Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - Book Review

 Station Eleven

By Emily St. John Mandel

Genres : Suspense, post apocalyptic, horror, 2021-read, dystopian future, science fiction

Rating 5/5 👌👌

A mutation of swine flu virus has wiped off 99 percent of human race from the face of planet earth. The one percent that survived - probably because they are immune to it or have quarantined themselves off well - are living scattered as on islands all over the planet. They plunder and pillage what they could salvage from eateries, hotels, airports and when all the food/essentials run out - they start hunting animals. There is a wide spread fear and suspicion about strangers who might be willing to kill for food/goods.  This new world has no electricity, no benefits that we take for granted - like transportation, internet, mobile communication etc. It's hard to imagine such an existence for a generation that has become excessively dependant on technology and comforts/luxuries right? 😮😧 

Living through the nightmare of Covid-19 Corona virus at present(2020-2021) and reading this book gave me the chills. The numbers that had been lost so far are staggering but it is no where as apocalyptic as in the story. What if this is the future that awaits humanity? Can we really survive it? And is "survival sufficient enough"? How long might it be before the world starts trotting again - even if on a limp,one leg? This book set me thinking..🙄🤔

So getting into the story. An actor Arthur - once successful movie actor now turned theater player - dies on stage with a massive heart attack while playing the role of king in King Lear. A man, Jeevan Chaudhary, from the audience tries to rescue him before medics appear on the scene. Arthur is pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital. The hospitals all across the globe are getting filled at the moment with patients complaining of a viral flu - which is effective 3-4 hours after coming in contact and death is certain within 48 hours. The extent of spread and speed of impact comes as a shock - majority of people dead, electricity gone, no electronics working, roads and establishments deserted or clogged by empty, failed cars - all in a matter of days. The survivors gather into groups and live scattered at airports, food stations, petrol stations in towns, villages. A small band of people enthusiastic of spreading some cheer and bringing back some semblance of the past form a group called Traveling Symphony. They travel from place to place and perform plays of Shakespeare. A girl on the group, Kirsten - was eight when she played the role of child Cordelia in the play King Lear during which Arthur died. Her last and only memory of the world before the virus is this event. Fifteen to twenty years pass since the apocalypse and the group meets a strange man who calls himself "the prophet". He has a band of deranged followers notorious for their acts of violence and ruthlessness. He claims to have come from a 'Museum of Civilization' which is an airport where people are living and a collection of ancient artifacts is kept. The group hunted by the Prophet's men finally make it to the museum. So what exactly is Station Eleven? How is it connected to kirsten and the prophet? Who is he? The story plays back and forth in time - the life of Arthur  and events of the apocalypse are covered in a non linear fashion creating suspense and riveting the reader to the plot.

Love this book so much! I got sucked into this dystopian world and got chills all over. I didn't think I would want to live for over twenty years before anything - if at all - happened. Just memories or comics and survival are insufficient. I just can't give up my current life for this.. horrible mess.🤣🤣🤣