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A review by luluwoohoo
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌤️
A hauntingly human examination of life after the end of the world.
This book does have a plot - a very good one that is well paced and feels realistic - but I feel like it's more appropriately placed in the category of "vibes > plot". Things do happen, very important and life-changing things, but the magic of this story is the internal, emotional journey each of the characters travels on. St John Mandel's prose is exquisite from start to finish, which helps deliver this tone and style.
The key characters of this novel are all beautifully fleshed out and uniquely written. There are actually a great number of people to keep track of but I never found myself confused between them. Each POV adds another layer to the broad sweeping picture of humanity. The intertwining of their lives pre and post pandemic forms a spiderweb of connections that feels satisfying in that 'only possible in literature' sense.
Of the themes explored here, the legacy we leave behind us is arguably the most poignant one. In a post-apocalyptic world, seeing what survives in the hearts and minds of others paints a picture of how important art and culture are to us, as well as the technology we've lost.
For a dystopian novel, this book flips the script by proving to be gentle, penetrating, subtle yet full of heart and soul. I fell right into it every time I picked it up. It's a remarkable piece of fiction that should be read by everyone.
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌤️
A hauntingly human examination of life after the end of the world.
This book does have a plot - a very good one that is well paced and feels realistic - but I feel like it's more appropriately placed in the category of "vibes > plot". Things do happen, very important and life-changing things, but the magic of this story is the internal, emotional journey each of the characters travels on. St John Mandel's prose is exquisite from start to finish, which helps deliver this tone and style.
The key characters of this novel are all beautifully fleshed out and uniquely written. There are actually a great number of people to keep track of but I never found myself confused between them. Each POV adds another layer to the broad sweeping picture of humanity. The intertwining of their lives pre and post pandemic forms a spiderweb of connections that feels satisfying in that 'only possible in literature' sense.
Of the themes explored here, the legacy we leave behind us is arguably the most poignant one. In a post-apocalyptic world, seeing what survives in the hearts and minds of others paints a picture of how important art and culture are to us, as well as the technology we've lost.
For a dystopian novel, this book flips the script by proving to be gentle, penetrating, subtle yet full of heart and soul. I fell right into it every time I picked it up. It's a remarkable piece of fiction that should be read by everyone.
"Hell is the absence of the people you long for."