Cornflower Book Group - The Glass Room

   

    Simon Mawer's The Glass Room is notable for its consistency. In its uniformity of pace and pitch it exploits its subject matter fully and perfectly; it's level, restrained, calm, even when the events it describes are dramatic ones. Was the ending (the reunion of Ottilie and Marika) perhaps a little too neat? If so, in terms of that consistency, I didn't mind.

    The house itself, based on Mies van der Rohe's Villa Tugendhat in Brno, is such a presence in the book, "a machine for living in" which is a family dwelling and piece of modernist self-expression, becoming a laboratory for experiments on racial characteristics and identity under the Nazis, suffering under Soviet occupation, and later being used as a gymnasium and centre for physiotherapy under the Communists. A place of light and space and purity and "the embodiment of reason" will never again be a home but instead becomes, eventually, a building notable in its own right - of itself, "it just is".

    The plot makes much of the strong contrast between the house's serenity and clean, clear lines, its open plan style of living, and the troubled, complicated lives of its owners. The Landauers' indiscretions, the infidelity, deceit, secrets, fear and longing clutter the expanses of near-empty space, and their unfortunate choices and the external events over which they have no control deny them what had seemed to be the limitless possibilities of the future. Their ultimate exile takes the house, der Raum as Simon Mawer explains it in his Afterword, from them forever. The way of life they had envisaged, the Glass Room or Glastraum emblematic of a place in which "democracy would prevail and art and science would combine to bring happiness to all people" was in the end no more than a trick of the light, an optical illusion; it was never to be.

    In what I thought was an excellent novel, the prose had its own glass-like quality - smoothly reflecting and refracting the characters' temperaments, translucent or opaque to match their moods, subtle but strong in revealing the emerging story. Reading it was an immersive experience, and I was sorry to leave this very fine book.

    What did you think of it?

 

Edited to add: there is now a cake (of doubtful quality, it must be said) for this book here.

Comments

[Ruthiella]

I think I will be in the minority here, but here goes: the “level of calm” that CF so aptly notes bothered me. I never felt as if I understood the characters’ motivations; why were Hana and Lisle so close; what made Viktor love Kata; what made Lisle love Viktor; etc.? Because the house is the real subject of the novel, the characters seemed secondary to its development throughout the passage of time and I suspect this may have been intentional. I would be interested to read something else from Simon Mawer, to see if this is the case. I did think that certain gaps in the story worked well, as it vividly demonstrated how so many lives were interrupted by the war, families and friendships broken up never to be put back together again. That said, I actually liked how the story came full circle with Ottilie and Marika’s reunion, improbable as it was. So I am on the fence about this book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. I look forward to hearing what the other reader thought about it.

[Alison P]

I also really enjoyed this book, the first I have read from Simon Mawer. As a result, I went to hear him talk about his new book, The girl who fell from the sky, at the Hay Festival earlier in the year, and found him a very engaging speaker and will definitely get that book when it's released in paperback. I was looking through his back catalogue at the festival bookshop and a fellow reader approached me and suggested I read The Fall, which he described as a "brilliant read". I bought it on his recommendation and it's currently awaiting it's turn on my TBR pile.

[Susie Vereker]

I very much enjoyed this book. At first I kept wishing I could actually see this Grand Design and then, belatedly, having failed to notice Cornflower's link, I realised I could because the house does exist. It would be so interesting to visit the Villa Tugendhat.

It was also educational to be reminded about the story of Moravia and the tumultous events that have happened in that part of the world in the last 100 years.

I found the characters intriguing, and admired the way Simon Mawer made them so convincingly Czech and German – convincing to me anyway. He also writes well about sex, not easy. It’s true there were some coincidences in the plot but one accepts them, especially the unlikely but touching final meeting of Marika and Ottolie.

Thank you for choosing this book, Cornflower. As you may have guessed, I love reading modern lit fic, and will certainly look out for more books by this writer.

[Barbara MacLeod]

A most intriguing choice! I had high hopes for this book as the topic of this particular house, its construction, the period on the 1930s was something I felt I could relate to. (We built our own “architect designed” house in 1970 in a street of 1930 International style houses in Glasgow.)

However … while I certainly admired the author and his imaginative idea for a plot with its historical perspective, I really did not “enjoy” the book. Frankly, I would like to stick a sub-title on it: “Sex in a Goldfish Bowl” or should that be “Tank” (his words, not mine!).

The “feel” of a house, whatever the space, proportions, onyx walls or whatever, has a lot to do with the people, i.e. their bits and pieces, pets, children etc. I can think of 2 houses (both occupied) very similar to this one that I have been in over the years and both had the ambience of an orthodontist’s office located somewhere on the west coast of North America.

I hasten to admit that I have recommended this book to several people I know who are keen on “architecture”, i.e. they are knowledgeable/interested in 1930s houses or possibly live in one themselves.

Definitely, a good writer. I had no trouble getting the book from the library and note that others are on the shelf. I’ll have another go!

[Dark Puss]

Thank you Barbara you for that comment recommending this book to those interested in such houses (I know of the Villa Tugendhat and am keen on MvdR in general). I was very frustrated to be unable to borrow either of the "available" library copies last week as they could not be physically located.

[Cornflower]

Buy a copy, DP! You will find this book very interesting indeed - I am sure of it.

[Cornflower]

I'd love to read more by Simon Mawer now.
Re. the characters, that's an interesting point about their motivations and about the house being the real subject of the book. Maybe 'transience' is what the writer is getting at in both cases - how the seemingly random and the arbitrary affect people and places (and nations).

