A Glittering Chaos
A terrific, smart, funny and incredibly wise story about marriage, secrets and lies and unusual sexual proclivities.
A German woman in her early-forties insists on accompanying her husband to Las Vegas, where he has a business conference. Unknown to her the conference is a pretext; he's there to find a psychic who will help him contact his sister who vanished at fourteen.
A key theme is how one person's psychiatric problems can move like a destructive whirlwind through other people's lives and within the confines of a curious and shifting family dynamic, lie the dark mysteries and shadows of incest.
Melusine (protagonist) is a passionate and creative woman with a high tolerance for the eccentric expressions of human frailty. From suppressed wife and librarian to nude model; to writer of an erotic Sapphic novella; and finally to pastry chef and adoptive mother of a baby boy, she has a good sense of self-discovery-she embraces her erotic desires with self-love after she realises, with surprise, that she even has an erotic self.
A Glittering Chaos is a novel about empowerment and new beginnings at every stage of life, with a diverse cast of unconventional characters of all ages and sexual orientations who find themselves in intriguingly unusual situations.
The tension created by the central plot and subplots makes for compelling reading.
Reviews for A Glittering Chaos
All That Glitters Is Gold
A Glittering Chaos is a brave, funny, poignant, exuberant romp of a novel. Brave because Lisa de Nikolits does not shy away from any of the dark corners of the human psyche that most people (let alone authors) would hesitate to talk about. Funny and poignant and exuberant because those are Lisa de Nikolits' trademark approaches to novel writing. "Glittering chaos" is what happens when a novel with a no-holds-barred--in fact everything bared--exploration of the wild and dark corners of human sexuality is written with the empathy and compassion and irrepressive optimism of an author like Lisa de Nikolits. You will fall in love with Melusine, the middle-aged German librarian who embarks on an unexpected and unconventional journey to sexual reawakening in Las Vegas, and even with her tortured-soul, sexually-aberrant optometrist husband. A great summer--or winter--read. – Brenda Missen, author of Tell Anna She's Safe
An Expert Synthesis of Empathy and Honesty
"An innocent trip to Las Vegas sparks a series of commissions and revelations that unravel a couple’s deepest beliefs about themselves and each other. Like Madame Bovary before it, A Glittering Chaos illustrates with an expert synthesis of empathy and honesty the ways in which our fantasies can have very real, and potentially devastating, consequences." – Richard Rosenbaum, Broken Pencil
Poignant, Even Lyrical
The adage about “what happens in Vegas” is funny precisely because we know it’s wishful thinking. A Glittering Chaos is about what happens when “what happens in Vegas” comes home to haunt you.
Melusine is a German librarian whose ho-hum world wobbles after she tags along when her husband Hans attends a Las Vegas optometry conference. A newly empty nester who speaks no English, Melusine’s voyage of self-discovery is punctuated by the poetry of Ingeborg Bachmann, nude photos in the desert, a black dildo named Kurt, autoerotic asphyxia, and the unravelling of her husband’s sanity because of a secret from his youth.
Lisa de Nikolits manages to integrate all these surprising pieces into a jigsaw that is a poignant, at times even lyrical, story of sexual coming-of-age, and the sometimes hard price paid for the wisdom of middle-age.
– Beverly Akerman, author of The Meaning of Children
Sometimes Comical, Sometimes Touching, Sometimes Outrageous… A Riveting Read from Start to Finish
Lisa de Nikolits is a smart, sensitive and adventurous writer, and she pulls out all the stops in her third novel. Sometimes comical, sometimes touching, sometimes outrageous, A Glittering Chaos is a riveting read from start to finish.
-- Rosemary McCracken, author of Safe Harbor
Master Storyteller Takes The Reader On An Unforgettable Ride
A Glittering Chaos is wonderful, dark, witty and wild. Here is a writer who is willing to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and expose life for all its beauty and depravity. Lisa de Nikolits is a master storyteller who takes the reader on an unforgettable ride that begins with Melusine and her husband, Hans, whose trip to Las Vegas unravels their lives in ways they never would have thought possible. Stories within stories. Poetry. Madness. Illicit love. A city’s power to unleash forgotten selves. The real dangers of trying to get to the truth. Glittering Chaos has it all. A completely riveting read that will engage the mind, body and spirit.
