The Glassmaker

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism.



Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The Glassmaker spans more than 500 years, while its main characters age only about 60 years. How did this unique approach to time—what Chevalier calls time “alla Veneziana”—affect your reading experience? What insights about history and change did this narrative structure provide that a conventional timeline couldn’t have achieved?

2. Both The Glassmaker and Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring center on artisans whose creativity is shaped by their historical circumstances. How did your experience of Orsola’s glassmaking journey compare to Griet’s relationship with Vermeer’s painting? Which artistic world felt more fully realized to you?

3. Venice undergoes dramatic transformations throughout the novel—from a wealthy Renaissance trading center to a modern tourist destination threatened by flooding. Which era of Venice depicted in the book most captured your imagination and why?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Orsola chooses to remain in Murano rather than follow Antonio to the mainland, prioritizing family loyalty over personal desire.