The Glass Town Game, Catherynne M. Valente
The Glass Town Game feels a little like Fairyland-lite. Based on the childhood games and stories of the Brontes, including Branwell, Valente delivers another kind of portal fantasy in which the Brontes find themselves in the middle of their own imagined world. The four are generally fun to follow, though Branwell is rather annoying (probably quite in line with the real Branwell). It’s all very whimsical and charming, but the Fairyland books are better at that, so it didn’t quite work for me; I’ve seen Valente do it better.
That aside, it’s an absorbing read, with so much cleverness, including sly references to the Brontes adult work and little pieces from their biographies, etc. It ticks along at a fine pace, and each of the siblings gets the eye of the narrator on them in turn, dissecting their faults and flaws and cheering for their strengths and cleverness. You can’t quite root for Branwell (though you can understand him), but Charlotte in particular makes an excellent heroine. The first half is a little slower, and might take some getting into, but after the halfway point it picks up pace a lot.
If I were recommending somewhere to start with Valente’s work, it wouldn’t be this, but it’s definitely entertaining and beautifully written. It’s more in line with the Fairyland books in terms of style than her adult novels; it doesn’t come across as more poetry than prose, if that’s something which bothers you about her books like Deathless and Palimpsest.
Oh, curses! Wish I hadn’t prevaricated on starting the Brontë Angria and Gondal stories now, as I’m going to have to wait a whole lot longer to tackle this. ☺
Chris Lovegrove recently posted…Hope springs eternal
I don’t know, I found it fun without knowing much about those stories!
Yeah, I had a bit of trouble with this one because I couldn’t figure out the target audience. It seemed a bit too silly to be a YA or adult novel, and yet a bit too long and expository for middle grade children. I have to say, I loved Valente’s imagination and ideas though!
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday 01/03/17
I think the main audience might be fans of the Brontes who also like fantasy! Which might be a big ask…
I’m finally starting to see a few reviews of this book! I’m still not sure how much I’ll enjoy it, but I will give it a go.
Jenna @ Falling Letters recently posted…A Delightful Early Chapter Book: Yours Sincerely, Giraffe
I enjoyed it, but it’s definitely way less accessible than some of her others. (But more so than ones like Palimpsest, so there’s that…)