Book Description
Characters
The main character of this book is not immediately apparent as the narrative hops through time. A character is introduced each time as the setting moves from 1912 through the centuries to nearly 500 years later. However, the book spends the most time with the author living on the second moon colony and conducting her book tour on Earth (Olive Llewellyn), and the detective from the same moon colony later in the centuries (Gaspery-Jacques Roberts).
Setting
While the timeframe changes from section to section, most of the book takes place on Earth. Many of the characters do extensive traveling during their short sections. 1912 character Edwin St. Andrew moves from England through Canada to the edge of British Columbia on Vancouver Island. The characters in later centuries travel even more (especially Olive on her book tour), but the main setting is Colony 2 on the moon.
Plot
This is one of those books where you go on a journey without knowing why. You follow the characters through their very human struggles, which are pretty captivating. Eventually, there are some important events, “anomalies” in the book, which connect the characters across time. However, it’s hard to put together the pieces until about halfway through the book. Then, I’d argue, it comes together in a very satisfying way at the end.
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An Editor’s Book Review
Character Development
One of Mandel’s strengths is developing interesting and flawed characters in short stretches of time. Each character is introduced in no more than 20 or 30 pages. Yet, the reader is very aware of their character traits and desires by the end of each section. You miss some of them immediately when the perspective changes. As an example, the 1912 character, Edwin, has an immediate conflict set up (he has offended his family) and a desire (to find his place in the world outside of England). These relatable experiences connect the readers to the characters quickly.
Pacing
These books do require a bit of patience, since the reader does not understand the purpose of all the characters or how they are related until halfway through the story. However, I’d argue that, if you appreciate character development, the pace is never slow or boring. I read the whole book in 24 hours. However, readers that appreciate a clear goal from page one may struggle with the seeming randomness of the plot in this book.
Writing Style
Most novel readers will appreciate the melodic but concise style. Some chapters read almost like poems but give you more information and description than you expect. For example,
The next four hotel rooms were beige, blue, beige again, then mostly white, but all four had silk flowers in a vase on the desk.
p. 84, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
The truncated but descriptive style is common in the book. Many chapters have sections that are only a few sentences or a paragraph or two. But it seems appropriate for a book that is about specific sections in time. And, occasionally, there is a chapter with only a few words that stirs your emotions.
Related Recommendations
If you enjoyed Sea of Tranquility, I’d recommend The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.