THE ARTFUL READERS CLUB

"The Glass Room" by Simon Mawer

November 1, 2013

 

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this month's book...I hope you found the same level of absorption, anticipation and excitement in YOUR October read! I've enjoyed this process so much...the reading, creating a piece of art representitive of the book, followed by a review...that I'm going to continue the process on my own when Darcy's finished with it in January (IF she's finished with it!!) Thanks Darcy...for suggesting this wonderfully creative vehicle!

 

THE GLASS ROOM by Simon Mawer starts as newlyweds, Viktor and Liesel Landauer, meet architect Ranier von Abt...not just an architect but a "poet...of light and space and form," who agrees to build their dream home... a "modern house, adapted for the future rather than the past, to the openness of modern living." THE GLASS ROOM is a story focusing on the lives of a group of people in Czechoslovakia with this stunningly modern architectural gem of cement, steel and glass, as a centerpiece...and it's a story about the social and political changes that occur in Eastern Europe between the two world wars, all of them affecting the fate of the house and the architect's dream. But, the house acts as far more than a backdrop for the events of the novel. As the world spins into chaos, the very symbolic Landauer house is the only constant, though it shifts identities more than once!

 

The lives of the people Mawer creates are tragic, joyous and oh, so  interesting. He shows the many ways people learn to survive not only politics, war and dislocation, but also personal upheaval and adversity. I found all his characters very believable and likeable. Sharp and edgy, I found myself completely absorbed in the story of THE GLASS ROOM. What makes it even more intriguing is that such a house exists in Brno, in the Czech Republic. Although the story centers around this house, the rest of the story is a work of fiction.



 

The book is beautifully written and the author's words paint detailed images of the people and the times with subplots and many characters connecting and reconnecting over the 60+ year time span covered by the book. Interesting to note that the restoration of the house on which the novel  is based (see above photos) has been open to the public since March 6, 2012. I highly recommend THE GLASS ROOM by Simon Mawer... I loved it!

 

Hugs...'til my next posting...and happy reading,

Abbyj

 







ARTFUL READERS CLUB

"The Distant Hours" by Kate Morton

December 27, 2013 

I'm so sad that this is the last posting of the year for Darcy's unique ARTFUL READERS CLUB. For 12 months, we've read books of our choosing, reviewed them and produced art pieces inspired by them!  I'm going to continue to do this on a monthly basis whether or not Darcy continues her challenge. I look forward to her challenge for 2014, though!!
This month's book was a biggie, but worth the time.  THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton, started with a letter...one that had been lost for a very long time... received by Edie Burchill's mother, Meredith.  This is the catalyst for a mystery that pulls Edie to Milderhurst Castle, outside of London in Kent. Her mother spent the summer at Milderhurst as an evacuee from the air raids in London during WWII, but is now reluctant to talk about the time. In this engrossing read full of family secrets and betrayal...equal parts mystery and historical fiction...the novel swings back and forth in time as a young woman living in the early 1990's, Edie Burchill, researches her mother's past experience and her stay at the Castle, a property literally mired in secrets. The Castle is still inhabited by the sisters Blythe...now very elderly ladies...twins Percy and Saffy and their younger sister, Juniper, who has never recovered from being abandoned by her fiancee during the war. The contemporary and historical narratives combine to aid Edie in unraveling the mysteries surrounding her mother's past and that of the eccentric sisters. But, of course, there are many twists and turns before we learn the bitter truth!
Milderhurt Castle dominates this tale with its imposing architecture...it's a living, breathing creature filled with the echoes and voices of previous inhabitants and it inevitably weaves a  spell over those who enter its doors (literally and figuratively!) The characters are very well developed and engaging plus we have all the usual Gothic elements of mystery, gloom and menace. For me, THE DISTANT HOURS was a perfect book...perhaps it will be for you, too!

Have a Happy New Year...wishing you all the best of everything in 2014. 

Hope to see you next posting!
Stay safe...
Hugs,
abbyj

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

October 30, 2014

I love Halloween...the feeling of the cold air in my face and the spooky dangers lurking around every corner... but I loved it more when I was a kid!! For those of  us who still love Halloween...hope yours is a fun one!!

Some of the art challenge blogs have gotten into the spirit...like THE THREE MUSES who asked for a black, white and red theme. Of course, I turned it into a Halloween treat...

TAKE A WORD requested art in the usual Halloween colors, purple and green...

And finally, SUNDAY POSTCARD ART wanted to see the theme "witches' brew!"

Good wishes to you and yours...hope your Halloween is SPOOKTACULAR!!

Hugs...'til my next,

abbyj