Scan barcode
A review by asterope
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
emotional
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Okay, now I'm glad I read these in publication order. Spoiler tags are for both this book and The Glass Hotel! (I love the ESJM literary universe).
When I was only 20% in, my mind was already well and truly boggled. This book got going a lot quicker than I expected.What a lovely surprise to hear from Paul, Vincent and Mirella again, and from a parallel timeline at that!
The anomaly was intriguing even from that first section, but how it escalated over the timeline was delightful. I was completely enthralled. But obviously it helps that I read The Glass Hotel first.
This is the first time I've read a fiction book that mentions Covid (I think). It weirded me out at first. Especially when characters make premonitory comments about it. It gave me the same unsettling feeling I get when I listen to old podcast episodes from just before the pandemic and they have no idea what's about to happen. But as the book and its themes unfolded, I ended up enjoying the scenes of Olive’s experiences with the pandemic in 2203. These were clearly influenced by ESJM’s time in the Covid lockdown. There was something oddly comforting about her thoughts on that shared experience: “Turns out reality is more important than we thought.”
I haven't got much else to say about the writing that I didn't already cover in the previous reviews. It's so gorgeous!
This book felt like a lovely sort-of-sequel to TGH, but with more characters and a creative plot that revolves around time travel.We even got a little closure (of a sort) for Vincent and Mirella’s friendship. That scene in the bar from TGH shook me to my core.
The new characters are just as fascinating. I really liked Gaspery and felt a fair amount of kinship with him. He had some of the best lines: “‘You should have told me my cat was a time traveler.’
‘Honestly, Gaspery, what difference would it make. A cat's a cat.’
‘You never were an animal person, were you.’”
The way the threads flow throughout the book and then fit together at the end was super rewarding. I’m glad it didn't over-explain and offer an answer to the big question the characters are investigating.
In a few short weeks, ESJM has convinced me to read anything she writes. Sea of Tranquility has set the bar very high for me. It's definitely my favourite book of hers so far.
When I was only 20% in, my mind was already well and truly boggled. This book got going a lot quicker than I expected.
The anomaly was intriguing even from that first section, but how it escalated over the timeline was delightful. I was completely enthralled. But obviously it helps that I read The Glass Hotel first.
This is the first time I've read a fiction book that mentions Covid (I think). It weirded me out at first. Especially when characters make premonitory comments about it. It gave me the same unsettling feeling I get when I listen to old podcast episodes from just before the pandemic and they have no idea what's about to happen. But as the book and its themes unfolded, I ended up enjoying the scenes of Olive’s experiences with the pandemic in 2203. These were clearly influenced by ESJM’s time in the Covid lockdown. There was something oddly comforting about her thoughts on that shared experience: “Turns out reality is more important than we thought.”
I haven't got much else to say about the writing that I didn't already cover in the previous reviews. It's so gorgeous!
This book felt like a lovely sort-of-sequel to TGH, but with more characters and a creative plot that revolves around time travel.
The new characters are just as fascinating. I really liked Gaspery and felt a fair amount of kinship with him. He had some of the best lines: “‘You should have told me my cat was a time traveler.’
‘Honestly, Gaspery, what difference would it make. A cat's a cat.’
‘You never were an animal person, were you.’”
The way the threads flow throughout the book and then fit together at the end was super rewarding. I’m glad it didn't over-explain and offer an answer to the big question the characters are investigating.
In a few short weeks, ESJM has convinced me to read anything she writes. Sea of Tranquility has set the bar very high for me. It's definitely my favourite book of hers so far.