Sea of Tranquility
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- Create Date：2022-04-02 10:51:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Emily St. John Mandel
- ISBN：1443466093
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Summary
From the #1 bestselling author of the Scotiabank Giller Prize–shortlisted The Glass Hotel and the internationally bestselling Station Eleven comes a new novel of dazzling imagination
In this captivating tale of imagination and ambition， a seemingly disparate array of people come into contact with a time traveller who must resist the pull to change the past and the future。 The cast includes a British exile on the West coast of Canada in the early 1900s; the author of a bestselling novel about a fictional pandemic who embarks on a galaxy-spanning book tour during the outbreak of an actual pandemic; a resident of a moon colony almost 300 years in the future; and a lonely girl who films an old-growth forest and experiences a disruption in the recording。 Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy， Emily St。 John Mandel’s dazzling story follows these engrossing characters across space and time as their lives ultimately intersect。
Sea of Tranquility is a breathtaking and wondrous examination of the ties that bind us together， by a master storyteller。
In this captivating tale of imagination and ambition， a seemingly disparate array of people come into contact with a time traveller who must resist the pull to change the past and the future。 The cast includes a British exile on the West coast of Canada in the early 1900s; the author of a bestselling novel about a fictional pandemic who embarks on a galaxy-spanning book tour during the outbreak of an actual pandemic; a resident of a moon colony almost 300 years in the future; and a lonely girl who films an old-growth forest and experiences a disruption in the recording。 Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy， Emily St。 John Mandel’s dazzling story follows these engrossing characters across space and time as their lives ultimately intersect。
Sea of Tranquility is a breathtaking and wondrous examination of the ties that bind us together， by a master storyteller。
Reviews
Stacey Lunsford
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I don't have to be a time traveler to know that this book will stay with its readers long after they have finished it。。In Sea of Tranquility， three people -- Edwin， Vincent， and Olive -- from three different time periods， have a short but deeply disturbing hallucinatory experience。 Their experiences are identical。 In the future， time travel is possible and completely controlled by a government agency， the Time Institute。 The agency is concerned that this "anomaly" portends something dire and set I don't have to be a time traveler to know that this book will stay with its readers long after they have finished it。。In Sea of Tranquility， three people -- Edwin， Vincent， and Olive -- from three different time periods， have a short but deeply disturbing hallucinatory experience。 Their experiences are identical。 In the future， time travel is possible and completely controlled by a government agency， the Time Institute。 The agency is concerned that this "anomaly" portends something dire and sets an investigation in motion that will have far-reaching effects。The story is told in parts， from the perspectives of Edwin， Vincent， and Olive but also that of Mirella， who knew Vincent in their shared past and wants to reconnect with her （these characters appeared in Mandel's previous novel， The Glass Hotel） and the Time Institute investigator。 The characters are vivid and their individual stories draw you in。 Her imagined future world is believable and draws direct lines from our world as it is today。 There's humor and mystery， but Mandel also explores some of the big questions: What gives meaning to our lives？ What are the consequences of our choices？ Do we have the courage to stand by our convictions？ By placing her story within a speculative future， she is free to imagine "What if。。。" scenarios that we don't currently face but that allow us to ponder these ideas from a different perspective and she does it in a completely entertaining and compelling package。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Shannon
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Told in the style of a series of interconnected short stories。 This latest book by Canadian Emily St。 John Mandel jumps all over the place timeline wise from early 20th century to the year 2401。 Fans of The glass hotel will enjoy some returning characters and links to that story。 This one is very pandemic centric and meta。 You can tell this was written during lockdown/with the covid pandemic in mind。 It was a little too sci-fi/disjointed for my tastes personally。 The time travel aspects didn't r Told in the style of a series of interconnected short stories。 This latest book by Canadian Emily St。 John Mandel jumps all over the place timeline wise from early 20th century to the year 2401。 Fans of The glass hotel will enjoy some returning characters and links to that story。 This one is very pandemic centric and meta。 You can tell this was written during lockdown/with the covid pandemic in mind。 It was a little too sci-fi/disjointed for my tastes personally。 The time travel aspects didn't really do it for me。I absolutely loved Station Eleven and I just haven't felt that same magic in any of the author's subsequent books。 True fans will recognize a similar style but this one was kind of a miss for me。 My favorite story was the 1912 plot about an English third son who is disillusioned with the world and gets sent to Canada in exile。 Great on audio with a full cast of narrators。 Much thanks to NetGalley and Libro。fm for my advance copies。 。。。more
Caroline
