Review: "Station Eleven," by Emily St. John Mandel

So upon consideration, I've settled upon 4 stars rather than 5. Why? Although this was a really good book, it did lack just a little somethin-somethin that will keep me thinking about it for many years to come, me thinks. Here's why that may be: Station Eleven is a beautifully written novel, at times thrilling and page-turning, at times wistful, and at other times sort of, kind of, touching. However, I think the powerful effect of this novel which was felt by so many readers was destined for ruin on me from the get-go. The reason is, quite simply, that I've read books like it that have been just slightly better and more memorable. Which ones come to mind? The Stand is probably the more obvious one. But while reading Station Eleven, all I kept thinking about were two literary gems written by the renowned Canadian author Margaret Atwood: Oryx and Crake and The Blind Assassin (both of which I unreservedly recommend for reading). In Oryx and Crake, Atwood wrote about the end of the world just a bit more creatively than Mandel did, in my opinion. Further, the characters in Oryx and Crake were more fleshed out, which allowed for a deeper connection between character and reader. And then there was this idea of a story within a story, which is present in both Station Eleven and The Blind Assassin. Again, I feel it was executed just a bit better in The Blind Assassin. I think perhaps the flaw in Station Eleven is that it just wasn't long enough. There wasn't enough time for me to care about any of the characters, if I'm being honest. And it's a shame, because the story was cool; I'd have gladly followed the Travelling Symphony for a couple hundred more pages if Mandel had given them to me. Gladly. And I would have gladly read more about the people living in Severn City Airport. There's something to be said, even credited, for leaving the reader wanting more...but I was left with literary blue balls in this case. Now, although that sounds like a ton of criticism, I still really enjoyed this take on the 'end of the world' genre of fiction. Mandel is a damn talented writer, the chops are there for sure. And although I feel like there was a bit too much left unsaid, the technique of hopping back and forth between past and present created a fast-paced, thrilling read. There really wasn't a dull moment in this novel, and I found myself binge-reading this thing 100 pages at a time. Mandel has pretty much made it a certainty that I'll be buying another one of her books. I really liked that Mandel explored this idea of art being the one thing that survives tragedy. It's something I've always said to people myself; that as technologies and materialistic things come and go in the world, art is the one constant, it's the one thing that sustains in the human experience. I often think that art and love are the same thing, they're really all that matters. Beyond fear and death, there's just art and love. And the Travelling Symphony is the manifestation of this idea in Station Eleven. They travel around giving people the one thing that they can still enjoy even after such tragedy - art in the form of plays. Just love it. Last thing I want to say is, Emily, if you're out there, give us Station Eleven in real life! Recommended read. Onward.