"Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel (BR)

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

This is a buddy read for Emily St. John Mandel's newest book Sea of Tranquility.

For any spoiler related content, please note what page/chapter you are on in the book and hide any spoilers with spoiler tags.

[Anna]

(This is probably sad AF. I'd meant to read Glass Hotel first, and maybe reread Station 11, but now I'm super tempted to jump into this.)

((edit: Storytel doesn't have it yet, so I'll wait a bit to see if they get it. They have Glass Hotel, so maybe.))

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Well come add your thoughts anyway when you get to it Anna! If it’s in the next few months I’ll probably still remember. (No promises though… lol!)

I’ll let you know if it’s sad

[Anna]

Thanks! 😊

(Storytel is more likely to have the UK edition which comes out on the 28th.)

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I read through part 1 today (page 35).

Mandel’s writing is lovely as ever. I am surprised (though I probably shouldn’t be) of how well it felt like she nailed the tone of other literature written during the time (or possibly earlier).

(view spoiler)[
The mystery at the end is super intriguing, wondering if the mysterious priest is a time traveler and what he wants with Edwin. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Page 51:
(view spoiler)[So it seems the characters are actually a crossover from Glass Hotel - I don't know why I thought they were a crossover from Station Eleven (maybe because they are both pandemic novels).

I laughed when Gasperry said Purell wasn't going to help against Covid-19 and then when everyone was surprised he said "oh, it's only January." So I'm guessing Gasperry is also Father Roberts and the time traveler of our book.

I do find myself wishing I had re-read The Glass Hotel prior to starting, but am following along just fine. Maybe this will just be a good excuse to re-read it afterwards. (hide spoiler)]

[Rebecca]

(thought I had posted this earlier but perhaps the GR link corrupted the post so I'll leave it out)

Another group SFF Hot off the Press is reading this next month, and I know several of us are in this group too - so we may have some later readers in May.

[Anna]

You posted it in the BR thread earlier:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Rebecca]

Ha, thanks Anna 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Rebecca wrote: "(thought I had posted this earlier but perhaps the GR link corrupted the post so I'll leave it out)

Another group SFF Hot off the Press is reading this next month, and I know several of us are in..."

I understand Rebecca. I'm not part of that group and I don't want to wait for May. I am just going to post my thoughts as I go and when people catch up or get started I'm happy to jump in whenever. There was no real set date on this buddy read.

I appreciate the heads up though!

[Nicole]

So far I agree with you Sarah that Mandel's writing is just as beautiful as her previous works. It isn't full of descriptions but it definitely has a lyrical quality that makes you feel and gets you engaged in the story.
PG 51 response
[(view spoiler)[ I was way to happy to see the Glass Hotel characters show up in this book. I had initially had a hard time being interested in glass hotel because it was so different then Station 11, but by the end of the book I felt an attachment to Vincent, and the people in her life. Its kind of nice to get a glimpse back at a moment in Vincent's life that we didn't know about. I feel like it might explain other things in the Glass Hotel but those thoughts would be a spoiler for another book. (Although... a spoiler within a spoiler seems to match the plot of Sea of Tranquility) (hide spoiler)]]

I have more thoughts but I don't have my book near me for Pg numbers so I will update later. I'm not too far past the halfway point.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Nicole wrote: "So far I agree with you Sarah that Mandel's writing is just as beautiful as her previous works. It isn't full of descriptions but it definitely has a lyrical quality that makes you feel and gets yo..."

I agree Nicole - I wasn't sad at all to see that (view spoiler)[Vincent and her brother are mentioned/show up. (hide spoiler)]

And I think it will definitely warrant a reread of (view spoiler)[The Glass Hotel later, which I am also not sad about. Wondering if it will change the way I read that one. I agree that it sheds some light on that book. (hide spoiler)].

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Through page 130:

(view spoiler)[I was really not expecting a “reality as a simulation” book but I have to admit I kind of love it.