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Sea of Tranquility was a fairly quiet book， but I was riveted by the different stories taking place at different points in time。 For a sci-fi， there’s nothing particularly new about the time travel or twists in this novel， but they’re done in a way that works with the more human aspects of the book。 Mandel manages to balance the more thoughtful chapters， for example， Olive thinking about her interactions with random people on her book tour， with more eventful scenes， like Gaspery starting the in Sea of Tranquility was a fairly quiet book， but I was riveted by the different stories taking place at different points in time。 For a sci-fi， there’s nothing particularly new about the time travel or twists in this novel， but they’re done in a way that works with the more human aspects of the book。 Mandel manages to balance the more thoughtful chapters， for example， Olive thinking about her interactions with random people on her book tour， with more eventful scenes， like Gaspery starting the investigation。 It was also interesting to read the sections set in the future and see what kind of technology or advancements would be made。 It was a little startling to read about COVID-19， but it fit in with the pandemic themes。Some of my favourite things about Mandel’s books are how prominently she features Vancouver/Victoria Island and how she includes characters and places from her other books。 The fictional town of Caiette and several characters from The Glass Hotel make a reappearance in Sea of Tranquility。 While we didn’t get much new information on Paul or Vincent， it was nice to see what happened to Mirella after the events in The Glass Hotel。 I found the other characters in Sea of Tranquility kind of lacklustre and was hoping we would get more insight into their thoughts， motivations， etc。 Even though the characters weren’t as developed， the themes/experiences of each of the characters were very realistic and relatable （e。g。 Edwin’s aimlessness， Mirella’s loss/grief， Olive’s over thinking）。Sea of Tranquility was a really great companion to Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel。A copy of this book was provided by HarperCollins Canada through NetGalley。Rating: 3。5/5 Stars 。。。more
Susan
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This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022。 It did not disappoint。 Oh my goodness this book was gorgeous and heart wrenching。 Emily St。 John Mandel knows how to turn a phrase。 I love the weaving together of not only things in this book but others。 My only complaint is that it was too short and I finished it too soon。I was provided an advanced copy of this book by the publisher which has not affected my review。
Greg Zimmerman
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Whooaaaaa WOW！ You're gonna want to read this。 （More next week when it's out。） Whooaaaaa WOW！ You're gonna want to read this。 （More next week when it's out。） 。。。more
Amy A
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4。5I'll be honest here， Sea of Tranquility is the first book I've read by Emily St。 John Mandel。 I have， of course， seen and heard of her books before， but there was always this internal element of intimidation for me when it came to actually opening one up and reading it。 The ideas and the scope of her stories always sounded so complex I thought they would be something that was too heavy for me personally。 In this case， the synopsis for Sea of Tranquility drew me in from the start。 I was so int 4。5I'll be honest here， Sea of Tranquility is the first book I've read by Emily St。 John Mandel。 I have， of course， seen and heard of her books before， but there was always this internal element of intimidation for me when it came to actually opening one up and reading it。 The ideas and the scope of her stories always sounded so complex I thought they would be something that was too heavy for me personally。 In this case， the synopsis for Sea of Tranquility drew me in from the start。 I was so interested to see how these storylines and lives of these characters would ultimately intersect。 Not wanting to give too much away because I feel like this is a book that people should experience as they go， I just wanted to say that Emily St。 John Mandel fulfills all expectations in regards to weaving together these different threads and the feel of their impact on the overarching story。 It's beautifully put together， and easily accessible or people who， like me， feel a sense of intimidation when authors tackle speculative topics。 In Mandel's case， maybe that's why it's so accessible because it takes the reality in which we find ourselves today （and in which we have found ourselves over the past couple of years） and mixes it in with the speculative。 So it's easy to see the possibilities - for better or worse - of what's to come。 The book has a slow build in the beginning， but there was never a moment where I was bored with it。 I was so caught up in putting together the puzzle of how things were to fit。 The latter half of the book， once there are some revelations， moves along at a good clip to the point where I wasn't ready for the book to end。 I've read a couple of other reviews that state that Mandel has some Easter Eggs hidden in this book from her previous book The Glass Hotel。 I kinda had that feeling while reading， that some of the characters had a bit more significance than I understood。 But trust me， this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book whatsoever。 If anything it makes me more interested to pick up Mandel's other works。 *ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Michaela
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What does the moon， a coastal community in British Columbia， abstract multimedia art， time travel， and a novelist have in common？ They somehow ALL come together in this book。 I went into this book without knowing much about it and I was blown away。 The structure of the book， the short chapters and different sections made it surprisingly easy to follow。 I always get nervous knowing time travel is involved and expecting some confusion and loose ends。 This book left the nitty gritty sci-fi time tra What does the moon， a coastal community in British Columbia， abstract multimedia art， time travel， and a novelist have in common？ They somehow ALL come together in this book。 I went into this book without knowing much about it and I was blown away。 The structure of the book， the short chapters and different sections made it surprisingly easy to follow。 I always get nervous knowing time travel is involved and expecting some confusion and loose ends。 This book left the nitty gritty sci-fi time travel details out and focused on the people’s lives and relationships involved。Mandel obviously gets bonus points from me for mentioning Saskatchewan， and Prince Albert （and the relentless nothingness and alcoholism that tends to reside here， even in1912）。 This book had a way of making every character and every story feel equally important。 I was just becoming attached to Edwin and drawn into his story， and then we were transported。 But none of it was jarring or took away from another timeline。 Please don’t let the fact that I said Moon and Time Travel when describing this book scare you away， I would definitely NOT describe this as sci-fi， we just live on the moon in the future - is that really so hard to imagine？ Pandemics are also a theme in this book， COVID-19 as well as future *fictional* pandemics are mentioned， but again， they are a device for us to learn more and feel more about the characters， not as the main plot。The element of fate and the unavoidable crossing of paths is my favourite element of time travel and it absolutely scratched the itch for me - the ending left me with goosebumps， tears in my eyes， and I was able to put down this book with a big sigh of relief and satisfaction。[big thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollinsCa for the DRC！] 。。。more
