Questions About Sea of Tranquility

by Emily St. John Mandel (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (48)

I know characters reappear in this book that were introduced in The Glass Hotel. Is it necessary and/or important to read The Glass House (either first or at all)?

Karen Potter-Witter No it is not necessary, but it was a wonderful surprise to encounter them again.

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Kathy I noticed the same thing. Even though characters pop up in other books, it's as if each book is an alternate reality where these characters had differ…moreI noticed the same thing. Even though characters pop up in other books, it's as if each book is an alternate reality where these characters had different fates/outcomes. In "The Glass Hotel", Jonathan imagines what might have happened if he had fled to Dubai rather than going to jail, and in the "Sea of Tranquility" timeline, that is exactly what he did. It's the same with the Georgian Flu -- in "Station Eleven" it rages into a pandemic, and in "The Glass Hotel" it's mentioned in passing when one of the characters wonders what would have happened if "the terrifying new swine flu in the Republic of Georgia hadn’t been swiftly contained.” I think Mandel is brilliant for connecting her books with these characters, but creating new worlds where their stories turn out differently.(less)

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