In 1486, Orsola Rosso is the eldest daughter in a family of glassblowers in Murano, Italy. As a woman, she is not meant to blow glass – but when her father dies, she teaches herself to make beads in secret, and her work becomes the cornerstone of the Rosso family fortunes. Through the centuries, we follow Orsola and her family as they live through creative triumph and heartbreaking loss.
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.