Tilly
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*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*So beautiful， so poignant， so full of phrases and ideas that I’m sure I’ll keep in my head for a long time。 I love Emily St。 John Mandel’s writing; it feels ethereal but still grounded， enormous in scope but still so exquisitely detailed。 I’ve read her earlier book “Station Eleven” several times， and I find new things to love and appreciate from it every time。 This new novel of hers feels much the same to me， brilliant and impactful， and I’m sure I’ *ARC received in exchange for an honest review*So beautiful， so poignant， so full of phrases and ideas that I’m sure I’ll keep in my head for a long time。 I love Emily St。 John Mandel’s writing; it feels ethereal but still grounded， enormous in scope but still so exquisitely detailed。 I’ve read her earlier book “Station Eleven” several times， and I find new things to love and appreciate from it every time。 This new novel of hers feels much the same to me， brilliant and impactful， and I’m sure I’ll return to it again and again。 It was reminiscent of David Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas，” a favourite of mine， in that it focuses on characters in different points in time and weaves all the narratives together。 I was fascinated by the question of time anomalies， by the uneasy focus on pandemics throughout history， by the quiet world of moon colonies， by the steadfast humanity of the characters。 Honestly， I’ll read anything she writes; Emily St。 John Mandel never disappoints。Thanks to Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
🕊Faloni © arr 💰🏃♀️🥗✈️
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🌊 Sea of Tranquility by Emily St。 John Mandelhttps://www。goodreads。com/book/show/5。。。 🌊 Sea of Tranquility by Emily St。 John Mandelhttps://www。goodreads。com/book/show/5。。。 。。。more
Grace Dionne
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Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！I'm torn between 4⭐️ and 4。5⭐️ for this oneFirst of all， since this is my first experience with Emily St。 John Mandel， I have discovered that I really enjoy the way she writes。 Her prose style just flows very well， and although this was a short book in the first place， the writing definitely contributed to me being able to read this quite quickly。 I admired how she was able to establish each setting， timeline and character that Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！I'm torn between 4⭐️ and 4。5⭐️ for this oneFirst of all， since this is my first experience with Emily St。 John Mandel， I have discovered that I really enjoy the way she writes。 Her prose style just flows very well， and although this was a short book in the first place， the writing definitely contributed to me being able to read this quite quickly。 I admired how she was able to establish each setting， timeline and character that we visited so quickly -- she did a great job connecting me to each one！Overall， I think this book has some really strong ideas， and a really intriguing and interesting central idea tying it together。 I very much enjoyed the first half of the book when we explored character stories in 1912， 2020， 2203， and 2401。 During this time， there is obviously a thread connecting each of these stories， but the mystery has not been revealed。 I blew through the first half of the book very quickly because I was enjoying these characters so much and I was looking forward to seeing how it all tied together。 I think the author did a wonderful job with the perspectives from the future， because she managed to keep things grounded while conveying a sense of how far humanity may have progressed technologically in that time frame。 I wouldn't call the pacing fast， exactly， but the writing is very snappy and efficient while still being nice to read， and it really pulled me through the book！The second half of the book switches gears a little bit， but my reviews are always spoiler free， so I will be vague here。 I was still enjoying myself as the mystery began to unravel， but I was surprised by what I felt was an abrupt ending to the book。 Sure， Emily St。 John Mandel wrapped up the story she meant to tell， and I thought that her ideas were very cool， and for the most part she executed them in an appealing way。 However， because of the nature of her writing and the emotional aspects of the story， I think I was expecting a bit more of a meditation on what we had experienced in the book， or a bit more of a reflection period at the end， so it felt a bit sudden to me。 However， I will say that things came full circle in a way that made her choice for this ending reflect back on an earlier part of the book in a very interesting way， so I really don't know how I feel！I definitely don't regret picking this up either way :） I had an enjoyable experience with it， and I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a short read with some sci-fi vibes and interesting characters！ 。。。more
Jasmine
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Sea of Tranquility will transport the reader throughout time。 Emily St。 John Mandel’s latest release loosely connects to her previous books Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel。 This story follows several characters in the past， present， and future。 It begins in 1912 when Edwin St。 Andrew， exiled from his family for his views on colonialism， experiences something so inexplicable he believes he imagined it。 About a century later， Mirella wants to reconnect with her old friend Vincent and learn more Sea of Tranquility will transport the reader throughout time。 Emily St。 John Mandel’s latest release loosely connects to her previous books Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel。 This story follows several characters in the past， present， and future。 It begins in 1912 when Edwin St。 Andrew， exiled from his family for his views on colonialism， experiences something so inexplicable he believes he imagined it。 About a century later， Mirella wants to reconnect with her old friend Vincent and learn more about her possible knowledge of a Ponzi scheme that left many in financial ruin。 