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The Man with the Glass Heart: A Fable
Not since the Little Prince fell in love with a rose has a book captured the magic of a world where love longs for what it cannot have, recovers what it has lost, and the unimaginable flutters with luminescent wings out of crystal caves.Panache, an exuberant road gypsy, is on her way to the mountains. Benjamin Pencil, the man with the glass heart, has no use for mountains. But their paths cross, their lives intertwine, and Benjamin follows her up, up, up to where hills are smothered in poppies and a man can reach out and write his name in the sky. As they travel, they first encounter the beautiful but predatory Woman with the Breeding, a collector of hearts who tries to add Benjamin's exquisite heart to her pitiable hoard. Next they meet the malicious Laughing Man, who lives only to create fear and kill dreams. Finally, and unpredictably, they meet Panache's iconoclastic, unreliable, and utterly irresistible father. Papa, who plays his saxophone with the same wild abandon with which he lives his life, cautions Panache that if the mountains are in a man, he will go there--and that mountains are in the man with the glass heart.It is in those mountains that they meet the melodious laughing bird. Melody, with her irresistible song and aquamarine eyes, lures Benjamin to an Arabian Nights world where hypnotizing creatures dance and sing late into the night. At what peril does Benjamin Pencil follow the melodious laughing bird? To what end? Can real hearts be broken? Is a shattered heart the end of all love, or can it be a new beginning?
1 pages, Audio CD
First published October 20, 2012
About the author
Shelly Reuben
15 books18 followersShelly Reuben's first novel, Julian Solo, was nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for an Edgar Award and by the Libertarian Futurist Society for a Prometheus. Her crime novel, Origin and Cause, was nominated by the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan for a Falcon; and her adult fable, The Man with the Glass Heart, was a Freedom Book Club selection. Her fiction has been published by Scribner, Harper, Harcourt, and is also available through Blackstone Audio Books.
Her new book, Dabbling in Crime, November 2016, is a collection of short fiction originally published in The Forensic Examiner and The Evening Sun.
Shelly Reuben is a licensed private detective, and the years that she spend investigating fire and arson inspired many of her stories and books.
Her new book, Dabbling in Crime, November 2016, is a collection of short fiction originally published in The Forensic Examiner and The Evening Sun.
Shelly Reuben is a licensed private detective, and the years that she spend investigating fire and arson inspired many of her stories and books.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 2, 2025
3 hours
April 25, 2013
Not having read a fable since my youth, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I began Shelly Reuben’s THE MAN WITH THE GLASS HEART.
What I found was a well crafted story with beguiling characters and a fantasy world that drew me in and made me want to believe. I found a book that held me spellbound from beginning to end.
Panache is a delightful road gypsy on her merry way to the mountains. Along the way she encounters Benjamin Pencil, the Man with the Glass Heart. Benjamin has never been to the mountains and sees no use for them. His only concern is guarding his glass heart.
In time he agrees to go with Panache to the mountains. On their journey they come upon some very intriguing characters. They meet the Woman with the Breeding, who collects hearts; the Man who Laughs, who creates fear and kills dreams; and Panache’s father, who is unreliable, but irresistible. They also encounter Melody, a melodious laughing bird, that lures Benjamin into an Arabian Nights world that changes everything.
Reuben does an excellent job weaving this fable with a mixture of make-believe and life’s lessons. The story flows smoothly, is easy to follow, and the characters are enchanting.
THE MAN WITH THE GLASS HEART is a story of love and loss, hopes and dreams, and living and experiencing life. To summarize it more, I think would be difficult. This is the type of book where each reader will encounter their own unique experiences and each take away something a little different.
To lose yourself in a world of possibilities, take a journey with Panache and THE MAN WITH THE GLASS HEART.
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
What I found was a well crafted story with beguiling characters and a fantasy world that drew me in and made me want to believe. I found a book that held me spellbound from beginning to end.
Panache is a delightful road gypsy on her merry way to the mountains. Along the way she encounters Benjamin Pencil, the Man with the Glass Heart. Benjamin has never been to the mountains and sees no use for them. His only concern is guarding his glass heart.
In time he agrees to go with Panache to the mountains. On their journey they come upon some very intriguing characters. They meet the Woman with the Breeding, who collects hearts; the Man who Laughs, who creates fear and kills dreams; and Panache’s father, who is unreliable, but irresistible. They also encounter Melody, a melodious laughing bird, that lures Benjamin into an Arabian Nights world that changes everything.
Reuben does an excellent job weaving this fable with a mixture of make-believe and life’s lessons. The story flows smoothly, is easy to follow, and the characters are enchanting.
THE MAN WITH THE GLASS HEART is a story of love and loss, hopes and dreams, and living and experiencing life. To summarize it more, I think would be difficult. This is the type of book where each reader will encounter their own unique experiences and each take away something a little different.
To lose yourself in a world of possibilities, take a journey with Panache and THE MAN WITH THE GLASS HEART.
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
December 17, 2012
Reading The Man with the Glass Heart brought me to a beautiful fairytale land of the unknown in a manner I have never before experienced in adult literature. In this lovely fable, we follow Panache, an adventuresome road gypsy with a love for the beauty and excitement that nature has to offer, as she meets the Man with the Glass Heart. Benjamin Pencil, with his proud and protective nature towards his translucent and shimmering glass heart, ends up accompanying Panache on her journey to the mountains. However, many obstacles stand in their way. Through little things – the cups of coffee, the first crack of a smile from Benjamin Pencil, and the ever so loveable Papa playing his saxophone and protecting his daughter Panache in his irresponsible yet irresistible way, the story and all of its unique characters reveal themselves. Never have I enjoyed a book so…one that brought me into such a heart-warming and unforgettable land. Needless to say, I was sad to reach the last page. This book is a must-read – you will love every second of Reuben’s enchanting writing. The Man with the Glass Heart would make a wonderful Christmas present!
March 1, 2014
Many of the book blurbs compare this book to The Little Prince. The Little Prince has more depth. This story lacks a certain depth of complexity and symbolism present in other fables. Having finished it, the meaning is obvious and clear and there's nothing left to wrestle with or puzzle over. It'd be great if there was enough there to chew on, but...the images are engaging, the main character appealing. I kept reading more because it seemed like there surely would be a twist that would deepen the book into something worth reading.
January 15, 2016
I listened to this on audiobook and I loved the narrator! While it wasn't the best book in terms of profundity (which normally doesn't matter but I mention it because we're looking at it as a fable), it was a wonderful story nevertheless, and the prose is beautiful! So lyrical and magical and fantastical! Of course, the narrator did a great job on it so it was a pleasure to listen to. I feel like this is a book I'd love to come back to again and again, both on audio and on paper, because I'd love to see the words on the page too.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews