The Glass of Time: A Novel
by Michael Cox
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael CoxEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-05
ISBN: 0393337162
Number of pages: 592
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Book Reviews of The Glass of Time: A Novel
Book Review: It's too bad there won't be a third book. Fantastic follow up to The Meaning of Night
Summary: 5 Stars
While The Glass of Time is a continuation and sequel to The Meaning of Night, I don't think you need to have read the first book to understand the plot of the second one. However, some familiarity with The Meaning of Night, and characters Edward Glyver, Phoebus Daunt, and Emily Carteret--principal players in The Meaning of Night--help in understanding motives in The Glass of Time. The love triangle explored in that novel influences various events in reference to the Tansor estate and family in this story, which takes place twenty years later.
The story begins in 1876 as Esperanza Gorst, an orphan, leaves France and the safety of her guardian to go to Evenwood in England. Her guardian, Madame de I'Orme, informs her that she will be performing The Great Task, a series of duties communicated to Esperanza via letters which arrive at Evenwood. Convincing Lady Tansor (Emily) she has qualities becoming of a maid, Esperanza then attempts to gain her trust. From there, her "instructions" get a little bit more complex. Esperanza experiences a certain vagueness and ambiguity about why she is there and what this "task" means, but in time letters from Madame and her tutor, Basil Thornhaugh, shed light on The Great Task. Esperanza, with little knowledge of her parents' lives, begins to discover various secrets about the Tansor Estate, Lady Tansor , the late Phoebus Daunt, and the man who killed him, Edward Glyver. Lady Tansor, twenty years after Phoebus Daunt was murdered, still has an obsession with the memory of her former lover; she carries around a strand of his hair as a memory piece, has Esperanza read many of his poems, and laments his death on the 11th day of each month. A somber mood persists at Evenwood despite its beauty, and the protagonist can't quite get the feel for who this mysterious and sad woman is. As Esperanza becomes better acquainted with her host, the plot begins to thicken, and she becomes a little more daring in taking chances to find out information. She also meets Lady Tansor's two sons, Perseus and Randolph, and this "love triangle" becomes a subplot of the story. Hidden secrets surface, old letters give clues as to information on the past, and identities of various characters become distorted, but all is disentangled by novel's end. Esperanza, as she comes to realize what her Task is, is torn between feelings and a sense of duty to Madame and her family.
Much like the first novel, Cox entertains and enthralls the readers with a good, old-fashioned mystery much in the vain of Wilkie Collins. There is a dark Victorian feel to this one much like The Meaning of Night. The Glass of Time might be a little more like Collins because of the usage of various mistaken and confused identities, but this novel didn't feel as dark as The Meaning of Night, perhaps because the protagonist is much more of one you would root for as the novel progresses.
In many instances, the past affects the present. The protagonist learns more about her family's history, and this seems to betray her current feelings towards those around her, namely Perseus. While the various secrets tend to help her comprehend what is taking place, they also take an emotional toll on Esperanza.
There are a few drawbacks. Some passages between Esperanza and Lady Tansor became a little tedious and repetitive, and some of the story became a little too melodramatic and soapish for my tastes. Still, I thought the book was fantastically written, and the narrative and plot well-thought out. The ending was resolved nicely, even more than the first book, and while it appears that a third story was in the works (which unfortunately won't happen), there still is a sense of closure from this conclusion.
This is a fantastic read, a very worthy follow up to The Meaning of Night. Cox pays homage to the great sensationalist novelists, and gives us a book that is both intelligent and fun to read. While some may be put off by the overly detailed passages, those who are fans of Dickens or Collins will probably enjoy this book.
Summary of The Glass of Time: A Novel
?Entirely wonderful . . . chock-full of revenge, romance, duplicity, concealed identities and murder most frequent.??Washington Post
Building on his haunting, superbly written debut, The Meaning of Night, Michael Cox returns to a story of murder, love, and revenge in Victorian England. The Glass of Time is a vividly imagined study of seduction, betrayal, and friendship between two powerful women bound together by the past.Literature & Fiction Books
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