Station Eleven - Iridescent Reads for Aotearoa Bookwyrms

French language

Published March 25, 2016

ISBN:: 9782743637552

(1 review)

Station Eleven is a novel by the Canadian writer Emily St. John Mandel. It takes place in the Great Lakes region before and after a fictional swine flu pandemic, known as the "Georgia Flu,” has devastated the world, killing most of the population. The book was published in 2014, and won the Arthur C. Clarke Award the following year.The novel was well received by critics, with the understated nature of Mandel's writing receiving particular praise. It appeared on several best-of-year lists. As of 2020, it had sold 1.5 million copies.A ten-part television adaptation of the same name premiered on HBO Max in December 2021. The book was selected for the 2023 edition of Canada Reads, where it will be championed by Michael Greyeyes.

6 editions

Soulhaven (Deb E Howell) reviewed Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Review of 'Station Eleven' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

Enjoyed the journeys well enough. I am left with a couple of questions, though, especially in light of people saying this story highlights the importance or power of art. My big question, then, is: Why does there seem to be no NEW art? The Symphony performs Shakespeare, already hundreds of years old. And then a few people in the world are connected by a couple of comic books also created pre-pandemic. I wondered where the new art might be (carvings in trees? Drawings with charcoal? People are resourceful.

Also, I was quite surprised by how little nature had moved back in. Fifteen years and cars were still sitting on roads without any growth over them. I mean, where birds poop, plants grow. Ever left a car sitting for a few months, to a year? How often have you seen a car with moss beginning to grow around wing mirrors? It …

Enjoyed the journeys well enough. I am left with a couple of questions, though, especially in light of people saying this story highlights the importance or power of art. My big question, then, is: Why does there seem to be no NEW art? The Symphony performs Shakespeare, already hundreds of years old. And then a few people in the world are connected by a couple of comic books also created pre-pandemic. I wondered where the new art might be (carvings in trees? Drawings with charcoal? People are resourceful.

Also, I was quite surprised by how little nature had moved back in. Fifteen years and cars were still sitting on roads without any growth over them. I mean, where birds poop, plants grow. Ever left a car sitting for a few months, to a year? How often have you seen a car with moss beginning to grow around wing mirrors? It doesn't take long, not in a damp temperate zone, anyway. Granted every micro-climate is different.

It's likely because we are in the middle of a real pandemic (thankfully less deadly than the one in this book) and we can see the immediate effect it has on nature when humans just stop that I was highly aware that nature didn't really feature in this book.