Last Sunday I turned 50, that’s right the dreaded 5-0, and to ease me over this middle-age hurdle my husband and I spent a getaway weekend in Aspen, Colorado, which is fabulous this time of year. It made it a very special occasion especially since I once lived there for a few years right after college. Back then, I skied and worked at the wonderful indie “Explore Booksellers” on Main Street, which thankfully still exists. It was a good life, and I’m not exactly sure now why I left. On this trip, we rented bikes and rode into the mountains to see the fall colors. It was gorgeous. See the Maroon Bells photo above.
While on the flights, I made my way through Harper Lee’s much-ballyooed novel “Go Set a Watchman.” If for some reason you were under a rock and didn’t hear, it’s about what happens when 26-year-old Jean Louise (Scout) returns home to Maycomb, Alabama from New York to visit her aging father, Atticus Finch. During her homecoming, set amid the tensions of the civil rights era, she learns some disturbing truths about her family, the town, and those closest to her.
Of course I was really hoping to like this one because of Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which I had just reread this year, but alas it wasn’t to be. I should have known when Salman Rushdie mentioned just last weekend in the New York Times that he didn’t finish “Go Set a Watchman,” that it wasn’t a good sign. It’s not a hard book to read but I struggled with seeing it till the end too. It took me over a hundred pages to get into the novel, then I found the middle more interesting, but then the ending seemed to turn into a monologue argument that just felt no longer like a narrative.
There were parts I liked but on the whole I just didn’t care for “Go Set a Watchman.” And it wasn’t because of how Atticus had changed in this book, or its theme of Scout’s homecoming and her revulsion towards the racism she finds there. Those are interesting themes, but it just felt like an early draft. The narrative failed to grab me time and again and I struggled to get through it. I can see why Harper Lee never thought to publish this before because it wasn’t a final version.
What the book left me feeling was: what a great editor Lee must have had — not only to suggest the story instead be told from Scout’s childhood point-of-view — but also that her editor and Lee had apparently vetted and revised the manuscript so thoroughly together over years that it became “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Whether “Watchman” is valuable as a “literary artifact,” I’m still wondering about. I guess it is, but it doesn’t necessarily make me want to read through the trash bins of other writers for first drafts, despite how much I might want to hear a character — such as Scout’s — voice again.
I was disappointed by it, but luckily Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel “Station Eleven” came to the rescue. I know most bloggers raved about this novel last year, but I’ve finally just gotten to it. I listened to it last week as an audiobook read by actress Kirsten Potter who did a wonderful job. Holy smokes, what an entertaining book! I plan to read it in print as well though my husband just snagged my paperback copy of it.
Although it’s a post-apocalyptic novel, “Station Eleven” is not your typical gory tale about the immediate aftermath of a horrific event. It focuses mostly 20 years after a flu pandemic has wiped out most of the world’s population and is about the new culture that emerges among survivors and their settlements. It’s still scary and suspenseful, though at times it’s funny and endearing too.
What makes the story so great is the wide array of characters in it that are brought to vivid life, which includes a famous actor, a traveling symphony, a comic book writer, a corporate consultant, and a paparazzo. These people’s lives end up connecting or reconnecting in interesting ways as they travel about. I loved how the story circled around and all came together. You have to pay attention though because the novel jumps around in time quite a bit and from one characters’ story to the next, but despite the jumpiness, “Station Eleven” seemed pretty easy to follow and quite manageable.
I won’t soon forget the characters of Arthur Leander and Miranda and Jeevan too. They were my favorites. I loved as well how “Station Eleven” is set both in Canada and the Midwest. My husband and I have been to Toronto, and Denman Island on the West Coast, which is fictionalized in the book as Delano Island, which is Arthur’s hometown.
Apparently as the author has said in interviews, “Station Eleven” was meant as a “love letter to the modern world” and all the wonderful things we take for granted from it on a daily basis, which the survivors in the book don’t have. She’s talking about electricity, heat, plane travel, and the Internet among other things. It’s wonderful too how creative the novel is and how it focuses on the arts as an integral part of the world to save and keep going. As “Station Eleven” makes clear “Survival is insufficient.”
What about you — what are your thoughts on Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman,” or Emily St. John Mandel’s “Station Eleven”?
Oh yay! I’m glad you enjoyed Station Eleven! I thought the characters were fantastic too and it definitely made me think more deeply about the modern conveniences I typically take for granted.
I agree Katie. It really is good.
What a great way to celebrate a monumental birthday!
I don’t think I will read Go Set A Watchman, but did enjoy Station Eleven. It was a little outside my comfort zone and quite unlike anything else I’ve read this year… kind of defies classification.
Thanks JoAnn. Station Eleven is a bit different. I thought it sort of transcended the post-apocalyptic genre which made it good.
Independent bookstores are great and I hope that they never disappear. I have heard that they are making a bit of a comeback.