– Lisa Young, author of When The Earth
Peopled With Vivid Characters Who Suprise and Delight The Reader
In A Glittering Chaos, author Lisa de Nikolits has written a compelling, fast-paced story peopled with vivid characters who surprise and delight the reader. I couldn't stop reading until I reached the end.
– Caroline Clemmons, author of romance, mystery, and adventure
…The Delicious Heights of Sexual Awakening to the Hellish Depths of Human Depravity…
Call It Required Reading.
In her third and most ambitious novel to date, author Lisa De Nikolits heads south of the 49th parallel to deliver a death blow to that clichéd line, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Expertly crafted, this twisted page-turner unfolds against a backdrop of arid desert and tacky pleasure palaces and carries us directly into the eye of a storm called “unrequited love.” From the delicious heights of sexual awakening to the hellish depths of human depravity,
A Glittering Chaos sure blasted a hole in my ozone! Call it required reading: You simply won’t be able to put it down.
–Kristin Jenkins, The Anglican Journal
A Rollercoaster Ride of Portentous Realizations, Consummate Emotions, Deep-seated Secrets
Filled with intrigue, excitement, anticipation and sexual diversity, A Glittering Chaos grabs its reader from the very beginning. Lisa de Nikolits shines a light on the reality of a family who seems so perfect on the surface. Digging deeper and deeper, de Nilolits takes you on a roller coaster ride of portentous realizations, consummate emotions, deep-seated secrets and sexual relationships spanning from the reckless abandon of a spontaneous affair to the dark recesses of a deranged mind. The biggest problem with A Glittering Chaos is whether to read faster to see what happens next or slow down in order to savor every word.
– Pam Lofton, book reviewer and blogger at oneflewovertheemptynest.blogspot.ca/
Characters Are Multi-faceted and Deep
A Glittering Chaos provides us with just that: a maelstrom of drama, crises, self-doubt, self-discovery, failure, success and much more, against both glamorous and banal backgrounds. The characters are multi-faceted and deep, each struggling to come to terms with their own flaws and weaknesses. It is possible to both despise and adore them in equal measure. As with West of Wawa, Lisa de Nikolits has created a central female character that you cannot help but fall in love with. Melu has so much about her to make you shake your head in frustration but at the same time want to wrap your arms around her. She's lovely and lovable, yet frighteningly frustrating. Once again, Lisa de Nikolits proves she is a master at making a reader think and feel from page 1 to the very end.
– Donna Brown, book reviewer and blogger at tweedling.com.
The Perfect Balance of Yin Yang of Writing Shines Through
A Glittering Chaos assures de Nikolits of her rightful place in the Literati world. The perfect balance of the Yin Yang of writing shines through in every chapter.
– Betsy Balega, author, 'Being Mystic,' producer/host of Tuning in with Betsy.
Sexy, Mysterious, Dark and Compelling
"A Glittering Chaos" grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go! Part romance, part thriller, part mystery story, I found myself wondering what twists and turns would happen next. Nothing in this story was predictable: the book kept me guessing (and intrigued) to the final page. I was reminded of the Peter Greenaway film "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" -- passionate, sexual, unusual and dark, but always very human. I believex in these characters and wanted to keep walking alongside Melusine to see where the story took her. The characters all seem to be on the high wire, criss-crossing one another in the air -- sometimes naked! A strong recommend for a reader who wants a compelling read that never fails to surprise. – Terri Favro, Author of The Proxy Bride
The Title Says It All
A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits is a book that lives up to its title. Set in Las Vegas and Germany, and hosting a cast of diverse characters, it never lets you get too comfortable before throwing a new and unexpected twist into the mix. Sex, intrigue, mental illness, a missing person, poetry and a touching love story travel in parallel yet intersecting lines toward a tragedy that threatens to tear apart a family. I can hardly wait to see what de Nikolits has in store for us in her next novel. — Liz Bugg, author of The Calli Barnow Mystery Series
Funny, Sexy, Can't-Put-It-Down-Read
If you're looking for an amazing, over-the-top, can't-put-it-down read, try Lisa de Nikolit's new novel, A Glittering Chaos (published by Inanna). There isn't a dull moment in this page-turner that's funny, sexy and often outrageous as a dull marriage explodes in a zillion weird (and often hilarious) directions. My only regret is that I didn't save it for a very long upcoming plane trip! Pack it in your carry-on for you next long holiday.
