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40x40

Marylegs (44 KP) rated Station Eleven in Books

Aug 14, 2019  
Station Eleven
Station Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.9 (29 Ratings)
Book Rating
Station Eleven follows a number of characters affected by the disintegration of modern civilisation and society caused by a mutated flu virus which wipes out around 99% of the world wide population. Flitting back over a series of timelines, including the start of the pandemic to focus on the lives these characters had before the virus, what happened to them after this virus became apparent and beginning the destruction of the lives they knew. The story also skips into the future to see how their lives changed and how they had to adapt to their changing world. There are a number of characters to follow and as the book progresses links form between some of them, but this is not the focus of the story.

I won’t go overly into details about the characters it is best to discover them yourselves. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. Receiving it as an advanced review, I didn’t really know much about the story other than it being based in a post-apocalyptic world. Upon receiving the book I was slightly put off by the blurb stating it was following a group of traveling actors and musicians and that it was trying to show how art still had a place in this post civilisation world. But don’t let this put you off, I’m glad I didn’t. Whilst the story uses the actors and musicians in this ‘Traveling Symphony’ as a point to allow cross country movement and show that some people as trying to survive but also to enrich other people’s lives, that wasn’t really what gripped me. It was the relationships this characters had made, the stories about how they used to live and what they had been forced to do in this changing world that kept me turning pages.

I would recommend this book, and I would probably re-read again and possibly try some of the authors other works. The author wrote beautifully and it never felt pretentious or like they were trying to over moralise things. If like me, you like a good end of the world, dystopian story but want something different from the general, zombies, vampires and hunger games type read, give this ago. It may surprise you, like it did me.
  
40x40

Laetitia Sadier recommended Rosy Maze by Marker Stalling in Music (curated)

 
Rosy Maze by Marker Stalling
Rosy Maze by Marker Stalling
2014 | Pop
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"If I were to have one at the moment, I think Chris [Cummings, AKA Marker Stalling] is my favourite composer. There's a lot of depth; there are a lot of nooks and crannies and obscure pockets to dive into, not at first listen but with each repeat. The album reveals its beauty after many listens, and each time you listen more it's like, ah yes! It's another one of those records that you can listen to forever, whatever mood you're in. I remember last year I took a long road trip to France and I was meeting friends, so each time I would play it, and in whatever circumstances, the music would fit. In happy circumstances it was great, but on another occasion I remember a friend had lost their dad, and it was very soothing and healing. It's another album that holds a lot of magic and is forever comforting. If it's hot it freshens you up, if it's cold it warms you up! It's great. He wrote a song for my last album as well. I'm a big fan. And live it's extraordinary. His backing band is Batch: we just did a residency together, they're amazing. I was watching their video last night actually, a little live thing from a festival, and those guys are brilliant. I can't believe how great they are, in terms of being really good musicians with great songs and also the heart, how they play. They are very implied in what they play. A lot of musicians I've seen in the past are just going through the moves, there's no energetic involvement or heart in their playing. Technically it's probably quite good, but to me it's very boring. But with these guys, I remember seeing them and I thought they were so good, but part of me wanted to make fun of them, but I couldn't because there was so much heart in their playing that I could only love them. So when Chris comes to the UK or tours Europe usually Batch are his backing band, and it's brilliant. But there are usually only ten or twenty people watching them. Maybe now it's a little bit more, but it's like, come on people, this is really amazing! He's an amazing performer who's full of surprises. He's very warm and super funny and excellent: I can't recommend him enough."

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