I also adore Gaspery. He’s very relatable and sympathetic. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

I didn't realize this is so short! I meant to listen to a couple of chapters today and then start properly tomorrow, but it's only 5-ish hours on 1x and I never listen on normal speed, so I'll probably blast through this thing tonight.

I'm somewhere in part 3 (Olive), and (view spoiler)[ I'm *so happy* to be reading a "proper" scifi from ESJM! I absolutely have no complaints about her previous books not being proper scifi, I'm just super happy to have ESJM's writing paired with space colonies! ^_^ It's early going still, but I think this will be my favorite ESJM :)

Can't wait to find out why Gaspery is there to say Mirelle's name.

I wonder how many of Olive's book tour anecdotes are from ESJM's real life? I smirked at the woman at the reading commenting about her plague book not having a proper ending and too many characters :D (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Anna wrote: "I didn't realize this is so short! I meant to listen to a couple of chapters today and then start properly tomorrow, but it's only 5-ish hours on 1x and I never listen on normal speed, so I'll prob..."

omg Anna SAME. I was thinking to myself how perfectly happy it made me to have such beautiful lyrical writing paired (view spoiler)[with actual Sci-fi. It made me so sad:

A.) it wasn't longer
B.) and that I didn't have something else I could jump in to with a similar feel. I'm sure there are others like ESJM out there but I haven't discovered them yet.
(hide spoiler)]

I also think this one might be my favorite out of the three of her's I've read.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Anna wrote: "I didn't realize this is so short! I meant to listen to a couple of chapters today and then start properly tomorrow, but it's only 5-ish hours on 1x and I never listen on normal speed, so I'll prob..."

Oh - also, in regards to:

(view spoiler)[ the anecdotes, I laughed at the one with the cab driver talking about her own book. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

In the early going it's making me think of The Moonday Letters by Emmi Itäranta :) But I read it in Finnish, and I tend to think that her writing isn't *as* excellent in English (I'm obviously biased), so I can't be sure if it would hit a similar spot.

You definitely have to read something by Maja Lunde though, if you didn't already :) All of these authors live in the same space in my brain with Charlotte McConaghy. They all evoke similar feelings in me <3

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Anna wrote: "In the early going it's making me think of The Moonday Letters by Emmi Itäranta :) But I read it in Finnish, and I tend to think that her writing isn't *as* excelle..."

I did pick up Lunde's horse book (and am super excited for it)! Maybe I'll dive into that one this weekend. I will also check out Emmi Itäranta. I haven't read The Moonday Letters or Memory of Water. Thank you!

[Anna]

You *can* read "the horse book" first, but if you can, I'd read one of the other ones first. If I remember correctly, the third (horse) book references the second (ocean) book, but not the first (bees) book? (Gabi if you're reading this, please confirm!) You can read them separately though, but you know, had to say it :D

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Anna wrote: "You *can* read "the horse book" first, but if you can, I'd read one of the other ones first. If I remember correctly, the third (horse) book references the second (ocean) book, but not the first (b..."

haha - well darn. I want to read the others too but it was the horses that really stood out to me (because I love them and that particular horse she references I've always been fascinated by).

ETA: but the library does have The End of the Ocean so I guess we'll see how ambitious I'm feeling.

[Anna]

It’s kind of like (view spoiler)[ reading Sea of T before Glass Hotel 🙂 but the connection is less important (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Ooh. I’ve been debating that in my head, how much a person might miss (view spoiler)[ by skipping Glass Hotel.