— Carole Giangrande, author of The Gardener On The Moon
Back in the living room, Hans reclines in his chair, drinking wine and looking at the stain on the wallpaper.
He feels very serene, removed from all anxiety and it’s a wonderful feeling.
He wonders how Melusine will clean the wall. He’s sure she will find a way. She likes things to look perfect on the surface. Then he chides himself for the thought since that was the very reason he married her; so she’d make his life look perfect.
He thinks back to his conversation with Juditha earlier that day. She had, in a recent dream, sensed Kateri again. She’d asked Hans if he could send more of Kateri’s items to her, as the connection was getting stronger – she could sense it. He’s overjoyed at the thought. His lost sister is returning to him, so what does he care for an unfaithful wife?
He finishes the bottle of wine and falls asleep in his chair.
Melusine, moving her items from their bedroom to Jonas’s old room, is puzzled by her husband’s lack of concern over the state of their marriage. This cult must have more of a hold over him than she had thought. The Hans of the old days would have reassured her and told her that his crazy dalliance was over and that he had things in control. But the Hans of the old days would never have lied, and he would never have sought out a psychic.
She’s also concerned by his aggressive attack on her, telling her that she lied – what did he know, and how did he know it? She wishes Gunther were near and that she could talk to him. He’s accepted a job in New York and he’s already left his wife. He has a whole new life, a life in which she has no real role except that of a pen pal.
She tries to work on her novel.
The story has evolved to the point where Yvonne is trying to convince Isolde to help her kill her boyfriend.
“I can get you a gun, no problem. We live in a bad area, lots of gangs. Then all you have to do is wait for him, I’ll show you the exact way he comes home, he always comes home the same way. There’s a building you can hide in, I’m telling you no one will see you. And I’ll make sure the gun has a silencer, I know people Isolde, I’m telling you, we can do this.”
“It’d be me doing it, not you. There’s no ‘we’ if I kill a man. And I still don’t understand why we can’t just leave and go to Berlin. Honestly, Yvonne, you’re being crazy.”
They’re stuck in an impasse; they still meet daily in the stairwell but their passion has turned to rows, they argue about their future. Yvonne is sulky and then tremulous. Isolde is at her wits end.
“I can’t go on like this,” Yvonne says. “I’m going to run away from both of you. You’re just like him. You both want to keep me trapped like an animal in a cage.”
Isolde is desperate. “But I can make you happy,” she says, “he can’t. You know he can’t.”
Yvonne buttons her blouse closed. Her breasts are straining at the fabric and she sees Isolde eyeing her with hunger.
“You can’t have everything without giving me something,” Yvonne says. “Think about it. I’m only asking for one thing. One thing.”
She leaves Isolde in the stairwell and Isolde leans her forehead against the smooth concrete wall. She has no idea what to do next.
Melusine looks away from her computer. She is distracted; she can feel Hans’s anger through the walls. She can feel Isolde’s longing and Yvonne’s frustrated fury.
It seems as if everything’s falling apart for everyone.
Excerpt from A Excerpt from A Glittering Chaos
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Riveting and Memorable
I absolutely loved A Glittering Chaos. It was wild, racy, poignant, comical, eye-opening and thought-provoking.
The characters were so rich and complex and sympathetic - I felt as though I knew them personally. The story raced along, pulling me with it, keeping me turning pages late into the night. The book deals with eroticism but the erotic elements are understated, well-written and non-gratuitous (unlike so many trashy books that are popular these days). It's a riveting and memorable tale told with superb skill by a wonderful writer. I can't wait for the author's next book!
