Publication
New York : Voice/Hyperion, c2012.
Collection
Call number
Fiction H
Physical description
417 p.; 25 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:Katherine Howe, author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, returns with an entrancing historical novel set in Boston in 1915, where a young woman stands on the cusp of a new century, torn between loss and love, driven to seek answers in the depths of a crystal ball. Still reeling from the deaths of her mother and sister on the Titanic, Sibyl Allston is living a life of quiet desperation with her taciturn father and scandal-plagued brother in an elegant town house in Boston's Back Bay. Trapped in a world over which she has no control, Sybil flees for solace to the parlor of a table-turning medium. But when her brother is suddenly kicked out of Harvard under mysterious circumstances and falls under the sway of a strange young woman, Sibyl turns for help to psychology professor Benton Jones, despite the unspoken tensions of their shared past. As Benton and Sibyl work together to solve a harrowing mystery, their long-simmering spark flares to life, and they realize that there may be something even more magical between them than a medium's scrying glass. From the opium dens of Boston's Chinatown to the opulent salons of high society, from the back alleys of colonial Shanghai to the decks of the Titanic, The House of Velvet and Glass weaves together meticulous period detail, intoxicating romance, and a final shocking twist in a breathtaking novel that will thrill readers. Bonus features in the eBook: Katherine Howe's essay on scrying; Boston Daily Globe article on the Titanic from April 15, 1912; and a Reading Group Guide and Q&A with the author, Katherine Howe..… (more)
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member JBD1
Katherine Howe's second novel, The House of Velvet and Glass (Voice, 2012) is, like her first (The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane), a work of historical fiction set in New England, with flashback scenes aplenty and a few supernatural elements in the mix. This time, though, the main story takes
The Allston family of Beacon Street lost its matriarch, Helen, and youngest daughter, Eulah, when that ship went down (we meet the two of them in occasional interludes, as Eulah strikes up a shipboard friendship with Harry Widener). Carrying on at home are eldest daugther Sibyl, her father Lan (a shipping magnate) and her brother Harlan, whose days at Harvard seem to be numbered.
Howe limns the Boston of 1915 quite nicely, capturing the tensions between the traditional way of life for Brahmin families in the Hub with the technological and societal changes being ushered in during the early years of the 20th century. Sibyl's attraction to séances and spiritualism in the aftermath of the deaths of her mother and sister plays a key role in the plot of the book, and the fierce debates about those fields are represented (briefly, of course).
While there were some parts of the novel that moved a bit slowly, and some loose ends that I thought didn't quite come together, overall I liked it ... and the few twists at the end were nicely done.
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place in the spring of 1915, as war rages in Europe and the memory of the loss of Titanic is still very fresh.The Allston family of Beacon Street lost its matriarch, Helen, and youngest daughter, Eulah, when that ship went down (we meet the two of them in occasional interludes, as Eulah strikes up a shipboard friendship with Harry Widener). Carrying on at home are eldest daugther Sibyl, her father Lan (a shipping magnate) and her brother Harlan, whose days at Harvard seem to be numbered.
Howe limns the Boston of 1915 quite nicely, capturing the tensions between the traditional way of life for Brahmin families in the Hub with the technological and societal changes being ushered in during the early years of the 20th century. Sibyl's attraction to séances and spiritualism in the aftermath of the deaths of her mother and sister plays a key role in the plot of the book, and the fierce debates about those fields are represented (briefly, of course).
While there were some parts of the novel that moved a bit slowly, and some loose ends that I thought didn't quite come together, overall I liked it ... and the few twists at the end were nicely done.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
Unfortunately this book just never came together for me. I am not a very patient reader and I need to connect with a book way before a hundred pages and in this book I did not. Liked the history, the flashbacks to the Titanic, the spiritualist movement, end of the Gilded Age, actually this book
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contained many things I should have liked. Didn't ever get a real feel for the characters, the plot meandered back and forth, and the pacing was to slow. The parts I liked, such as Sybil's very real psychic ability was not explored enough. So for me it was just okay. Show Less
LibraryThing member arielfl
I enjoyed this book much more than Howe's previous book The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. I had such high hopes for Deliverance Dane and felt a little let down. Conversely I went into this book with much lower expectations and found myself pleasantly surprised.
The story jumps around between
As I neared the end of the book it was a solid 3 star for me. At times I had the feeling that the plot was lacking and I couldn't see the tie that bound everything together. As major revelations were made toward the end of the novel I began to enjoy it more and I thought the ending brought everything together in a satisfying way. I loved the time period that the book was set in and I am partial to stories involving the Gilded Age and the Titanic.
Katherine Howe's after word which gave further insight into her story was an interesting way to end the book. If you have patience there is a lot to enjoy in this story and it would be a great book to read the mark the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
The story jumps around between
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events on the night the Titanic sunk, Shanghai 1868, and Massachusetts 1915. Matriarch Helen and her youngest daughter Eulah are on Titanic when it sinks. Helen's other daughter Sybil thinks she may be able to contact them through her psychic abilities in Massachusetts. Sybil's brother Harlan seems to be taking the death of his mother and sister very hard and drops out of school. He takes up with the socially unsuitable Dovie who is befriended by Sybil. Sybil renews an acquaintance with her old flame Benton who tries to assist the family with Harlan's problems and Sybils burgeoning psychic abilities. Patriarch Harlan's youth as a sailor in Shanghai is told in flashback throughout the novel. All of this may seem quite confusing to keep track of but each chapter is clearly headed as to where it takes place so the narrative is actually quite easy to follow. As I neared the end of the book it was a solid 3 star for me. At times I had the feeling that the plot was lacking and I couldn't see the tie that bound everything together. As major revelations were made toward the end of the novel I began to enjoy it more and I thought the ending brought everything together in a satisfying way. I loved the time period that the book was set in and I am partial to stories involving the Gilded Age and the Titanic.
