Customer Reviews

Life After Life (Unabridged)

A seemingly small event can change the direction of a life completely: a chance encounter with a stranger who harms you or a conversation that detains you which means you miss bumping into the person, a meeting with the German you fall in love with and marry or being helped up from a fall by an Englishman. Life is full of moments which change the direction a person travels in and we have all wished we could go back and change something, or do it over again in a different way. And Life After Life explores this theme intricately, with sympathy, compassion and superb writing and plotting.

Ursula keeps being born, in 1910, living, dying and being born again within the same family but her decisions and reactions to events change, sometime nudged by a sense that something must be avoided at all costs, and her life keeps going off in different directions as she lives through the turbulent events of the first half of the 20th century. Sometimes you desperately want her to die so that a particular cycle will end and in others you want her to fight through and succeed.

Atkinson crafts Ursula's repeated lives beautifully and you are with her, rooting for her, in every one. But it is not just Ursula we get to know through her successive lives but also her family, friends, brief acquaintances and villains. We see not only the different directions Ursula takes but the impact of life and events on the people around her. Even the characters who make brief appearances are rich with detail and the main characters continue to grow through Ursula's lives along with our greater intimacy with Ursula herself. How many times can we read of a character being born? Well the answer is many times and still never be tired of it. A single event in Ursula's life can be seen from multiple viewpoints and as we progress through different lives we see tiny and different details which make the repeated experience of the event richer and more complete.

Life After Life deserves 5 stars for the complexity of its plotting, the depth of characterisation, the scope of the story and for being a magnificent piece of writing. This is a novel that stayed with me long after the final sentence.

First Sentence: A fug of tobacco smoke and damp clammy air hit her as she entered the café.

Ursula is born...and dies...and is born again. Each life lasts a little longer. With some, we pick up where the previous left off. With others, she has been able to change her course and, possibly, the course of history.

Atkinson uses her unique voice to tell us a story of reincarnation, but not in the usual woo-woo sense. In fact, she does not follow the classic philosophy of reincarnation as the character of Ursula is always reborn at the same point in time as the same person. You know each life will end; you know the next life will show zen-like progression. The difference, however, is that there are times when Ursula can alter an event which will then change the course for that life.

This is no romantic fantasy; some lives are decidedly unpleasant. What the book lacked, for me, is a sense of connection. The one certain element, in real life, is that life will end. Whether there is reincarnation or eternity, we don't know and it is the not knowing which gives life import and significance. Atkinson has removed that gravitas. While this makes the reading of each life interesting, it does remove some sense of really caring about the fate of the character. What is also missing is any real sense of how Ursula's life fits in with those around her; how she impacts them, and they her.

That's not to say, one doesn't become involved. Absolutely, you do but almost in the way of watching an inevitable accident. In that, it reminded me of "The Time Traveler's Wife" as one chapter is painfully grim. In another, Ursula commits an act which could have changed world history. Unfortunately, we're given no follow-up; we have to surmise the outcome for ourselves as her life starts again.

Atkinson does provide us with a character about whose life we become curious. She creates an excellent sense of time. The pre-war and World War II years become real to those of us who didn't live them. She writes excellent dialogue. There are elements of philosophy, satire and humor, as well as introspection..."Ursula craved solitude but she hated loneliness, a conundrum that she couldn't even begin to solve."

"Life After Life" is a fascinating read; it's compelling and certainly kept me reading to the end. It is intriguing and thought-provoking, occasionally grim and rather depressing, and undoubtedly not for everyone. Atkinson is an excellent author, one who ordinarily ranks among my favorites. Although I am very glad I read this book, I can't recommend it unreservedly.

LIFE AFTER LIFE (Novel-Ursula-England-1910) - Good
Atkinson, Kate - Standalone
A Reagan Arthur Book, Little, Brown and Company, 2013

`Don't you wonder sometimes,' Ursula said. `If just one small thing had been changed, in the past, I mean....surely things would be different.'

I admit I am a big fan of Kate Atkinson's writing, having read most of her previous novels, with a particular fondness for the Jackson Brodie stories, my favourite probably being `When Will There Be Good News?'. I was therefore so excited to hear about a new novel coming from her and filled with great anticipation upon starting to read.

