To preface this review, if you do not enjoy solving jigsaw Puzzles stop reading, because you will likely not enjoy Station Eleven. But if you happen to be reading this for any reason other than that you are deciding whether to read this book, continue on.
Station Eleven is a science fiction novel released in 2014 by Emily St. John Mandel about an epidemic of a fictional disease called the “Georgia Flu”. The book is non-chronological and follows various characters preceding, during and after the outbreak. The story centers around Arthur, a renowned stage actor, and his death, by following his life leading up to his heart attack on stage. The book also narrates the lives of the characters surrounding him and those impacted by him after his death. Station Eleven is unique in its voice, structuring and symbolism, although it may leave readers feeling unsatisfied due to a lack of meaning.
The book is non-sequential, which lets the author reveal and hide details about the outbreak the way she wants to, forcing readers to piece the full picture gradually. This is helpful because the author seems to rely on the reader’s ignorance to create suspense and mystery. For instance, in the first few chapters of the book, the ‘Museum of Civilization’ is often mentioned without giving off details about who runs it or why it exists. The prophet is another example, since readers are left wondering who he is and how he is related to the story. The drawback of this style of writing is that the storyline becomes convoluted and can confuse readers, especially since the book follows multiple storylines. Nevertheless, the author is effective in making the book enjoyable to the readers in this sense, forcing readers to put the full chronological story together.
As unique and elaborate of a story Station Eleven is, it lacks a moral or deeper meaning overall. Yes, the book is full of symbolism, from the comics symbolizing nostalgia and memory to the paperweight symbolizing the weight Kirsten seems to carry around. However, the book leaves the reader feeling unsatisfied, having no clear moral to the story. The book makes a complicated mess of storylines and anecdotes and then ties everything together in the end with no loose ends. It makes readers feel as if the complexity of the story was unnecessary and gave no meaning to the book.
In terms of voice, the book generally had a very straightforward, serious tone, although one exception was the letters written by Arthur in chapter 25. These letters are significant in the book in terms of voice because unlike the rest of the book, they are written by one of the characters themselves. Through voice, the letters reveal a lot about Arthur and the way he felt as he wrote them. Arthur’s first letter is orderly and well thought out which is shown by its structure and diction. It is casual and conversational, since words are repeated for emphasis and contractions are used. In terms of syntax, sentences flow well by lengthening and shortening in the right places. This shows us that Arthur is well and composed as he writes this letter. As we go onto the second, third and especially fourth letter, this order falls apart. Sentences grow longer as if Arthur is recalling the events with V in sentiment. Each paragraph seems to drag on and on, without any variation in sentence length, showing deepness in thought. The fourth letter is merely one long, awkward sentence. The sentence joins three independent clauses with ‘and’, sounding disjointed and abrupt. However, it immediately sums up what Arthur is feeling at that moment. It shows that Arthur feels distressed and wants to express his emotions as quickly as possible. It is unique how Mandel uses letters to give the readers insight into Arthur’s emotions, and she does this by altering the syntax, diction and structure in the character’s writing.
Overall Station Eleven is a decent book and is enjoyable in a sense that readers can enjoy a complex storyline and piece together details as the author gradually reveals them. The book is generally well written and contains many unique and interesting passages in terms of voice and symbolism. However, it does not provide an overarching moral as most books do and can leave the reader feeling unsatisfied. The book should be appreciated in its complexity and uniqueness rather than in any message that the author may convey, almost like a jigsaw puzzle.
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