Katherine Howe's after word which gave further insight into her story was an interesting way to end the book. If you have patience there is a lot to enjoy in this story and it would be a great book to read the mark the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
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LibraryThing member Twink
The House of Velvet and Glass is Katherine Howe's latest release, following her hugely successful first book, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.
Sybil Allston is keeping house for her father in 1915 Boston. Her mother and sister perished on the Titanic three years earlier. She's never really
Howe has delivered another rich period piece, filled with many details that bring the Boston Brahmins, social life and mores of the times to life. Interspersed with Sybil's story are 'interludes' that give us a window into Eulah and her mother's final hours on the Titanic. I have to say, it is Eulah and the interludes I enjoyed the most. Eulah as a character drew me to her more that Sybil. Eulah is full of life and brashness and spirit. She embraces life, as short as hers will be. Sybil is equally well drawn, but life has taken on a different mien with her loss. I did come to appreciate her more as the book progressed.
I chose to listen to this book. The reader was Heather Corrigan. At first, I thought her voice was too young and sweet to tell this story, but quickly realized that that is exactly the tone to tell Sybil's story. Corrigan has a light voice, enunciates well and is easy to listen to.
The House of Velvet and Glass is not a fast read,rather it is a slow, measured building towards an unexpected revelation.The last third of the book moves along quite quickly, including another setting and more from one character that I been had expecting.
Howe has crafted another unique offering that will appeal to historical fiction fans. I enjoyed the book, but personally prefer something that moves along a little faster.
Sybil Allston is keeping house for her father in 1915 Boston. Her mother and sister perished on the Titanic three years earlier. She's never really
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accepted or gotten over their deaths and has been seeking answers and solace from mediums and the spirit world. Sybil is not the only one in her family struggling with life. Her father has escaped into running his business, her brother has dropped out of Harvard and taken up with an actress. It is the actress, Dovie, who shakes up and wakes up the remaining members of the Allston family. She introduces Sybil to the pleasures of opium.....and Sybil is sure she can see the final hours of her mother and sister in a scrying glass when she is in the arms of the opium pipe...Howe has delivered another rich period piece, filled with many details that bring the Boston Brahmins, social life and mores of the times to life. Interspersed with Sybil's story are 'interludes' that give us a window into Eulah and her mother's final hours on the Titanic. I have to say, it is Eulah and the interludes I enjoyed the most. Eulah as a character drew me to her more that Sybil. Eulah is full of life and brashness and spirit. She embraces life, as short as hers will be. Sybil is equally well drawn, but life has taken on a different mien with her loss. I did come to appreciate her more as the book progressed.
I chose to listen to this book. The reader was Heather Corrigan. At first, I thought her voice was too young and sweet to tell this story, but quickly realized that that is exactly the tone to tell Sybil's story. Corrigan has a light voice, enunciates well and is easy to listen to.
The House of Velvet and Glass is not a fast read,rather it is a slow, measured building towards an unexpected revelation.The last third of the book moves along quite quickly, including another setting and more from one character that I been had expecting.
Howe has crafted another unique offering that will appeal to historical fiction fans. I enjoyed the book, but personally prefer something that moves along a little faster.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Katherine Howe’s second novel, The House of Velvet and Glass, inserts the reader into the upper-crust society of Boston in the 1910s. When her mother and younger sister perish on the Titanic, Sybil Allston is left to forge ahead with the requirements as set by society in her new role as head of
The biggest strength of The House of Velvet and Glass is its writing. Ms. Howe's lush descriptions and pinpoint characterizations create vividly clear, precise imagery and utterly realistic characters. The setting envelops the reader with its gorgeous prose, while the story unfolds with stunning clarity as the background becomes another character in its own right. It is as if the reader becomes a contemporary within the posh world of wealthy Boston in the late 1910s.
Plotwise, The House of Velvet and Glass is all over the place. It is an amalgamation of the tragic story of the sinking of the Titanic and the impact on the loved ones of the lost, a commentary on Spiritualism, a lesson on growing beyond one’s boundaries set by tradition, society, and family, and a warning about the dangers of becoming an addict. The reader is taken from Boston in 1914 to onboard the Titanic on the night of its sinking to Singapore in 1886, and the links between the three time periods is never truly apparent until the end. At many points throughout the novel, a reader will struggle to discern towards what point Ms. Howe is driving her audience.
In spite of all the issues with the plot, The House of Velvet and Glass draws in a reader and holds one’s interest. The plot itself might be confusing as it struggles to decide whether to be a character-driven novel or a plot-driven one, but Ms. Howe’s imageries more than make up for the plot’s inadequacies. Combined with its highly flawed characters and mystical elements, The House of Velvet and Glass is another excellent modern Gothic novel worth reading.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to Hyperion Voice for my review copy!
