Glass Town Review by the Ent on 9/30/21
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Know Before You Read the Glass Town Graphic Novel
Book: Glass Town: The Imaginary World of the Brontes
Author and Illustrator: Isabel Greenburg
Pages: 236
Published: February 6th, 2020
Age Suggestion: 12 and up
Warnings: Death is a big theme in this book including funerals of siblings (some are children) are attended. Also, there is some overt racism and prejudice.
Quick Summary of the Glass Town Graphic Novel
After a family tragedy, the four Bronte siblings are dealing with a great amount of heartbreak. In order to process this and escape from reality, they develop a fictional world named Glass Town. In this world, there are kings, armies, love, and betrayal filled with mystery and intrigue. The Glass Town graphic novel takes you into the world of the Bronte’s and shows you where they developed some of their novel ideas. It follows their tragically short and isolated lives.
Glass Town Review
–Why Read the Glass Town Graphic Novel–
Although it may not appeal to everyone, the Glass Town graphic novel is a fun way to dive into the fictional world of the Bronte siblings. They led fairly tragic lives but were able to escape by writing fiction (Their mother died early on and each sibling died before they were 35 and were survived by their father). It has a great cast of characters that tell an interesting and interweaving plot that bounces back and forth from reality to Glass Town. It may also encourage kids to dive into the actual writings of the Brontes.
-Illustrations-
The Glass Town Graphic Novel illustrations were not what I was originally expecting. They are a little deeper and darker than I was anticipating. But that is very reflective of why the siblings needed their fictional worlds, they experienced so much tragedy so early on in life. The story is very well done. I thought I knew a lot about the Bronte’s but I learned so much about them from this book! The illustrations add SO much to the story. It helps you empathize with the characters and authors on a whole new level.
-Glass Town Review: Is it an Appropriate Read for Younger Kids?-
While the Bronte’s writings are considered classics, classic does not equal appropriate. This graphic novel shows the darker parts of the Bronte’s life… like sexism, family deaths, poverty and more. And while none of this is done in an overly ‘graphic’ manner, it is still pretty heavy subject material to discuss.
Glass Town Discussion Questions
- Which Bronte sibling or Glass Town character did you relate to the most?
- If you were to create a fictional world would it be filled with war and battle, drama and romance, politics and betrayal? If not these, what would it look like?
- If you could have any fictional character break into the real world, who would you pick and why?
Thanks for checking out our Glass Town Review. Before you go, check out these other posts:
–Brave Girls Change the World: Amal Unbound
–Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls
–Unicorn Rescue Society (Book 1)
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