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emma's Reviews > Station Eleven
Station Eleven
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emma's review
bookshelves: non-ya, owned, literary-fiction, gorgeous-covers, dystopian, sci-fi, beautifully-written, diverse, recommend, favorites-2018, 5-stars, reviewed
Nov 01, 2018
bookshelves: non-ya, owned, literary-fiction, gorgeous-covers, dystopian, sci-fi, beautifully-written, diverse, recommend, favorites-2018, 5-stars, reviewed
This book is so beautiful.
I am not even talking about the cover - although actually, let’s take a second to talk about the cover. LOOK AT THIS COVER! Are you seeing it? So lovely. So so pretty. Looooook aaaaaaattttt itttttttt.
Okay, now that we’ve done that.
This book is so beautiful.
I don’t know what I expected. I honestly don’t really know why I picked this up, besides the aforementioned pretty-cover thing. I’m not a huge sci-fi person. I’m definitely not a huge post-apocalyptic dystopian person. (We all lived through the time when YA just seemed like different iterations of the exact same dystopian plotline. Like, were there not at least two years in which every YA book was the Hunger Games and Divergent under a different title, but somehow increasingly bland? Anyway.)
I don’t know what tempted me to pick this up, but good golly am I glad I did. (And good golly am I sorry I just used the term “good golly.”)
Because, again, this book is so, so beautiful.
It’s gorgeously written. Every time I stumble across a beautifully written book, I feel so lucky about it. It’s hard to stumble upon truly lovely prose, and I certainly never expected it from an Apocalypse Book, but holy sh*t is it what I received. The writing is enchanting.
It’s also gorgeously characterized. There are a lot of characters in this book, many of whom are introduced all at once, and many of whom get very little coverage in the book. But somehow……..none of them feel flat. They’re not easy to confuse with one another. Somehow, without your noticing, this book will get you to care about a dozen or so people. (And they really feel like people.)
And its themes are gorgeous, too. I can’t imagine anyone coming out of this story and not feeling newly in love with life and with the world. Civilization just seems so wondrous after this. I looked at so many commonplace things in a whole new light.
This book is sad, and lovely, and exciting, and slow, and true, and earnest, and caring, and sweet, and cruel, and real, and above all it is so, so beautiful.
Bottom line: Everything about this is an unexpected gift.
----------------
pre-review
i am Overwhelmed by Beauty and Meaning and Good Things and there is simply no way i can really rate this at this time, let alone review it.
review (& final rating) to come, when i've redeveloped some semblance of personhood
----------------
tbr review
honestly can't believe i've waited so long to read a book with a cover this pretty
I am not even talking about the cover - although actually, let’s take a second to talk about the cover. LOOK AT THIS COVER! Are you seeing it? So lovely. So so pretty. Looooook aaaaaaattttt itttttttt.
Okay, now that we’ve done that.
This book is so beautiful.
I don’t know what I expected. I honestly don’t really know why I picked this up, besides the aforementioned pretty-cover thing. I’m not a huge sci-fi person. I’m definitely not a huge post-apocalyptic dystopian person. (We all lived through the time when YA just seemed like different iterations of the exact same dystopian plotline. Like, were there not at least two years in which every YA book was the Hunger Games and Divergent under a different title, but somehow increasingly bland? Anyway.)
I don’t know what tempted me to pick this up, but good golly am I glad I did. (And good golly am I sorry I just used the term “good golly.”)
Because, again, this book is so, so beautiful.
It’s gorgeously written. Every time I stumble across a beautifully written book, I feel so lucky about it. It’s hard to stumble upon truly lovely prose, and I certainly never expected it from an Apocalypse Book, but holy sh*t is it what I received. The writing is enchanting.
It’s also gorgeously characterized. There are a lot of characters in this book, many of whom are introduced all at once, and many of whom get very little coverage in the book. But somehow……..none of them feel flat. They’re not easy to confuse with one another. Somehow, without your noticing, this book will get you to care about a dozen or so people. (And they really feel like people.)
And its themes are gorgeous, too. I can’t imagine anyone coming out of this story and not feeling newly in love with life and with the world. Civilization just seems so wondrous after this. I looked at so many commonplace things in a whole new light.
This book is sad, and lovely, and exciting, and slow, and true, and earnest, and caring, and sweet, and cruel, and real, and above all it is so, so beautiful.
Bottom line: Everything about this is an unexpected gift.
----------------
pre-review
i am Overwhelmed by Beauty and Meaning and Good Things and there is simply no way i can really rate this at this time, let alone review it.
review (& final rating) to come, when i've redeveloped some semblance of personhood
----------------
tbr review
honestly can't believe i've waited so long to read a book with a cover this pretty
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Station Eleven.
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Reading Progress
August 17, 2016
– Shelved
November 1, 2018
–
Started Reading
November 3, 2018
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 65 (65 new)
message 1:
by
Kaylin
(new)
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rated it 4 stars
Nov 03, 2018 07:13PM
This book was so so so good!
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Kaylin wrote: "This book was so so so good!"truly!!
That’s how I feel! Every page is amazing!
Audrey wrote: "That’s how I feel! Every page is amazing!"it took me a while to get into it but once i did... :o
I'd love to see a more detailed review from you if its something you're interested in doing!
Har.the.rat. wrote: "I'd love to see a more detailed review from you if its something you're interested in doing!"it's on my to-review list!
this is one of my favourite books I've read in the last several years.
I am not familiar with this book, but now I want to be.