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the household and representative of the family among her set, while her brother must also live up to the expectations as set by his deceased mother and demanding father. Trapped into roles with which neither one is comfortable, each opts to assuage their grief in ways that become most disastrous. Occurring at the peak of Spiritualism and drawing on real historical figures and events as much as possible, The House of Velvet and Glass explores the depths to which a person will go in order to free themselves from the ties that bind.The biggest strength of The House of Velvet and Glass is its writing. Ms. Howe's lush descriptions and pinpoint characterizations create vividly clear, precise imagery and utterly realistic characters. The setting envelops the reader with its gorgeous prose, while the story unfolds with stunning clarity as the background becomes another character in its own right. It is as if the reader becomes a contemporary within the posh world of wealthy Boston in the late 1910s.
Plotwise, The House of Velvet and Glass is all over the place. It is an amalgamation of the tragic story of the sinking of the Titanic and the impact on the loved ones of the lost, a commentary on Spiritualism, a lesson on growing beyond one’s boundaries set by tradition, society, and family, and a warning about the dangers of becoming an addict. The reader is taken from Boston in 1914 to onboard the Titanic on the night of its sinking to Singapore in 1886, and the links between the three time periods is never truly apparent until the end. At many points throughout the novel, a reader will struggle to discern towards what point Ms. Howe is driving her audience.
In spite of all the issues with the plot, The House of Velvet and Glass draws in a reader and holds one’s interest. The plot itself might be confusing as it struggles to decide whether to be a character-driven novel or a plot-driven one, but Ms. Howe’s imageries more than make up for the plot’s inadequacies. Combined with its highly flawed characters and mystical elements, The House of Velvet and Glass is another excellent modern Gothic novel worth reading.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to Hyperion Voice for my review copy!
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LibraryThing member annie.michelle
SPOILER ALERT...SPOILER ALERT....SPOILER ALERT...
I finished reading 'The House of Velvet and Glass" and loved it! It took me awhile to figure out how the different characters would come together and where the plot was going and just who the heck was Lannie in old Shanghai anyway? haha...
loved the
Baiji the parrot was what every sailor should have at the end of his sailing days, the love between man and bird is telling of the loneliness Harlan must have felt most of his life with his gift/curse. Who could you ever tell, unburden yourself with the anguish of knowing the future but a sly and loyal parrot. I confess I have always wanted a parrot.
Opium dens and prescription laudanum cures...how crazy that seems today. Fascinating to have been born in those times, so concerned with manners and morals right and wrong, rich and poor.
Sybil was finally able to cut loose a little with Dovie and have some fun. Had she not done that would she have been able to come together with Ben? I think not
Sybils naughty bored brother who it seems was just trying to find his place in the world what he needed was a reason to be a man, somebody his family could look up to and be proud of and the war was just the thing.
I enjoyed the chapters with Eulah and Helen on the Titanic and wished for more and glad at the end I found out what happened to them although I can not get out of my head why Eulah did not panic, why she was calm and just wanted to look out over the ocean with her mother...could she possibly have the gift as well? The gift or curse handed down from Harlan to both daughters and not just to Sybil? could she have known this was their destiny after all? And then Helen just acquiescing...complete faith and love in her child to calmly go to what surely was their death?
Is it romance or lunacy to want die at the height of happiness? that is the question that has been turning around in my mind ever since I turned that last page and closed the book.
I bought Katherine Howes first book "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" with it's touch of mystery, mysticism and just a smidge of romance the minute I saw it at the bookstore, so I just knew I would also enjoy "The House of Velvet and Glass"
and so I have...
I finished reading 'The House of Velvet and Glass" and loved it! It took me awhile to figure out how the different characters would come together and where the plot was going and just who the heck was Lannie in old Shanghai anyway? haha...
loved the
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atmospheric feel, the characters are well defined and the subject matter is fascinating. My great grandmother had seances with her lady friends in her home long ago and my mother has heard and shared some of those stories. Baiji the parrot was what every sailor should have at the end of his sailing days, the love between man and bird is telling of the loneliness Harlan must have felt most of his life with his gift/curse. Who could you ever tell, unburden yourself with the anguish of knowing the future but a sly and loyal parrot. I confess I have always wanted a parrot.
Opium dens and prescription laudanum cures...how crazy that seems today. Fascinating to have been born in those times, so concerned with manners and morals right and wrong, rich and poor.
Sybil was finally able to cut loose a little with Dovie and have some fun. Had she not done that would she have been able to come together with Ben? I think not
Sybils naughty bored brother who it seems was just trying to find his place in the world what he needed was a reason to be a man, somebody his family could look up to and be proud of and the war was just the thing.
I enjoyed the chapters with Eulah and Helen on the Titanic and wished for more and glad at the end I found out what happened to them although I can not get out of my head why Eulah did not panic, why she was calm and just wanted to look out over the ocean with her mother...could she possibly have the gift as well? The gift or curse handed down from Harlan to both daughters and not just to Sybil? could she have known this was their destiny after all? And then Helen just acquiescing...complete faith and love in her child to calmly go to what surely was their death?