– Bianca Marais
GREAT GREAT GREAT novel!
GREAT GREAT GREAT novel! This is the first novel of Lisa's that I've read and I have nothing but compliments. I don't know how Lisa did it but she created Melusine to be universally relatable to any reader. and for that you can not help but feel for her because the chaos does not leave when she leaves Vegas. And with each page turn you, hope the best for her. I didn't want to put down this page turner and I was quite sad at the end, when I ran out of pages to turn. Great novel, I recommend it to everyone.and 6 five star ratings.
– Patrick Limgenco
A Delightful Escape
This novel offers a delightful escape into one woman's fantasy life. At times funny, at times bawdy, the author transported me into a glittering realm that speaks to the irrational side of desire and sexuality.
— Ella
This Book Changed My Life!
This book changed my life! I was about to give up a holiday of a lifetime because my husband didn't want me to go. After reading
A Glittering Chaos, I decided that I have to go! It is a dream I have. And I I'm not missing it. Thank you for reminding me how important it is to believe in what I need for myself.
— Angela M
Seat Belt Off and Shredded!
OMG...what a ride!! Seat belt on! Wait, seat belt off and shredded! ! This book rocks! This book takes you on quite the ride!!!! Ye Hah!!! A wonderful job by Lisa de Nikolits! Her characters are diverse, quirky,and honest. A perfect read for summer!!! (Or any time) Loved it!!
— Lynn Bunker
A Story Rooted In Love and Compassion
I just finished "A Glittering Chaos"! Amazing read in just two sittings! I work in an inner city mission and I talk to "Hans" all the time, he's real and you can see him everywhere while Melusine is the Queen of madness, the closet artist but this story is still rooted in love and compassion ; faith and cult in the midst of the glittering, outpouring chaos. This is WOW. I can see a movie in the making here
– Ting Pimental-Elger
Wonderful, thoughtful, Inspiring and Gripping
I just read the last page of A Glittering Chaos. What a journey! I love Melu and her growth. I laughed out loud. I felt deep sadness and fear. The characters were so well developed. A wonderful, thoughtful, inspiring and gripping story. — Pam Mountain, Branch Head, Annette Street Library, Toronto.
A MUST MUST MUST read!
I just finished reading "A Glittering Chaos" - oh my lanta!!!! I'm sorry I missed the launch - I was in Europe. I LOVE IT!!! A MUST MUST MUST read! I so admired Melusine for stepping out on her own in Vegas, for allowing herself to feel and for surviving!
– Connie Rideout
A Really Wonderful Story
How wonderful to be entertained and engrossed whilst being made to really think about a huge amount of life-issues... a wonderful story so wonderfully told…
A Glittering Chaos feels so authentic, its people and their events pulse with real therefore often uncomfortable minutiae… it has the feel of a story that was always there, just waiting to become! Melusine so endeared herself to me... I loved getting to know her... the sad often-truth of 'sheltering real feeling in invented ones!' all these beauteous mind probes!
I love the freedom Melusine creates for herself ie out of not speaking English and seeing the freedom of being unfettered by words... and her curious mix of acquiesence, supressions, self-honesty, unbridled passions and that lovely sometimes surprising determination/individuality always there …
The entire fascinating band of characters brought to life... so many people so magically brought into being… this exploration of relationships, families, friends, couples, colleagues, the thin lines, the vulnerabilities, the life-triggers, the underlying things...the whole gamut of dealings and feelings are tackled.
It is in part a dark tale as life is, with huge dollops of joy and pleasure, A Glittering Chaos is a WONDERFUL book…
a really wonderful story that magically weaves these events and people, AND seemingly seamlessly… a great art that... what a treasure it is...
– Shirley McDaniel, artist, http://www.art-explorations.com/
Original and Shocking And At Times I Couldn't Read Fast Enough
I finished Lisa's latest book on a flight home from Paris. I panicked when the plane started to descend into Toronto, afraid we'd land before I finished.
