lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
Despite this going on far too long (about 1/3 could have been cut and this would have easily been a 5 star), I enjoyed entering this world. Even the interspersed (untranslated) Russian words didn't disrupt the read, nor did it feel as pretentious as it does in, say, a Cara Black mystery.
The Great Glass Sea is a gigantic, city-sized greenhouse created by a Russian oligarch, making use of an array of solar panels that reflect the sun back at the earth so there's no differential between night and day, thus increasing productivity and the ability for humans to work around the clock. It would have been a better read had that disruption been explored a little more, but the overriding theme here is the battle between (failed) Communism and Capitalism. The twins and how their lives diverge is almost like that of the brothers in Lahiri's The Lowland, and once again it's difficult to tell whose life is the better.
ARC provided by publisher.
The Great Glass Sea is a gigantic, city-sized greenhouse created by a Russian oligarch, making use of an array of solar panels that reflect the sun back at the earth so there's no differential between night and day, thus increasing productivity and the ability for humans to work around the clock. It would have been a better read had that disruption been explored a little more, but the overriding theme here is the battle between (failed) Communism and Capitalism. The twins and how their lives diverge is almost like that of the brothers in Lahiri's The Lowland, and once again it's difficult to tell whose life is the better.
ARC provided by publisher.
alysonc89's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes, it is best to read a book slow, because it is so beautiful you never want it to end. This story made me feel as if I were standing on the edge of Lake Onega, waiting for a storm to blow in. The storm didn't disappoint.
deborahdelaurell's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like the longer I read the book the less I liked it. By the time I got to the last 10 pages I had to force myself to finish. I think the writing was sometimes beautiful if heavy-handed, and though Weil writes beautifully about his characters the details of the plot were oftentimes disjointed. I understand it was supposed to be fantastic, a fable, but 500 pages of fable seems a little much for me.
imitira's review against another edition
2.0
Long, rambling, vivid, allegorical, and just begging for reflective analysis of all the glorious imagery and poignant scenes. Also, for the most part, unutterably dull.
208hahn's review
I made it about 100 pages before I felt like I was just skipping through, glossing over what felt like unnecessary tangential details.
misterwonders's review
4.0
Slow, painful, and never a delight, but so well written it is a challenge to stop reading this novel.
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