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Loading... Station Elevenby Emily St. John Mandel
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A flu decimates the world’s population. This book is a pretty realistic description of what happens next, which we can all imagine from our own experiences when Covid-19 came along. It follows multiple characters and how their lives intertwine despite the inoperable modern communications and transportation, as infrastructure breaks down for decades. I appreciated how storyline about the “bad guy” was resolved and the hint of hope at the end. An excellent read. So glad I decided to keep reading books by this author after my disappointment with The Last Night in Montreal. I’ve put The Glass House on my tbr list. The book isn't bad exactly, but I had such high expectations after the absolutely fantastic miniseries from Patrick Somerville (wonderful cast and production). I thought the book would bring me even deeper into this fascinating world, but wow...the book was just the inspiration for what the series was able to refine, organize, dramatize, and build in ways that the writer just can't do. In fact, the book really fails in terms of character development, scenes, dialogue, and overall vision. There's still a lot of imagination and some good ideas, but if only this young writer had found a good editor or someone to help coach the writing into more fruitful territory. I probably wouldn't try this writer again, but I'm still grateful for how this flawed work inspired some really excellent television.
Station Eleven is not so much about apocalypse as about memory and loss, nostalgia and yearning; the effort of art to deepen our fleeting impressions of the world and bolster our solitude. Mandel evokes the weary feeling of life slipping away, for Arthur as an individual and then writ large upon the entire world. Survival may indeed be insufficient, but does it follow that our love of art can save us? If “Station Eleven” reveals little insight into the effects of extreme terror and misery on humanity, it offers comfort and hope to those who believe, or want to believe, that doomsday can be survived, that in spite of everything people will remain good at heart, and that when they start building a new world they will want what was best about the old. Mandel’s solid writing and magnetic narrative make for a strong combination in what should be a breakout novel. AwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time-from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theater troupe known as the Traveling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains-this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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The narrative is multifaceted without being confusing. Mandel skilfully handles the jumps back and forth between the past and the post-apocalyptic present, as seen through the eyes of her diverse cast of characters. Despite the complexity, though, everything fits together seamlessly, and the impact in the end is profound. Mandel’s writing is stunning. Her descriptions are vivid and her characters feel real. I devoured each page and couldn’t help but hug the book to my chest when I finished.
What I loved most about this ambitious and emotional novel was how much it made me reflect on my everyday life, and the things I take for granted. The themes of love, loss, friendship, and the power of memory are explored in such a beautiful way here. My first foray into Emily St. John Mandel's work was a lovely surprise, and I can't wait to read more by this author. ( )