Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is a novel that effortlessly weaves together different stories and timelines to create a gripping and thought-provoking tale of survival and hope in the face of a catastrophic global pandemic. The novel, published in 2014, many years before Covid, has been widely praised for its lyrical prose, rich characterization, and imaginative exploration of the human experience.

The story begins on a winter night in Toronto, where the famous actor Arthur Leander collapses and dies while performing the role of King Lear on stage. On the same night, a deadly flu virus begins its global rampage, wiping out most of the world’s population within weeks. The novel then jumps back and forth in time, tracing the lives of several interconnected characters before and after the pandemic, including Arthur’s ex-wives, his best friend, a paparazzo-turned-paramedic, and a traveling Shakespearean troupe. The plot unfolds like a puzzle, with each character’s story fitting into a larger mosaic of human resilience and survival.

One of the most striking aspects of Station Eleven is Mandel’s ability to create fully realized characters, with their own fears, hopes, and flaws. From Kirsten, a child actor turned post-apocalyptic performer who clings to the memory of Arthur Leander like a talisman, to Clark, Arthur’s lifelong friend who must confront the fact that his old life is gone forever, each character is memorable and sympathetic. Mandel’s prose is equally impressive, with a poetic quality that adds to the novel’s dreamlike atmosphere. Her descriptions of the empty streets of post-pandemic Toronto or the beauty of a sunset seen through a telescope are hauntingly beautiful and stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

In addition to Station Eleven, Mandel has written several other acclaimed novels, including The Lola Quartet, The Singer’s Gun, and Last Night in Montreal. I will be keeping my eye out in second hand bookshops for them. The copy I have was purchased from one of the many bookshops in Wigtown.

In conclusion, Station Eleven is a novel that deserves all the praise it has received and more. Emily St. John Mandel has created a haunting and beautiful story that is both a meditation on the fragility of human civilization and a celebration of the enduring power of art and community. With its memorable characters, evocative prose, and intricate plot, Station Eleven is a book that will stay with readers long after they’ve finished it. I gave it a score of five out of five.