In 2203， the story follows a well-known author who previously wrote a dystopian book about a pandemic。 A book that is gaining popularity again since the population is currently in the clutches of a real pandemic。 Sound familiar？Two centuries later， Gaspery is bored working as a Hotel Detective and thus takes on a riskier but more enlightening job。 A singular moment ties all of these characters together in a way that is difficult for them to comprehend。 It sounds complicated， but Mandel’s writing is so clear and crisp that it’s relatively easy to keep all the timelines and characters in order。 Even though this has ties to her two previous books， they can all be read as standalones。 I’ve read The Glass Hotel but haven’t got around to Station Eleven yet。 In some ways， this book reminded me of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr。 They both cover a broad timeline。This novel has themes of death， illness， loneliness， and hope for humanity。 This is a relatively short novel， but it leaves a huge impact。Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 https://booksandwheels。com 。。。more
Lucy Hudson
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Emily St。 John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility is one of the most unique and inventive books I've read in my entire life。 As the reader， we jump hundreds of years through human history （and human future） yet Mandel weaves such a mind-blowing through line in the story， it's like reading a multiple POV of a group of friends。 Her settings are flawless， her descriptions gorgeous。 I found myself reading certain sentences over and over again because they are so beautifully written and contain so much trut Emily St。 John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility is one of the most unique and inventive books I've read in my entire life。 As the reader， we jump hundreds of years through human history （and human future） yet Mandel weaves such a mind-blowing through line in the story， it's like reading a multiple POV of a group of friends。 Her settings are flawless， her descriptions gorgeous。 I found myself reading certain sentences over and over again because they are so beautifully written and contain so much truth to humanity。 I cannot wait to make my husband read this。Thank you NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
Brad
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Sea of Tranquility is the wonderful new book from Emily St。 John Mandel。"A young man crosses the Atlantic by steamship and heads to Vancouver。 While wandering in the forest he suddenly hears the music of a violin and an airship taking off。Two centuries later， famous author Olive Llewellyn is on a book tour on Earth。 Her home is the 2nd Moon colony。 In the pages of her novel is a scene of a man playing the violin for change in an airship terminal。Gaspery-Jacques Roberts， a detective， is sent to i Sea of Tranquility is the wonderful new book from Emily St。 John Mandel。"A young man crosses the Atlantic by steamship and heads to Vancouver。 While wandering in the forest he suddenly hears the music of a violin and an airship taking off。Two centuries later， famous author Olive Llewellyn is on a book tour on Earth。 Her home is the 2nd Moon colony。 In the pages of her novel is a scene of a man playing the violin for change in an airship terminal。Gaspery-Jacques Roberts， a detective， is sent to investigate an anomaly in the North american wilderness where he uncovers a chance to do something extraordinary and disrupt the timeline of the universe。"The setup takes a little while in this book。 But Mandel's words and characters are so easy to read。 I liked how Mandel gives us little hints about the story and then ties it together。 It's interesting to be inside Gaspery's head。 even when you're left wondering - Is it or isn't it？A nice multi-genre book from St。 John Mandel。 。。。more
Sarah
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Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review。 Emily St。 John Mandel has done it again。 She is quickly becoming my favorite author， and I am excited to get my hands on some of her first novels。 I had to go back to previous reviews， but she does kind of knit together her Glass Castle and Station Eleven with this book （and I'm guessing maybe her older works; we will see）。 Kind of a sci-fi Stephen King multi-universe appeal。Main character Gaspery， "detective" from the way， way future helps h Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review。 Emily St。 John Mandel has done it again。 She is quickly becoming my favorite author， and I am excited to get my hands on some of her first novels。 I had to go back to previous reviews， but she does kind of knit together her Glass Castle and Station Eleven with this book （and I'm guessing maybe her older works; we will see）。 Kind of a sci-fi Stephen King multi-universe appeal。Main character Gaspery， "detective" from the way， way future helps his sister， Zoey and her theory about a time disruption。 At Gaspery's present day， the people live on colonies on the moon and time travel is only allowed to fix holes。 He travels to the early 1900s， around our present day 2020， 2203， and his future present day， 2041， to figure out how certain characters had experienced the same weird time glitch。 There was the sound of a violin， an airship， and a forest。 Does an anomaly mean their world is a simulation？ Gaspery is sent in to interview each person to find out。The only things I would change， is the inclusion of Covid。 I get the appeal of including it in books written during this pandemic， but （and maybe it is just a personal thing because it is only a small portion）， but I am over it。 I am over hearing about it， and while we are living through it， the last thing I want to read about is a book including the pandemic theme。 The second thing， would be more of the characters。 More background and thoughts。 It took me half of the book to realize the main character was male。 （Which of course is fine， I was able to picture everything in my head in my own way）， but descriptions would have been an added bonus。 Towards the end， I would forget things that happened in a different section and have to go back for the "Ah-ha" moment， but I did have a few of those。 I do not know how I did not see the ending coming。If you liked Cloud Cuckoo Land and The Matrix， it has a similar premise to both。 。。。more
Olga Miret