Is it romance or lunacy to want die at the height of happiness? that is the question that has been turning around in my mind ever since I turned that last page and closed the book.
I bought Katherine Howes first book "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" with it's touch of mystery, mysticism and just a smidge of romance the minute I saw it at the bookstore, so I just knew I would also enjoy "The House of Velvet and Glass"
and so I have...
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The story begins in 1912, and then proceeds, in detail, for a period of about five years. Several times, it employs the use of interludes to move back in time, almost five decades, to 1868, to introduce the reader to Harlan Allston’s 17 year old incarnation, and foreshadows the things to come.
The Alston’s, a well to do family, live on Beacon Street, at a time when social standing is de rigeur, and the marriage of a daughter was of prime concern. Spinsterhood was often mocked by people of the upper class. Presenting one’s child to the world, to find an appropriate mate, was a major undertaking.
Harlan Allston, made his fortune in the shipping industry. His wife, Helen, a good deal younger than he, had given up hopes for her elder daughter’s marriage. Sybil, a very proper young woman, had refused one marriage proposal and did not receive a second, from Benton Derby, the one she longed for, as he married someone else and moved to Italy. Helen decides to take her younger, more outspoken daughter, Eulah, on a trip to Europe to prepare her to enter society and find a suitable marriage mate. The whirlwind tour is a success and they are very happy when they make their return trip home, unaware of the tragedy to come, on the magnificent ill-fated ship, The Titanic.
The story is a romantic piece of historic fiction, and it covers many of the major events and issues of the time, including many real people that did exist, as well as characters made up from the author’s imagination. The sinking of the Titanic, illicit use of opiates and its addiction, the horrors of World War I, the cultural and political climate of the time, are all accurately portrayed. The lifestyle of the gentry is well described, illustrating their carriage and their demeanor, their attention to manners and proper decorum, coupled with the snobbism and prejudices of the day. The early belief in spiritualism and clairvoyance add to the storyline. We witness behavior patterns that go to the depths of depravity, and alternatively reach the heights of heroism. There is an interesting parrot Baiji, that is introduced at the beginning of the tale, in Shanghai, and makes additional appearances until the end, in Boston. It seems to symbolize change and progress, as the narrative moves forward. There is an Asian theme concerning opiates, threaded throughout the book, as well.
Ships and water are major themes, as is addiction and clairvoyance or second sight. The sinking of both The Titanic and The Lusitania are catalysts that move the story forward and mark momentous changes in the lives of the characters, moving the story toward its conclusion.
Katherine Howe writes with an easy to read prose, often injecting subtle humor and eloquently describes the grief and tragedy the character’s experience. Her characters feel as if they belong in the time of the book and you will easily recognize them and get to know them well. The introduction of ideas that are somewhat supernatural flows well and does not feel awkward. At the end, you will learn of the author’s connection to that time period. It would be helpful if the reader enjoyed delving into the supernatural a bit, especially with extra-sensory projection and/or psychic phenomenon, since they are major ideas presented in the book.
In my reading, I discovered that in the Chinese culture, the parrot symbolizes freedom and life. It is the bearer of good news, signifies change and wisdom and represents our hopes and ultimate goals. How we live our lives, long or short, is a very major theme of the book. Were we able to leave a permanent, positive mark on society, did we live the best life we could? Dovie, the unconventional girlfriend of Sybil’s brother Harlan, brings the circle of life full circle and explains how the character’s have each made their own indelible mark on life.
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The book improves as you read on, so don’t give up if it seems a bit slow in the beginning with the tedium of Boston propriety.The Alston’s, a well to do family, live on Beacon Street, at a time when social standing is de rigeur, and the marriage of a daughter was of prime concern. Spinsterhood was often mocked by people of the upper class. Presenting one’s child to the world, to find an appropriate mate, was a major undertaking.
Harlan Allston, made his fortune in the shipping industry. His wife, Helen, a good deal younger than he, had given up hopes for her elder daughter’s marriage. Sybil, a very proper young woman, had refused one marriage proposal and did not receive a second, from Benton Derby, the one she longed for, as he married someone else and moved to Italy. Helen decides to take her younger, more outspoken daughter, Eulah, on a trip to Europe to prepare her to enter society and find a suitable marriage mate. The whirlwind tour is a success and they are very happy when they make their return trip home, unaware of the tragedy to come, on the magnificent ill-fated ship, The Titanic.
The story is a romantic piece of historic fiction, and it covers many of the major events and issues of the time, including many real people that did exist, as well as characters made up from the author’s imagination. The sinking of the Titanic, illicit use of opiates and its addiction, the horrors of World War I, the cultural and political climate of the time, are all accurately portrayed. The lifestyle of the gentry is well described, illustrating their carriage and their demeanor, their attention to manners and proper decorum, coupled with the snobbism and prejudices of the day. The early belief in spiritualism and clairvoyance add to the storyline. We witness behavior patterns that go to the depths of depravity, and alternatively reach the heights of heroism. There is an interesting parrot Baiji, that is introduced at the beginning of the tale, in Shanghai, and makes additional appearances until the end, in Boston. It seems to symbolize change and progress, as the narrative moves forward. There is an Asian theme concerning opiates, threaded throughout the book, as well.
