Station Eleven Book Review

A review of Station Eleven that I wrote just to show off that I can write book reviews.

It can be difficult to pick out quality reading material. You might gravitate to the easy read, the casual sci-fi or breezy fantasy, and find yourself hungry for more substance. Or you may seek out the deeper reads, the ones with meaning, the depth and craft of the masters, before finding yourself mired in the effort it takes to finish the book.

Yet if you want the best of all possible worlds, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, a masterful work of apocalyptic fiction. This exceptional novel is a carefully crafted character study, a triumph in speculative fiction, and a treat for the senses. The brilliance with which Mandel weaves together interconnected narratives, flashback sequences and pure exposition will draw you in and hold on long after you have finished the last chapter.

Station Eleven proves Emily St. John Mandel to be a master of her craft. The apparent ease with which she manages multiple characters over multiple timelines would be enough to distinguish her as an award-worthy writer. Coupled with her beautiful prose and innate talent for delivering just the right words at just the right moment, these skillful manipulations of the written word create an absurdly compelling novel that you will not want to put down.

It can be difficult to say exactly what Station Eleven is about. On the surface, it is a tale of a global apocalypse and the beauty of life after the fall of civilization. Yet the book is so much more than a simple end-of-times catastrophe. It is a study in character, a close-up mirror of our daily obsessions, and a subtle examination of modern society. The story is eerie and compelling and beautiful, yet the depth and texture of the novel taken as a whole transcends the story presented in its pages.

Station Eleven is one of a select crop of books suitable for just about anyone old enough to appreciate its beauty. Whether you love grand adventure and science fiction, thrill to a masterful turn of phrase or simply appreciate the artistry of a well-crafted tale, Station Eleven delivers.