A fascinating setting for the book with lots of information on Murano glassmaking and Italian life. I enjoyed the way it moved through the centuries and we learned about how lives changed with the times. I wasn't too sure in the characters though, the flow and authenticity of other works by Chevalier just wasn't there for me.

Love and life at different times on the islands of Murano and Venice. Feisty Orsola is the heroine, determined to make a living through glass. A time-slip novel, the same main characters living their lives working with glass through many centuries. Surprisingly it works, deft touches by the author making the narrative flow through thick and thin.

Tracy Chevalier is hit-and-miss for me, but I think she's at her best when writing straightforward historical fiction that is immersed in the details of craftmaking, whether that's Vermeer's use of the camera obscura to paint light in seventeenth-century Delft or women embroidering kneelers for a cathedral in inter-war Britain. All my favourite Chevalier novels fall into this category: Girl With A Pearl Earring, The Lady and the Unicorn, The Virgin Blue, A Single Thread. And The Glassmaker could absolutely have been another Chevalier classic, but it's outrun a bit by its own ambition. It starts very well. Orsola is part of a glassmaking family on Murano in the late fifteenth century. After her father's death, she learns to make beads to supplement the family income, and negotiates business with her difficult brother, as well as meeting an ambitious, handsome Venetian fisherman. But Chevalier doesn't want to write a plain historical novel this time. The Glassmaker skips forward through the centuries, preserving its central cast intact - so Orsola can reflect on being quarantined for the plague in sixteenth-century Murano while she observes the Covid-19 lockdown, or see an ancient blue wedding cup in a glass museum made around the time she was born.

I don't think this was an inherently bad idea, and it leads to some unexpectedly poignant moments - an enslaved gondolier from Ghana who was taken from his village in the early modern period finally returning to trace his heritage in the present day, for example, condensing traumatic centuries of history into a single life. But it is continuously frustrating that the passing of time doesn't change the central characters one bit, and yet we aren't meant to see them as totally out of kilter with their surroundings. They're not a family of vampires who can't keep up with social mores - but there's no hint that the new versions of themselves might have been shaped by the very different worlds in which they live. The novel pays closer attention to how gondoliers' uniforms change over time than how mindsets do. The time-hopping also unfortunately gives Chevalier the opportunity to info-dump a lot of her research (cf. Remarkable Creatures and Burning Bright) when her novels are always much stronger when she resists this temptation. The Glassmaker starts feeling too long (it's 400+ pages) and didactic, hopping forward just to pick up cameos from people like Casanova. This is a shame, because I found the first half, in particular, genuinely absorbing.

I think Chevalier could have gone one of two ways with this one. Either write a novel set in just one time period (I'd have plumped for either the late medieval opening or the sixteenth-century plague material) or write something more literary that embraces the weirdness of this conceit. The first would have played to her strengths; but the second could have been something really special. So The Glassmaker is good, but also a little frustrating.

I sobbed reading this, so carried away was I by Tracy’s retelling of life in Venice and Murano from the 15th century onwards. While Venice gets a lot of praise, it’s Murano were the glassmakers really learn their craft. Though women are not meant to work, Orsola Rosso wants to live a different life: and one that is profitable for her family, learning how to make glass beads to bring in some much needed money. Readers will take Orsola to their hearts as she continues to perfect her craft through war, plague, love and loss and the centuries. Gradually, her reputation grows, as does her understanding of the world when it comes to relationships. It feels like a whirlwind of history in a few hundred pages, and it’s beautifully done, with characters so vivid and creations so captivating that you’ll feel you can reach out and touch them. By far one of my favourite 2024 books.

3.5* rounded up to 4.
I’ve read and enjoyed several of Tracy Chevalier’s novels, and this was no exception. Her work is well researched, and she paints portraits of her chosen subject that are detailed, evocative and interesting.
Here she has chosen the subject of glassmaking in Murano, intertwined with the history of Venice, over the course of 500 years.
She follows the fate of the glass-making Rossi family over this time, but in an unusual way- ‘Time runs differently in Venice’. And so this is not a multigenerational tale- less than sixty years pass for the Rosso family and the main characters they are associated with whilst the rest of the world moves from the discovery of the Americas, through plagues and wars to the 2020s.
This is where the story breaks down a bit for me; it goes in a series of ‘time jumps’. Eight years may pass for the Rossos, whilst the world has moved on 40 years, etc.
I got caught up in the mechanics of this; if the Empress Josephine spent a few weeks in Venice, did Napoleon age ten years while she was away? Orsola-the main character-visits the mainland-‘terraferma’- for a few hours, but the same time seems to pass as on Murano; shouldn’t her family have been worried that she had been missing for, say, a week? And the characters are not unaware that this is happening; they accept it as the norm.
But that’s just me. If you can ignore the whys and hows and just accept that this is happening, then it becomes a quirky and interesting twist to a family-saga novel.