I think you are safe though. You’ll miss out on the giddiness of seeing a (favorite?) character again, but otherwise Sea of T stands totally on its own, with brand new characters to love! (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

I just edited my comment but yeah pretty much same except less important. I just got to the part in SoT where I feel like it’s more relevant and that’s why I edited. I did read (view spoiler)[ Glass Hotel (hide spoiler)] a couple of weeks ago 😊

[Anna]

Finished. I’m on my phone so not feeling like typing lots but (view spoiler)[ I kept waiting for how they were going to kill Olive because she was ”saved”. I did not expect the violinist twist! (hide spoiler)] I kind of want to reread it immediately 😄

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Anna wrote: "Finished. I’m on my phone so not feeling like typing lots but [spoilers removed] I kind of want to reread it immediately 😄"

End of book spoilers:
(view spoiler)[I didn’t see that coming either! And I loved how Gasperry was plotting out all the many ways he was going to trick himself into believing that he was someone else. It was just too clever.

Also, I had the same feeling when I finished. I’ll probably pick up Station Eleven and Glass Hotel again at some point this year, and then give this another read. I loved it that much. (hide spoiler)]

Of the three books Anna, does this one end up being your favorite?

[Anna]

Definitely my favorite, but it’s been very long since I read Station11. I’ve spent the past 1,5 hours relistening to different parts!

[Anna]

It's so extremely rare for me to add quotes to GR, but I had to add this one :D

(Yes, I enjoy beautiful, serious quotes, too, but I don't tend to highlight them.)

(view spoiler)[ I never came back to finish my thoughts on part 3 and the other part about Olive. So many fun anecdotes about being the author of a plague book during a plague, and then when she's asked if that one part is based on something that happened to her in real life, she says she doesn't write autofiction :D I enjoyed the heck out of Olive!

I love that I didn't figure out Gaspery's role, that means I enjoyed the book so much that I just let it happen to me. I've noticed that the less I like what I'm reading, the more my thoughts revolve around figuring out all what's going on. Sometimes I'll even miss completely obvious twists because I'm so focused on being immersed in the moment I'm reading about. Then if I reread, it's like wow that was so obvious :D (hide spoiler)]

Now do I reread Station Eleven, or do I watch Station Eleven? I haven't watched it yet, but now I really want to! There's no reason why I can't start it tonight :)

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Anna wrote: "It's so extremely rare for me to add quotes to GR, but I had to add this one :D

(Yes, I enjoy beautiful, serious quotes, too, but I don't tend to highlight them.)

I never came back to finish my ..."

Haha! That is a good one. I bought a hard copy so I didn’t highlight anything either.

Whole book spoilers:
(view spoiler)[ I loved that while we are told this is a time travel novel from the blurb it actually twists and we get a reality is a simulation novel. I think that’s probably the best and most believable explanation for time travel I’ve ever seen. (Because I know so much about quantum physics… 😆)

When Olive is going through the pandemic at home I really felt for her and I kind of felt like that part that might have been very autobiographical for Mandel too. (hide spoiler)]

As for reading versus watching- I loved the book most, I struggled to follow the show, but there are some fun things about it that make it worth watching I think?

Where is Gabi? We need her to come gush with us over this book.

[Anna]

Is Gabi still reading the new Adrian Tchaikovsky? :)

Sarah wrote: "As for reading versus watching- I loved the book most, I struggled to follow the show, but there are some fun things about it that make it worth watching I think?"

Hmm, maybe I'll reread first!

[Anna]

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

I'm actually in the process of tracking down the books mentioned in the reading guide. I've read several of them, and some are on my TBR, but there were a couple I hadn't heard of.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Dune by Frank Herbert
To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
Crystal Eaters by Shane Jones
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Opposite House by Helen Oyeyemi
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

[Gabi]

Oh ... lovely folks! <3 I will start in a few days, perhaps tomorrow. And then I hope I'll join you in gushing.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Of the books on the list Anna, I have read The Road, Cloud Cuckoo Land, and Station Eleven. I’m kinda confused about how The Road fits but I did enjoy all of them.

The others On my TBR are State of Wonder and Handmaid’s Tale. Maybe I’ll bump State of Wonder up. I’ll have to check out some of the others I’m not familiar with.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Super excited to hear your thoughts Gabi. I think this will become a favorite of yours too.

