My wonderful husband brought Katherine Howe's The House of Velvet and Glass home for me for Mother's Day, seeing the picture of the Titanic on the front and knowing I'm a complete sucker for the fated ship and anything having to do with it (thank you Leo and Kate). While this book entertained me for a good hour total, I found it lacking in several ways, and oftentimes very confusing.
To start, the synopsis reads: "......But when her brother is mysteriously kicked out of Harvard under mysterious circumstances, and falls under the sway of a strange young woman, Sibyl turns for help to psychology professor Benton Derby, despite the unspoken tensions of their shared past. As Benton and Sibyl work together to solve a harrowing mystery, their long-simmering spark flares to life, and they realize that there may be something even more magical between them than a medium's scrying glass......The House of Velvet and Glass weaves together meticulous period detail, intoxicating romance, and a final shocking twist that will leave readers breathless."
I applaud Howe's attempt at suspense and drama but, for me, it just didn't quite hit the mark; and - to start - I was confused as to why her first novel was a New York Times Bestseller, which is of a similar genre. Quite honestly, though, I haven't read it, and, even more honestly, based on this book, I won't be rushing out to read any of her others. Where Howe comes off as dramatic and cliff-hanger-y is actually more confusing; and the weird Interludes between certain chapters is just distracting. And I don't know if it was that or just the story in general that made it seemed like it dragged on forever; never in my reading career have I actually taken more than 2 days to read the last 3 pages of a book. Moreover, this was the first book I gave up on the epilogue halfway though, and didn't even attempt the afterward.
Howe's main character, Sibyl, escapes the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic by visiting a fortune teller, complete with all the tricks of the trade. But although that was all smoke and mirrors, Sibyl learns her talent for seeing is not, and is in fact, something that has touched her family before, besides her mother being hooked on this particular activity. As an homage, I suppose, Sibyl continued and discovered its apparent usefulness.
What it amounted to for the reader, however, was a lot of blind corners that, instead of leaving the reader breathless, leaved them scratching their heads. And with so many different characters named "Lannie" it was easy to get discombobulated.
I just have to interject, having a crucial character head off to war after a night of passion is something written by male romance writers. Shame on you, Katherine! My heart actually hurt at that moment. I realize it was her attempt at drama and heart-wrenching romance, but it came off as just cruel. Sorry for any spoiling, there.
By the time I buckled down and finished the book - something that eventually just started to feel like a monkey on my back - PUN! - I still hadn't detected the main selling points of the inside-flap synopsis. Why was Harlan kicked out of Harvard? The characters figured it out based on polite head-nods and over-simplified sentences, but, I, the reader, was still left in the dark. And what was really up with the "strange young woman?" Was it all really just because she was an actress? Or was that really just her way of saying she was a streetwalker, as all of the other characters suspected?
Most plaguing, what was the "harrowing mystery"? I was concerned I hadn't figured it out 200 pages in, but - and I don't know if I've mentioned this before - I can be a bit slow at times...most times.....
For most of the book, Sibyl kept her talents to herself, and then the process of revealing them to others was very long and drawn out, and, apparently, required an eventual trip to rehab. I hope the characters knew what mystery they were selected to solve because I sure couldn't wrap my head around it.
While fun, the historical accuracy wasn't anything more than you could pull off from an hour from hanging out on google. And the romance wasn't anything spectacular, but more reminiscent of demure high school days when you silently brooded for your heart's desire instead of pursuing it.
In the end, the book was worth it to me because my husband had thought enough to get it for me. Beyond that, the author didn't keep me hooked, and I spent more time questioning the characters than being captivated by them. And it left me with one burning question still hanging in the air: what was the shocking twist that was to leave me breathless??
If you ask me, I did a lot of sighing throughout this book.
