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Station Eleven: A Novel (National Book Award Finalist)
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Original price was: $18.00.$11.01Current price is: $11.01.
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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • A PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FINALIST • Set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse—the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. • Now an original series on HBO Max. • Over one million copies sold!
One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century
Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.
Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.
Look for Emily St. John Mandel’s bestselling new novel, Sea of Tranquility!
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Station Eleven: A Novel (National Book Award Finalist)
Price:
Original price was: $18.00.$11.01Current price is: $11.01.
Samuel E. Wagar –
I am late getting to this but I just finished this exceptional, beautiful, profound work. A novel which broadly concerns the importance of art and culture in making a meaningful life – set just before and after a great pandemic kills 99% of humanity. Interlocking stories of characters connected through an actor whose death of a heart attack occurs on the day the pandemic hits Toronto – a child actress, his ex-wives, his best friend, a paramedic who tries to save him, his son. And a travelling company of musicians and actors who have a circuit around the Great Lakes playing symphonic music and performing Shakespeare in the tiny settlements of survivors. Mandel describes ordinary things with such beauty, as she sets them in the context of the great disaster and social collapse – how ordinary things like the telephone, coffee at a coffee shop, are made strange because a few days later the plague will hit, how the small moments become significant in the light of death.
C. E. Stevens –
There is much to like about Station Eleven. The writing is engaging, clear, and–considering the post-apocalyptic context–very beautiful. Mandel switches between different perspectives and time in a smooth and seamless manner. Main characters are reasonably well-developed (although there are some critical exceptions). The premise is not altogether novel (I had to chuckle a bit when Mandel, seeming to break the fourth wall a bit, notes that usually this kind of tale involves zombies), but I thought Mandel’s take on the “post-apocalypse” was fresh–specifically, her deliberate avoidance of the darkest year or two after the pandemic, the focus on individuals’ inner thoughts, regrets, and desires, and the slightly more esoteric focus on arts and “civilization” rather than the more immediate task of surviving (indeed, the “survival is insufficient” mantra pretty much captures the spirit of the whole novel). Overall, it’s a page-turner but also thought-provoking at the same time.
On the other hand, I thought there were some flaws as well. None were fatal on their own, but added together, they did lessen the impact of the book below what it had the potential to be. In fact, most could be thought of as caveats to the strong points I mentioned above. While I did admire Mandel’s attempts to go above/beyond the day-to-day “survival” aspect of the post-apocalypse, this also did lessen my ability to really grasp/believe/feel the world that she has created. Other than the danger presented by the prophet and his crew, there is no real sense of danger or adversity for the main characters in the story. At worst, they complain about the heat. In a world that fits the literal definition of “anarchy”, the idea of a band of traveling actors/musicians just seems implausible … almost laughable (granted, there are no zombies here, but this group would be lucky to survive a day in the world of the Walking Dead). At the very least, much more detail is needed to answer the questions that will surely nag at the reader. On the other hand, given that a full two decades have passed, it is surprising that more progress hasn’t been made to restore civilization (*especially* if the world is as generally peaceful as Mandel portrays it to be). To be frank, Mandel seems more interested in filling in the *pre*-apocalyptic “past” of Arthur Leander and his associates than that of the *post*-apocalyptic “present.” While both were interesting, and fit together in a vague “everything is connected / you make your own fate” kind of way, it leaves the reader a little unclear what Mandel is trying to say exactly. Mandel sets herself up nicely for a deep exploration of the desire to preserve what you have versus to create something new (this is basically the main theme of the Station Eleven comic), but this just didn’t come through that strongly in the actual/non-comic story. This focus on both “before” and “after” also hurts the pacing of the story. Although the “pre” world is the better developed story, these reminisces on the past put the brakes on the faster-paced, more suspenseful “present”.
Many of the characters were pretty well fleshed out (for whatever reason, Clark was a favorite of mine) but others were either underdeveloped or underutilized. “The prophet” is perhaps the main example. Given the prophet’s age and the centrality of Arthur Leander, an attentive reader will figure out his identity pretty much as soon as he is introduced, yet Mandel spends a long time making the reveal official. Moreover, oddly, he is one of the few characters that we never see things from his perspective (maybe because there is little to see?). What’s the saying about a story being only as good as its villain? Unfortunately, that’s a problem for this story … the prophet has no worldview, no real philosophy … just self-aggrandizing megalomania. In general, while we get to know a half dozen or so people quite well (Arthur, Clark, Miranda, Kirsten), most others are hard to really care about positively or negatively–especially in the post-apocalypse.