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I thank Pan Macmillan/Picador and NetGalley for providing me an ARC copy of this novel， which I freely chose to review。 I discovered Emily St。 John Mandel eight years ago thanks to Station Eleven， which I loved， and I was also very impressed by The Glass Hotel， so I had great expectations for this one， and I wasn’t disappointed。 Although it is not necessary to have read the other two novels mentioned to enjoy this one， there are characters and points of commonality between the three， and the way I thank Pan Macmillan/Picador and NetGalley for providing me an ARC copy of this novel， which I freely chose to review。 I discovered Emily St。 John Mandel eight years ago thanks to Station Eleven， which I loved， and I was also very impressed by The Glass Hotel， so I had great expectations for this one， and I wasn’t disappointed。 Although it is not necessary to have read the other two novels mentioned to enjoy this one， there are characters and points of commonality between the three， and the way the story is structured （or rather fragmented and then put together， creating interesting and beautiful shapes） is also similar， with jumps back and forth in time （several centuries here）， and， in this case， centred on a popular subgenre of science-fiction， time travel。 I don’t read science-fiction often， although I have read some novels in the genre that I’ve enjoyed。 This novel is not hard science-fiction。 There isn’t a lot of attention paid to how things work and the complex science behind it （the main character knows nothing about it and freely admits to it）， nor long explanations and descriptions of the future settings we visit。 There are several colonies on the Moon， and also further away， but although we get a feeling of how living there might be （because the characters experiencing it have always lived there， and we perceive things through their eyes。 If anything， they are more intrigued by life on Earth than the other way round）， there isn’t a deep analysis of every aspect of life in the future， and the mention of metaphysics in the description fits the when trying to describe this novel。 It does ask some big questions， about what is important in life， about reality and simulation， about people sometimes living many lives and reinventing themselves， and about circumstances that can make us reconsider our reality， our priorities， and our sense of self。 Because I feel that the way the story is told and the plot are intrinsically linked， and it is difficult to talk about one without unravelling the other， I won’t even try。 The blurb provides enough clues for readers to decide if they might want to investigate further。 We get snippets of the lives of several characters， who have led completely different lives separated by centuries but are somehow linked。 We have men， women， younger and older characters: a female writer famous for writing a dystopian novel set during a pandemic （sharing many similarities with St。 John Mandel， in a fascinating exercise in metafiction）; a young man exiled by his well-off family to Canada who goes on to fight in WWI; an old violinist who plays at an airport after losing his wife; a woman trying to find a friend whom she thought had betrayed her and discovering something truly disturbing; a listless man trying to find a job that will grip him and help him give meaning to his life。。。 We get to see things from all those characters’ perspectives， narrated in the third person， sometimes in the present tense， but mostly in the past tense， perhaps because of the fragmented nature of the narrative， and also because of the peculiarities of the characters （who seemed to all be preoccupied with analysing and observing what was happening around them， rather than fully experiencing and living their lives， at least at the beginning）， I felt as if I was peering over their shoulders and being a spectator， although with privileged access to their thoughts as well。 It wasn’t a problem for me， and as the novel progressed and the whole picture became clearer， I came to change the way I felt about some of the characters and to understand and appreciate them more。 Being an avid reader， I really enjoyed the character of Olive Llewellyn， an author from the Moon on a book tour on Earth。 The fact that her book has a lot in common with Station Eleven， and also the way her visit coincides with a pandemic on Earth， makes her feel particularly close to us and to our recent experiences， but， as I said， the rest of the characters grew on me， particularly Gaspery， who gains in complexity and interest， and I’m sure I won’t forget him in a hurry。The author writes beautifully， combining brief and magical descriptions of locations， capturing awe-inducing moments in poetic language， and expressing complex ideas in simple but effective ways。 This is a book where plot， characters， structure， and language live in perfect harmony， and despite the jumps in time and the moments of action， the overall tone is contemplative and reflexive。 There are moments of telling， due to the nature of the story， but this does not detract from the atmosphere or the flow of the novel， and it does feel like a pretty short read that manages to pack quite a lot of meaning and thought into few pages。 Despite the changes in timeline and point of view， the narration is always clearly signposted， and there is no risk of getting lost within its many worlds。 A few samples from the book （although there might have been changes prior to publication）:What if one were to dissolve into the wilderness like salt into water。 Olive here， thinking about the death of one of her characters in her novel， which one of the readers had described as “anticlimactic”: 。。。 isn’t that reality？ Won’t most of us die in fairly unclimactic ways， our passing unremarked by almost everyone， our deaths becoming plot points in the narratives of the people around us？The thing with being away from her husband and daughter was that every hotel room was emptier than the one before。 What you have to understand is that bureaucracy is an organism， and the prime goal of every organism is self-protection。 Bureaucracy exists to protect itself。 This is the strange lesson of living in a pandemic: life can be tranquil in the face of death。 I enjoyed the ending， and I can’t imagine a more satisfying one。 There are twists and plenty of mysteries in the story， but things come together in the end。 I am not sure if readers will find the ending surprising or not （it might depend on how much they read about time travel and how closely they follow the clues）， but I enjoyed the sense of closure （for all the characters）， and also the overall feeling of quiet， calm， and hope that its end brings。 We might agree or disagree with the main character’s decisions， but I liked his attitude towards life and towards his fellow human beings。 Do I recommend this book？ Definitely。 I am sure fans of the author will enjoy it。 Readers looking for a hard science-fiction novel or keen on a time travel narrative full of big adventures and thrilling moments might want to look elsewhere。 But those who enjoy beautiful writing， don’t mind getting lost in speculation and allowing their minds to wander through a world of possibilities， should try this book。 And if they haven’t read Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel and enjoy this one， they shouldn’t hesitate and just keep reading St。 John Mantel。 。。。more
