Robert Levy's THE GLITTERING WORLD
A seductive work. You may begin it thinking you are reading a fairly realistic novel about a man called Blue who inherits property from a mysterious grandmother and who is motivated to sell it because he is heavily in debt to some Really Dangerous Guys. But just like Blue, the novel begins to remove its masks, and you will find that ground falls away beneath your feet and nothing is quiet like you thought it was
You will end up in an unexpected place, and you will realize that the book is not so much about Blue as it is about the people who love him, ultimately one in particular. You will understand why the novel is a finalist for both the Lambda Literary Award and the Shirley Jackson Award, and also you will realize why the novel achieves more than either nomination might suggest. Rich and strange. Intriguing characters. Excellent writing. Oddly, or perhaps not so, the novel made me recall Peter Weir’s movie version of “Picnic at Hanging Rock.” There too people disappear, in that case a group of young Australian girls on a picnic on St. Valentine’s Day, and the thrust of the movie is not so much the mystery as it is on the effect of the mystery on those left behind. Robert Levy does provide information as to the fates of many of those who have disappeared, but even those facts seem to hint at other mysteries. I find myself eager to read Robert Levy’s next. Hope that is soon! (So why did I give it only 4 stars on Amazon? I only add that 5th after several years have gone by.)
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