Ships and water are major themes, as is addiction and clairvoyance or second sight. The sinking of both The Titanic and The Lusitania are catalysts that move the story forward and mark momentous changes in the lives of the characters, moving the story toward its conclusion.
Katherine Howe writes with an easy to read prose, often injecting subtle humor and eloquently describes the grief and tragedy the character’s experience. Her characters feel as if they belong in the time of the book and you will easily recognize them and get to know them well. The introduction of ideas that are somewhat supernatural flows well and does not feel awkward. At the end, you will learn of the author’s connection to that time period. It would be helpful if the reader enjoyed delving into the supernatural a bit, especially with extra-sensory projection and/or psychic phenomenon, since they are major ideas presented in the book.
In my reading, I discovered that in the Chinese culture, the parrot symbolizes freedom and life. It is the bearer of good news, signifies change and wisdom and represents our hopes and ultimate goals. How we live our lives, long or short, is a very major theme of the book. Were we able to leave a permanent, positive mark on society, did we live the best life we could? Dovie, the unconventional girlfriend of Sybil’s brother Harlan, brings the circle of life full circle and explains how the character’s have each made their own indelible mark on life.
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LibraryThing member julie10reads
In 1915 Boston, Sybil Allston still struggles to cope with the loss of her mother and sister on the Titanic three years earlier and reaches out to a spiritualist in hopes of reconnecting with her deceased relatives. When an acquaintance from her past appears, Sybil is driven to embark on a
I haven't read Katherine Howe before. Enjoyable story. Intriguing use of the Titanic disaster--like using the word "God" in the title, it will always draw readers--to explore spirutualism, early 20th century shipping, opium, World War I and the evolving of emancipation. The author's research lends credibility to the setting, plot and characters but covering so many topics put too much weight on the novel's trajectory.
7 out of 10 Recommended to fans of American history.
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mysterious journey to investigate the depths of her family's secrets. Summary BPLI haven't read Katherine Howe before. Enjoyable story. Intriguing use of the Titanic disaster--like using the word "God" in the title, it will always draw readers--to explore spirutualism, early 20th century shipping, opium, World War I and the evolving of emancipation. The author's research lends credibility to the setting, plot and characters but covering so many topics put too much weight on the novel's trajectory.
7 out of 10 Recommended to fans of American history.
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LibraryThing member dragonflydee1
I only gave this book 3 stars because the first 200 pages were a big yawn for me and I almost quit reading the book. But, after the Luisitania sank, the story really seemed to pick up and I really enjoyed the book.
LibraryThing member JEB5
I loved Katherine Howe’s first novel “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” and was thrilled to hear that she had published a second novel! “The House of Velvet and Glass” is a splendidly woven tale of one family and the effects that past events/experiences has on the remaining family
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members. It entwines such historical occurrences as the sinking of the Titanic, the growing intrigue of séances, the torpedoing of the Lusitania, and World War I. Howe’s writing is enthralling and her descriptions draw you into the pages, however I found the storyline in this novel a bit lacking when compared to her first. Maybe she was trying too hard after such success on her first publication . . . or maybe she was just putting too much into one book – I don’t really know. I can say that it was a difficult book to put down and that while I wasn’t quite sure where she was going, I did enjoy the ride. Show Less
LibraryThing member justabookreader
Sibyl Allston spends her days mourning the loss of her younger sister and mother whose lives ended tragically when the Titanic sank in April of 1914. The two were returning home from a grand European tour and their loss devastates the family. As the oldest daughter and most responsible of the
When Sibyl’s brother Harley is kicked out of Harvard under circumstances that he won’t discuss --- everyone assumes it has something to do with a young woman --- her already heartbreaking and complicated life gets one more added layer of sadness. Her father and brother can’t be in the same room together without fighting, and after a particularly stressful time, Harley leaves. Later, a young woman shows up at the house covered in blood with news that Harley has been severely injured. While waiting at the hospital for news on Harley, Benton Derby, Sibyl’s former love --- a man she still has great feelings for --- shows up wanting to help throwing not only Sibyl, but the whole family, into a tail spin.
Sibyl, a devotee of fortune telling, begins to find solace in the art hoping that a medium used by her mother will help her find comfort in the memories of the past and answers about the future. What she doesn’t understand yet is her own gift in the art and the affect it will have on her life and her family members.
What Katherine Howe does very well is capture a moment in time. Boston of 1915 is a rich setting and she doesn’t let any of the details slip. The book moves around in time thanks to the fortune telling aspect, but the characters pull the story back reminding you where the story is taking place. Sibyl is a particularly poignant character looking for comfort and acceptance from her father but also from a deceased mother that lost hope in her and placed all her dreams of a good marriage match on her younger sister. Sibyl’s a sad person but so wrapped up in handling the necessities of her day that she hides most of her feelings hoping others won’t see her hurting. Her need for comfort, acceptance, and assurance land her in a dangerous place.
While I did enjoy certain aspects of the fortune telling in this story --- it was a popular pastime at this point in history --- it did make parts of the story feel slightly disjointed. It’s a nice touch but is also a bit heavy handed making the story feel like it is coming and going at the same time.
This is Howe’s second book following The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. She’s a writer more than willing to immerse her readers in history and if you enjoy historical fiction, Howe is a writer to look to.
