Glass - by Kate Kort (Paperback)

About the Book

Set in Cleveland in the late 1980s, Glass tests traditional ideas of interpersonal responsibility and what it means to struggle with mental illness.

Book Synopsis

Menashe Everett is a tormented man. He's ruled by depression and addiction. He's haunted by his past. At 37, he barely keeps his job and lives in a haze of blurred reality.But to many in his life, he's their only hope.For the past ten years, Menashe has been acting as a counselor to similarly afflicted clients who agree to his unorthodox brand of pseudo-therapy. When Menashe encounters two particularly challenging cases-a Vietnam vet and an anxious teenager-he is forced to finally cope with his own personal failures or risk losing everything.Set in Cleveland in the late 1980s, Glass tests traditional ideas of interpersonal responsibility and what it means to struggle with mental illness.

Review Quotes

"Glass is a stunning debut for novelist Kate Kort. The imagery is vivid and the characters complex and well rounded. The story is raw, intense and, at times, hard to read but once you begin it is impossible to put down because you find yourself pulled into this world and you need to know what will happen next. The protagonist, Menashe Everett is flawed. In spite of this, he is likable and appealing because he is genuine and kind and out of control. He assembles a group around him, each with their own flaws, and as self-appointed therapist tries to help them overcome past trauma. His therapy consists of the unique idea of smashing glass, taking that which is pristine and clear and reducing it to a chaotic pile of rubble that mirrors the innermost pain of his clients. The success of this unorthodox treatment is impossible to measure and not clearly evident until the end of the book.

"Finely nuanced and exquisitely drawn, Glass is not the kind of book you forget after you finish. Kort has masterfully written a riveting and poignant story that grabs you and draws you into a place where glass isn't the only thing that's fragile. A must read."

"Glass, Kate Kort's debut novel, is told in an artful narrative pattern that goes back and forth from past to present. Though weighty in its subject matter, Glass avoids enveloping the reader in darkness by two means: the shining narrative and descriptive talents of this debut novelist, and the masterfully authentic rendering of a variety of damaged characters who, however undone they perhaps ought to be, still seek a way not only to help themselves but each other. This arresting array of co-sufferers insist on our attention and receive our sympathy, even as that sympathy extends out from this author to all of us, the recipients of this gift of irresistible honesty and insight into our human plight."

"Based on the premise alone, I felt drawn to read this book. I'm glad I did; as deep and dark as it was, I really found a lot to like about Glass. The characterizations in particular are terrific. The characters all stand out as real people, deeply flawed, and behaving as real people generally behave in my experience. . . . No magic steps in to improve anyone's lot, and everyone just pushes through with what they have. The writing is wonderfully clear and straightforward, and peppered with perfect details throughout. A singular vision, and a remarkable debut!"

"This substantial book stays with you, its characters leap off the page and its sustained tension keeps you reading until the very end."

"Glass is simply a brilliantly written novel. . . . a story about imperfect people trying to find their way in an imperfect world. . . . Kate Kort intertangled what we loathe about people with what we love and admire about people. . . . I look forward to reading Kate's next novel and I hope it captures me as strongly as Glass did."