, but their development feels shallow. I struggled to understand the overall purpose of the concept. The stories are loosely connected, but the narrative still feels disjointed. The idea itself is brilliant, but the execution leaves much to be desired. By the end of both stories, many questions remain unanswered, as if the final chapter is missing.
As I read, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was lacking, and at times I even found myself confused.
The book deserves credit for its unique hourglass-inspired concept, the option to choose how the story is read, and its stunning cover design. It’s clear that the novel’s marketing was handled exceptionally well.
As I read, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was lacking, and at times I even found myself confused.
The book deserves credit for its unique hourglass-inspired concept, the option to choose how the story is read, and its stunning cover design. It’s clear that the novel’s marketing was handled exceptionally well.
May 24, 2024
I enjoyed this much more than I expected from the rather low rating.
There were two intriguing mysteries and the way the were brought together in the end was pretty satisfying. Although, I have to admit that I found the story set in the 1880s a bit more compelling.
The gimmick of using the tête-bêche novel format was well utilised and enriched the story.
And since I love mysteries with a detective style narrative this was a 2 in 1 for me!
There were two intriguing mysteries and the way the were brought together in the end was pretty satisfying. Although, I have to admit that I found the story set in the 1880s a bit more compelling.
The gimmick of using the tête-bêche novel format was well utilised and enriched the story.
And since I love mysteries with a detective style narrative this was a 2 in 1 for me!
September 10, 2025
Una donna che sta seduta qui giorno e notte ha molto tempo per pensare. Per farsi venire idee
Intrigante per la struttura tete-beche, ovvero due romanzi collegati, ciascuno che arriva circa a metà del volume e per scoprire l'altra è necessario capovolgere il libro. Io ho letto prima quella ambientata nel XIX secolo che ha tocchi gotici e un poco perturbanti. Quella ambientata nel '900 invece ha più la struttura del giallo di investigazione. L'una richiama l'altra e racconta la storia di una famiglia che si è macchiata di orribili delitti, quanto, come e dove si può comprendere solo leggendo entrambe le parti.
Delle due, mi è piaciuta di più la parte più antica, sia per il senso di mistero che la pervade, sia per alcune scelte narrative affascinanti come la biblioteca divisa a metà da un vetro, che diventa luogo di contatto e di separazione tra i personaggi. Bello anche il modo in cui Florence .
La parte ambientata nel XX secolo parte bene, ma secondo me si risolve in modo un po' pasticciato e alcuni passaggi del finale erano ampiamente prevedibili. Il suo voto "giusto" sarebbe 3,5*, ma arrotondo a 4 perché è stata comunque una lettura piacevole
Intrigante per la struttura tete-beche, ovvero due romanzi collegati, ciascuno che arriva circa a metà del volume e per scoprire l'altra è necessario capovolgere il libro. Io ho letto prima quella ambientata nel XIX secolo che ha tocchi gotici e un poco perturbanti. Quella ambientata nel '900 invece ha più la struttura del giallo di investigazione. L'una richiama l'altra e racconta la storia di una famiglia che si è macchiata di orribili delitti, quanto, come e dove si può comprendere solo leggendo entrambe le parti.
Delle due, mi è piaciuta di più la parte più antica, sia per il senso di mistero che la pervade, sia per alcune scelte narrative affascinanti come la biblioteca divisa a metà da un vetro, che diventa luogo di contatto e di separazione tra i personaggi. Bello anche il modo in cui Florence .
La parte ambientata nel XX secolo parte bene, ma secondo me si risolve in modo un po' pasticciato e alcuni passaggi del finale erano ampiamente prevedibili. Il suo voto "giusto" sarebbe 3,5*, ma arrotondo a 4 perché è stata comunque una lettura piacevole
June 30, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
He empezado por el azul.
Algún día lo leeré al revés.
Os dejo la reseña completa:
https://escaparateliterario.com/resen...
He empezado por el azul.
Algún día lo leeré al revés.
Os dejo la reseña completa:
https://escaparateliterario.com/resen...
August 29, 2023
4.5* - AD/PR - I’d never even heard of a tête-bêche novel before The Turnglass but what an unusual and clever concept! Two interlinked stories printed back to back so you can start either side. Once you’ve finished one novel you flip the book over and read the second. What makes this even more special is that it’s a tête-bêche novel within a tête-bêche.
On one side there’s a gothic style mystery set in 1880s England. On the other it’s 1930s California with serious Gatsby vibes. The stories are linked by family events and a glass house. That’s really all I can say without spoilers! Although you can start at either end I’d fully recommend starting the earlier narrative first. I can’t say why 👀 but having done it the other way round I’d definitely say you’d have the best experience that way. I actually ended up going back and skim reading the later part again after I finished the earlier one so save yourself a job and do it chronologically!
The plotting and execution of this must have taken sooo much time and I’m in awe of the achievement! I love how we’ve got the book within a book and how each story helps to solve the mysteries of the other. You never quite know or trust what’s true and it’s so unsettling. As the events of one story unravel the other and vice versa you’re just completely immersed and questioning everything! There are some fab little twists and overall a brilliantly original format. It’s such a clever puzzle of a book that’s full of family secrets with layer upon layer of mystery and depth.