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Allston children, Sibyl takes over as the woman of the house but doesn’t have the backbone to garner any respect --- not from the house staff or family acquaintances. Accepting of the fact that she will most likely remain single, she does what she can to make her life, and her father’s, as normal and comforting as she can considering their loss.When Sibyl’s brother Harley is kicked out of Harvard under circumstances that he won’t discuss --- everyone assumes it has something to do with a young woman --- her already heartbreaking and complicated life gets one more added layer of sadness. Her father and brother can’t be in the same room together without fighting, and after a particularly stressful time, Harley leaves. Later, a young woman shows up at the house covered in blood with news that Harley has been severely injured. While waiting at the hospital for news on Harley, Benton Derby, Sibyl’s former love --- a man she still has great feelings for --- shows up wanting to help throwing not only Sibyl, but the whole family, into a tail spin.
Sibyl, a devotee of fortune telling, begins to find solace in the art hoping that a medium used by her mother will help her find comfort in the memories of the past and answers about the future. What she doesn’t understand yet is her own gift in the art and the affect it will have on her life and her family members.
What Katherine Howe does very well is capture a moment in time. Boston of 1915 is a rich setting and she doesn’t let any of the details slip. The book moves around in time thanks to the fortune telling aspect, but the characters pull the story back reminding you where the story is taking place. Sibyl is a particularly poignant character looking for comfort and acceptance from her father but also from a deceased mother that lost hope in her and placed all her dreams of a good marriage match on her younger sister. Sibyl’s a sad person but so wrapped up in handling the necessities of her day that she hides most of her feelings hoping others won’t see her hurting. Her need for comfort, acceptance, and assurance land her in a dangerous place.
While I did enjoy certain aspects of the fortune telling in this story --- it was a popular pastime at this point in history --- it did make parts of the story feel slightly disjointed. It’s a nice touch but is also a bit heavy handed making the story feel like it is coming and going at the same time.
This is Howe’s second book following The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. She’s a writer more than willing to immerse her readers in history and if you enjoy historical fiction, Howe is a writer to look to.
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LibraryThing member reginacorley
Meh...it was ok. I mean, if I enjoyed a good supernatural tale, this would be a really good one. That aside, though, the story was rich with characters and a nice storyline. I can't fault the author for delivering a well-paced story in a subject I didn't exactly love. I'm hoping to steer the book
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club away from books that ask for that much suspension of reality. Show Less
LibraryThing member cygnet81
Not as good as her first book.
LibraryThing member bibliophileofalls
Read 2/3 . lame plot and character development.
LibraryThing member lhaines56
Really slow start. Took over 160 pages to get interesting. Odd---main character Sybil becomes addicted to opium as it allows her to "see" thru scrying crystal. Lot of sadness--loss of most of the family--thru a curse. Really strange book.
LibraryThing member JBarringer
This novel starts out slow, but it's well paced and creates a solid fictional world where it is easy to suspend one's disbelief long enough to accept that psychic mediums might actually be doing something more than parlor tricks. The switching back and forth between past and present was a bit
Sibyl is a practical woman, a spinster in a world before women's rights meant much, but still strong-minded enough to not alienate modern female readers. Her one 'weakness' is attending an annual seance, a comfort to her in her grief that she doesn't dare question too closely. Unfortunately events soon lead her to explore the true nature of psychic gifts. Her mother and sister, who died when the Titanic sank, seem to be actually communicating with Sibyl through a psychic medium, and maybe her mother can still offer guidance as to how Sibyl might help her wayward younger brother.
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confusing- this seems to be a very popular way to write a book anymore, but even in a book that is otherwise really good, this structure really does make the story harder to become immersed in. Had the sections in each location and time been longer, the result would have been a stronger book, because reading it would not require shifting gears every chapter or so. But, within the books I've read that do this sort of thing, this was one of the better ones I've read this year. Sibyl is a practical woman, a spinster in a world before women's rights meant much, but still strong-minded enough to not alienate modern female readers. Her one 'weakness' is attending an annual seance, a comfort to her in her grief that she doesn't dare question too closely. Unfortunately events soon lead her to explore the true nature of psychic gifts. Her mother and sister, who died when the Titanic sank, seem to be actually communicating with Sibyl through a psychic medium, and maybe her mother can still offer guidance as to how Sibyl might help her wayward younger brother.
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LibraryThing member Smits
Boston in 1915. Story moves back and forth from a mother and daughter on the Titanic to their family back in Boston to the father's youth in Shanghai China. Main character is daughter Sibyl who discovers she can see in a crystal ball while under influence of opium. She can see into the future.
