Intriguing and fascinating

I think this is my absolute favourite Kate Atkinson. What are the pivotal episodes in our lives that alter everything to come? Who can determine the purpose in their own life? An absolute thought provoking narrative.
Excellently performed by Fenella Woolgar

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A puzzle - is it worth the effort?

If you could live your life over time and time again, would you/ could you ever get it right? That is the central question of this book. The next question posed is if this ability to relive your life would be a gift or a curse. This is a book of fantasy and historical fiction. It poses philosophical questions concerning how life should be lived.

Atkinson's writing is clever, both the questions she poses and her ironic, satirical, sarcastic and often sardonic humor. Don't expect good-natured laughs based on happiness. It is solely because of the writing that I have chosen three rather than only two stars.

The book is confusing. Not only does the reader jump back and forth in time but also into different versions of the same story, the point being that there is not just one story. The stories overlap at points only to later go off in different directions. The reader must continually figure out if they have been dropped into a different version or a different time period of an earlier version. In addition, many characters are not introduced. When they are first mentioned you have not the slightest idea who they are.

By the end everything is interwoven. Picture a twine of yarn that is split at several points, each strand going off in different directions. The reader hops back and forth to different segments. Is there one "correct" ending? Is there one preferable ending? Is it possible to choose the final destination? Most importantly, what is the message of the book? Was the message worth the confusion? In my view, the answer is no.

I thought the author magnificently described life in London both during the Blitz and after the war. I enjoyed the segment set in Obersalzberg, at Hitler's residence Berghof, near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany, meeting up with Eva Braun. This IS a book of historical fiction. Events of both WW1 and WW2 are covered.

The audiobook narration by Fenella Woolgar was exemplary. Irish, British, American and French accents are all perfectly executed. I believe the audio version further enhances how people of different cultures "think".

You must keep a paper and pen nearby to jot down the date of the episode you are listening to. In addition, I recommend you read this book quickly; if you read a little each day you are sure to get lost! Good Luck!

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A mind altering book

What made the experience of listening to Life After Life the most enjoyable?

The trick to this book is to stay with it. It is 1910 and snow is falling and life starts. And starts again.Kate Atkinson is simply one of the finest writers today. This book is a literary wonder - earthed by beautiful characters and a solid English country home - and yet delving into the questions of life and time and choice. World War Two vividly evoked. Ethereal and captivating. Don't miss it.

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I REALLY enjoyed this

What did you love best about Life After Life?

It's such a creative story! The characters were so easy to attach to and the reader has such talent for telling the story, not just reading.

What other book might you compare Life After Life to and why?

It's such a creative story. I can't compare it to anything because I've never read/listened to another story quite like it.

Have you listened to any of Fenella Woolgar’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I had not listened to Fenella before but her voice is so fantastic for audio books that I will definately be looking out for more of her books.

If you could take any character from Life After Life out to dinner, who would it be and why?

This is a hard one. I'm tossing up between Ursula and Izzy. Izzy would be highly entertaining, but Ursula would the character I would be most interested in chatting to.

Any additional comments?

Thank you to the author for such an entertaining story.

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Mesmerising!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story draws you in from the very start. Over and over the story is retold and the path of her life is rewritten. It's gentle and sad, uplifting and wistful. I really enjoyed it.

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Stunning story and performance - Missing it!

What other book might you compare Life After Life to and why?

One Day, The Last Letter from Your Lover

Have you listened to any of Fenella Woolgar’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, she's new to me, but I'll be looking into her other performances.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I never wanted to reach my destination in the car and turn it off. I miss it since I finished listening.

Any additional comments?

I've recommended this to my friends. I just loved it.

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So tedious

I really wanted to like this because I love everything else Kate Atkinson has written. So I kept trying and re-trying to slog through it. But it is so, so boring. The characters are bland, the setting is bland and every time her life started again, I groaned because I knew there was just more blandness coming. Really disappointed

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Less profound than it claims

Struggled to finish it and was very annoyed by the end. I missed the wit and the comedy that interlaced so well through profound themes in Atkinson's other books. Narrator had bad German pronunciation, but that will probably only irritate German speakers.

Wonderful.

The combination of magical realism and a family narrative works fantastically work. Each live relived presents different dramas, joys and sorrows, such that by the end you feel you have inhabited a life with all its possible outcomes. Totally satisfying.

Extraordinary

Fenella"s extraordinarily gifted talent for narration brought life after life to life again and again