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I had mixed feelings about this book. A good illustration of the types of thoughts I had at points was in the beginning. I think it was the first or maybe second description of the events at the theatre the night Arthur dies, and near the end it mentions Kirsten and her handler are still in some backstage room and a small group are left at the bar with the bartender. It's mentioned as a surprising throwaway at the end of the section that no one still there that night survived much longer because of the coming flu.
I was pleasantly surprised and my interest was piqued at that because I'd thought the author was a bit too obviously setting up the young girl as a future protagonist, and to kill her off with the other more seemingly expendable characters still at the theatre was unexpected. Of course later I realise my mistake, that St. John Mandel must've been alluding specifically to only the characters at the bar of the theatre, which was a bit of a disappointment.
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