Reviews with content warning for Death - Station Eleven

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

449 reviews

questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I've had this book since Christmas 2017 and have been meaning to get to it for years, but the hype often put me off because I didn't know if it would live up to my expectations. And then the last time I considered reading it was at the start of 2020 and I soon decided I didn't want to read a pandemic novel during a pandemic. However I'm so glad I finally got to it. It was so brilliant and I read it in two sittings. I often really enjoy a book with interwoven plots so I loved that it follows different characters and I found them all fascinating. At first I wasn't sure if I would feel more invested in some of the storylines than others but luckily that wasn't the case and I was never waiting to get back to a more interesting part. Mandel has created a fascinating world and I'll be thinking about it for a while.

Content Warnings

mondovertigo's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

pine_barren's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book was definitely a page turner. I loved the intersecting timelines and narratives woven through this book. Seeing how all of the characters' lives were connected and crossed paths brought a real richness to the story. It was also compelling that there wasn't an exact date given for when the collapse happened. I found St. John Mandel's writing and the layout of the storylines very beautiful. She really captures how fragile industrial society is.

I wish the comic Station Eleven featured in the book was real. The way St. John Mandel describes it is absolutely haunting and I wish I could see the gorgeous artwork.

The biggest miss for me with this book was the idealization of civilization and the pre-apocalyptic world. I understand that life became much more difficult after collapse, but it felt like life before was largely viewed through rose tinted glasses. There is no mention of the sheer violence of the pre-collapse world under systems of domination and oppression. This along with the brief passages about not being able to call the police for assistance and calling the chaos of collapse anarchy. And the overwhelming desire to return to the way things were before - like an electrical grid being a beacon of hope and progress. This is why dystopian fiction without strong social/political critique really misses the mark for me.

The ending also felt deeply unsatisfying - it was rushed, starkly optimistic, and glaringly revealed how flat The Prophet's character was. I wish the reader got to see more of what transformed Tyler into The Prophet and what inspired people to follow him rather than using him as an oversimplified villain trope. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it, but I wish it was pushed further than it was.

Content Warnings