Book Review: Sea of Tranquility

I seldom read science fiction/fantasy books. Just not my thing. However, I enjoy some time travel premises. So, I took a gamble on Emily St. John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility. Back in 2015, my book club read Station Eleven. The hold list was long. Thus, I read it many months prior to the discussion. I must have missed the meeting because I have no recollection of what the others thought. Given my lack of enthusiasm for Station Eleven, I never investigated this author's more recent fare. I liked Sea of Tranquility more than Station Eleven. Is this because I have now lived through a pandemic? To be honest, I don't enjoy reading about this subject. Somehow, this book reeled me in and I felt it was worth the time invested.

The back cover promises "a virtuoso performance that is as human and tender as it is intellectually playful." I enjoyed the playful premise. The Time Institute sends Gaspery Roberts to investigate an anomaly involving video footage in a forest and the distant sound of a violin. They know the violinist. Gaspery's first assignment is to interview this individual. Of course, time travel is dangerous. Things altered can alter the future. Can one really go back with the knowledge of an individual's immanent death and yet not intervene to save the life?

While the book sometimes confused me, it was coherent enough to follow. I appreciated the struggle of the author on a book tour, wishing to be home with her family instead of the bondage of promoting her book. Even though the pandemic bits hit a little too close to home for me to enjoy, I tolerated those details and remained fully engaged. When the details all came together, the satisfaction made the audio book worth the listen.