A Glittering Chaos grabbed me two pages in and just didn't let go. The story is original and shocking and at times is so intense I couldn't read fast enough. It's full of unique, incredibly well-developed characters who I cheered for, was sad for, and feared for. Lisa made me care about fictitious characters in a book.
It's the little details about their everyday lives (details that don't have anything to do with the plot) that Lisa includes that bring these characters to life for me. As I read one of her books, I keep asking myself how she does it. I can't imagine the work that obviously goes into each line, each word.
I'm notorious for trying to figure out how a book will end, but Lisa kept me in suspense until the very end. It was one of those books where I couldn't wait to find out how it ended, but at the same time didn't want the adventure to be over. I am constantly in awe of Lisa's talent as a storyteller and each book leaves me waiting anxiously for the next. Thank you Lisa for the exciting ride. I loved it.
— Robert Sheppard
Never Knew What Was Coming Next
What a wonderful start to my summer reading! I really enjoyed all of the twists and turns Lisa took me on.
Never knew what was coming next. A great read!!! I loved the homeless in the park. I loved the characters and the literary references. — Jon Gasco
As Quirky And Wonderful as Those by John Irving
Just finished reading A Glittering Chaos and loved it. Growing up, one of my favorite books was The World According to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire and I must say that John Irving has nothing on Lisa de Nikolits. I think that Terry Gilliam would be the right guy to make the movie. The characters and story line in Lisa's new book, A Glittering Chaos, are every bit as quirky and wonderful as those by John Irving. A must read. — Syd Bradley
A Glittering Masterpiece
Lisa de Nikolits does it again with this lip-biting, on the edge-of-your-seat-tale that takes you on a spiritual journey with Melusine through heartache, tears and the unexpected. Expect late sleepless nights as you endeavour on this journey with Melusine and experience the good, the bad, and the ugly. This book certainly goes against everything you've heard about Vegas… what happens in Vegas did NOT stay in Vegas this time!
A recommended read for anyone and everyone who enjoys a read that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions!
— Brittany Clayton
Book Won Me Over
Thank you for writing such a page-turner! I am a very snobby reader, so take it at full value that your book won me over :)
—Sandra E. Martin
A Glittering Chaos - YES, INDEED!
It takes some courage for an author to create unusual, somewhat quirky characters, and place them in a story that treads on life’s darker sides: failing marriages, sexual repression and awakening, incest, mental illness—these are not typically topics for casual reading. Yet Lisa de Nikolits has taken these difficult elements and has brilliantly combined them into the artful and compelling story that is A Glittering Chaos. This book was thoroughly engaging and fun to read. Yes – fun! From the first page to the last the characters and the plot kept me reading into the wee hours of the night—I just did not want to put the book down! This is an absolutely wonderful book! — Deb Bradley
A Glittering Chaos, A Must Read!
The first book that I've read by Lisa, "West of Wawa", made me realize I've found an author with so much creativity and remarkable talent. I couldn't stop reading it non stop to the end and I couldn't wait for her next book, "A Glittering Chaos", to be published. I absolutely loved both books which are full of surprises and sense of humour and has been so inspiring to me personally. Her vivid imagination and outstanding ability to give life to the characters just amazes me. I have so much admiration for this beautiful author, inside and out. Very well done Lisa!
— Sima Dini
What A Strange and Wonderful Trip
I loved A Glittering Chaos – what a strange and wonderful trip filled with passion, lust, sorrow, loss and hope. I believe that the mark of a good book is that it evokes empathy in the reader – in particular, empathy for people whom the reader may not understand or not even like – your book achieves this and more. A thought provoking and entertaining read.
— Heather Babcock
A Glittering Chaos - A Must Read!
What a gripping read! Lisa de Nikolits has a knack for making you feel uncomfortable with this dark and deceitful tale of the outwardly normal married life of Melusine and Hans, but keeps you wanting more with each page as secrets and lies unfold.