The book starts in 1486 Murano, when Venice is an extremely busy trading centre. Murano is a short boat ride from Venice.
Orsolola Rosso is aged nine years old. Her family are one amongst others on the island making Murano glass.
It’s in their blood.
Orsolo wants to learn to make glass beads, she’s ambitious.

The book moves through chapters and eras of history from 1486 until 2022.
I didn’t understand the meaning of the skimming of the stone over water until almost the end, but did figure it meant it had changed into a different time zone.
Some parts of the book really captured me, life on Murano, visiting Venice, the descriptions, sights, sounds and smells, but it was the same family and some friends who were featured in all the different time eras, apart from the few that didn’t survive life. That felt a bit complicated for me.
I didn’t warm to Orsola’s character and found her self obsessed.
I think I understand what the author was wanting from her book, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

This book starts during the Renaissance, in Murano, a short distance from Venice, renowned for its beautiful and exquisite Murano glass. At the time, glassblowers were traditionally all men and women are forbidden to work with glass. Orsola breaks down those barriers and traditions that prevent her from working with glass. She learns the art of beadwork and from the sale of these beads she manages to save her family during plagues and turbulent times.

I love the way this historical fiction is rich in magical realism which is masterfully woven throughout the book, while the characters age through the years not centuries. The book spans centuries from the Renaissance in 1486 through to more recent world events, the COVID 19 pandemic.

Tracy Chevalier writes excellent historical fiction. In this instance she has written about the men and women (mostly) associated with glass making in Murano. You can tell that she has done a lot of research and this is reflected in the book but not told in a 'preachy' way. It was the excellent use of a timeline throughout the story that had me hooked from the beginning. Time moved on but the lives of the people in the story continued as normal.
Excellent read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance copy of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read which weaves social and political events into a big family story that is told over several generations. There is something unusual with the timeline that I wondered was I missing something, but don’t think I was and it was a clever way of weaving in modern events into what is primarily a historical novel.
The family operate in the glass industry in Murano and Venice and there are large chunks of the story given over to detail on glass making operations.
If you’ve ever travelled to Venice and/or Murano and you enjoy historical fiction, you should definitely give this book a go. I found the detail about the glass industry, historical events, and the logistics of living in Venice/Murano engrossing.
I would have liked to see some pictures of the beads and glasswork, the words describe them so beautifully.
The book is published on the 12 September. I was Gifted a digital ARC from @boroughpress via @netgalley

One of Tracy Chevalier's best books. I really loved the story, the concept, the characters. As we move through the centuries in Venice I felt privileged to follow these people's lives and totally invested in their story and I grew to love them all. And I learnt about glassmaking. Now I just need to visit Venice and Murano.

Looked forward to this as I like her as a writer.
Set somewhat confusingly (I have difficulties with this) within the same family, the same people but covering 400 years during which they only age 70 ish years. I can’t see the point of this, as the historical context has to change and needs to be explained, if you stay in the same period you don’t have to do that.

Starts in medieval times, explaining historical background, characters are well developed, though some, including her brother, are very one dimensional. He especially does not really come to life for me until the end of the book.

It shows the limitations of women’s lives well, with the difficulty of establishing yourself as anything else but mother and wife.

The arrival of the plague sends the comfortable household into crisis, and having lived through a pandemic I found the description of life on Murano during this time very haunting. The writer explores well the human nature during troubled times, where one persons tragedy is another’s opportunity.
Life continues, adaptations have to be made and different time periods require different approaches by the same Characters, who only age a little. Slavery is brought up, but somehow feels rushed and seems dealt with very simplistically. The character is somehow not believable, and seems to enjoy a remarkable degree of autonomy over his own time.

The end seems a little rushed, and despite tremendous historical events (WW1 , Napoleonic Invasion) ), they somehow feels very rushed and only skirts around the issues vaguely, making you wonder what is the point. Personally I feel having staid in one historical period would have been better.

A enjoyable read nevertheless, but with ( for me) some issues

I really enjoyed this story of Orsola Rosso and her struggles to become a glassmaker on the Venetian island of Murano.
The time skipping confused me at first as I couldn’t see the point but then I began to enjoy the way that the stories of the same characters played against the different periods of history. This also allowed the author to show us how glassmaking developed over the 500 year span of the novel. The setting was brilliantly evoked and I also liked the way that the real character of Maria Borovier was introduced as a mentor to the young Orsola.
The Glassmaker was a fascinating look into a craft whose beautiful objects are still being created today.
Thank you as always to Net Galley and the publishers Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was captivated by the glassmakers of Murano and especially the central character of Orsola as she quietly strove for her place in a male dominated occupation. The concept of 'time skipping' was initially confusing, but it does allow the reader to follow the gradual evolvement of the glass industry across the centuries through the eyes of one family. Descriptions of Venetian life and architecture emphasise the timelessness of that beautiful city and brought back happy memories of visiting there.

