Orsola is a convincing character, independent enough to shirk women's chores and perfect a trade usually reserved for men, but bound by tradition and the norms of her times ... Chevalier is surefooted as ever in the historical fiction parts of this novel but the speculative elements are shaky ... Besides this hitch, the novel is engrossing enough that Chevalier fans are not going to care. The Glassmaker conveys a vivid history lesson about a fascinating place and industry, animated through the lives and emotions of compelling characters.
Chevalier weaves a tapestry of character and conflict, change and stability, to create a story that elegantly glides along the line between historical drama and something more experimental ... Measured, passionate prose ... The characters and their lives take on an almost meditative quality, and The Glassmaker becomes a study not just of history, but of what endures history. That makes it a potent, bewitching bright spot in a stellar career.
This authorial intrusion and "ambiguous relationship with time" strains the later periods, but the hustle and bustle of Venice as a trading port is adeptly portrayed in earlier time periods, as is its relationship to the island of Murano. Characterization is well-drawn, and descriptions of the art of glassmaking will draw readers with their beauty and evocation.
Impressive ... Between fascinating descriptions of artisans at work and the glassware they create, Chevalier embeds a love story that transcends time ... With colorful narrative and dialogue, Chevalier... lets time roll forward through independent women.
A hunky stranger joins the Rosso enterprise as an apprentice, triggering a predictable romantic subplot between him and Orsola that’s unenhanced by clunky prose ... As the novel proceeds, historical events become even more compressed ... The superficial perspective gives the impression that the time jumps are window dressing for the clichéd story of a woman’s determination to push back against societal constraints. Readers will be left scratching their heads.