Jonathan （Jon）
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⭐️⭐️⭐️𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩-𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙃𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙧𝙩， 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚， 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚， 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙑𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 1912 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧， 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚。🌊 I haven’t read anything by this author and I don’t think I was the intended reader for this book， therefore take my review with a grain of salt… okay I really wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I did。 One of my favor ⭐️⭐️⭐️𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩-𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙃𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙧𝙩， 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚， 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚， 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙑𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙄𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 1912 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧， 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚。🌊 I haven’t read anything by this author and I don’t think I was the intended reader for this book， therefore take my review with a grain of salt… okay I really wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I did。 One of my favorite things about this book was the author’s writing style。 It was so lyrical and inspiring - absolutely breathtaking！ 🌝 I have mixed feelings towards this story as a whole。 I’m not sure if it was a personal thing but I felt confused throughout the story。 I will say I loved the second half of the book a lot more than the first。 My main issue with the book was that the characters felt a bit bland - I couldn’t really connect with any of them。 I think there was a bit of a lack in the character development。 🌊 Although Sea of Tranquility wasn’t for me personally， I would still recommend it to those who enjoy these kind of reads。 It was way out of my comfort zone but it was still a fun read。 It was quite short so I flew through it and the overall story was interesting。 I loved how the whole book was separated and the time travel involved。 I just wished the characters were better described。 Overall， it was a fun and quick read filled with so much！ ✨Thank you to the publisher for sending me a physical ARC in exchange for my honest review ✨ 。。。more
Sobbin’ Scenes
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Note to self: this sound really freaking cool
Bri • bri。renae。books
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I am in awe。 What a story。 。Multiple timelines converge to create this ABSOLUTE GEM and had a reveal that left me mouth agape。 The pieces were all set on the chessboard， I just didn’t realize Mandel was two moves away from DECIMATING ME AND DESTROYING MY BRAIN with brilliance until she hit me with it。 What a freaking masterpiece。 。This is my first book by this author and now I’m googling the whole backlist and adding it to my “read it now” TBR if that tells you anything。 。This releases on April I am in awe。 What a story。 。Multiple timelines converge to create this ABSOLUTE GEM and had a reveal that left me mouth agape。 The pieces were all set on the chessboard， I just didn’t realize Mandel was two moves away from DECIMATING ME AND DESTROYING MY BRAIN with brilliance until she hit me with it。 What a freaking masterpiece。 。This is my first book by this author and now I’m googling the whole backlist and adding it to my “read it now” TBR if that tells you anything。 。This releases on April 5 and it’s definitely worth the hype。 。CW: pandemic， shooting。 。I am in love。 Thank you， @aaknopf for this gifted copy。 I am highly anticipating my preorder’s arrival。 This will definitely be a favorite。 🌙 。。。more
Cindy :: leavemetomybooks ::
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Another beautifully written book from Emily St。 John Mandel。 I love how her books tie together but can be read individually。 This is one I will be recommending to everyone I know & will be rereading at some point。* thanks to Knopf for the NetGalley review copy。 Sea of Tranquility publishes April 5， 2022。
Renee Godding
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“It’s shocking to wake up in one world and find yourself in another by nightfall， but the situation isn’t actually all that unusual。 You wake up married， then your spouse dies over the course of the day。 You wake up in peacetime and by noon your country is at war; you wake up in ignorance and by the evening it’s clear that a pandemic is already here。” Rating: 5/5 stars I have mentioned before this “problem” I have as a reviewer， where I struggle to review the books I love the most。 The books I c “It’s shocking to wake up in one world and find yourself in another by nightfall， but the situation isn’t actually all that unusual。 You wake up married， then your spouse dies over the course of the day。 You wake up in peacetime and by noon your country is at war; you wake up in ignorance and by the evening it’s clear that a pandemic is already here。” Rating: 5/5 stars I have mentioned before this “problem” I have as a reviewer， where I struggle to review the books I love the most。 The books I can’t keep out of my mind， that make my heart overflow; they are also the books where words fail me in discussing them。 I can already tell that Sea of Tranquillity is going to fall victim to that as well， so strap in for a longform loveletter。 TLDR: do yourself a favour and pre-order this book today！What is Sea of Tranquillity？ To paraphrase the publisher: it’s a character-driven story of time travel， that precisely captures the reality of our current moment。 To use my own words: it’s a return to everything I loved in the authors previous two novels， both of which I consider all-time-favourites。 