MixedThe Harvard CrimsonThe book is loosely based on Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, but The Glass Hotel is vastly different from the economic thriller it could have been. Instead of focusing on the logistics of the scheme itself, the book intricately weaves together the lives of many characters who come into contact with Jonathan Alkaitis and his investment venture, both before and after his arrest. Although the novel lacks the excitement that might be expected of such a book, Mandel has done again what she does best: wrapping up the stories of a large cast of characters into one cohesive package ... The downfall of this novel is that it isn’t particularly exciting or suspenseful. It’s clear early on that at some point, Alkaitis will get caught ... Luckily, the novel is fairly short and Mandel has a trick up her sleeve. As in Station Eleven, this book comes full circle by explaining strange occurrences from the early chapters and giving characters symbolic ends to their story arc in a way that feels particularly poetic. Almost everything falls into place — though Mandel does leave the slightest bit of mystery — which propels the story for the final 50 pages or so despite the story’s overall lack of excitement.
Miranda Popkey
PositiveThe Harvard Crimson... has some big shoes to fill, and while this novel isn’t necessarily going to be the groundbreaking text of the decade, it’s certainly worth the read ... may seem a bit gimmicky (at least, that was my worry). Yet Popkey avoids falling into the traps that confound many an experimental author. While the book is spread out across two decades and jumps from conversation to conversation, the dialogue is accompanied with the narrator’s thoughts and feelings, her backstory, and her deepest desires. Filling in these details allows Popkey to fill in the gaps between conversations. In a way, it reads like most contemporary literary fiction rather than a transcription of conversations ... What makes this novel distinctive is not the structure but the prose ... Popkey writes the way humans really speak. At first, it’s maddening — why can’t she just write clearly? — but soon it becomes clear that this is not random incoherence but rather an apt reflection of the way we actually talk to one another ... the truthfulness lays the characters bare in a way that is almost painful. But perhaps these truths are painful because we’d rather not think about them, so deeply ingrained as they are in our society ... Some of the characters, however, are hard to relate to. While their thoughts are understandable their actions are not ... The actions characters take in Topics of Conversation are often over-exaggerations of what actual people might do with very real feelings ... Perhaps the biggest word of caution about Topics of Conversations is all the comparisons that plague it: When contrasted with other well-known authors, it’s hard for it to stand alone. Popkey will likely not rise to the level of fame of Rooney or Davis, but that’s a high bar. This is a novel that should be read, for its masterful use of speech-like prose and for the meaningful conversations it will inspire.
Ottessa Moshfegh
PositiveThe Harvard CrimsonMoshfegh’s prose is captivating and this novel asks some of life’s big questions. The writing, however, does not make up for the lack of a cohesive plot ... There are very few events within Moshfegh’s storyline, so character development is essentially the story itself. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to care for most of these characters and this dulls their possible emotional effect and the story’s overall ability to make a lasting impact ... Despite the novel’s faults, it is still a thought-provoking piece of literature. The prose, just barely, drives along the story even when there is very little story to tell. My Year of Rest and Relaxation will leave you frustrated, but it will also make you think.
Anthony Horowitz
PositiveThe Harvard CrimsonDespite the poor handling of [homophobia], The Word Is Murder remains an intriguing detective novel that beautifully intertwines fiction and reality. Horowitz, yet again, has complicated the typical mystery and created something that is difficult to explain but easy to follow.