I couldn't put it down. Give it a try! — Brendan Fisher
Fantastic journey
Lisa de Nikolits propelled me into a world of hidden desires and anguish. This story will captivate you as Hans & Melusine are revealed in their darkest and most secret moments. With a trip to Vegas as the turning point for both characters you will be surprised and enthralled by this superb book. — Mandy Eve Barnett
A Glittering Chaos is a Super Read
A woman wanders restlessly into the discovery of her own inner depths and falls in love while her husband embarks on a perilous journey in search of his first and only soulmate, his missing sister Kateri. Starting in the pleasure palaces of Las Vegas, the glittering chaos of the novel's title, Lisa de Nikolits third novel is by turns lyrical, funny and down to earth in its portrayal of a modern German couple's marriage unraveling while they pursue their separate destinies. After years of emotional isolation, de Nikolits appealing protagonist Melusine learns more about who she is and what she needs including her own cafe, while trying to help her melancholic husband Hans. After Las Vegas opens her mind and heart nothing can keep Melusine from moving toward her destiny. De Nikolits, author of West of Wawa and The Hungry Mirror is a major talent. I couldn't put it down.
– Linda Cahill
Seldom Read, So To Finish in Two Days Is A Fabulous Compliment!
I read very seldom... my eyes are always exhausted so I mainly listen to audio books and generally only read National Geographic, so being addicted enough to take two days to finish it is a fabulous compliment! I love the way the story moved from thrilling excitement about life and sex to sudden madness and slowly creeping mundane
— Cathy D
Engrossing!
You hooked me! Brilliantly done! This is the first book I have read for pure enjoyment in a very long time! Somehow all my fiction reading has become research or a favour bu this is fun. — Evadne Macedo
Lovely
I finished A Glittering Chaos, read the last third of the book in one sitting last weekend! Lovely. – Marci Abrams
Reader Comments and Reviews
Links to blogs and interviews
Blog post by Rosemary McCracken, author of Safe Harbor and Black Water (posted August 3rd, 2012)
Interview with Mandy Eve Barnett, author, (March 31st, 2012)
Post about WFSC Writers Conference (April 28th, 2013)
Interview with Mayank Bhatt – Generally About books (April 20th)
Post by Natasha Deen, Author and Writer-In-Residence in Edmonton
(April 6, 2013)
TiffanyTalksBooks (June 6)
Books I Think You Should Read (June 10)
The Joy and Angst of Writing
CMashLovesToRead (June 11)
Stephthebookworm (June 17)
Broken Penguins (June 20)
http://brokenpenguins.wordpress.com
The New Book Review.blogspot.ca (June 27)
Lots of lovely votes and comments on CBC Books' site:
A superb summer read is A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits. This book is full of surprises, intrigue and wonderful characters.
I highly recommend it.
— Mandy Eve-Barnett
A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits should be on everyone's must read list for the summer of 2013. The book keeps you on your toes and putting it down is hard to do!!!..Highly recommended. — jtebby
I would like to recommend Lisa de Nikolits new book
A Glittering Chaos. It is so nice to find a Canadian author to add to my reading list. I now want to read her first two books.
I have always liked to support Canadian authors so it is nice to find a new one... well new to me. — Megabookworm
Just finished reading A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits.
An absolutely wonderful read from start to finish. Couldn't put it down. A Glittering Chaos takes us on a wild ride from Germany to Las Vegas to Insanity and back. If you read only one book this summer, this is the one. — Libradun
A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits is a page turner I believe everyone will enjoy!! I couldn't put it down! — patrickI99
A Glittering Chaos by Lisa De Nikolits is fabulous!
— Amynicole86
I'd like to recommend A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits. It's just come out and it's a riveting read. Her first book The Hungry Mirror was brilliant as well. — BeeCeeMar
Looking forward to reading A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits. She is quickly becoming my new favorite writer.