[Cornflower]

Great to have these recommendations. Thankyou, Alison.

[Cornflower]

So glad you enjoyed it, Susie. It's certainly one of my best reads this year.

[Dark Puss]

Thank you for the recommendation, I'll consider it seriously. P x

[Cornflower]

Yes, "Sex in a Goldfish Tank" is about right!
It strikes me the characters had very empty (unfulfilling) lives, hence perhaps the emptiness, the impersonal nature, of their living space.

[Dark Puss]

That's an interesting point of view. I think I could argue the opposite too, i.e. that if one was emotionally fulfilled then why "clutter up" your physical space? I'm thinking of a monastic approach to living perhaps. Obviously this comment of mine does not refer directly to this book or its characters.

[Cornflower]

Indeed - a monastic way of life is a full and rich one, despite the comparative lack of possessions.
The people in the book do strike me as quite empty, but then it's the house itself with its few, mostly functional, items of furniture, its piano and a piece of sculpture, which provides such a strong focal point, but is not a home in the sense of a place of nurture.

[Sandy]

As always, I send my thanks for choosing a book that I would not have found on my own.

I found the placidity of the writing somewhat at odds with the intense emotional and political landscape. I could not connect with the Landauers or their contacts and friends and so, as you would expect from me, my attention began to waver as we drifted along.

The underlying social turmoil was well presented & thought out and it made me think a lot about how it must have been for Jews in the surrounding countries in the pre-war years and how those countries perceived Britain as insular & uncaring.

If only I had cared a jot for the human relationships and how they would turn out, it would have been perfect.

John Saturnall's feast is next for shaving and I have high hopes of a dead cat bounce. (sorry DP!)

[Barbara MacLeod]

Furthermore … I would go so far as to describe this book as “voyeuristic”. The author takes us with him as we peep through the keyhole or, in this case, look through the expanse of glass, at what he is telling us. Is it salacious? No, I wouldn’t say so. [Am dashing out the door just now; catch you later!]

[michi]

I found it a rewarding read: enjoyable, enlightening and powerful. But as it includes many subjects, maybe too many, such as love, friendship, betrayal, sexuality, history of Czech, languages, architecture, war, holocaust etc, I felt the story moved on quickly without developing each subject enough.

The story of Tomas, Zdenka and Eva reminded me of Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." I wonder if it's just a coincidence or there's some connection.

Simon Mawer was a new author to me, and I'm glad that I read "Glass Room".
It was fascinating to know that the Glass Room exists! I still wouldn't fancy living there but would love to see the house some day.

[Susie Vereker]

Tumultuous, I mean!

[Anji]

Simon Mawer is a new author for me too and I am glad that I read the novel and I'd like to read other things written by him.

Thanks for the link to Villa Tugendhad it was nice to get some idea of the architecture of the house as it related to the novel. I agree that the house was the star, clutter free, sheer and lit up with natural light and not a book in sight. It was totally different and reflective of the times - modern and hopeful.

I don't know if you were suppose to like the people in the novel, their lives were far from carefree. The reunion at the end was a nice way to end the story, closed the door so to speak.

[Julie Fredericksen]

November really got away from me, so I was late ordering the book. It hasn't even arrived yet. I will refrain from reading the comments until after I finish the book, so as not to be unduly influenced.

[Dark Puss]

^---^
+ +
~

[Mr Cornflower]

I enjoyed it, but unlike Cornflower I felt the pace (if not the tone) was a little uneven. In the earlier stages everything is dissected in quite minute and leisurely detail and then after 1940 it becomes more episodic. It's as if the author suddenly thought "Blimey, 250 pages down and still another 50 years to go!" The characters were well drawn on the whole, I thought some of the cameos like the repellent Caliban-like Panik were particularly effective. Re the "Sex in a Tank" comments I recall a remark made to the eponymous hero of Malcolm Bradbury's History Man, who has been discovered in flagrante (again): "They say history is a house with many windows. Unfortunately you seem to have been caught standing in front of many of them."

[Julie Fredericksen]

Having come late to the table, I digested all the other comments before writing my own, and they are basically replies to what others picked up while reading:

To Ruthiella: I thought many times while reading the book that the house was the main character.

To Barbara M: Yes, I too felt the house would have the ambiance of an orthodontist's office. I know I wouldn't have liked living there. It was beatiful, yes, but a cold, brittle beauty, not unlike most of the women in the book.

To Mr. C: It really frustrates me when any book lingers a long time on the beginning and then telescopes over many years in a rush to get to the end. I would have liked to know what happened to Kata (nothing good, it must be assumed).

To Michi: Mawer used the phrase "the unbearable lightness of" at least once, although it wasn't "being". He also mentions "the unbearable darkness".

To Karen: I didn't mind the coincidences. As Anji said, it was "a nice was to end the story, closing the door, so to speak".

I am glad to have read at least one book about the Holocaust in which the protagonists do survive.

I did enjoy the book more than I disliked it. I had to purchase it because the library didn't have it, and I don't feel my money was wasted (but I paid used!). Like Sandy, I like reading a book I would not have found on my own.

[Glass room]

as much i know about this that the Landauer House, based on the Villa Tugendhat, becomes a minimalist masterpiece, with a transparent glass room as its center. World War II arrives, and they must flee the country, with their happiness and idealism in tatters. As the Landauers struggle abroad, their home passes through several new owners, with each new inhabitant falling under the spell of the glass room.