[books 2016] Station Eleven
13. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel
This month's book club selection.
It's a post-apocalyptic world (brought about by a very fast-acting flu pandemic) that has had really good reviews.
My (and everyone in the group's) feelings were mixed. It is beautifully written and very well plotted - the many disparate strands slot into place seamlessly at the end. The problem is that she didn't think her apocalypse through as well - it's 20 years after the outbreak and nobody has resurrected electricity or running water yet. I like that it's set around a troupe of travelling actors/musicians - in the pre-recordings age, that is how entertainment happened. There is also a strand of the story that takes place on the eve of the outbreak which explains how some people survived. The best bit, for me, is the character who is trapped in an airport while the world ends (but they don't know the world is ending) and the interior monologue he has while he's waiting for the airport to open up again. I wish there was more about the society that develops amongst the people who stay in the airport over the years because it's very peaceful and cooperative.
The first half annoyed me but I ended up being very fond of it indeed. Apparently there's going to be a sequel. I will read it.
As an aside, I think I know the island that one of the characters come from. It sounds a lot like the island where my dad's hippy brother lived for a few years in the 70s.
This month's book club selection.
It's a post-apocalyptic world (brought about by a very fast-acting flu pandemic) that has had really good reviews.
My (and everyone in the group's) feelings were mixed. It is beautifully written and very well plotted - the many disparate strands slot into place seamlessly at the end. The problem is that she didn't think her apocalypse through as well - it's 20 years after the outbreak and nobody has resurrected electricity or running water yet. I like that it's set around a troupe of travelling actors/musicians - in the pre-recordings age, that is how entertainment happened. There is also a strand of the story that takes place on the eve of the outbreak which explains how some people survived. The best bit, for me, is the character who is trapped in an airport while the world ends (but they don't know the world is ending) and the interior monologue he has while he's waiting for the airport to open up again. I wish there was more about the society that develops amongst the people who stay in the airport over the years because it's very peaceful and cooperative.
The first half annoyed me but I ended up being very fond of it indeed. Apparently there's going to be a sequel. I will read it.
As an aside, I think I know the island that one of the characters come from. It sounds a lot like the island where my dad's hippy brother lived for a few years in the 70s.