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Novel is interesting and an enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member janerawoof
Copyrighted in 2012, this is one of the spate of books issued the centennial year of the Titanic Disaster of April 1912. Only a few pages recount the disaster itself. This fascinating tale involved the Titanic, but from a different angle. It concerns a Boston upper-class family who lost the wife,
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Helen, and one daughter, Eula, in that tragedy. This book describes the surviving family members' reactions to the loss: the stoic, dour father, a wealthy shipping magnate, with a secret he's held in for over 20 years; the elder daughter, the spinster Sibyl, and the college age, dissolute brother, Harley, expelled from Harvard for his indiscretions. It touched all their lives and those of friends. The book explores the themes of loss, grief, guilt and remorse. Sibyl discovers a gift in herself of scrying the future; Harley is faced with his failings. Three subplots are interwoven competently: Helen and Eula aboard the Titanic; Sibyl and Harley and their stories; and the young Harlan Allston Jr. [the father] years previously in China. The author's writing vividly brought Boston and Shanghai to life. The characters were well delineated. The 'Afterword' was well worth reading for the background of the story; 1915-17 Boston; and 1880's Shanghai. Show Less
LibraryThing member CynthiaRobertson
Warning: contains spoilers
I love an author who’s not afraid to kill off some of her good guys, and Katherine Howe kills off not one, not two, but three at the end of this novel. Yes, you will need that box of Kleenex, but don’t let that stop you from reading The House of Velvet and Glass.
The novels two main protagonists are Lannie, a young sailor visiting Shanghai for the first time during the middle of the 19th century, and his daughter Sybil, navigating the world of Boston society during the early 20th century. Interspersed with these two are Lannie’s wife, Helen, and Lannie’s other daughter, Eulah, who are aboard the doomed cruise liner Titanic. Sometimes a novel with various timelines can be a challenge, but Katherine Howe handles these deftly. Each time the story shifted I felt both reluctant to let the one I’d been reading go, and eager to dive into the new thread. Not an easy task for a writer to pull off.
The old world she creates of sailors and of China are filled with so much atmosphere I could practically smell the century, from the exotic perfumes and blood of a brothel visit that turns bad, to the smoke permeated darkness of an opium den, the descriptions are well-imagined and evocative.
Nothing in Salem approached this wall for age and majesty, which protected old Shanghai from the incursions of the new. There were a few old-fashioned houses, of course, inhabited by the poorer people, crowded together in their darkness and dampness, the stench of two hundred years’ worth of mice and sweat and woodsmoke and whitewash. But when New England was still a wilderness, this wall was already over a hundred years old. Lannie felt small and insignificant before it, a passing rill on an otherwise unbroken stream of time.
Boston is one of my favorite towns, having lived just forty-five minutes north of the place for ten years during the 90’s. It’s history-soaked and unique, as all great cities are, and this writer captures the atmosphere and society of it, the university in particular, in tiny, nuanced glimpses, as if seen from the window of a passing carriage.
She makes use of the upper-crust slang and body language of the early twentieth century swells with an aptitude that must have meant hours of research, and yet it comes off as seamlessly natural in the characters’ internal thoughts.
His body was compact and muscled, slightly the wrong shape to look fashionable in suits. His shoulders were too broad. There was something unrefined about Benton’s body, though that was offset by the sharpness of his mind. A psychologist, that’s what Sibyl said he was. So Benton Derby liked to study crazy people. Well, bully for him. Harlan had better things to do with his time.
The character of Sybil is an anorexic, which struck me as odd upon first encountering it, since I tend to think of the disorder as a modern one. The fact is introduced subtly, and not stated outright or made too much of, at first, which went a long way toward making me buy into it as a reader. And by the middle of the novel Sybil’s illness is so much a part of and the result of her circumstances: being thrown over and left behind by the man she hoped to marry, which has consigned her to the outer fringes of society and spinsterhood, and the tragic deaths of her mother and sister when the Titanic sinks—that it seems it couldn’t have been otherwise. The world had slid out of the emotionally locked down Victorian era, (and in fact, Sybil, an anachronism of sorts, still wears a corset – unlike the free-thinking Dovie, her brother’s lover) and the Great Depression spawned the skinny, headband wearing, jitterbugging Flapper, so it’s entirely plausible that a young, thwarted woman might resort to self-depravation, not to make herself thinner, perhaps, but to exert some perceived control. And that is exactly how she is portrayed. Despite being thin as a junkie, (which she actually becomes for a time) Sybil’s character is fully three-dimensional.
The author manages quite a feat with Lannie – or Harlan, as he becomes known as an adult. She makes the reader love him as a young boy, experiencing tragedy in the form of his new friend being killed on his first night in Shanghai, then she leads the reader to perceive him as a hard man in adulthood, where he hides himself away in his darkened den with Baiji, his mysterious Macaw. Though not entirely devoid of kindness – he’s gentle with Sybil, after all – he rules over his children’s lives like an autocrat, even to denying his apparently mugged son the relief of a shot of morphine while Harlan (Jr.) is recovering in the hospital. By the middle of the novel the reader wants to understand how the young Lannie we first come to know, becomes this secretive, closed off man.
I will only say this: things are not always what they seem in this novel—and you will not be disappointed.
This writer’s strengths: Where to begin! Katherine Howe is a writer’s writer. She writes perfectly crafted sentences that make one read them a second time, on occasion, just for the pleasure of them. Her punctuation and word choice are unobtrusive and lovely, making her easily accessible to any reader. Her descriptions are precise and vivid, particularly her character descriptions. Her characters are well rounded – even the ones we only meet briefly, like Johnny.
Who will enjoy this book? Any reader who likes a page turning read and tight plot with surprises, but also likes a bit of leisurely historical description. Readers who like a mix of commercial and lite-literary. History buffs who are fans of the era.
The House of Velvet and Glass is 407 pages. I found one dropped word, on page 349 of the hardback, the word ‘to’. Otherwise this novel is flawless in every way that matters. I very much enjoyed her first novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which I read a few years ago and recall recommending to friends, but this novel is even better.
