Discussion Topics Preview: Station Eleven

The Station Eleven discussion post is still live, and you can still comment on that discussion.

My lovely fellow Cannonballers, are you ready to make a return trip to Station Eleven? Let this post serve as your official reminder – we are 10 days away from book club on Friday March 20 and Saturday March 21. 

Really interesting reviews of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven are already up, and I’m about midway through my current reread. I’m  getting excited for what’s ahead. If you were here at Cannonball Read five years ago you might have already discussed this book with us, and we’ll be revisiting some of those same topics, but I’ve also got a few new topics up my sleeve.

When MsWas and I started discussing bringing this book for an anniversary revisit six months ago, we had no idea just how relevant it would remain, and we’re excited to see if you feel the same way.

Here are some of the themes/questions that we will discuss starting March 20^th, and if you have more topics you want other Cannonballers to ruminate on in the meantime, please leave them in the comments.

Suggested Topics for Discussion

• Does the novel have a main character? Who would you consider it to be? Is there one character who becomes their most authentic self, whose story arc is most complete?
• How does Shakespeare’s The Tempest and other motifs coincide with those of Station Eleven?
• Connection and Disconnection appear throughout the book, things have meaning because of the connections made to them, and the opposite is also true. Which characters embody that most in the story?
• How do Arthur’s regrets fit into the larger scope of the novel? Other than Miranda, are there other characters that refuse to regret?
• It’s an interesting time to read a book about a pandemic (although, it’s always an interesting time to do so). What do you think, is the book more about humanity or the end of civilization?  
• The novel is full of references to flying – and the Museum of Civilization is in an airport. Why are the characters so nostalgic for flight? Why are planes so important? What are they meant to stand in for?

Happy reading, see you on March 20^th and 21^st to chat!