Life After Life didn't disappoint me; I think this is a very special book in many ways. It is imbued with the sparkling prose and the dark humour that is so often evident in Kate Atkinson's works. But this book features something rather clever and wonderful in terms of the structure and storyline.

The main character, Ursula Todd is born in 1910, during a heavy snowstorm, but sadly dies immediately, there's no time for the doctor to reach her. Then we read that Ursula Todd is born in 1910 during a heavy snowstorm, and lives. She has another chance, another start at life, and this pattern, this unique quality, stays with her as she lives, and lives again, and changes the direction of her life, having chance after chance to get it just right. What a premise!

We accompany Ursula as she lives through many of the major events of the twentieth century, with her personal highs and lows recounted, then changed, as she has another chance at her life, and then another. She takes a different route, and a different course is set. Kate Atkinson writes of the personal experiences of one woman in a way that makes for compelling reading. I loved Ursula's family and thought they were also all vividly brought to life, in particular her mother Sylvie. However clever the structure, I never felt distanced from Ursula as a character, as a woman. She endures some of the hardest times, the saddest events, and the reader grows close to her and hopes for better next time.

I wasn't sure quite what to expect in terms of how this novel would work, but I gave myself time to get into the novel, through the early, often very short episodes as Ursula begins to find her way. I was soon drawn into Ursula's life, her family, the events, and I was keen to return to them every time I picked the book up, little knowing what would await me.

When Ursula lives again, sometimes very little has changed, sometimes a lot is different. There are some thrilling moments, dramatic and tragic; then the reader realises that there is another chance at the story and can breathe again - it's quite an experience reading this book. Usually after another go, things are better, but Ursula's life demonstrates that there are always hard choices, difficult relationships; there is always some sadness, even when she has had more than one chance to live through a particular time. It's a powerful and emotional experience to read this story.

This is by turns a surprising, unnerving, moving and rewarding read and it sets itself apart with a clever structure to the narrative and a distinctive main character who we live through different experiences with, over and over again, as we read. It's a fascinating and fantastic concept that really made me think as I read. What does this mean for fate? What if we could all change things, or go back and have a second chance?

I read this book on my Kindle before looking at other readers' reviews. I'd never read Kate Atkinson's work before so didn't know what to expect. Now having read other people's reviews, I suspect it's not typical of her work.

I've given the novel three stars because I sort of enjoyed it. It was well written and I didn't ever think of giving up, which some other readers did.

However, I was confused because Ursula (the main character) died early on in the novel, only to reappear in the next chapter when older. The first time it happened, I thought perhaps she hadn't died at all and that all would be revealed in due course. Throughout the novel she seemed to be reincarnated again and again, each time to die in different circumstances and at different ages.

The penny eventually dropped and I realised that the novel was exploring what might have happened if Ursula (a) had not died or (b) had made different choices in life. Perhaps if I hadn't been reading on a Kindle, I would have grasped the point more quickly because I would have flicked back to re-read previous sections and get some clues as to what the book was about. The other explanation is that maybe I'm a bit thick.

I found the later chapters slightly bewildering as the same characters reappeared in Ursula's different 'lives' in various situations. That said, I felt compelled to read on and finish the book.

On a snowy night in 1910, a baby is born. The doctor is unable to reach her due to the weather, and she dies. Or the doctor makes it in time, and she is saved. Or a mother's instinct pulls her back from the edge, and she lives. This is how Ursula Todd's life begins, again and again.

Over the course of her life, Ursula continues to die and be reborn, over and over again. Each life brings with it a different set of choices, different experiences and a different fate. Her family and certain key characters throughout the book feature in many different incarnations, their lives at some times entirely separate and at some times intrinsically linked with Ursula's. Her decisions see her take a variety of paths - sometimes to the London war office and sometimes to Germany, sometimes as a mistress and sometimes as a wife, sometimes happy and sometimes utterly alone.

The main point of the novel seems to be to demonstrate how the smallest thing can impact on your entire life. Ursula is continually faced with deadly situations, but some lingering feelings and an uncanny sense of déjà vu from a past life continue to propel her forward. Some incidents are harder to avoid than others - a deadly outbreak of Spanish Influenza proves particularly hazardous. In other cases, a few offhand words spoken here or there can change the course of an entire life.