— Syd Bradley
I completely agree with patrickl99! Though I have yet to read this intriguing Canadian novel, it is the first on my list of "summer reads". I cannot wait to delve into this novel that just so happens to include a murder! — Deeholmes
I heard Lisa read an excerpt from A Glittering Chaos and was enthralled! — Natasha Deen
I agree totally! I loved West of Wawa so I could not wait to read A Glittering Chaos by Lisa de Nikolits and I have to say I could not put it down!! Great summer read!! Way to go Lisa!
— Sarah Hencz
The contest closed with 504 entries to win a copy of A Glittering Chaos!
The Literary Equivalent of The Pebble Dropped Into A Pond
At times when reading A Glittering Chaos I could hear my grandmother’s voice in my head saying, “Oh dear me.” (Seems Melusine’s husband Hans isn’t the only one hearing voices! Yes, it’s true there were a few parts of A Glittering Chaos that were a bit shocking for a small town gal like me.
But it quickly became clear that those sections weren’t the pivotal part of the story. It wasn’t the actions as much as the motivation. WHY did the people do what they did? A Glittering Chaos is the literary equivalent of the pebble dropped into a pond. The ripples of one young girl’s actions extend further and further across time, people, and places affecting everyone. And there are other smaller pebbles…like Dietrich falling for Martin. The way people’s lives are woven together after the most minor actions is fascinating. — Jodi Webb, Women On Writing
Interesting, Surprising Book
This book surprised me a lot - mostly in good ways - and I suppose that's my own fault for not reading the synopsis carefully. It had a lot of NC-17 type parts, at least in the beginning, which I didn't see coming, yet I enjoyed the novel as a whole. It starts in Vegas, too, one of my favorite cities, and is extremely detailed, from the Bellagio fountains down to Fremont St. (downtown Vegas), which I really liked as well.
Although I didn't like the ending of the book - it was a little abrupt - the novel overall is an interesting one. It explores sexual addictions, mental disorders, the secrets we keep from our loved ones, and we eventually learn that there's more to these characters that originally meets the eye. I'd recommend this novel for anyone who likes fast-paced books that have a hint of mystery in them, or for anyone who likes novels about marriages that aren't what they appear to be.
4 stars out of 5. — Liz Parker, Books I Think You Should Read
Incredibly Dark and Very, Very Bizarre
My Thoughts: When I first started reading this book, I was taken aback quite a bit. At the beginning, it was almost immediately very sexual, as well as very strange. I was surprised and kind of confused, unsure of how I would feel about it. However, I kept reading, and right around the time that Melusine encounters Gunther, I was hooked.
I got really into the story and didn’t want to stop reading. The descriptive details of Las Vegas pulled me in and made me so anxious to visit there someday. In fact, Jerry and I had actually considered Vegas for our honeymoon this October, but eventually settled on a cruise instead. I’ve always wanted to visit, but this book made me want to even more so. All the lights, action, and “glittering chaos” captured my attention.
Aside from the magnificent and breathtaking setting, I was just plain astounded by the actions of Melusine and her weird husband, Hans. While I obviously disliked that Melusine was cheating, I was still rooting for her and Gunther because it was evident that 1. they had something special, and 2. something with Hans was not quite right at all. Gunther changed Melusine, and brought out a whole new side of her. Then there’s the story of Hans and his past which was incredibly creepy. I could not believe the secrets he was keeping. While his story was very interesting, what kept me the most interested was the story of Melusine and Gunther… their passionate whirlwind of an affair, their heartbreak upon leaving, and their effort to keep the relationship going via written correspondence upon returning home.
This is just what happened in Vegas… when Melusine and Hans return home, things get even weirder when Hans remains obsessed with his past and slips into a severe insanity. Watching Melusine, her son, and friends cope with this is fascinating and heartbreaking all at once.
This book is incredibly dark and very, very bizarre… but anyone who knows me knows that I love bizarre (Chuck Palahniuk being one of my favorite authors)! This book is not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something different, this would definitely fit the bill. I am anxious to read more of this author’s work. 4 out of 5 stars.
