You guys and gals should prepare yourself for even more reviews about Station Eleven. It’s simply fantastic. I’m rating it 4.5 stars and leaving myself the option of bumping it up to 5 stars later . I still don’t know because I’m too busy rolling around in all the feels. (And I have, because the further removed from the reading the MORE I have fallen in love with the work.)
I have the impression that I’ve been reading a lot of dystopian future books lately. Whenever I go to describe a book I’ve really enjoyed to someone I hear myself saying “well, it’s set in a dystopian future where BLANK has gone wrong…” To a certain extent, Station Eleven can be grouped with those books, but I don’t know that it would be a fair descriptor of all this book is. There is the thing that goes wrong – The Georgian Flu – and it happens tomorrow, or this coming winter, and then there’s nearly no one left. But the meat of the story is in talking about and ruminating on then what do you do? What do you do if you know you have a matter of hours left to live? How do the characters who survive carry on? Mandel explores all the options because some don’t, some join the Traveling Symphony (because survival isn’t enough), some relearn what life is like, and some go a little nuts.
You should go into Station Eleven knowing very little (I almost feel like I’ve already said too much and any synopsis you read will give you more information). There were a couple times when the story turned left when I thought it was going to turn right, and I went back to the cover flap to figure out if I had misread something that left me confused. Nope, I hadn’t, Emily St. John Mandel just knew how to weave the story so that she pump-faked me. And I loved it. In my last review I praised the way Anthony Doerr kept his alternating chapters balanced, that we were equally with each of our main characters in All the Light We Cannot See. Mandel doesn’t do that with Station Eleven, but it helps create a beautiful eerie quality to the book, and heightens the tension because you never know when you’re going to see a character again and if perhaps their storyline has reached the end.
I think I’m going to email Ms. Was about making this a book club type discussion book for us, because I have emotions and thoughts guys, and nowhere safe to talk about them.
This book has been on my short list to read for ages. I think I’ll read it next (currently reading: Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which I am so far really liking).
I think a “spoiler space” would be great!
I worship Special Topics in Calamity Physics.
Reading it right now, and totally up for a book club discussion! Lots and lots to talk about and dissect.
A book club discussion would be great. Love this book so much.
I’m also contemplating a Cannonball podcast if anyone has any suggestions on a good way to present that…
A podcast! That is so intimidating.
I know! How could it be done? What would we talk about? Who would be the guests? I DONT KNOW.
But i totally want to try and figure it out.
I’m totally in to discuss this book. Sure I have to READ it, but I’m totally going to anyway so…
What about a video podcast a la G+ hangout? Up to 10 people can participate and we could stream (or not – our choice) and we go that route? Felicia day does these and I would love to give it a go!
If you’re serious about traditional podcasting I have an experienced podcaster friend (who already podcasts about Outlander) who could definitely help get us going so that’s an option too…
Oh goodness, a podcast… there are so many things that could be done and so many details to figure out. I bet you could solve it though! :)
We are a go for book discussion! Details to come February 9!
Great review. This was my favorite book last year and it would be really fun to talk about it in a book club.
I read this book a few days ago, and I felt exactly the same way, “another dystopian future, ho hum,” but it had a bleak yet hopeful poignancy that has really stayed with me.
I loved, loved, loved our book discussions over on Pajiba, and I’m thrilled we can bring that over here.
Look for @faintingviolet’s kickoff post soon! And podcasts? You betcha!