The Glassmaker tells the story of the Rosso family through the ages, skipping through the centuries from the Renaissance to the present day. The reader is taken on a journey through fascinating history of glassmaking in Murano, through the vicissitudes of the Rossos, and their experience of plague, war and occupation. A central theme is an unrequited love story but along the way there are marriages and births and deaths, triumphs and disappointments, as the glassmaking trade waxes and wanes and Venice changes from a powerhouse of trade to a tourist destination, vulnerable to the rising sea .

Orsola Rosso takes up beadmaking to help her glassmaker brothers when the business is in difficulties. She is a strong character, well-drawn, as is her brother Marco and her mother, Laura. Orsola's husband, Stefano, and other brother, Giacomo are gentler characters but also portrayed well. The descriptions of Venice - its grandeur fading as the years slip by - is lush and evocative.

This is an engrossing book, full of information about the glass trade and the history of Venice, all of which fits smoothly into the narrative and never feels like too much information.

I am struggling to review this book as I normally love Tracy Chevalier books and indeed saved this one up for a two week holiday which took me via Venice. Far from being a delicious holiday read it was quite a struggle to finish and took me the whole two weeks. I loved the idea of the location being Venice and getting to grips with the minutiae of Murano glass making. It always a joy to learn something new and in great detail in Tracy Chevalier’s historical novels. However, The Glassmaker fell short for me.

There is a lot of Italian in the book. I found out at the end that there is a glossary (many pages worth) of Italian terms but actually many words and phrases used in the book are not in the glossary. Since I was on a Kindle you wouldn't normally find a glossary at the end until you have finished a book – it’s not like flicking through the pages of an actual book. As a result I was distracted often in using translate to understand the dialogue.

My main challenge was the timeshifts. The books starts in 1486 and then moves forward to 1574, 1631, 1755, 1797, 1915, 2019 and finally present day. Orsola, the main character, and some family and friends close to her are still alive in all the time frames but others in the plot die at a natural time along the centuries. It was all really hard to grasp and each new time frame came with a potted history of the major events that had happened since the last one. It’s certainly an innovative plot device but not one to my liking.

The plot itself is quite dark at several points and I found myself wishing I had not chosen to read his on what was supposed to be a happy holiday. The pacing at the ending was rushed and dissatisfying to me.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Another wonderful, amazing book from Tracy Chevalier. In The Glassmaker she uses a 'magic' technique she calls Time alla Veneziana. Whereby the same cast of characters based on Murano move through 500 years of history whilst living one lifetime. Weird you think? Never going to work? Well I didn't think so but, strangely it does. It avoids having to introduce new characters with every time change. It encourages greater bonding with existing characters and allows for the massive timespan seen in the novel. Although everything the characters experience is by no means all sweetness and roses I loved everything about the book and am sure it is one I will return to again and again when I need a little escape from the real world.
P.S. There is a translation of all the Italian/Venetian phrases used in the book at the back. Might save you having to look them all up on translator like I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own

This is such a beautifully magical book. It covers the same family down through the ages, all working glass on the Venetian island of Murano . Well and very cleverly written.

An unusual, entertaining book. This is a story of a family of glass makers on Murano, Venice over 5 hundred years but instead of descendants of the original Rosso family in each time period, Chevalier moves all the characters in time. Orsola is the main character who wants to make glass but as a woman is reduced to making glass beads. During the story she only ages 60 years despite witnessing plague, Napoleon's invasion, wars and finally covid. I was a bit unsure of this ploy at first but it moved the plot along without having to learn new characters. Although there is interesting information about glass making and the history of Venice, Orsola's life and family are the main plot.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of the book.

Orsola Rosso had only known the life of glassmakers in Murano. Used to seeing his father, a maestro, work the glass in his busy workshop his life seems to be reduced to observing and doing the tedious house chores. It will all start to change when Mateo, her older brother, is given the hard task of taking over the workshop after their father's unexpected death. Determined to become herself whilst helping the family, she learns to make beads in her spare time. A Muranese at heart, she will learn to navigate life's obstacles and survive in a harsh and ever-changing environment.

Tracy Chevalier smoothly incorporates very different periods in history throughout the novel, providing us with an insightful view into Venetian and Muranese's experiences at particularly challenging times. By making the main storyline span through events such as the plague, the Austrian rule or the recent COVID epidemic, the author uses Orsola's life and that of her loved ones to illustrate what life may have been like for the glassmakers of Murano. Orsola's tale is ultimately an ode to resistance and meaningful human connections.

I learnt so much about glass making especially glass beads that were made in Murano Italy.

A story that spans 500 years but with the same characters throughout. It takes us from the plague, famine, War, floods and right up to date with Covid. A difficult feat that has been achieved brilliantly.

Venice as it was has been and is now the descriptions given are second to none.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this delightful book.