Sea of Tranquility: A novel

This book lives rent free in my mind, and it inspired me to reread The Glass Hotel. I love a book written out of order or with multiple narrators whose perspectives we have to balance. St. John Mandel places scenes so familiar to us we can inhabit them inside of fantastic plots that remain with you in scenes as vivid as Toni Morrison’s.

A quiet, poignant, meditative book. I'm amazed at what the author accomplishes in under 300 pages. She pulls together deft, evocative of sketches of 4 characters across 4 time periods while also exploring deeper themes including family, purpose and the meaning of reality. I didn't love it quite as much as Station Eleven but I still loved it!

I loved Station Eleven and, while there are parallels to that work in Sea of Tranquility, it just didn’t make me feel much for the characters - with the exception maybe of Olive Llewellyn. I wished we’d had more time with each of the people the author introduces. In the end, the twist isn’t very surprising and I felt like I wanted more information about life in the various points in time visited. It was good, but not superb.

Emily St. John Mandel is one of my favorite writers and this may be her best book yet. It’s emotionally compelling and explores our connections throughout time. Hauntingly and beautifully written as always.

I struggled with this book. I think there was too much twisted together and it didn’t quite mesh the way she hoped it would.