[Anna]

I've never been interested in reading The Time Traveler's Wife, but since it's on this list, and I see that a lot of SFFBC members have rated it highly, maybe I should give it a go. It's on Storytel so nothing to lose. I even see that people have cried reading it, so maybe it has to go on my sad books list :)

I'm most interested in To The Bright Edge of the World though, it sounds like something people in this thread would enjoy!

Sorry I'm babbling about irrelevant things, but I'm kind of all over the place today anyway :D

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I’m interested in that one too and it’s one of the ones I’ve never heard of.

I will say that of the authors I’ve read on that list Ann Patchett is the one whose writing reminds me most of Mandel’s? I’m scared to pick up any of her books though since Bel Canto made me ugly cry. I don’t think any other book has wrecked me so emotionally. Maybe A Walk to Remember many years ago.

[Gabi]

Before I start ... is 5.46 h correct as audiobook time? I couldn't find a notation that it is an abridged version, but this feels so short.

[Nadine in California]

Anna wrote: "I'm most interested in To The Bright Edge of the World though, it sounds like something people in this thread would enjoy!"

I loved this book and read it as part of a group discussion in the Reading Envy Goodreads Group a few years ago. Reading Envy is also a podcast and there's an episode that is our Zoom discussion of it - it's maybe about 2 or 3 years old now, but you can find it on the podcast's webpage.

The book is above all realistic historical fiction (19th century, Victorian feel), but mystical, unexplainable things happen and they are all the more powerful for being in such a realistic setting. I don't know if this group likes to share reader reviews, but if you do, here's mine. No spoilers unless you're super spoiler sensitive.

[Anna]

Gabi wrote: "Before I start ... is 5.46 h correct as audiobook time? I couldn't find a notation that it is an abridged version, but this feels so short."

Yep, it's really short!

[Nadine in California]

Sarah wrote: "I will say that of the authors I’ve read on that list Ann Patchett is the one whose writing reminds me most of Mandel’s..."

Mandel is starting to remind me more and more of David Mitchell, especially with Sea of Tranquillity. And he's my favorite, so that makes me happy! I couldn't get through Bel Canto because it was just too intense for me, but I really liked 3 others - they weren't a happy breezy walk in the park, but they were....I don't know....gentler? than Bel Canto. The books were State of Wonder, Commonwealth, and The Dutch House. There's lots of love in the books to balance out the pain.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

That’s actually kind of reassuring regarding Patchett. And Commonwealth is on my TBR for the year!

Where would you recommending starting with Mitchell? Because I feel like I tried to pick up one of his books, Slade House? and it felt like too much work and then I kind of shied away from anything else by him.

[Nadine in California]

Sarah wrote: "That’s actually kind of reassuring regarding Patchett. And Commonwealth is on my TBR for the year!

Where would you recommending starting with Mitchell? Because I feel like I tried to pick up one o..."

Slade House is probably his slightest book. His characters pop in and out of all of his books in strange and interesting ways. I think the best way to start is with the book that started it all, Cloud Atlas. The book has an unusual structure - each section takes place at a different time in history, in chronological order, starting in the early 1800's and going into the far future. The unusual part is that you get half of each story in the chronology, then it abruptly cuts off and you go to the next story. The center story is complete and takes place in the far future. Then the sections give you the second half of each story, going backwards in time, ending in the early 1800's. Each story is great, and you start to see the connections between them. If you want a more straightforward book, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is probably the best. There are characters that appear in other books, but you don't need to know that to enjoy the book. I love 'em all :)

[Gabi]

Sarah wrote: "I read through part 1 today (page 35).

Mandel’s writing is lovely as ever. I am surprised (though I probably shouldn’t be) of how well it felt like she nailed the tone of other literature written ..."

I love it when modern authors emulate older literature prose (that's why Cage of Souls is one of my fav novels). And yes, (view spoiler)[ the end of this part is intriguing (hide spoiler)]

but did I see this right ... one should remember Glass Hotel for this novel ... ^^' - my swiss cheese brain isn't up to that ...

