1 Memories are always bent retrospectively to fit individual narratives. -Emily St. John Mandel
It is human nature to twist facts and memories to fit the narrative that we are most comfortable with. We only like to see what we are comfortable with. And everything else we twist and turn in order to fit our reality.
2 There is exquisite lightness in waking each morning with the knowledge that the worst has already happened. -Emily St. John Mandel
The anticipation of impending danger is what eats us away from the inside. Once that danger has passed, you have the burden lifted off your shoulders. Once the worst has happened, you can find peace of mind.
3 One of our signature flaws as a species: we will risk almost anything to avoid looking stupid. -Emily St. John Mandel
Humans are obsessed with their public reputation. They’ll do anything in their power to avoid looking stupid in front of others. And to do this, they’ll often end up doing more harm than good.
4 There’s an inherent pleasure in being unseen. -Emily St. John Mandel
Anonymity gives you immense power. When you are unseen, you can be yourself without having to think of what others think. It is something that the limelight takes away from you.
5 That’s what money gives you: the freedom to stop thinking about money. -Emily St. John Mandel
The constant thought of having to earn money takes away from you your peace of mind and inner calm. It can be frustrating and stressful. And once you have wealth in abundance, you get the freedom to stop thinking about money and enjoy your life to the fullest.
6 I’ve always had a weakness for places where it seems like time slows down. -Emily St. John Mandel
When we are somewhere serene and beautiful, time feels as if it has slowed down. And it is in places like this that we can truly enjoy and reconnect with ourselves. Our hearts will inevitably long for places like this.
7 A memory, but it’s a memory so vivid that there’s a feeling of time travel, of visiting the actual moment. -Emily St. John Mandel
Some things are etched so deep into our memories that it feels like that moment had passed just a while ago. It stays so lucid in our minds that going back to that memory seems like traveling back in time.
8 It’s just one future slipping away and being replaced by another. -Emily St. John Mandel
The future is just a library of possibilities. Every action that you take, every decision that you make changes what will happen. The future is uncertain and full of possibilities.
9 But does a person have to be either admirable or awful? Does life have to be so binary? Two things can be true at the same time. -Emily St. John
Life doesn’t have to work in binaries. Every story has more than one side and sometimes, both sides can be true as well. Not everything in life is black and white. Some are just a blend of both; a shade of grey, or sometimes, none at all.
10 It’s possible to both know and not know something. -Emily St. John Mandel
Knowledge is limited. There are times you may know something and yet be unaware of some other facet of the story. You think you understand it completely, when in reality, you might have misunderstood the entire thing. It is possible for you to know something and yet not know.
11 Maybe this could be enough, Maybe not everyone needs to have a specific ambition. -Emily St. John Mandel
Sometimes, it’s best to just go with the flow. You do not have to always have to have a specific ambition. Being yourself and enjoying the journey itself is enough.
12 Do you have to actually be in love for a relationship to be real, whatever real means, so long as there’s respect and something like friendship? -Emily St. John Mandel
Romantic relationships are not the only kind of relationships that matter. Sometimes, platonic relationships are just as, if not more, beautiful. As long as there is mutual respect and understanding, any relationship can flourish.
12 Meaningful Quotes from The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
1. Memories are always bent retrospectively to fit individual narratives. -Emily St. John Mandel
2. There is exquisite lightness in waking each morning with the knowledge that the worst has already happened. -Emily St. John Mandel
3. One of our signature flaws as a species: we will risk almost anything to avoid looking stupid. -Emily St. John Mandel
4. There’s an inherent pleasure in being unseen. -Emily St. John Mandel
5. That’s what money gives you: the freedom to stop thinking about money. -Emily St. John Mandel
6. I’ve always had a weakness for places where it seems like time slows down. -Emily St. John Mandel
7. A memory, but it’s a memory so vivid that there’s a feeling of time travel, of visiting the actual moment. -Emily St. John Mandel
8. It’s just one future slipping away and being replaced by another. -Emily St. John Mandel
9. But does a person have to be either admirable or awful? Does life have to be so binary? Two things can be true at the same time. -Emily St. John
10. It’s possible to both know and not know something. -Emily St. John Mandel
11. Maybe this could be enough, Maybe not everyone needs to have a specific ambition. -Emily St. John Mandel
12. Do you have to actually be in love for a relationship to be real, whatever real means, so long as there’s respect and something like friendship? -Emily St. John Mandel