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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
I enjoyed this way more than I was expecting! It all came together right at the end
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I did not enjoy much about this book. I gave it three stars because it is well-written with beautiful imagery. This review may contain some minor spoilers!
The bad: the story skipped around. whole pieces were completely irrelevant to the story. characters weren't developed to the point where they seemed like a bunch of characteristics applied to cardboard cutouts. The bad guy story line was weak to the point it could have been left out entirely. I think the author created at least a dozen 'major' characters to show how people are interlinked (the seminal point of the story) and it would have been fine as a description of what matters when nearly everyone dies. It's best as a reminder of what is miraculous about the world that we take for granted and that we will miss if the world ends. They shamelessly ripped off a line from Star Trek just to pull in the Star Trek junkies. I listened to the audio book and it was read by a woman. Not my favorite, but not so bad I couldn't listen to it.
The good: Miranda. Miranda was beautifully developed and if I look at this book as being about her, it makes it worth a 3-star rating. Her loneliness and strangeness made her capable of creating something that gave people at the end of the world hope. who would have thought it would be in the form of a comic book? I was genuinely sad that she died alone after dragging herself out to the beach in search of help. What kept me reading were little details and I was surprised when things mentioned before showed up in the narrative. The horror of that last plane that landed that no one ever got off of. I'll have nightmares about that. Clark including stilettos in his museum of civilization. That was great. That's about it.
I'm not angry that I read it (like I sometimes am when I read something flat-out worthless), but I don't understand why people think it's the best book ever.
The bad: the story skipped around. whole pieces were completely irrelevant to the story. characters weren't developed to the point where they seemed like a bunch of characteristics applied to cardboard cutouts. The bad guy story line was weak to the point it could have been left out entirely. I think the author created at least a dozen 'major' characters to show how people are interlinked (the seminal point of the story) and it would have been fine as a description of what matters when nearly everyone dies. It's best as a reminder of what is miraculous about the world that we take for granted and that we will miss if the world ends. They shamelessly ripped off a line from Star Trek just to pull in the Star Trek junkies. I listened to the audio book and it was read by a woman. Not my favorite, but not so bad I couldn't listen to it.
The good: Miranda. Miranda was beautifully developed and if I look at this book as being about her, it makes it worth a 3-star rating. Her loneliness and strangeness made her capable of creating something that gave people at the end of the world hope. who would have thought it would be in the form of a comic book? I was genuinely sad that she died alone after dragging herself out to the beach in search of help. What kept me reading were little details and I was surprised when things mentioned before showed up in the narrative. The horror of that last plane that landed that no one ever got off of. I'll have nightmares about that. Clark including stilettos in his museum of civilization. That was great. That's about it.
I'm not angry that I read it (like I sometimes am when I read something flat-out worthless), but I don't understand why people think it's the best book ever.
This book is like reality TV. Nothing really happens; you just hear about people's lives. Fine but didn't live up to the hype.
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I find myself enjoying these types of stories where we follow lots of different characters with seemingly separate journeys and then finding out how all their paths have converged. I will say that I prefer when the connections between characters are a bit more suprising; in this book, the overlaps were pretty predictable. I enjoyed the conversations around hope and taking pleasure in the small things though. And I thought Miranda's storyline with being an artist was especially well done. I'm interested in picking up other books by this author and maybe even watching the TV adaptation now.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
I decided to read this book after watching the HBO series of the same name. The show is so much better than the book by the way, but I can see how the book itself did a great job of telling the story.
Station Eleven is told from multiple perspectives and is about a flu pandemic that wipes out 99% of the world’s population. Society essentially collapses resulting in people forming small groups to protect themselves. One of these groups is the Traveling Symphony which is composed of actors and musicians dedicated to preserving the arts.
The book spans multiple years and jumps from before the pandemic to 20 years after the pandemic. I enjoyed how the author wrote about the fall and how each of the characters were connected. I think this part of the story is something that the HBO series did a much better job at depicting. There’s not much action but there is plenty of drama and I found the book to be interesting overall - 4 stars!
Station Eleven is told from multiple perspectives and is about a flu pandemic that wipes out 99% of the world’s population. Society essentially collapses resulting in people forming small groups to protect themselves. One of these groups is the Traveling Symphony which is composed of actors and musicians dedicated to preserving the arts.
The book spans multiple years and jumps from before the pandemic to 20 years after the pandemic. I enjoyed how the author wrote about the fall and how each of the characters were connected. I think this part of the story is something that the HBO series did a much better job at depicting. There’s not much action but there is plenty of drama and I found the book to be interesting overall - 4 stars!
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
“Station Eleven” was pleasantly unexpected. This story is one of appreciating the present moment and the little details that make life worthwhile. It merges the classic, post-apocalyptic desolation of a wiped out civilization with themes of hope, art, and beauty, bouncing between an eccentric cast in a pre-pandemic world, and the post-pandemic Travelling Symphony, propelled by the motto: “Survival is Insufficient.”
As someone who loves apocalyptic literature, I enjoyed the unique approach that “Station Eleven” takes. I typically favor nonlinear narratives, and really like the loose and interconnected storylines in this book. I think St. John Mandel mostly accomplished what she set out to do here, which was to spread a message of positivity; at the same time, I think the vagueness makes the book feel a bit empty.
The shifting chronology and emphasis on broader themes limits character development and world-building, causing the landscape to feel less immersive and more like a backdrop that’s simply there. There’s not much of a plot beyond character conflict, and I didn’t find myself emotionally invested in any of the characters lives, despite wanting to be.
All in all, “Station Eleven” is a solid book about humanity and hope. I can see why people would love it. It’s well written, but the story stays fairly surface level.
As someone who loves apocalyptic literature, I enjoyed the unique approach that “Station Eleven” takes. I typically favor nonlinear narratives, and really like the loose and interconnected storylines in this book. I think St. John Mandel mostly accomplished what she set out to do here, which was to spread a message of positivity; at the same time, I think the vagueness makes the book feel a bit empty.
The shifting chronology and emphasis on broader themes limits character development and world-building, causing the landscape to feel less immersive and more like a backdrop that’s simply there. There’s not much of a plot beyond character conflict, and I didn’t find myself emotionally invested in any of the characters lives, despite wanting to be.
All in all, “Station Eleven” is a solid book about humanity and hope. I can see why people would love it. It’s well written, but the story stays fairly surface level.
something incredibly eerie reading a book about a pandemic written pre-pandemic after living through a pandemic.