This seems like a lot of complaining, but overall I did like the book. I just didn’t finish it as moved or as intellectually stimulated/challenged as I hoped. The description on Amazon calls this book “audacious” … but is it really? There are many books dealing with apocalyptic themes, and it seems like these days more books shift between different times and perspectives than don’t … while Mandel’s voice is unique, this book is also surprisingly “safe” on a number of fronts. Perhaps my expectations were just a bit too high … I liked this book, but I just didn’t love it as much as I hoped I would.
Susana –
La caracterización de los personajes es impecable y el cierre de la trama,incluso con varias líneas temporales, es perfecto. Me ha encantado
Keyla D. –
Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven is a masterful exploration of humanity’s sense of self-preservation and survival, the power of art, and the connections that bind us. At the heart of this novel is Kirsten Raymonde, whose journey from childhood to adulthood in a post-apocalyptic world is inspiring.
Introduced as a young actress in the final performance of King Lear before the Georgia Flu pandemic devastates civilization, Kirsten is thrust into a wild world. Yet, even amidst the collapse of society, her passion for the arts remains undiminished. This duality—her will to live and her dedication to preserving art—defines her character and provides the novel with a heart.
As a member of the Travelling Symphony, Kirsten traverses the remnants of civilization, performing Shakespearean plays for scattered communities. The Symphony’s motto, “Survival is insufficient,” taken from an episode of Star trek Voyager, encapsulates the belief that life must be about more than mere survival; it must also encompass the richness of human experience, creativity, and connection.
Kirsten’s journey is marked by her quest to piece together her fragmented memories of the past, particularly those of her time with the actor Arthur Leander, whose death coincides with the pandemic’s onset and who’s the connection between all characters even if he’s dead. He’s also the link with the comic book Station Eleven by Miranda Carroll, the first of Arthur’s ex-wives. This narrative thread underscores the novel’s theme of the interconnectedness of all human lives, even in the face of societal collapse.
Mandel’s portrayal of Kirsten is nuanced and deeply human. Her strength and vulnerability, her moments of reflection and action, create a character who is both relatable and heroic. Kirsten’s growth throughout the novel, from a child struggling to understand a shattered world to a woman determined to find meaning within it, is profoundly moving.
Station Eleven is a triumph of literary fiction. Mandel’s exquisite prose and richly layered narrative make this novel a must-read for anyone seeking a story that beautifully balances despair and hope, isolation and connection, destruction and creation.
Pat –
What was before and what came after: a post-apocalyptic world where art, culture, kindness and nostalgia can offer hope to make a new future. This book will stay with me far longer than other novels I have read and made me reminiscent of Heller’s The Dog Stars, yet another wonderful page-turner.
Ana –
Me encantó este libro, a pesar de ser una distopía guarda esperanza, amor, suspenso, de todo. Varias historias unidas por un mismo hilo, y dadas las circunstancias actuales de pandemia, uno puede evitar quedar agradecido, podía haber sido peor.
Em –
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
I was recommended this book by a friend and I’m so glad that I was as it was such a beautifully crafted novel which is set against the backdrop of a devastating flu pandemic which not only wipes out most of the worlds population but also rapidly plunges the modern world into collapse without internet, communications and electricity.
The story opens with the sudden death of actor Arthur Leander on stage during a performance of King Lear. As the narrative unfolds we are introduced to a diverse cast of characters including child actor Kirsten Raymonde who is performing alongside Arthur, and then later is a member of the Travelling Symphony – a group dedicated to preserving art and culture in the post-apocalyptic world. The Symphony’s motto “Survival is insufficient” (a Star Trek quote) encapsulates the central theme – the need for more than mere survival in the face of catastrophe.
The story weaves together multiple storylines and timelines, mainly pre and post pandemic, is such an easy way to follow, and links between the characters are discovered as the story progresses which adds another layer to the narrative. We follow the stories of Arthur, his ex-wives, his friend Clark, Kirsten, and Jeevan, as well as the mysterious Prophet.
I found Mandel’s writing style really lyrical which captured the eerie beauty of an abandoned world, whilst also delving deeply into the characters inner lives. The story not only explores the dystopian world, but also memory and nostalgia as characters frequently reflect on their pre-collapse lives, with flashbacks that provide context and depth to their current struggles. The contrast between past and present underscores the profound loss experienced by the survivors as well as their resilience and adaptability.