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Lisa asked this question about Sea of Tranquility:
One or two of the characters in this novel seem to think that Jonathan from The Glass Hotel escaped to Dubai, though he did, in fact, die in prison, as per The Glass Hotel. Was this an intentional misconception on the part of these character(s)? Am i remembering The Glass Hotel correctly?
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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Shiloh Did any of you read her other books? I am curious if she referenced her other works as well as Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel
May 02, 2022 02:13PM · flag
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Melanie Wow, thanks for explaining that! I hadn't realized it might be alternative versions of our world. ...more
May 05, 2022 01:20PM · flag
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Sea of Tranquility
by Emily St. John Mandel (Goodreads Author)
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