Book No. 31 of 2025
I picked up The Lola Quartet on a “I need to read more and I hunger for fiction” kick, and figured I would enjoy more of Emily St. John Mandel’s writing given how much I loved The Glass Hotel.
Lola has what I love about Mandel’s writing—a sort of dreamy, almost fairy-tale-like vibe that makes contemporary stories feel oddly timeless—but I did find myself getting stressed out over one of my literary triggers: characters who make bad decisions and double down on them.
All of the plot is catalyzed by one (1) character whose defining trait seems to be “making the worst possible decision that anyone could make, and trapping themselves and the people around them into making more bad decisions to get out of the first bad situation.” It is entirely understandable why this is (trauma, parental neglect, financial desperation, poor luck) but empathizing did not stop me from being stressed out. All of this almost distracts from the background bleakness that comes from a group of talented young musicians falling headlong into the types of lives that made my parents extremely worried when I decided to be a professional musician.
I don’t mean for all of this to make the book sound bad, or like I didn’t like it. The book is very good, and I actually enjoyed it! It is beautifully written and crafted and brims with humanity. The suburb-wildness juxtaposition is masterfully crafted and makes the story thrum. The sense of quiet chaos and coincidence gives the whole thing a beautifully fatalistic feel. It’s just also a little painful for me personally.
Similar Reads
This not only reminded me of Mandel’s book The Glass Hotel, but also of Ann Patchett’s books: Bel Canto, Tom Lake, and Commonwealth. (These three books feature different combinations of performing artists, lives that go astray, and beautiful women wreaking havoc on the people around them.)