Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Sea of Tranquility
by Emily St. John Mandel
Science Fiction | Fantasy
259 Pages
Released April 2022
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
I actually picked this book up back in 2022 when it was first released. You see, after reading Station Eleven, and then The Glass Hotel, Emily St. John Mandel was instantly catapulted into my list of favorite-authors-of-all-time. So please forgive me as I spend some time gushing about this book after having read it a second time (this time for a book club).
This book follows several characters: Edwin — a man trying to make his way in the world in 1912; Olive — an author, in the future, on a book tour far away from home; And Gaspery — another man, in the even further future, investigating a strange series of events. Though all seemingly different, their stories are entwined across space and time.
If there is one thing I adore about Emily St. John Mandel, it’s her ability to weave together characters and timelines in the most beautiful, unexpected ways. This book is no exception. When we are initially introduced to our characters, it’s hard to imagine that their lives will overlap and it's always such a joy to see how things all come together. This book jumps between the perspectives of Edwin, Olive and Gaspery, something that I typically enjoy because it keeps the story feeling fresh.
While I loved both Edwin and Gaspery’s perspectives, I particularly enjoyed Olive’s because it often seemed like a bit of a reflection of Mandel’s own experiences after the success of Station Eleven. This book felt more personal than her other two novels and it was fascinating getting a glimpse into her thoughts.
There are two ways I recommend going into this book: either completely blind or after reading The Glass Hotel (I love this book either way but reading The Glass Hotel does give you a bit of a broader context). If you love converging timelines, or science fiction in general, I cannot recommend Emily St. John Mandel’s books enough!