All three are stories that follow a cast of characters， surviving （and living， because “survival is insufficient”） their own brand of “apocalypses”。 All three share themes， a feeling of melancholy and hope， and now characters， as Sea of Tranquillity brings back familiar names from her previous works。 Reaching across time from 1912th Canada to a Moon Colony in 2401， this novel has the scope of a sci-fi epic， but the intimacy of a midnight kiss。 Characters for the agesAs mentioned: Sea of Tranquillity introduces a new set of wonderful characters to us， but also brings back some familiar names from Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel。 It’s a bold choice that works out great in this story。 You don’t have to read the previous two works in order to enjoy Sea of Tranquillity， but I personally do recommend it。 I had recently reread both The Glass Hotel and Station Eleven and having these stories so clear in my mind added a deeper layer to my current reading experience that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss。 Yet even if you come into this story brand new， you will still benefit from Mandel’s familiarity with these characters and this world。 The fact that she knows them through and through makes it possible to craft some of the most memorable and fleshed-out characters I’ve read about in a long time， within less than 300 pages。 Part of that familiarity may also come from a place of personal experience。 Through the character of Olive Llewellyn - an author who published a pandemic novel， right at the dawn of a real-life pandemic – Mandel reflects on her own pandemic-experiences。 Whilst I usually don’t enjoy these clear “autobiographical nods” from the author， in this case it was subtle， relatable and seamlessly integrated。 Structurally brilliantIn a recent interview Mandel mentions David Mitchells Cloud Atlas as an important piece of inspiration for Sea of Tranquillity。 Although I love Mitchells work， I feel like Mandel did more than just take influences from this style; she managed to improve and master it completely。 The story and characters loop back on themselves， and even their predecessors with an effortless grace that I think only Mandel could’ve pulled off。 Where Cloud Atlas was a pioneer of the style， with all of the clunks and kinks that go along， Sea of Tranquillity is a well-oiled machine。 Every phrase， every motif and every timeline interlocks and spins together like the gears in a clock; meticulously crafted but seeming effortless。 It’s the display of wonderful craftmanship， without sacrificing readability that makes Mandel a favourite for me。 As much as I loved her work before: she keeps getting stronger and stronger with every subsequent release。 Worthy of its titleOn a more personal note: this “universe” （Station Eleven， The Glass Hotel， and now Sea of Tranquillity） has a very special place in my heart。 Each book has a distinct feeling to it， and each of them slotted somehow perfectly into the rhythm of my life at that moment。 It may not be the books virtue perse， but it’s a powerful reading experience regardless。 When it comes to “the feeling”， Sea of Tranquillity honours its title: it feels like the serene calm to follow a storm。 It feels like… well: I’ll let Mandel do the talking one final time: “I’ve been thinking a great deal about time and motion lately， about being a still point in the ceaseless rush。” Many thanks to Picador Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review: it was an honour to read this early。 。。。more
Sue
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The first half is very suspenseful and leads up to a revelation that seems very exciting， but I was let down by the second half which felt trite and lacked character development。 It reminds me a bit of Kazuo Ishiguro's SFF work in that it's a dreamy， contemplative exploration of spec fic themes。 I wanted more from a supposed lit fic take on SF themes though。 Like Ishiguro's Buried Giant， I felt bored and detached from the story。 3。5 stars。 The first half is very suspenseful and leads up to a revelation that seems very exciting， but I was let down by the second half which felt trite and lacked character development。 It reminds me a bit of Kazuo Ishiguro's SFF work in that it's a dreamy， contemplative exploration of spec fic themes。 I wanted more from a supposed lit fic take on SF themes though。 Like Ishiguro's Buried Giant， I felt bored and detached from the story。 3。5 stars。 。。。more
MaguiWorld
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Thanks for the free book PRH International 😊Cuando comencé esta novela todo fue bastante confuso。 No entendía bien que pasaba y creo que fue a partir de la mitad del libro que todo comienza a aclararse y mi cabeza estaba como 🤯 en el buen sentido。 Esta historia se encuentra relacionada con la otra novela de la autora The Glass Hotel porque tiene personas que escenas de ese libro。 Pero si bien me sentía perdida， no creo que sea porque no leí el libro The Glass Hotel y comencé con este。 Ahora defi Thanks for the free book PRH International 😊Cuando comencé esta novela todo fue bastante confuso。 No entendía bien que pasaba y creo que fue a partir de la mitad del libro que todo comienza a aclararse y mi cabeza estaba como 🤯 en el buen sentido。 Esta historia se encuentra relacionada con la otra novela de la autora The Glass Hotel porque tiene personas que escenas de ese libro。 Pero si bien me sentía perdida， no creo que sea porque no leí el libro The Glass Hotel y comencé con este。 Ahora definitivamente quiero leer el otro para ver como éste sería un complemento。Ciencia ficción， metafísica， viajes en el tiempo y un sin fin de idas y vueltas que me dejaron totalmente encantada。 También esta presente una pandemia， y espero que quien este leyendo esto la haya pasado de la mejor manera posible durante tantas meses de encierro。 Fueron momentos difíciles y este libro retrata de manera pasajera pero impactante esos momentos。Lo interesante de este libro y la clave son los viajes en el tiempo， lo vamos entendiendo a medida que avanza la historia。 Y cómo afecta nuestro accionar en esa linea de tiempo es también super importante。 En un momento sentía que estaba dentro de la serie Loki， donde hay una institución encargada de contener las diversas realidades y universos lo más estables posibles。 Cosa que nunca es posible 😂Sin lugar a duda fue una muy buena primera experiencia con la autora 👏Más reseñas y recomendaciones 👉 https://www。instagram。com/magui。world/ 。。。more
Leah Darnell
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A little slow to start， but if you enjoyed Station 11， stick with it。 The multifaceted plot layers do not disappoint。 I highly enjoyed this complex read。
Brenda
