Station Eleven

While reading this book during a pandemic might not be ideal, I nevertheless enjoyed the experience. This post-apocalyptic tale of survival after civilization's collapse is well-written and engaging. The aftermath of the collapse is portrayed in a way that is very believable and realistic. There are no fantasy elements, just real people trying to survive.

In this book, civilization collapses as a result of a deadly flu pandemic. Those that survive the spread of the flu must survive in a world without the conveniences of a modern society. The story follows a few individuals on their journey, as well as one actor how died right as the pandemic began. The timeline alternates between pre and post apocalypse events. The chapters also alternate perspectives between Kirsten, a young actress in the Traveling Symphony; Arthur, a famous actor whose death begins the action of the story; Clark, a friend of Arthur; Jeevan, a would-be paramedic; and Miranda, ex-wife of Arthur the actor.

The motto of the Traveling Symphony is “Survival is insufficient.” All of the main characters in this book seem to have embraced this motto in some manner. Kirsten and the symphony continue to bring theater and music to the survivors. Clark maintains a museum of artifacts from the before the collapse to remind people of a better time. Arthur is always searching for happiness and love. There is a great deal of hope in this book alongside all the tragedy.

This story touches on a lot of important topics and themes. For instance, the prophet teaches people that the collapse happened for a reason and was part of God's plan while Clark argues that people were just unlucky. The storyline also brings themes related to survival, hope, the influence of art, etc.

Overall, I found this book to be captivating. It stimulates thought and leads the reader to question how he or she would face such a tragedy. I would definitely recommend it to fans of dystopian and post-apocalyptic literature.