Station Eleven
by Emily St. John Mandel
It’s nice to reconnect with an alum who served in the RA
position, and it’s even better when they share an all-time favorite book to
read. I thoroughly enjoyed Station Eleven written by Emily St. John
Mandel. It tells of an epidemic, the Georgian flu, that devastates the world, killing most of the population. The book begins at a Shakespearean play
where the lead, King Lear, dies of a heart attack and moves from pre- to post-Georgian
flu to fill in the background. Arthur
Leander (King Lear), Jeevan Chaudhary (the paramedic in the audience who tries
to save him), Kirsten Raymonde (a child actress in the show), Miranda Carroll
(Arthur’s first wife), Clark Thompson (Arthur’s lawyer), and Tyler Leander
(Arthur’s young son from his second wife) are all part of the story. It describes
their days in Toronto (pre-epidemic) and their journey to the Great Lakes area,
where the characters who live through the flu epidemic fill in what happened to
get where they are now. Mandel’s story
grabbed my attention early, and I loved how I learned more about the
twenty-year change in the world.
Exceedingly well-written with characters who are eager to share their
story. A science-fiction graphic novel with
a very unexpected outcome. Can fiction
actually come to life? This one is a
must read. I love when the author is
able to build multiple stories within one book…. Well done!
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