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Gabi wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I read through part 1 today (page 35).

Mandel’s writing is lovely as ever. I am surprised (though I probably shouldn’t be) of how well it felt like she nailed the tone of other liter..."

Gabi I don’t think you HAVE to remember Glass Hotel.

Glass Hotel Details:
(view spoiler)[In Glass Hotel Vincent’s brother (Paul?) at the end goes on stage to a crowded theatre and plays a video Vincent recorded when she was young. That scene shows up in this book.
(hide spoiler)]

SoT will hold your hand through it so it jogs your memory, but also so that someone whose never read Glass Hotel could get along with this perfectly fine.

[Gabi]

Sarah wrote: "Through page 130: ...."

(view spoiler)[I saw that simulation theory more like an option because they had no idea what else it could be. (hide spoiler)]


Anna wrote: "I'm somewhere in part 3 (Olive), and (view spoiler)"

Your last point: (view spoiler)[ :D Yes, I had to laugh about that complaint and took it as a foreshadowing of the story itself. (hide spoiler)]


Anna wrote: "You *can* read "the horse book" first, but if you can, I'd read one of the other ones first. If I remember correctly, the third (horse) book references the second (ocean) book, but not the first (b..."


Yes, I would read the Ocean book first as well.


Anna wrote: "Finished. I’m on my phone so not feeling like typing lots but [spoilers removed] I kind of want to reread it immediately 😄"

Agreed, (view spoiler)[ I was expecting as well that Olive would die some other way in the 'the timeline rights itself' way. I loved the moment when he not so subtly warned her for her immediate death. That part was very intense!

I only saw the violinist thing coming when Gasperry was transferred to his last destination and mentioned that it was now xy years until he would interview the violinist there. That was the moment it made click. (hide spoiler)]

Anna wrote: "https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

I'm actually in the process of tracking down the books mentioned in the read..."

That list is an interesting one. I'm puzzling what Dune is doing there. And perhaps I should give the Timetraveller's wife another chance. I read this ages ago and labelled it as too tacky for my taste. Everybody else seems to like it, though. ^^' Perhaps I was in a very unforgiving phase of my life at that time?


So now after finishing it, I have a nagging question, though: (view spoiler)[ Didn't I get some importance of Talia (Thalia? ...)? I have the feeling I have to relisten. I was quite surprised to meet her again at the end. It felt like it was such an important encounter, but I was missing context to feel the importance. I guess, I overlooked something. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Gabi wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Through page 130: ...."

[spoilers removed]


Anna wrote: "I'm somewhere in part 3 (Olive), and (view spoiler)"

Your last point: [spoilers removed]


Anna wrote: "You *can* read "the..."

My theory on (view spoiler)[Talia is that someone helped her escape the current time period because she kept going around talking about what her parents were doing and spreading the secrets of the time agency, which was a big no no. I'm wondering if it was Gasperry's sister.... (hide spoiler)]

[Gabi]

Sarah wrote: "My theory on (view spoiler)"

Yes, I too (view spoiler)[ thought it was Zoe's doing. She was the one telling him he should get acquainted with the neighbours, wasn't she? (hide spoiler)].

[Karin]

I started this, so thanks for the spoiler stuff so I don't see it. I am not sure yet how much I like this--not as much as Station Eleven, but so far better than The Glass Hotel.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Karin I think this one takes a few chapters to grow on you. Once the narrative starts coming together I really feel like it’s her best.

But then it’s been a couple years since I read the other two.

[Karin]

Sarah wrote: "Karin I think this one takes a few chapters to grow on you. Once the narrative starts coming together I really feel like it’s her best.

But then it’s been a couple years since I read the other two."

Yes, I'll wait until I've read the third section, but might just finish it anyway to see what happens.

I've read so very many time travel novels and I am very tired of them, so that isn't helping. I hadn't realized that that was part of this for some reason.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Either way I hope you’ll come add your thoughts when you are finished!