On one side there’s a gothic style mystery set in 1880s England. On the other it’s 1930s California with serious Gatsby vibes. The stories are linked by family events and a glass house. That’s really all I can say without spoilers! Although you can start at either end I’d fully recommend starting the earlier narrative first. I can’t say why 👀 but having done it the other way round I’d definitely say you’d have the best experience that way. I actually ended up going back and skim reading the later part again after I finished the earlier one so save yourself a job and do it chronologically!
The plotting and execution of this must have taken sooo much time and I’m in awe of the achievement! I love how we’ve got the book within a book and how each story helps to solve the mysteries of the other. You never quite know or trust what’s true and it’s so unsettling. As the events of one story unravel the other and vice versa you’re just completely immersed and questioning everything! There are some fab little twists and overall a brilliantly original format. It’s such a clever puzzle of a book that’s full of family secrets with layer upon layer of mystery and depth.
May 14, 2024
Romanzo con struttura narrativa Tête-bêche: un libro che è un insieme di due libri. Due storie intrecciate una dopo l’altra.
Si legge il primo libro (la parte con la copertina blu) fino alla fine, poi si capovolge il libro come se fosse una clessidra e si legge il secondo libro (la parte con la copertina rossa). Le altre modalità di lettura suggerite secondo me non sono da prendere in considerazione.
Sono storie diverse, una ambientata nel 1881 in Inghilterra e l’altra ambientata nel 1940 in California, collegate tra loro da vari segreti di famiglia e delitti, con una storia dentro alla storia.
Premesse veramente meravigliose e intriganti, ma purtroppo lo stile narrativo dell’autore non è all’altezza di un romanzo storico, è uno stile contemporaneo che si coniuga male con le ambientazioni storiche, che infatti non rendono le atmosfere di quelle epoche.
Anche lo svolgimento della storia non mi ha del tutto convinta, ci sono alcune criticità, tra cui risoluzioni arrampicate sugli specchi, cose non approfondite e risvolti semplicistici.
Tuttavia come lettura d'intrattenimento è stata buona, il mistero è coinvolgente e la concatenazione tra le due storie è riuscita, merita una sufficienza.
Si legge il primo libro (la parte con la copertina blu) fino alla fine, poi si capovolge il libro come se fosse una clessidra e si legge il secondo libro (la parte con la copertina rossa). Le altre modalità di lettura suggerite secondo me non sono da prendere in considerazione.
Sono storie diverse, una ambientata nel 1881 in Inghilterra e l’altra ambientata nel 1940 in California, collegate tra loro da vari segreti di famiglia e delitti, con una storia dentro alla storia.
Premesse veramente meravigliose e intriganti, ma purtroppo lo stile narrativo dell’autore non è all’altezza di un romanzo storico, è uno stile contemporaneo che si coniuga male con le ambientazioni storiche, che infatti non rendono le atmosfere di quelle epoche.
Anche lo svolgimento della storia non mi ha del tutto convinta, ci sono alcune criticità, tra cui risoluzioni arrampicate sugli specchi, cose non approfondite e risvolti semplicistici.
Tuttavia come lettura d'intrattenimento è stata buona, il mistero è coinvolgente e la concatenazione tra le due storie è riuscita, merita una sufficienza.
October 30, 2023
L'idea di un libro tête-bêche all'interno di un libro tête-bêche è molto carina ma purtroppo l'esecuzione pecca un po'.
Il "libro verde" è ambientato nell'Inghilterra vittoriana e ha come protagonista il giovane medico Simeon Lee che si reca a Turnglass House per curare un parente e si ritroverà poi a dover risolvere un mistero.
Il "libro rosso" ha come personaggio principale Ken Kourian, un aspirante attore nella Los Angeles del 1939, che dovrà indagare sui segreti della famiglia del suo amico scrittore.
L'idea è molto interessante ma ho trovato la scrittura di Rubin stilisticamente povera. Io adoro l'atmosfera dei romanzi gotici vittoriani ma in questa prima storia non ho trovato nessun elemento suggestivo. La trama di entrambi i racconti poteva essere narrata e sviluppata meglio, peccato. Se si cerca un libro d'evasione senza troppe pretese, "The Turnglass" può essere una buona scelta.
Il "libro verde" è ambientato nell'Inghilterra vittoriana e ha come protagonista il giovane medico Simeon Lee che si reca a Turnglass House per curare un parente e si ritroverà poi a dover risolvere un mistero.
Il "libro rosso" ha come personaggio principale Ken Kourian, un aspirante attore nella Los Angeles del 1939, che dovrà indagare sui segreti della famiglia del suo amico scrittore.
L'idea è molto interessante ma ho trovato la scrittura di Rubin stilisticamente povera. Io adoro l'atmosfera dei romanzi gotici vittoriani ma in questa prima storia non ho trovato nessun elemento suggestivo. La trama di entrambi i racconti poteva essere narrata e sviluppata meglio, peccato. Se si cerca un libro d'evasione senza troppe pretese, "The Turnglass" può essere una buona scelta.
