This novel has one of the best opening chapters ever. Arthur Leander, a well-known actor, has a
heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. A paramedic-in-training named Jeevan rushes
to help him, but his efforts are ultimately unsuccessful. Then several of Arthur’s acquaintances
congregate in a bar to trade stories about Arthur, and the author stuns us with
the promise that all of the people in the conversation will be dead within
three weeks. We soon learn that a deadly
flu with an incredibly short incubation time is sweeping the world. A friend warns Jeevan, who immediately
stockpiles food and water and holes up with his disabled brother. Meanwhile, Clark, a longtime friend of
Arthur’s, lands in a Michigan airport after his flight is diverted, due to the
epidemic. All of the main characters are
like spokes on a wheel with Arthur as the hub.
In addition to Clark and Jeevan, they include Arthur’s first ex-wife,
Miranda, and Kirsten, a child actor. The
action of the novel jumps around in time, covering the characters’ lives both
before the epidemic and in the aftermath--a post-apocalyptic society in which
none of the infrastructure has survived.
Kirsten belongs to a troupe called the Traveling Symphony, which moves
from outpost to outpost giving musical and theatrical performances. They have a customary route which passes
through a town that has now been subjugated to the terroristic rule of a religious
nut known as “the prophet,” who threatens anyone who tries to leave without his
permission. Some reviewers have
complained that this novel is not dark and frightening enough, given the
circumstances, but the prophet and his minions provide enough horror for
me. The author does a wonderful job of
keeping hope alive for both characters and readers, and, despite the
non-sequential timeline, I found the book very easy to follow. At the end, I wanted to keep on journeying
with these characters who had lost so much, but, at the same time, I would not
want to trade worlds with them.Wednesday, February 11, 2015
STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel
This novel has one of the best opening chapters ever. Arthur Leander, a well-known actor, has a
heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. A paramedic-in-training named Jeevan rushes
to help him, but his efforts are ultimately unsuccessful. Then several of Arthur’s acquaintances
congregate in a bar to trade stories about Arthur, and the author stuns us with
the promise that all of the people in the conversation will be dead within
three weeks. We soon learn that a deadly
flu with an incredibly short incubation time is sweeping the world. A friend warns Jeevan, who immediately
stockpiles food and water and holes up with his disabled brother. Meanwhile, Clark, a longtime friend of
Arthur’s, lands in a Michigan airport after his flight is diverted, due to the
epidemic. All of the main characters are
like spokes on a wheel with Arthur as the hub.
In addition to Clark and Jeevan, they include Arthur’s first ex-wife,
Miranda, and Kirsten, a child actor. The
action of the novel jumps around in time, covering the characters’ lives both
before the epidemic and in the aftermath--a post-apocalyptic society in which
none of the infrastructure has survived.
Kirsten belongs to a troupe called the Traveling Symphony, which moves
from outpost to outpost giving musical and theatrical performances. They have a customary route which passes
through a town that has now been subjugated to the terroristic rule of a religious
nut known as “the prophet,” who threatens anyone who tries to leave without his
permission. Some reviewers have
complained that this novel is not dark and frightening enough, given the
circumstances, but the prophet and his minions provide enough horror for
me. The author does a wonderful job of
keeping hope alive for both characters and readers, and, despite the
non-sequential timeline, I found the book very easy to follow. At the end, I wanted to keep on journeying
with these characters who had lost so much, but, at the same time, I would not
want to trade worlds with them.
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