Reviews with content warning for Death - Sea of Tranquility

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

112 reviews

abyissmal's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I didn’t have any prior expectations so I entered this book as a blank slate. I went off, not too long ago, on a tangent about a certain craving for a more quiet sci-fi book. Lo and behold, there this book was!

“Sea of Tranquility” sets itself at several different points of time at different places—within and out of Earth. At its core, it is a story about connection; our desire to be connected when we’re apart, when we’ve bid goodbyes with loved ones too soon, or when we crave to find meaning in life that lacks of it. “Sea of Tranquility” is a lonely book. Often, it spends itself through the perspectives of different characters when they’re far removed from their circumstances at different points of their lives. From a man’s who wanders aimlessly after having been isolated by his family, to a writer who finds herself struggling to grasp the reality around her while being separated from her family.

Solitude is fully and thoughtfully realized through Mandel’s writing. It is present in the very lives these characters go through. When the blue sky stretches far too wide they feel overexposed by it. When their thoughts wander in the middle of conversations. When they simply miss the presence of other people. It’s almost always present in some shape or form and consistently so even as we jump between different timelines and narratives. It is the one unifying thing that ties them together.

However, after spending most of the time jumping between different timelines and narratives in “Sea of Tranquility”, I find myself having a difficulty trying to ground myself in these characters. To fully understand them as characters—their desires, their fears, their stories. It solidifies itself in the notion that perhaps we can find meaning in life, regardless whether this was real or not. But I can’t help but think, does the book do that justice? Has it truly believed in its concrete conclusion that life is precious regardless of its unreality? Especially after spending plenty of the book in solitude or, at the very least, feeling lonely?

I don’t know. Honestly, I still find the middle section of the book difficult to sit through. Mostly because of this confusion in what it wants to say. It has reached to a conclusion that I hoped for, but was it something that was thoroughly explored? I’m not so sure. Even so, I still enjoyed this book mostly because of Mandel’s writing especially the way she effectively use structures and style through different perspectives. I appreciate this somewhat quieter lens on science fiction and honestly, the lack of this book only makes me want to explore more of stories like this.

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stagemanaginger's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Hard to follow at times. I loved Station Eleven so I thought I would love this, too, but it was mostly a struggle to get through it even with it being so short

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bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

What a mind fuck?! I’m not a big sci fi reader but this was amazing! It was a quick read with unexpected twists and beautiful writing. I loved the unique story and cast of characters. It could be confusing at times keeping everything straight, but I’m simply blown away!

Content Warnings

franklola's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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saric7's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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nodustollens's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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corncake's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

This was beautiful. It takes a minute to get into, but I’m so glad I stuck around for the ride.

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jankmab's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I had a lot of people telling me to go into this book as blind as possible and I’m glad I did. It’s a short little novel about the nature of existence, the human place in the world and the universe, and the ways we touch each other’s lives sometimes without even realizing. Now take all these themes and throw it into a book about a depressed and lost time traveler searching for purpose and connection and you’ve really got something super interesting. I really loved this book. Honestly, my only quibble with it comes down to my personal taste for character forward literature. So I admittedly kept finding myself wishing it were longer so that I could spend more time with the interior lives of the characters. But on the whole, a really lovely little novel that I’m going to remember for some time.

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clemrain's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Mandel is always such a pleasure to read. I deeply appreciate her storytelling.

It took me a while to get into this book. I’m not sure what it was but I think it was the pacing. It’s nailed a bit in the beginning but once the book picks up it’s hard to put down.

The characters in Sea of Tranquility are small and—in turn—real. I deeply feel for all of them. The hurt I feel for these characters isn’t easy to describe without spoiling the book and rambling for paragraphs. But Mandel has a talent for writing real people living their real lives. And without it, the ending on the books wouldn’t land as hard.

This book is a simulation of sorts. And all it’s hurt and joy makes it real. Which creates this complete feeling when you’re done reading. It’s not a novel idea to say that the world being a simulation doesn’t matter, what does is that it feels like. However, Mandel presents it beautifully.

I love the writing style of this book. I wish this were longer. I want to know more about all of these characters. I have read about some of them in Glass Hotel and Station Eleven, and I hope as I read more of Mandel’s work I’ll run into the other characters as well. Especially Edwin. He’s such charming character. Back to the writing though, I love a past future and present and Mandel really kicks that idea up a notch in this novel. So fun to follow the narrative.

The dialogues are real. They feel like human interaction and it’s easy to get invested in them. The literary cadence is effective most times.

the repetition and anxiety of Olive wanting to return home is contagious. And the pang of delivery through a nonchalant conversation that she never made it home is insanely effective. Not to mention that it really shows Gaspery’s character development. If someone is gonna drown they’re gonna drown, to I couldn’t just let her die. It’s good. And the repetition of “this is real” and then the halt of “I’m convincing myself it is”. Also, good.

They’re effective but not necessarily unique.

The ending caught me by surprise.

I was expecting Gaspery’s ending to be the jail sentence Olive found. A nonchalance for a nonchalance. But him being the anomaly and the discrete way of delivering it did catch me by surprise. I keep going back on forth on if it was good to add in Gaspbery’s perspective of interviewing himself. Maybe it fit best to just leave the story at him recognizing his face after the surgery and picking up the violin. However, that would be too cliche. It’s already inching towards the line by having Gaspbery be the anomaly. (Maybe I’m having over reaching cringe from Doctor Who’s time child arc). It’s just kind of flat. I’m also left wondering if it’s proof of a simulation or just the science of a paradox and time travel. The book would’ve been five stars if not just for this.

It’s not easy to write time travel. I don’t care much about the science. I only care about a good timeline and something that isn’t corny. Just good writing, science can be bad. It’s fiction afterall. Madel’s time travel sections are very entertaining.

I really wish this book were longer. I know the plot was centred around the shared experience of all the characters and we did get a good glimpse into the characters lives but I just want more.

Great book, it made me think and added new perspectives into my life.

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