April 7, 2024
Przede wszystkim książka ma bardzo interesującą formę, która przyciągnęła moją uwagę. To tzw. tetbeszka, czyli dwie książki, dwie historie wydane w jednym tomie, przy czym każda z nich jest odwrócona względem drugiej a końce obu historii spotykają się na środku książki.
Zaczęłam od niebieskiej części książki, w której śledzimy młodego lekarza, który jedzie na wieś zaopiekować się wujem, w tle rozwikłujemy rodzinny skandal sprzed lat. Ta część czyta się szybko, chociaż czytamy uważnie próbując samemu dojść prawdy.
Część czerwona dzieje się później i opisuje losy pewnego chłopaka, który... Tu już nie powiem więcej, żeby nie zaspoilerować, ale też toczy się pewne śledztwo, akcja jest w miarę szybka, chociaż bohaterów tej strony polubiłam ciut mniej 😉
Książkę można czytać od dowolnej strony, po przeczytaniu obu mogę potwierdzić to stwierdzenie. Treść obu historii jest ze sobą ściśle związana, wynika jedna z drugiej. Za jakiś czas będę chciała do niej wrócić, żeby sprawdzić, czy zdołam odczytać wszystkie ukryte przez autora przekazy i odniesienia :)
Dla ludzi którzy szukają czegoś innego, szybkiego (dwie historie po 233 i 212 stron czyta się dobrze, nawet jako przerywnik od czegoś innego), chcą sprawdzić się przy rozwiązywaniu zagadek, lubią odrobinę tajemnicy i sekretów rodzinnych.
Zaczęłam od niebieskiej części książki, w której śledzimy młodego lekarza, który jedzie na wieś zaopiekować się wujem, w tle rozwikłujemy rodzinny skandal sprzed lat. Ta część czyta się szybko, chociaż czytamy uważnie próbując samemu dojść prawdy.
Część czerwona dzieje się później i opisuje losy pewnego chłopaka, który... Tu już nie powiem więcej, żeby nie zaspoilerować, ale też toczy się pewne śledztwo, akcja jest w miarę szybka, chociaż bohaterów tej strony polubiłam ciut mniej 😉
Książkę można czytać od dowolnej strony, po przeczytaniu obu mogę potwierdzić to stwierdzenie. Treść obu historii jest ze sobą ściśle związana, wynika jedna z drugiej. Za jakiś czas będę chciała do niej wrócić, żeby sprawdzić, czy zdołam odczytać wszystkie ukryte przez autora przekazy i odniesienia :)
Dla ludzi którzy szukają czegoś innego, szybkiego (dwie historie po 233 i 212 stron czyta się dobrze, nawet jako przerywnik od czegoś innego), chcą sprawdzić się przy rozwiązywaniu zagadek, lubią odrobinę tajemnicy i sekretów rodzinnych.
December 21, 2025
3,5 ⭐️
Turnglass is an ambitious and intellectually engaging novel built around a striking structural idea: two mirrored crime stories, one Victorian and one modern, designed to be read in either order. The concept works, and the author is clearly interested in how perspective, guilt, and self-justification shape what we accept as truth.
The parallels between the two narratives are clever, and the use of unreliable narrators is effective without relying on obvious twists. Much of the pleasure comes from noticing how the second story reframes the first, quietly undermining the reader’s confidence in what seemed settled or clear.
However, while the book is thoughtful, it also feels emotionally unfulfilling by the end. The conclusions of both stories are intentionally ambiguous, but instead of feeling haunting or profound, they come across as somewhat unresolved. The novel raises compelling questions about truth and responsibility, yet stops short of delivering a fully satisfying payoff.
All in all it’s a good read, the tete-a-beche is an interesting experiment, but one that left me admiring the idea more than the experience. Thought-provoking, but ultimately a little frustrating.
Def. start with the Victorian Story (1881), not with the modern story line (1939)
Turnglass is an ambitious and intellectually engaging novel built around a striking structural idea: two mirrored crime stories, one Victorian and one modern, designed to be read in either order. The concept works, and the author is clearly interested in how perspective, guilt, and self-justification shape what we accept as truth.
The parallels between the two narratives are clever, and the use of unreliable narrators is effective without relying on obvious twists. Much of the pleasure comes from noticing how the second story reframes the first, quietly undermining the reader’s confidence in what seemed settled or clear.
However, while the book is thoughtful, it also feels emotionally unfulfilling by the end. The conclusions of both stories are intentionally ambiguous, but instead of feeling haunting or profound, they come across as somewhat unresolved. The novel raises compelling questions about truth and responsibility, yet stops short of delivering a fully satisfying payoff.
All in all it’s a good read, the tete-a-beche is an interesting experiment, but one that left me admiring the idea more than the experience. Thought-provoking, but ultimately a little frustrating.
Def. start with the Victorian Story (1881), not with the modern story line (1939)
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