Life After Life

Atkinson, Kate

  12 Reviews

During a snowstorm in the English countryside, a baby is born. But this is no ordinary baby: Ursula Todd is destined to live her life over and over again through the first half of the 20th century. Following a myriad of storylines, Ursula's alternative lives offer a rich tapestry of possibilities shaped by personal choice and the capriciousness of fate.

With its vivid vignettes of English life, particularly during the war years, and its capacity to reflect all that we may aspire to or regret, this is an engrossing and interesting read. [Larger font]

Comments from Groups

Most people enjoyed the book - after initial confusion with the repeated changes of dates, it was a good read. We talked a lot about the family relationships, and also the concept of 'deja vu' - how much we control our lives and what fate dishes up for us. It was a good read, and Kate Atkinson showed she has good skills as a writer. We liked the perspectives of women in the war. Dunedin 039

Most of us enjoyed the book - a very different view of London during the the bombing and also a contrast with Germany. We felt the book was too long, and the leaps from the present year back to the beginning year of birth a bit overdone. Wanganui 002

We enjoyed this very much, and thought it was beautifully crafted and imagined, with great characters.Thoroughly recommended to other groups. Lower Hutt 013

We had a very thought provoking discussion. It was a very challenging book to read, and I think our memories were working overtime to pull all the bits and pieces together. It was very enlightening to read the author's notes at the end of the book - they helped us understand the style in which it was written, and they gave a good picture of where many of her ideas came from.... Coromandel 003

Most found this a frustrating read - why did the main character have to die 13 times?? Kate Atkinson is a competent and clever writer, but this time we thought she was just too creative, creating more confusion than enjoyment. Auckland 055

We all loved this book - one of the best we have ever read. The section on the London blitz was outstanding.. The characters were so well drawn that we felt we knew them as friends, and mourned their deaths. Nelson 007

There was a mixed reaction to this book, and on balance, more negatives than positives! Members found it hard to follow all the story-lines and didn't particularly like the characters. The questions, however, encouraged a very lively and amusing discussion so all was not lost. Although the book was not hard to read, the length seemed formidable to some. Wellington 134

Some found this book too fractured for their liking; too many stops and starts as each life ended and then began again, Others loved the unusual format. Auckland 302

Fantastic ! Auckland 192

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