Beautiful book. In an interview, the author states that the first post-apocalyptic book she read in her youth was A Canticle for Leibowitz. I’m glad she said this, because that is the book (of my admittedly limited reading experience) that I thought of most often while reading Station Eleven. Both books do a nice job of playing with time and the strange and unexpected ways that events before the disaster affect life afterwards—the older book on a grand scale and the newer book in a more personal and relatable way. It’s also interesting to note the contrast in the roles of the two most notable religious institutions in each book: the Catholic Church in one and the Prophet’s group in the other. (One advantage Station Eleven has is its diversity, which includes actual female characters ... but maybe Canticle for Leibowitz would have done a better job in this regard if it had been written today.)

Really the only downside for me was how the bulk of the main characters comprises actors and paparazzi and members of the jet set. Although the inclusion of modern conveniences like cell phones and the Internet and 24-hour news stations made the story hit close to home, the characters largely felt like they came from another world to start with. Still, for me it was an exciting book that I couldn’t wait to return to every day.

And, as others have noted, there was a hopefulness to the book, which I appreciated. While Arthur's story is a bit of a tragedy (especially for those associated with his son) and some characters do die, I am glad the book didn't feel the need to go into gruesome or lurid territory. I'm kinda hoping the filmmakers exercise the same restraint when this is adapted for the movies.