Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel, is a hard book to categorize, though it is certainly a book worth reading. The book takes place in four time periods – the early 19th century, the present day (approximately), two hundred years from now, and four hundred years from now. While each of the storylines begins on its own track, they ultimately converge in the end, and this structural feature is one of the things that makes the book really captivating. St. John Mandel drops small hints about the relationship between the storylines, and slowly draws the reader into greater clarity over time. This technique made the reading speed up, almost like a detective novel, as I wanted to see how the relationships between the threads unfolded at the end. And even though the book takes place in an imagined future – one where people live on our moon and distant planets, one might think it’s a book of science fiction. And while it might be (I’m not terribly invested in pigeon-holing books into one genre or another), it doesn’t read like conventional fiction either. Still, the imagined future gives the book a magical, ethereal quality that I quite enjoyed.
So what is the book about? Well, the main character who appears in each story is a man named Gaspery Roberts. But how and why he’s in each place is really the story itself, and anything I’d say here would give away the pleasure of reading the book! I suppose at its essence the book is about the impact of the choices we make, and the importance and power of our relationship with others that emerge from these choices. Re-reading that sentence I think I realize how vague it is – but I can’t do better without ruining the read. So – I think you’ll have to try it out for yourself.
Just Because I Liked It:
- This is an incredible video about how to understand people with autism, and other different abilities. It is a testament to the power of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s vision, and deep understanding of the human soul.
- I enjoyed listening to this interview with the singer Mordechai Shapiro with my kids on the Meaningful People podcast.