The Glass House

Menzies Mental Health Novel 1

By: Anne Buist, Graeme Simsion

Narrated by: Edwina Wren

'A masterfully told, character-driven novel that will have you laughing and crying in equal measures' THE AUSTRALIAN

'A deeply empathetic, humanising portrait of a mental health facility, and the souls that pass through it' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY

'Stunning . . . [A] unique novel that's so timely' DAILY TELEGRAPH


Psychiatry registrar Doctor Hannah Wright, a country girl with a chaotic history, thought she had seen it all in the emergency room. But that was nothing compared to the psychiatric ward at Menzies Hospital.

Hannah must learn on the job as she and her fellow trainees deal with the common and the bizarre, the hilarious and the tragic, the treatable and the confronting. Each day brings new patients: Chloe, who has a life-threatening eating disorder; Sian, suffering postpartum psychosis and fighting to keep her baby; and Xavier, the MP whose suicide attempt masks an explosive story.

With intelligence, frankness and humour, eminent psychiatrist Anne Buist tells it like it is, while Graeme Simsion brings the light touch that made The Rosie Project an international bestseller.


'Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion explore mental illness with wit and wisdom' SUNDAY AGE

'Contains all the comforting trappings of a fast-paced medical procedural' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

'Casts a non-judgemental but candid, informed and astute eye on the system . . . It arouses our sympathy and empathy, develops our understanding and increases our knowledge in areas long kept hidden or decreed taboo. And it's a darn good read' LIVING ARTS CANBERRA

'A racy, pacy ride through heartbreak and the occasional breathtaking miracle' COUNTRY STYLE

'An absorbing read that you'll want to stay up late to finish' INSTYLE AUSTRALIA

'A remarkable exposé . . . told with an engaging, light touch reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Simsion's The Rosie Project' BOOKS + PUBLISHING

'Highly engaging. Brings alive the frontline of mental health care' PROFESSOR PATRICK MCGORRY AO, AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR 2010

'Entertaining, enlightening, it embraces the complexity of what it means to be human' MEREDITH JAFFÉ

'A great read that combines laugh-out-loud moments with those that bring tears to your eyes. Anne Buist skilfully writes from her own experiences and co-author Graeme Simsion adds his inimitable Rosie Project style. An honest, sensitive look into mental health care in Australia' PROFESSOR JAYASHRI KULKARNI AM, Psychiatrist, Monash University

'Gripping, rich and insightful, and brimming with compassion. Shines a light on the grit and dedication of frontline workers, while giving a voice to everyone impacted by mental illness' ARIANE BEESTON, author of Because I'm Not Myself, You See©2024 Anne Buist, Graeme Simsion (P)2024 Hachette Australia Audio

Struggles in working in Mental Health

The characters were interesting and the exploration of psychiatry as existing between science and humanities was sagacious.
The woke language of they/them pronouns of one fascinating character threw off the flow of the book for me, and already sounds a bit dated.

Well worth the Reread

The Glass House by Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion is a book that I was fully engaged by and read every moment I could. At times it was difficult for me to get my head around all the characters, but the more I read on the more I remembered about each.

It's one of those books you come away from and realise you've been given the gift of experiencing something outside your own experience. This is a book about the mental health system, the people who suffer from complex mental issues and the professionals who bring their own expertise plus their own human failings.

The character telling most of the story is Hannah, a registrar working in the acute mental ward. So far she is working there without being a doctor incorporated into the actual training programme for the registrars. The Professor in charge has refused her entry.

Personally I really liked Hannah as a character, if I had a mental illness, I'd be grateful for her care. Yes she is human with all the frailties that brings, she has family of origin issues that cause her a much heartache and have led her to wanting to work in the psychiatry medical area. She questions herself over her choice and it wasn't to the very end that we find out what she decides and why.

This is a serious book, there are not too much funny moments, though being a Kiwi I was able to chuckle at one such moment. However it is a book that touched my heart.

I would certainly recommend it, and I know I myself will want to read it again.

December 2025 I reread this via audiobook and enjoyed it. One thing that struck me this time was the symbol of the glasshouse and people in glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones.

Great narrator, Great novel. Loved it!

As a former RN, I have first hand experience with the conditions described in this book. So interesting to get a personal view of how physicians, particularly those in training, deal with these things on a personal and professional level.
The main character (narrator) is really terrific.