War is a major theme throughout the book, and in many strands it is a pervading influence on the central characters. Ursula's role in events changes from life to life, but the reality of fighting and the hardship of living through World War II is constant. Ultimately, Atkinson uses Ursula's individual story to ask if one person's actions can influence events on a global scale, and change the course of history forever. It's a really interesting concept, although I personally found the ending a little abrupt and there wasn't a great deal of build up to her final actions in the same way as with some of her earlier turning points.

The structure of the novel, which flits around in time and place indiscriminately, is quite hard to get used to. Central characters appear and disappear, and live or die, depending on which particular narrative strand Ursula's life has taken. Some of her lives are truly awful, seeing her a victim of extreme violence, loneliness, or emotional turmoil. I found myself hoping for the death that was sure to come just so she could escape whatever horrible reality she was in at the time. On the other hand, in some strands she is happy, successful and simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. In these cases, I was desperately hoping she could fight fate.

Kate Atkinson writes with immense skill. Despite the continually shifting time periods, all of the characters are really well rounded and developed. Ursula is portrayed especially well. Her circumstances, frame of mind and outlook can change completely from chapter to chapter but her core remains the same and I was really rooting for her to choose the right path and end up happily ever after. There's a certain inevitability about this book. Death comes no matter what choices Ursula makes, and all she can do is to try and overcome obstacles until she gets it right. In the end, there was an overwhelming sense that we can't have everything. Every one of Ursula's lives had a sense of compromise and its own share of tragedy. But at the end of the day, that's just life.

I love Kate Atkinson books, right from the first to the latest I have bought them the day they came out. Sorry this one just wasn't for me. I like a beginning, middle and end in all stories (and films and theatre productions), the problem with this one was I was given dozens of each. Some of the reincarnations I was enjoying and wanted to know more and follow the story for longer. I did finish it just to see but I can't say I enjoyed it nor would I be able to recommend it.

I really wanted to love this book but it was a struggle to read. About halfway through the book, the going back and forward in time became really tedious and because so many scenarios were repeated, it started to feel like a chore to keep reading more or less the same thing over and over again. The format just didn't work for me and I didn't enjoy reading it even though I stuck with it until the end. It is the only Kate Atkinson book I have been disappointed with, I've thoroughly enjoyed all the others.

I have always enjoyed Kate Atkinson's writing and have read all of her novels.
In`Life after life is the story of an ordinary young girl called Ursula Todd who is born during a snow storm in 1910. But Ursula appears to be far from ordinary as she re-lives various aspects of her life time, and time again. Kate Atkinson skillfully uses the `groundhog day' device in an inventive and compelling manner to produce a powerful and sometimes moving plot.
The book is tightly plotted and really kept me enraptured. But what I really admire about her writing is the way she is able to really evoke the minute details of everyday family life between the two world wars with her usual acute attention to detail. Engaging and extraordinarily clever a remarkable read. To me Kate Atkinson's writing almost has the feel of an modern day Dickens!

This is an extremely thought-provoking book which made me exclaim out loud several times as I was reading it - either from surprise, dread or the ever-present undercurrent of déjà-vu. It seems to embody such a sense of might-have been, if only... and explores very adroitly indeed how we are fashioned by our circumstances. I loved it and have been singing its praises far and wide.

This is my third Kate Atkinson book and I had high hopes for an enjoyable read.
Instead I find myself bored and irritated. As many of the reviewers in this 2-star category have commented, once past the first few 're-incarnations' one begins to groan at yet another little detail from that fateful night in 1910, or whatever. As a collection of short stories…yes…possibly, although even this stretches the limits of the tolerable.
I found myself not really 'seeing' any of the characters, let alone engaging with any of them; I found some of them pretentious or even ridiculous and don't anyone tell me that by page 192 I cannot have a nearly-complete picture of the book. I have no desire to go beyond page 192, especially since as one of the comments divulges the potentially interesting development of the Ursula/psychiatrist strand turns out to have been a dream…or something…I don't care. Not even if she did or did not shoot Hitler!

Down to the local Oxfam shop...