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Another inventive， unique journey from Emily St。 John Mandel。 I do not want to give anything away， but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this title。 It will stay with you long after you close the book。
Wrapped Up in Books
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My most anticipated book of 2022 so far！ And I was not let down one bit。I was reading the last quarter of this book at a bar， slightly buzzed， listening to a music station that seemed to play all upbeat music。 All of a sudden “Dreams” by the Cranberries comes on at a pivotal moment in the book， and it fits perfectly。 In fact， this whole book would make a great movie which I thought about Station Eleven as well （and I was pleased to watch the miniseries a few years after reading that book）。 It wo My most anticipated book of 2022 so far！ And I was not let down one bit。I was reading the last quarter of this book at a bar， slightly buzzed， listening to a music station that seemed to play all upbeat music。 All of a sudden “Dreams” by the Cranberries comes on at a pivotal moment in the book， and it fits perfectly。 In fact， this whole book would make a great movie which I thought about Station Eleven as well （and I was pleased to watch the miniseries a few years after reading that book）。 It would be really cool to hear a musical score made for this story （would have to include violins and space sounds）。I’m not going to give an overview of what happens because this is definitely one of the stories that needs to unfold without any expectations。 I love reading a book without knowing anything about it， but being confident that it’s worth reading。 I’ve read a couple other books by Emily St John Mandel （Station Eleven， The Glass Hotel）。 I was more than pleasantly surprised。 That same feeling of melancholy that permeates Mandel’s books is in this one as well， but there is also a lot of hope。 Give it a read， and consider absorbing yourself in this novel while in a bar of coffee shop enjoying your favorite beverage。 It helps to even out the melancholy vibe。 😊 Thank you to Knopf Publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 。。。more
Emi Yoshida
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I like that the title refers to the first location on another world to be visited by humans; and that it sounds so serene and calming， because this story is all over the space-time continuum and really rather turbulent。 I love the symmetry between brother and sister Paul James and Vincent Smith and in subsequent centuries Gaspery-Jacques and Zoey Roberts; somehow so many relationships are presented with enough context and background to make them memorable but in such rapid succession it seems im I like that the title refers to the first location on another world to be visited by humans; and that it sounds so serene and calming， because this story is all over the space-time continuum and really rather turbulent。 I love the symmetry between brother and sister Paul James and Vincent Smith and in subsequent centuries Gaspery-Jacques and Zoey Roberts; somehow so many relationships are presented with enough context and background to make them memorable but in such rapid succession it seems impossible。 It seems odd that Emily St John Mandel， a writer capable of this kind of wizardry， has written another book about a character who is on stage while a global pandemic resurges， in Station Eleven it was an actor and this time it's an author on a major book tour。 But in both the writing is exquisitely tight， where every character seems to have a place in the mystery， and everything comes together at the end， in an extremely satisfying way。 I'm normally not a sci-fi fan， but I will read anything by this author， and generally cover-to-cover within hours。 。。。more
Jennifer
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Phenomenal writing， plot， and character development。 I wasn't sure I could handle a pandemic novel yet， but this book puts this pandemic into perspective by seamlessly weaving our current trauma into the vast timeline of traumas。 Phenomenal writing， plot， and character development。 I wasn't sure I could handle a pandemic novel yet， but this book puts this pandemic into perspective by seamlessly weaving our current trauma into the vast timeline of traumas。 。。。more
Megan Ferguson
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To start off， please understand that I A） loved Station Eleven by the same author and B） received this book as a free eARC from Netgalley， so take all comments with the grain of salt appropriate to the situation。 That being said， I definitely enjoyed this gem of a novel （even if the large variety of narrators， time periods， and shifting/colliding timelines left me feeling almost as lost as the main character on a few occasions）。 The main theme of the novel is one that has been explored in philos To start off， please understand that I A） loved Station Eleven by the same author and B） received this book as a free eARC from Netgalley， so take all comments with the grain of salt appropriate to the situation。 That being said， I definitely enjoyed this gem of a novel （even if the large variety of narrators， time periods， and shifting/colliding timelines left me feeling almost as lost as the main character on a few occasions）。 The main theme of the novel is one that has been explored in philosophy for centuries and in fictional worlds from The Matrix right through to the new Free Guy film: how would we know if we were living in a simulation？ I won’t give you the author’s conclusion， as that would be spoiling things， but I will tell you that it is one of the most compelling answers to that question that I have yet received。 One more note: If you loved Station Eleven， get ready for a few highly enjoyable if disorienting moments。 One of the side characters is an author who wrote a book about a pandemic a few years before a pandemic broke out on her future version of earth， and who then had that book turned into a film （sound familiar？）。 Those of you who have read Station Eleven will enjoy spending a few chapters desperately trying to figure out how much of the story is fiction and how much of it is fictionalized reality， which adds another fine layer of intrigue to the tale。 。。。more
Lacy
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Excellent as usual from Emily St。 John Mandel。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Sea of Tranquility
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Sea of Tranquility&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Sea of Tranquility&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0