This book was a part of one of the CBR group discussions last year, or the year before, wasn’t it? I knew it sounded familiar but alas, had not gotten around to it until now. I’ll be honest I had no idea what Station Eleven was about when I started to read it, but I received it as a gift from a friend and I must say, she did a great job choosing something that she thought I would like! It looks like quite a […]
Late to the party. CBR7 Book Club
I remember seeing all the Station Eleven reviews popping up throughout CBR7 but for whatever reason I didn’t jump on the bandwagon until now. In lieu of a traditional review I’m going to answer a few of fantingviolet’s book club discussion questions. 1. Did you find the shifts between pre- and post-apocalypse to be an effective storytelling technique? How about changing character perspectives? I’ve gone on record saying that multiple character view points combined with too much time jumping can be irritating and I stand […]
Tell me something I haven’t imagined before
I’m having very mixed feelings about “Station Eleven.” It sure checks a lot of boxes for me including post-apocalyptic survival, a plague, interconnected characters, graceful exposition, and a creepy antagonist. But it misses the mark on originality and heart. Hard to summarize, and it skips back and forward in time a lot (effortlessly, to its credit), this is the story of a handful of individuals affected by a civilization-ending strain of the swine flu. These people are all connected through their various relationships with a […]
Pre and post apocalypse interwoven for an intriguing tale
The night the fatal Georgia Flu arrives in Toronto, fading movie star Arthur Leander has a heart attack on stage performing the title role in King Lear. Jeevan, a paramedic trainee, rushes to the actor’s aid but it is too late to save him. Kirsten, a young child actress in the production, watches fearful from the wings of the stage. So begins the compelling and surprising Station Eleven. An apocalyptic novel that moves back and forth in time, Station Eleven is a layered and entertaining […]