I love an author who’s not afraid to kill off some of her good guys, and Katherine Howe kills off not one, not two, but three at the end of this novel. Yes, you will need that box of Kleenex, but don’t let that stop you from reading The House of Velvet and Glass.
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It’s a good cry and you’ll enjoy it.The novels two main protagonists are Lannie, a young sailor visiting Shanghai for the first time during the middle of the 19th century, and his daughter Sybil, navigating the world of Boston society during the early 20th century. Interspersed with these two are Lannie’s wife, Helen, and Lannie’s other daughter, Eulah, who are aboard the doomed cruise liner Titanic. Sometimes a novel with various timelines can be a challenge, but Katherine Howe handles these deftly. Each time the story shifted I felt both reluctant to let the one I’d been reading go, and eager to dive into the new thread. Not an easy task for a writer to pull off.
The old world she creates of sailors and of China are filled with so much atmosphere I could practically smell the century, from the exotic perfumes and blood of a brothel visit that turns bad, to the smoke permeated darkness of an opium den, the descriptions are well-imagined and evocative.
Nothing in Salem approached this wall for age and majesty, which protected old Shanghai from the incursions of the new. There were a few old-fashioned houses, of course, inhabited by the poorer people, crowded together in their darkness and dampness, the stench of two hundred years’ worth of mice and sweat and woodsmoke and whitewash. But when New England was still a wilderness, this wall was already over a hundred years old. Lannie felt small and insignificant before it, a passing rill on an otherwise unbroken stream of time.
Boston is one of my favorite towns, having lived just forty-five minutes north of the place for ten years during the 90’s. It’s history-soaked and unique, as all great cities are, and this writer captures the atmosphere and society of it, the university in particular, in tiny, nuanced glimpses, as if seen from the window of a passing carriage.
She makes use of the upper-crust slang and body language of the early twentieth century swells with an aptitude that must have meant hours of research, and yet it comes off as seamlessly natural in the characters’ internal thoughts.
His body was compact and muscled, slightly the wrong shape to look fashionable in suits. His shoulders were too broad. There was something unrefined about Benton’s body, though that was offset by the sharpness of his mind. A psychologist, that’s what Sibyl said he was. So Benton Derby liked to study crazy people. Well, bully for him. Harlan had better things to do with his time.
The character of Sybil is an anorexic, which struck me as odd upon first encountering it, since I tend to think of the disorder as a modern one. The fact is introduced subtly, and not stated outright or made too much of, at first, which went a long way toward making me buy into it as a reader. And by the middle of the novel Sybil’s illness is so much a part of and the result of her circumstances: being thrown over and left behind by the man she hoped to marry, which has consigned her to the outer fringes of society and spinsterhood, and the tragic deaths of her mother and sister when the Titanic sinks—that it seems it couldn’t have been otherwise. The world had slid out of the emotionally locked down Victorian era, (and in fact, Sybil, an anachronism of sorts, still wears a corset – unlike the free-thinking Dovie, her brother’s lover) and the Great Depression spawned the skinny, headband wearing, jitterbugging Flapper, so it’s entirely plausible that a young, thwarted woman might resort to self-depravation, not to make herself thinner, perhaps, but to exert some perceived control. And that is exactly how she is portrayed. Despite being thin as a junkie, (which she actually becomes for a time) Sybil’s character is fully three-dimensional.
The author manages quite a feat with Lannie – or Harlan, as he becomes known as an adult. She makes the reader love him as a young boy, experiencing tragedy in the form of his new friend being killed on his first night in Shanghai, then she leads the reader to perceive him as a hard man in adulthood, where he hides himself away in his darkened den with Baiji, his mysterious Macaw. Though not entirely devoid of kindness – he’s gentle with Sybil, after all – he rules over his children’s lives like an autocrat, even to denying his apparently mugged son the relief of a shot of morphine while Harlan (Jr.) is recovering in the hospital. By the middle of the novel the reader wants to understand how the young Lannie we first come to know, becomes this secretive, closed off man.
I will only say this: things are not always what they seem in this novel—and you will not be disappointed.
This writer’s strengths: Where to begin! Katherine Howe is a writer’s writer. She writes perfectly crafted sentences that make one read them a second time, on occasion, just for the pleasure of them. Her punctuation and word choice are unobtrusive and lovely, making her easily accessible to any reader. Her descriptions are precise and vivid, particularly her character descriptions. Her characters are well rounded – even the ones we only meet briefly, like Johnny.
Who will enjoy this book? Any reader who likes a page turning read and tight plot with surprises, but also likes a bit of leisurely historical description. Readers who like a mix of commercial and lite-literary. History buffs who are fans of the era.
The House of Velvet and Glass is 407 pages. I found one dropped word, on page 349 of the hardback, the word ‘to’. Otherwise this novel is flawless in every way that matters. I very much enjoyed her first novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which I read a few years ago and recall recommending to friends, but this novel is even better.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ghost_Boy
I kind f liked her first book, which is why I read this book. However, this book seemed to jump around too much. Boston, Shanghai, the Titanic. Parts of this I did enjoy though.
Language
Original publication date
2012-04-10
ISBN
9781401340919