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A review by vigil
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
this novel did so much work in such a short time, i'm not sure where to begin reviewing it. with that said however, if you have any trouble with properly understanding or staying grounded in reality (paranoia, or psychosis for example), and perceived threats to your idea of reality are destabilizing to your person, do not read this book. it delves heavily into time travel, the concept of reality, circular timelines, what makes something real and what doesn't, (then as a follow up, what that means) in ways that can be triggering to anyone sensitive to that.
this could technically be considered a pandemic novel, though i find the description somewhat inaccurate, because it is too limiting. it opens with multiple perspectives across time, ones that are ostensibly disparate, leaving their only thread that ties them together is a shared unexplainable experience. that single moment serves as the jumping off point for themes of death, loneliness, reality, life, and compassion. ESJM expertly weaved this plotlines together in a way that read as natural and effortless. ESJM has a way with words that sacrifices neither poetics nor clarity and emotion. I appreciated her insights and even authorial stand in (in the form of olive) because they always felt precise and free of the contriteness that often occurs with self-inserts.
and on a personal level i adored the settings, and the time she took in showcasing how it would impact the individual character's outlooks, while establishing a strong and immersive atmosphere, especially in the time travel scenes, and chapters set in the moon colonies.
i find it difficult to truly discuss this book without spoilers so i'll close with this: the novel paints a picture that is perhaps more ominous than what truly occurs. i don't know if i could call it a happy ending, (or what that even means) but it is definitely a hopeful one, or at least content. it gives no answers and full closure; i truly cannot imagine the book ending in any other manner.
this could technically be considered a pandemic novel, though i find the description somewhat inaccurate, because it is too limiting. it opens with multiple perspectives across time, ones that are ostensibly disparate, leaving their only thread that ties them together is a shared unexplainable experience. that single moment serves as the jumping off point for themes of death, loneliness, reality, life, and compassion. ESJM expertly weaved this plotlines together in a way that read as natural and effortless. ESJM has a way with words that sacrifices neither poetics nor clarity and emotion. I appreciated her insights and even authorial stand in (in the form of olive) because they always felt precise and free of the contriteness that often occurs with self-inserts.
and on a personal level i adored the settings, and the time she took in showcasing how it would impact the individual character's outlooks, while establishing a strong and immersive atmosphere, especially in the time travel scenes, and chapters set in the moon colonies.
i find it difficult to truly discuss this book without spoilers so i'll close with this: the novel paints a picture that is perhaps more ominous than what truly occurs. i don't know if i could call it a happy ending, (or what that even means) but it is definitely a hopeful one, or at least content. it gives no answers and full closure; i truly cannot imagine the book ending in any other manner.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, War, Death, and Forced institutionalization