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All Clear

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All Clear

By: Connie Willis
Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren, Connie Willis (introduction)
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About this listen

In Blackout, award-winning author Connie Willis returned to the time-traveling future of 2060, the setting for several of her most celebrated works, and sent three Oxford historians to World War II England: Michael Davies, intent on observing heroism during the Miracle of Dunkirk; Merope Ward, studying children evacuated from London; and Polly Churchill, posing as a shopgirl in the middle of the Blitz. But when the three become unexpectedly trapped in 1940, they struggle not only to find their way home but to survive as Hitler's bombers attempt to pummel London into submission.

Now the situation has grown even more dire. Small discrepancies in the historical record seem to indicate that one or all of them have somehow affected the past, changing the outcome of the war. The belief that the past can be observed but never altered has always been a core belief of time-travel theory, but suddenly it seems that the theory is horribly, tragically wrong.

Meanwhile, in 2060 Oxford, the historians' supervisor, Mr. Dunworthy, and 17-year-old Colin Templer, who nurses a powerful crush on Polly, are engaged in a frantic and seemingly impossible struggle of their own - to find three missing needles in the haystack of history.

Told with compassion, humor, and an artistry both uplifting and devastating, All Clear is more than just the triumphant culmination of the adventure that began with Blackout. It's Connie Willis' most humane, heartfelt novel yet - a clear-eyed celebration of faith, love, and the quiet, ordinary acts of heroism and sacrifice too often overlooked by history.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an introduction written and read by author Connie Willis.

©2010 Connie Willis (P)2010 Audible, Inc.
Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction England Time Travel Feel-Good Heartfelt Witty War

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Critic reviews

  • Nebula Award, Best Novel, 2010
  • Hugo Award, Best Novel, 2011
  • Best SF and Fantasy Books of 2010: Readers' Choice (SF Site)

"Katherine Kellgren's delightful English accent is perfect for the many characters she portrays." ( AudioFile)
“As vivid an evocation of England during World War II as anyone has ever written.... You’ll find here a novelist who can plot like Agatha Christie and whose books possess a bounce and stylishness that Preston Sturges might envy.” ( The Washington Post)
All stars
Most relevant
So, first of all let me recommend reading this book immediately after Blackout. I waited about 8 months to get back to it and by then I’d forgotten some of the details, which made me a bit confused at the beginning. So, because the two books are really 2 halves of the same story, it’s best to read them in quick succession.

That aside, this is such an excellent and intricate story. I love the time travel element, which is more prevalent than in Blackout, but the real meat of the story gives life to what it was like in England during WWII. There’s a lot of action, peril and drama, but also humor. And many things, especially the relationships pull at your heartstrings. Alf and Vinnie continue to be the most wonderful characters. I’m quite glad that Mr. Dunworthy didn’t play so much the bumbling dodderhead like he did in Doomsday Book.

Wow - but read this right after Blackout

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Would you try another book written by Connie Willis or narrated by Katherine Kellgren and Connie Willis (introduction) ?

Definitely the Oxford series written by Connie Willis but would avoid anything narrated by Katherine Kellgren in future. The frequent mispronouncing got in the way of a good story e.g passengers and particularly of ARP and FANYS showed ignorance of the subject matter and was irritating. The American accent lacked conviction as did the 'over the top' aristocratic accent. If Aileen (Eileen?) is supposed to be Irish an Irish accent should have been used for her part.

What did you like best about this story?

The fire at St Paul's and the surrounding events. I had read Blackout some time ago and then tried it and all clear as audio books, they work very well, particularly Connie Willis' introduction

Would you be willing to try another one of Katherine Kellgren and Connie Willis (introduction) ’s performances?

See previous comments

Could you see All Clear being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

Yes. An English cast. Sam West as Mike, Claire Skinner as Polly

Good follow up to Blackout

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good story spoiled by being far too long. really needed editing - cut out repeats and quotations at the beginning of each chapter, which near the end wasn't needed as it was really all one chapter. at this point Katherine kellgrin tried to keep the atmosphere and momentum going but the quotes slowed it down and were irritating.
the characters that stood out for me, apart from the main ones, were the shakespeareian actor sir godfrey and alfie and binnie.
black out leaves you up in the air, all clear pulls all the loose ends together.

good story

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brilliant 2 part story and an excellent reading with characters which were easily recognisable and fantastic twists and resolves

excellent story and brilliant performance

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The premise of this story is great and, given it covers two very long novels, I managed to complete both of them.

However, I frequently nearly gave up due to the endless repetition of what is essentially farce. Every person spends the whole time jumping to conclusions, not listening to people, being hindered by 30 different improbable obstacles, speculating on what might happen or could happen, then berating themselves for getting things wrong. There are so many scenes where people are running around London trying to find people or places, being ignored, waylaid, misunderstood, cut off and ultimately unsuccessful in their mission. At times I wanted to scream with frustration, and at the stupidity and naivety of the characters. The story could have been told in a quarter of the time.

Also each of the main characters who are supposedly historians seem to know very little about the facts of WW2 in England. One of them had never heard of Bletchley Park?! I don’t know if this is the author’s own perspective or her way of trying to demonstrate how poorly prepared her characters are for their missions.

The narrator’s English pronunciation is quite odd in places and there are a number of Americanisms in the text, but that’s forgivable.

In short, I stuck with this as I love the period of history and the idea of time travel, but you do need to suspend any sense of realism whilst reading.

Good story but very irritating!

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