The Broken Teaglass: A Novel
by Emily Arsenault
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Book Summary Information
Author: Emily ArsenaultEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-09-29
ISBN: 0553807331
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Book Reviews of The Broken Teaglass: A Novel
Book Review: A mystery with words as characters
Summary: 5 Stars
The journal reviews have presented this book as a mystery and a romance, and someone else described it as a young-adult novel targeted at 20-somethings, but I feel that both classifications are too limited. Billy, the main character, is extremely compelling, even to this middle-aged reader, and the mystery and romance definitely do not dominate Billy's development as he negotiates his way through the first few months at his first post-collegiate job. Arsenault vividly captures the environment of cubicles and office relationships/negotiations and I was reminded of my first job after college -- of trying to make sense of the people around me and the work that was being done, but this novel has much more to offer than a glimpse at office life. The setting of the dictionary company provides the opportunity to use words as an integral part of the story - and without these words Billy's story might have been just another tale of someone "finding himself." Instead, the words of the dictionary, and of the research files, and of the characters, weave themselves in and out of various lives -- from Billy's neighbors to his officemates to the countless people who contact the dictionary company for clarification and solace - and in and out of various times, from the beginning of the dictionary to the younger days of retired employees to Billy and his peers achieving adulthood.
Yes, there is mystery, there is a touch of romance, there is twenty-something angst, but there are intriguing characters that made me think and ponder and want to read more.
Summary of The Broken Teaglass: A Novel
The dusty files of a venerable dictionary publisher . . . a hidden cache of coded clues . . . a story written by a phantom author . . . an unsolved murder in a gritty urban park?all collide memorably in Emily Arsenault?s magnificent debut, at once a teasing literary puzzle, an ingenious suspense novel, and an exploration of definitions: of words, of who we are, and of the stories we choose to define us.In the maze of cubicles at Samuelson Company, editors toil away in silence, studying the English language, poring over new expressions and freshly coined words?all in preparation for the next new edition of the Samuelson Dictionary. Among them is editorial assistant Billy Webb, just out of college, struggling to stay awake and appear competent. But there are a few distractions. His intriguing coworker Mona Minot may or may not be flirting with him. And he?s starting to sense something suspicious going on beneath this company?s academic facade.
Mona has just made a startling discovery: a trove of puzzling citations, all taken from the same book, The Broken Teaglass. Billy and Mona soon learn that no such book exists. And the quotations from it are far too long, twisting, and bizarre for any dictionary. They read like a confessional, coyly hinting at a hidden identity, a secret liaison, a crime. As Billy and Mona ransack the office files, a chilling story begins to emerge: a story about a lonely young woman, a long-unsolved mystery, a moment of shattering violence. And as they piece together its fragments, the puzzle begins to take on bigger personal meaning for both of them, compelling them to redefine their notions of themselves and each other.
Charged with wit and intelligence, set against a sweetly cautious love story, The Broken Teaglass is a tale that will delight lovers of words, lovers of mysteries, and fans of smart, funny, brilliantly inventive fiction.
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