The World is Made of Glass
William Morrow & Co (1983)
by Morris L. West
pp 322
I have a confession to make: I have read the World is made of Glass three times. Australian author Morris West, who also wrote The Shoes of the Fisherman, is one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and I don't think he has been given enough credit for his body of work. I have always been riveted by the World is Made of Glass because the characterization, plot, pacing, and story is superb. Magda as the brilliant sociopath, medical doctor and wealthy society diva, is an incredible depiction of a woman who has major contradictions in her personality. While her strength seems over-the-top, she is still entirely credible and unforgettable as a woman who does want to develop compassion and a conscience, but is clueless as to how to begin the journey to get there. To have this powerful woman seek help from Carl Jung, the father of modern psychoanalysis seems improbable, but the way the story is told makes the reader have a deep understanding and awareness for these two characters' humanity and the existential pain we all face as human beings that is inherent in the human condition. Magda is seeking help because she is falling down the black hole of living a life with no meaning. Ironically, after Jung dismisses her as a patient and as someone he cannot help, she is able to find redemption on her own.