I have not read Station Eleven but I really want to. When I read books that involve really bad futures, I often think about how good some of us have it in the modern world.
I agree Brian. When I think of all the refugees I think of our lives too. The indie stores are so important!
Happy Birthday and welcome to the 50+ club! I don’t have any interest in reading Go Set a Watchman — but I absolutely loved Station Eleven. I immediately added it to my list of all-time favorites, which is surprising to me since I don’t typically enjoy “post-apocalyptic” novels.
Thanks Ann, what a club, argh! So glad you loved Station Eleven. I feel we are aligned on our reading interests!
I agree. Harper Lee must have had a fabulous editor.
http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2015/09/what-i-read-and-what-im-reading.html
Yes exactly Deb. That’s totally what it left me with.
I had zero interest in reading Go Set A Watchman and after hearing most of the reviews from the book bloggers I follow, including yourself, I’m glad I didn’t read it. Historically, maybe it’s important, but to me, meh.
I’d like to say that I liked Station Eleven. I wanted to, but really I didn’t. I just don’t think I’m a science fiction/apocalyptic reader anymore. I want to be, but alas, I am not.
Oh that’s too bad Bryan. I sort of thought it transcended that genre. I’m really not a big post-apocalyptic lover. But this one seemed different, it’s more about people and the arts. It was clever and that’s what I liked.
I just posted my thoughts on Watchman as well. I read it when it first released but haven’t been motivated to do much blogging lately. I discussed it with several people face to face though.
Still haven’t gotten to Station Eleven but I’m intrigued.
Hope you birthday was awesome!!
Thanks Darlene. I survived the bday, lol. I will stop by your site and check out your thoughts on Watchman.
I’m not a huge fan of reading out of author’s trash bins either. It generally doesn’t turn out well. There are rare exceptions like Kafka’s The Trial, of course.
Glad you liked Station Eleven!
Thanks Rachel. I will google The Trial to find out more about it and how it came to be. You have me curious!
Station Eleven does not appeal to me at all, as I can only handle a few post-apocalyptic tales; I love the kind like The Handmaid’s Tale…but I didn’t even like that author’s MaddAddam Trilogy.
I did buy a copy of Go Set a Watchman, and will read it at some point. But I cringe whenever I think of all the people reading what seems to be a first draft, when we’re not even sure the author really wanted it out there. I guess we’ll never know what went on behind closed doors when the decisions were made.
Thanks for sharing…and for visiting my blog.
Yes I agree Laurel — there’s a side of how Watchman came to be published that is cringe-worthy. I actually think you might give Station Eleven a chance because it’s so much more than just post-apocalyptic lit. It transcends it — which is my theory I’m sticking to, LOL. And it’s good.
I’ve pretty much decided I’m going to skip Watchman – I’m still not sure how I feel about its publication.
I’m not too sure you’d like it Kathy. It’s a bit of a struggle in one way or another.
Happy 50th! It sounds like you had a great trip. Great time of year to see the Fall colours.
Not to mention the good books you read. 🙂
Thanks Naomi. Visiting Colorado that weekend was the perfect antidote to everything. 🙂
Station Eleven is definitely one of my favorites from last year and a novel I recommend for people who are looking for something awesome to read. I’m glad you loved it. And love the vacation photo — looks like fun!
Thanks Kim. Yeah I’m still in the afterglo of Station Eleven. What a terrific book!
I was looking forward to reading your review of Watchman. I had similar mixed feelings as you know. You make me want to read Station Eleven. I’ve heard a lot about it too. I love your autumnal Colorado photo. I’ve only seen out west in September and winter.
I think you would like Station Eleven Sarah. So creative. Yeah that photo of Colorado was taken in late Sept … so the colors were already yellow in the backcountry. Simply gorgeous.
Happy belated Birthday, Susan!
I have Station Eleven on my pile to read next year. I’m not a bit curious about Go Set a Watchman, because I read TKAM fairly recently and I thought it was perfect. Why mess with that?
Oh thanks Carmen. Birthday went well. Yeah I too recently read TKAM and I probably should have just stuck with that. And there’s no Boo Radley either in Watchman. Too bad.
Hello Susan. I was recommended to your blog by Carmen of Carmen’s Books and Movies. Station Eleven was one of my favorite books last year. I recently reread it in order to lead a reading group discussion and it was even better! I applaud your decision to reread! Here is a link to my original review: http://keepthewisdom.blogspot.com/2014/09/station-eleven.html
Judy: thanks for coming by and for your comment and review of Station Eleven. I just loved it. Wow what a book! I will definitely reread.
I loved Station Eleven! (And so far have not been able to finish Go Set a Watchman for the same reasons as you.)
Oh good to know Amy! We are often on the same page about books, so I’m glad to hear you loved Station Eleven like I did. Also good to know I’m not totally off my rocker about Watchman. It wasn’t easy to write about.