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| 4 out of 5 stars |
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely adored Mandel's Station Eleven so I expected to love this one too. However this was my second kick at The Glass Hotel. The first time I had it out of the library I only made it a few pages in, then decided that I hated all the characters and returned it. But several people whose opinions I respect liked it a lot, so I decided to give it one more try. I made a deal with myself: to read 50 pages, then see how I felt.
At the 50 page mark, I wasn't captivated but I was getting there. I finally understood what Mandel was doing—trying to understand the people who would work for someone who is the head of a Ponzi scheme. They want to keep their jobs and income. They've become a tribe of sorts with their coworkers and no one wants to rat out their tribe. If they can avoid thinking about their “investors," they can pretend that they aren't criminals.
The side stories of Paul and Vincent (who seems to be at the centre, but has truly held herself aloof and detached) provide a contrast to Jonathan's world of money. Although we know that Jonathan's brother was an addict just as Paul is. Perhaps Mandel is telling us that the world of money is a complete illusion, we are all coming from the shadowlands and will return to them.
Christianity tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil and this novel seems to illustrate that concept. Saving money, investing, planning for retirement—none of these things are wrong, but wanting money which you tell lies to get, which you spend like it's your own, and then leaving people hopeless and penniless, there's true evil for you.
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