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Life After Life
- Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
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Life After Life
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Editor reviews
Summary
What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you finally got it right?
During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby is born and dies before she can take her first breath. During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale.
What if there were second chances? And third chances? In fact an infinite number of chances to live your life? Would you eventually be able to save the world from its own inevitable destiny? And would you even want to?
Life After Life follows Ursula Todd as she lives through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. With wit and compassion, she finds warmth even in life’s bleakest moments, and shows an extraordinary ability to evoke the past. Here is Kate Atkinson at her most profound and inventive, in a novel that celebrates the best and worst of ourselves.
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What listeners say about Life After Life
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- susan
- 02-05-13
Intriguing story, beautifully told.
This was my first Kate Atkinson book, and I shall certainly seek out others. The narrative, though fractured is gripping, and the fluent style is reminiscent of Elisabeth Jane Howard
at her best.
I agree that it seemed to lose its way a little toward the end, and would the pedantic Ursula really misuse the term 'beg the question' ?
Despite these niggles, I have become a fan of this author, and of Fenella Woolgar's superb narration.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 08-04-13
Facinating
Kate Atkinson does not disappoint with this story where the main character has several opportunities to relive her life. The story is in true Atkinson style with lots of twists and turns and the narrator's voice is very soothing.If you have enjoyed this author's other novels, you should enjoy this.
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19 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- judith
- 03-03-18
Absolutely stunning in concept and delivery
This book has blown me away. The concept is fascinating while not unfamiliar. Yet the lot that explores and use it is so well crafted. A gripping tale. Fenella’s reading is superb. She is able to adapt her voice for all the characters so this book really comes alive.
If, like me you listen to audio books to help you sleep, and you drop off as you listen (Fenellas voice works for me but I mean that as a compliment) you’ll get an added bit of twist. But it’s so good you’ll just have to find the time to listen to it again.
Best audio book I’ve purchased
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M C
- 02-03-17
One of the best writers writes one of (2) the best stories
I was so enthralled by the story, history, (my father in law was rear gunner in Wellington Bombers), and clever plots. I love the psychological element as well. And it's sequel/prequel, A God In Ruins of course. Brilliant. Not many as good as this/these.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anne
- 12-02-16
Original and completely engrossing
I enjoyed this enormously, both because the narrative, with all its alternative paths, was so engrossing and surprisingly satisfying and because the reading by Fenella Woolgar was outstanding. The descriptions of life in London during the Blitz were particularly chilling, unlike the usual gung-ho stuff that attaches itself to that period.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alison audible
- 16-08-16
A fantastic listen
This is a compelling story - and one that repeats! As Ursula's life takes different routes the history of the first half of 20th century is reflected in her personal experiences. The book is made by the brilliant narrator who managed to deal with the many characters with subtle changes that are consistent throughout.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cogito Ergo Sometimes
- 15-10-20
fab :)
Oh, this is a good one. Well written and well read. So, so clever and moving.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- R Gaudion
- 24-06-15
Fabulous
Brilliant concept. Wonderfully narrated. Enjoyed it immensely. It's a unique story that stays with you.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rachel
- 03-08-13
Her best story yet...
What made the experience of listening to Life After Life the most enjoyable?
The premise of a life lived over, changing subtly each time is fascinating. Reviewers who label this idea repetitive are missing the point, each retelling is subtly different but there are links between the tellings as we see how subtle changes in circumstances can send a character in a completely different direction. This writing technique couples in a particularly interesting way with the subject matter. Her depiction of the second world war and life after the war is beautifully, if painfully, drawn. I note that one reader found the ending tricky. I wondered afterwards how she came to a choice about which ending to place last and decided that in Kate Atkinson style she does usually like to leave some hope for the future. I was particularly interested in one of the final depictions of Ursula's birth, without giving away the plot it suggests that the life lived over could apply to all the characters as her mother takes a particular action which harks back to a detail near the beginning of the book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maxine
- 22-05-15
Loved it !
If you could sum up Life After Life in three words, what would they be?
Sliding doors meets the time travellers wife - but better than either
Who was your favorite character and why?
Izzy - madcap but what lies beneath ? and Miss Woolf
Which scene did you most enjoy?
All the Fox Corner pieces
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Ursula & Freda in Berlin
Any additional comments?
The structure is brilliant - it could of so easily collapsed into a muddles mess but it doesn't . The narration to is great - spot on.
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