Scott and I are in Chicago for a few days, spending some time together and resting up before I start a new job on Monday. It’s been awhile since I’ve done a short book review, so I thought it was time. I got this recommendation from the lovely Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus
Well-woven with intrigue, bits of philosophy, and characters as unlike one another as can be, Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven is a fast, yet thought-provoking read. What would happen if a flu epidemic wiped out 95% of the population on earth? St. John Mandel explores what that would look like through the eyes of several main characters: Jeevan, a paramedic-in-training; Kirsten, a young child actor before the epidemic and later a survivor in her mid-twenties; Arthur, an aging celebrity with a lot of ghosts; Arthur’s first wife, Miranda, a graphic novel artist; and Clark, Arthur’s best friend from before he was famous.
The novel follows the lives of these main characters and others, unwrapping the story across continents and decades and slowly unraveling the mystery of how they are all connected and how they did – or didn’t – survive the pandemic.
Favorite Quotes:
“Hell is the absence of the people you long for.” – p. 144
“I look around and sometimes think–this will maybe sound weird–it’s like the corporate world’s full of ghosts… I know academia is no different, so maybe a fairer way of putting this would be to say that adulthood’s full of ghosts. I’m talking about these people who’ve ended up in one life instead of another and they are just so disappointed. Do you know what I mean? They’ve done what’s expected of them. They want to do something different but that’s impossible now, there’s a mortgage, kids, whatever, they’re trapped… High-functioning sleepwalkers, essentially.” – p.163
“If she weren’t so tired, if it didn’t take all of her strength to keep breathing… she could have told him what she knew: it is possible to survive this but not unaltered, and you will carry these men with you through all the nights of your life.” – p. 296
“He likes the thought of ship moving over the water, toward another world just out of sight.” – p. 333
What made this a good story? The plot is fascinating, and the I loved how St. John Mandel wove the stories into each other, slowly and with great care. Small moments become bigger as the story goes on, and I love a book where I have to consciously be present as I read it in order to fully understand. Her language is top-notch: it’s always the right word, always. I especially enjoyed the moments of self-reflection tucked into Clark’s story, how young Kirsten is so much older than her age. It was a beautiful and haunting story to read.
What could have made it a better story? The ending didn’t feel like the end to me. Even though you know how everyone makes it through, it wasn’t a satisfying conclusion: some story lines are obviously at an end, but others aren’t. Please write a sequel, Emily St. John Mandel. Please.
Also: I would have loved to have seen some of the fictional illustrations by Miranda. That would have been a beautiful addition to the text.
What do you think? Have you read Station Eleven
by Dee Henderson – I continued on with The O’Malley Series, one that I read as a teen. It’s Christian fiction, which is not something I usually read because of the bland characters, but the O’Malleys all have vibrant personalities and cool jobs. It’s fun to re-read these now, just some light fiction for days when my brain needs to rest.
by Dee Henderson
by Hannah Hooton – I read this on my iPad on a plane this month (the only time I usually read on my iPad). It was a free download and the book was good – entertaining and fun, but very predictable, as most romantic comedy novels are. Still worth a read if you like horse racing and a good plot.
by C.M. Newman – Also read this on my iPad on a plane. This book had an engaging plot, but was SO long. So, so long. It needed some major condensing, but overall was one I wanted to keep reading. Fun fact: I had no idea this was Christian fiction until about a third of the way through the book, which I think was it’s crowning glory. The ending felt a bit stilted, a little anti-climatic compared to the rest of the novel.
by Austin Kleon – It’s probably not a secret anymore that I am a big Austin Kleon fan (he’ll probably be mentioned in a blog soon). You’ve probably seen me tweeting about him in recent weeks, and I finally made it to the top of the list to get “Steal Like an Artist” from the library. I loved it, as I predicted, so I will be purchasing this one as soon as I have book money to spend. I’ve got the follow up, “Show Your Work” sitting on my coffee table now for my next read.
by Richard L. Brandt – While Brandt is obviously not a fan of Amazon, this book gave an a great overview of Bezos and the inception of the company. If you just want a general idea of how the company got its start and because a mega-corporation (all while never turning a profit), this is a good option.
by Brené Brown – So, so good. After reading 
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows – This is one of my favorites. I was feeling out of sorts on a Sunday, so I sat down with this and read it cover-to-cover, staying up well past my bedtime to do so. Worth it.
by Dee Henderson – The O’Malley Series is one that I read as a teen. It’s Christian fiction, which is not something I usually read because of the bland characters, but the O’Malleys all have vibrant personalities and cool jobs. It’s fun to re-read these now, just some light fiction for days when my brain needs to rest.