— Stephthebookworm
Blog tour reviews
Inanna: http://www.inanna.ca/
Indigo/Chapters: http://bit.ly/14F8At3
Amazon.ca: http://amzn.to/11rvT3w
"Was so excited this morning to receive a package from the brilliant author herself, Lisa dee Nikolits ( it helps having friends in high places, thanks Bianca Marais) I have only read The Hungry Mirror so far and I was blown away by it. In my opinion it is a must read for any women who has ever had any weight issues (which is most women I know) My weekend reading is sorted. B, please thank Lisa for me." Lyndsay Barr, South Africa
Lots of Interesting Characters and Plenty of Intrigue
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Unless you’ve watched The Hangover. In Lisa de Nikolits' A Glittering Chaos, what happens in Vegas follows you back to Germany. The consequences of Melusine’s choices — not to mention her husband’s choices continue to haunt them long after the trip ends. For one, her boring optometrist husbands turns out to be harbouring a number of horrible secrets. A Glittering Chaos offered lots of interesting characters and plenty of intrigue. — Broken Penguins
A Glittering Chaos was read in esteemed company
Amy and Brittany find a copy of A Glittering Chaos in a bookstore in Ottawa and share this pic!
Why the hats? Read
Or get your copy from the library
A Stand-Apart, Memorable Summer Read
A Glittering Chaos reaches out and grabs your attention with that old favorite: sex. But it quickly becomes clear that this book isn't about that. It is an exploration of many different types of relationships. Melusine, a German housewife, comes to Las Vegas on a business trip with her husband Hans. Turns out their relationship isn't what we (and Melusine) thought. Melusine falls into a one night stand with a fellow tourist. And that turns out to be more than it originally seems. All of the relationships in this book are fascinating and full of many facets, reflecting the real world. Because whose relationship is what it appears to be?
Too often, the plots of books are predictable. You can sort of see where you are headed. It doesn't ruin the book because you still get to enjoy the journey but, well...surprise is fun. A Glittering Chaos is one surprise after another. This plot is no straight line from Point A to Point B. The characters themselves are quite wild. Even Melusine, who starts out so conventional and familiar, transforms into someone you never would have guessed.
If you want a summer read that will be memorable, something you can recommend to your friends that will stand apart from all the other books on the Summer Reading Lists, try A Glittering Chaos. — Beth Tropp
A few of the comments on Amazon.ca, Chapters/Indigo, Facebook and Twitter, 49th Shelf and Goodreads
A Wonderful Review by D.J. McIntosh, national bestseller and highly-acclaimed author of The Witch of Babylon and The Book of Stolen Tales (Penguin)
"I picked up A Glittering Chaos and instantly became caught up in the story of Hans, Gunther and Melusine. The story itself is engrossing with an ending I didn't expect so it would rank high on that basis alone. it's a mystery and also a character study and Melusine is a woman we become fascinated by. What impressed me more, however, is the author's skill - her writing soars. Over and over again I was carried away with a turn of phrase or a perfect description. It stands on its own as a literary novel. And if that isn't enough, the hot romance was great!"
Hans’Medicine
Hans and Melusine
Hans Loses Control
Melusine Is Fired
Four readings on YouTube:
Eva Tihanyi, writer, poet, photographer, teacher and author of Truth and Other Fictions
Read Daniela Holmes' review of A Glittering Chaos on:
First reading of 2014: Makin' a Racket at the Red Rocket - went swimmingly!
Sam Bryan, Myna Wallin and Sandra Cardinal, host and playwright. Right: Ronna Bloom and Richard Keith, below, Duncan Armstrong. It was a full house which was great!
A Glittering Chaos at the Ontario Library Association's Super Conference 2014, with Brunswick Books and also with the Literary Press Group.
A Glittering Chaos ties to win the 2014 IPPY Silver Medal for Popular Fiction!
Note: The Hungry Mirror, West of Wawa, The Witchdoctor's Bones, A Glittering Chaos, Between The Cracks She Fell, The Nearly Girl, Single Girls Go Mad Sooner and Cannibals of the Afterlife are all works of fiction by Lisa de Nikolits. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All work is original and the author holds copyright.
Email address: [email protected]
A Glittering Chaos
Published in Fall 2013
