An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse, Station Eleven tells 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. A National Book Award FinalistA PEN/Faulkner Award Finalist Kirsten Raymonde will never forget …
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 new novel, The Glass Hotel, available in March.
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Wasn’t sure about this one from the description, but I love post-apocalyptic fiction, so I gave it a chance. A beautiful and unconventional piece of writing moving back and forth through time and showing the connections of those who survived (or didn’t survive) the end of the world.
One of my favorite books, ever.
I love post-apocalyptic stories but not necessarily horror: at their best, they cast a critical eye on civilization by showing us a society before and after.
Station Eleven takes out the biological horror and its immediate aftermath to focus on the more insidious horrors of those who still haven’t learned to live-and-let-live.
Moreover, it’s …
A refreshing twist among post apocalyptic stories. Well written.
I loved this book. A beautiful study of who we are now through the lens of who we might become.
Oh, I loved this book, which was a recommendation from my local library. Both haunting and lovely, Station Eleven sucked me right in to its post-apocalyptic world. The author manages to reveal real beauty amid complete destruction.
In Station Eleven, a band of traveling musicians and actors traverse what’s left of the US after a pandemic. Though …
/ 5
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is not going to be for everyone, but I was just completely fascinated by it!
What it’s about: In a world that has mostly been wiped out by something similar to the Georgia Flu, we follow a troupe of performers called the Traveling Symphony around what remains. There is violence, but mostly …
When people ask for a good read that’s off the beaten path, I always start with Station Eleven. I’ve thought about scenes in Station Eleven at least once a week since first reading it around 2013. This novel is beautifully weird. It’s thoughtful and slow burning. It’s a little spooky but not scary. It holds life up to a microscope and studies it …
Station Eleven was well written and the author did a great job weaving together the different tales. The novel was strongly reminiscent of The Stand but at a third of the length. The ending was anti-climactic and fell a bit flat for me.
This book sucked me in from the first page. The airport scenes were so realistic.
Great sci-fi story about the end of the world, almost, due to a vicious flu outbreak. Unexpected twists. Fast read. Quite plausible.
One of the most original post-apocalyptic books I’ve ever read.
Excellent read. It was hard to put down and I almost read the entire book in one sitting. Wonderfully written–the stories weave together so perfectly yet do not seem contrived. One of my all-time favorite novels.
A convoluted story, full of mystery and secrets, a very unique and interesting Dystopian, post apocalyptic world has been created here. I was fully intrigued and really enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
I was snooping around NPR’s “Stateside” website and came across a story about Station Eleven, the Great Michigan Read choice for 2015-2016. The book was up for the 2014 National Book Award and was on the 2014 Top 10 lists for Time magazine, the Washington Post, and Amazon. I went online and found it for $5.99 on iTunes Books and read it in two …
I read it a while back, but the descriptions of the state of the world, of communities, and of cravings of the people left behind by tragedy all jumped from the page.
Civilization has collapsed from disease. The population has dwindled by 6 million people from a terrible, fast moving flu. The ones that are left and struggling to survive. The book takes place 15 years after the collapse. Before the flu, a famous actor named Arthur, dies on stage. A young actress, named Kirsten, watches in horror. That …
very different but good plot.
Yay! A woman author of scifi is recognized for her talents! Another tale that is only one moment different from our own. We could have this same experience… scary.
On the surface, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is a post-apocalyptic novel revolving around a woman named Kirsten Raymonde who witnessed the death of Arthur Leander, a famous Hollywood actor, who had heart attack while performing in a stage production of King Lear. Also, a flu pandemic arrives into the city on that same night throwing …