Title: Station Eleven
Author: Emily St. John Mandel
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Pages: 336
Publisher: Knopf
Year Published: 2014
Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)
First Line: "The king stood in a pool of blue light, unmoored."
"An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be saviour, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.
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 the time- from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future when a theater troupe known as the Travelling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains- this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twist of fate that connects 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 Travelling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet.
Sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationship that sustains us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it."
My Rating: 4.5/5
This was my local book club book for the month and I'm really surprised how much I enjoyed it. This story takes place in the before and after of the apocalypse switching perspectives between many characters who somehow intertwine. I think that the author painted a chilling picture of what the world would be like if things ground to a halt. I loved the writing style as well as the organization of the parts of the story. Everything just made it an enjoyable read overall. I also loved the changing of perspectives between the past and the present and how different people lived their lives in these times.
I would recommend this to lovers of science fiction and dystopian if you're looking for a more relaxed reading experience.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
This story was a very confusing read at first. As many of you know I like to go into my books very blind so this story I knew next to nothing about. I knew that it was dystopian and that it started with a Shakespeare play. So I guess I knew a few things. I loved the way this story was told the before and afters of the apocalypse was scary to think about. I also liked that it was told from perspectives that were all very different. I also loved the way the author wrote out different years of the apocalypse and helped the reader to understand how things went south and just when things stopped working. I would definitely reread this book, it was super interesting and in an odd way comforting to think about how everything is connected.
Characters:
Arthur: I wonder how he would have survived if he had made it through the "plague" and if he would still be such a jerk overall with the women he had. He seemed to view each woman as an upgrade which was frustrating to read about. That being said, I think it was interesting to see the difference in how he acted with Miranda in the beginning and then near the end of his life.
Kirsten: Her life would be an interesting one to document especially since she was so young during the collapse of society. She lived a tough life when the collapse happened and lost many people who were close to her. The lengths she went to, to keep her company and others safe. I also hope that her life is happier now that she has entered the airport and seeing progress towards society once again.
Miranda: I felt for her. Especially being an introvert trying to live the best life that she can when having next to nothing. To be "rescued" and taken care of was disguised as a blessing when really her marriage to Arthur seemed rushed and hasty.
Tyson: To see him grow into such a crazy character makes you wonder what happened to him and his mother, when they left the airport to "bring the light" also to think that the light would mean marrying underage girls, is scary to think about. But I guess anything is possible at the end of the world.
Clark: It made me happy to see a character who was able to move on in his life but celebrate his old life. I think having all the memories around him of his past friends and family. Also, all the things he took for granted helped him make a museum and educate people who didn't have as many opportunities as he did as a child.
Elizabeth: What happened to you? Did your son hurt you? Or was your death the thing that pushed him over the edge?
Moments to Remember:
Pg.77
"The revelation of privacy: she can walk down the street and absolutely no one knows who she is."
Pg.223
"'You're from London,' Arthur had said. 'A guy like you can take cities for granted. For someone like me, coming from a small place... look, I think about my childhood, the life I lived on Delano Island, that place was so small. Everyone knew me, not because I was special or anything, just because everyone knew everyone, and the claustrophobia of that, I can't tell you. I just wanted some privacy. For as long as I could remember I just wanted to get out, and then I got to Toronto, and no one knew me. Toronto felt like freedom.'"
Final Line: "He likes the thought of ships moving over water, towards another world just out of sight."
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