Loved this book as well!
This is one of the book I wish I had yet to read, just because ig the sheer beauty! Have you read “The reapers are the angels” by Alden Bell? That has some of the same incredibly harsh beauty.
Boze wrote: "this is one of my favourite books I've read in the last several years."agreed and it was a total surprise
Tyler wrote: "I am not familiar with this book, but now I want to be."tyler i am so sorry to your tbr but you would love this book
Lise wrote: "Loved this book as well!"it's so lovely
Henriette wrote: "This is one of the book I wish I had yet to read, just because ig the sheer beauty! Have you read “The reapers are the angels” by Alden Bell? That has some of the same incredibly harsh beauty."i haven't but i'd love to get more of anything like this book!
Fantastic review! really loved this as well--the author came to our town for The Big Reads week-long event and gave a really good talk. Great point about the characters really feeling like people, you are so just along for the journey with them. I want the in-book graphic novel to be real so I can read it!
s.penkevich wrote: "Fantastic review! really loved this as well--the author came to our town for The Big Reads week-long event and gave a really good talk. Great point about the characters really feeling like people, ..."thank you!! ooh i would love to see this author speak. glad to know she was also good in person :) and yes i would looove to read the not-real Station Eleven! it's always so haunting to me when books have an in-book book that doesn't exist 3
This was really different, but cool. My only real complaint was the lack of musical knowledge. Flutes DO NOT have “MOUTHPIECES.” That part made me scream.
Audrey wrote: "This was really different, but cool. My only real complaint was the lack of musical knowledge. Flutes DO NOT have “MOUTHPIECES.” That part made me scream."if you don't mind me asking, what is the part of the flute you put your mouth on called then? im curious now lol
It has three pieces: head joint, middle joint, foot joint. On the head joint is the embouchure plate, which has a hole that you blow over. Mouthpieces are blown INTO.
Audrey wrote: "This was really different, but cool. My only real complaint was the lack of musical knowledge. Flutes DO NOT have “MOUTHPIECES.” That part made me scream."obsessed with this correction and this exchange
I also want to know how the string player was able to use his newly re-haired bow while having no rosin. That defies physics. And what about reeds? Those wear out after a couple months if they don’t chip first. Or valve oil – that’s a very specific formula. I guess they could use bacon fat for cork grease and tuning slide grease.
Audrey wrote: "I also want to know how the string player was able to use his newly re-haired bow while having no rosin. That defies physics. And what about reeds? Those wear out after a couple months if they do..."
this is deeply impressive
I play six instruments, so I get picky about this kind of stuff.
Audrey wrote: "I play six instruments, so I get picky about this kind of stuff."extremely fair
Amazing review! This book was super beautiful. Have you watched the series yet?
I adore this book and Mandel's writing. I've read it twice several years apart and it still resonated. Not in a place to watch the series, as it hits a little too close to home now. But I'm looking forward to it and The Sea of Tranquility coming out this year.
Jaime wrote: "I adore this book and Mandel's writing. I've read it twice several years apart and it still resonated. Not in a place to watch the series, as it hits a little too close to home now. But I'm looking..."i am very much looking forward to her new one too!! thank you for this comment :)
Lem◍nade wrote: "Is it a 5 star or a 4.5 rounded up?"5! it's shelved that way
Creya wrote: "Amazing review! This book was super beautiful. Have you watched the series yet?"have not!
Couldn’t agree more. I was filled with dread the whole way. I think the human race can endure so much More than they think (and some actually do). I also enjoyed the actor angle - what better way to describe the privileges of the before than a wealthy person who wants for nothing. Rich, powerful, noticed. Highlights the first world problem at its extreme end, but perfectly juxtaposed with the after, which is having literally nothing except human relationships and an attempt to survive without transportation in its modern means, electricity, gainful employment. What a good book.
Lindsay wrote: "Couldn’t agree more. I was filled with dread the whole way. I think the human race can endure so much More than they think (and some actually do). I also enjoyed the actor angle - what better way t..."so very well said!!!
The book was terrible don't lie to the people
The OG cover is so so much better than the stupid UK cover with the deer
This is one of my favourite books. Sea of Tranquility is a pretty amazing read as well.
Excited to see such a positive review! I watched the show and it made me want to read the book.
I loved this book as well!
I read this for a high school English class and it has stuck with me ever since.
do you think the themes and merit of this book changed after covid
John wrote: "Great review Emma."thank you!
Jordan wrote: "The book was terrible don't lie to the people"i could live a thousand lives and pray every night and still not have the unfettered self absorption of this comment. respect
Jaime wrote: "The OG cover is so so much better than the stupid UK cover with the deer"the original is one of the greats
Ulrika wrote: "This is one of my favourite books. Sea of Tranquility is a pretty amazing read as well."huuuuge sea of tranquility fan
Amanda wrote: "Excited to see such a positive review! I watched the show and it made me want to read the book."never watched the show but i hope you end up enjoying both!
Kim wrote: "I loved this book as well!"yay!
MJ wrote: "I read this for a high school English class and it has stuck with me ever since."very cool class
alana wrote: "do you think the themes and merit of this book changed after covid"i read this well before covid and haven't revisited it, but my gut (based on my general philosophy when it comes to books) says no
This is exactly what I feel about this book! Perfectly said!
It was a surprise! You’re right, it’s difficult to find books that are beautifully written. Could you recommend me some please?You should check Alessandro Baricco, Ocean Sea or Mr.Gwyn
