Book Reco # 15: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

A book about the different lives we take across our lifetimes.

Jun 28, 2023

Hello hello,

Emily St. John Mandel took me on a dream again. Today, we will discuss her book after Station Eleven - The Glass Hotel. Because I loved her writing in Station Eleven so much, I vowed to read all her other books. Her books are hard to come by here in the Philippines, but I chanced upon a used copy yeyyy. Fun fact: 60% of my books are thrifted! I have yet to read her latest book, Sea of Tranquility, but we'll get there.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 stars

The story follows two siblings, Vincent and Paul, who grew apart over the years. Paul reconnects when Vincent when he accidentally gives an Ecstasy pill to a friend who died after taking it. After that, they worked together in a Vancouver Island hotel, where they met Jonathan Alkaitis, the hotel's owner.

Essentially, this book is about the different lives we take across our lifetimes. The ghosts of our pasts and the ghosts of our future. It explores the enormity of our decisions and how it affects somebody somewhere out there. It opens us to other people's living conditions that we don't usually think about. What I love about Mandel is that she writes about mundane everyday things and projects them as if you're dreaming. It's very evident here in this book.

A part of the book centers around the people's lives after the fallout of a Ponzi scheme, and there's this quote from one of the victims saying, "We move through this world lightly." I read this book for the first time in June 2022, and there was a huge fuel price hike here in the Philippines. As a result, jeepney1 drivers are looking into quitting, which would make transportation in the big cities more chaotic than it is now. When I read this quote, I realized I sometimes move through this world lightly. And I don't feel like I deserve that. I have a full-time job despite economic problems. I can eat whatever I feel like eating. I work from home without the daily struggles of commute. I can earn a living in the comforts of my home. I have the occasional financial problems, but I also have the resources to solve them. All of these are a privilege I am grateful for every day. And I thank books that remind me of these things.

I haven't mentioned this in my previous post about Station Eleven, but there's another Mandel quote that changed my mindset. It goes, "I repent nothing." As an overthinker and people-pleaser (dangerous combo, I know), I usually play several could have been scenarios in my head. I agonize over my decisions, whether they made somebody comfortable or not. I dwell on things. And so, since I read this quote, it helped change my mindset when I start ruminating.

With the two quotes mentioned above, I can say that Mandel's books made me who I am today.

I can't help but compare this book to Station Eleven, and I know it's not fair to do so. I can see why everyone will not like The Glass Hotel, but just allow yourself to be transported by the writing. I know you'll appreciate it.

Happy mid-week, and until next time!

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