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Life After Life
- Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
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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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- Kirstine
- 13-05-13
Intriguing story of "what ifs"
Kate Atkinson is such an imaginative writer and has again produced an intriguing, multi-layered story that explores different scenarios for the characters that pivot on a single event or choice in their lives that leads to quite different outcomes. There's an undercurrent of mysticism over the possibility of re-incarnation and the notion that time is fluid such that the past and future can intrude into the present.
The narrative switches back and forth in time from 1910 to 1967. You might think that this would be confusing in an audio book, but this is not the case: The time periods are clearly sign-posted and the characters seem so familiar that one remembers what happened to them in the other scenarios. The book is rich in period detail, particularly those during the Second World War. I was sorry when the book finished as I had felt so absorbed by the characters lives and made to think about how ones life can change direction in an instant.
The narrator is very good.
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67 people found this helpful
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- Janice
- 15-06-13
Couldn't finish it
I've enjoyed several other Kate Atkinson talking books and was looking forward to Life after Life as the subject matter seems intriguing. The repetition of events is obviously intentional, but the childhood of Ursula seemed interminable and became tedious, so I jumped to the next part hoping it would improve, as I know several other reviewers thought it was a wonderful audiobook. In my opinion it didn't improve as I found the minutiae of description and repetition irritating. The narrator was excellent but even she couldn't persuade me to continue, so I gave up and couldn't finish it.
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40 people found this helpful
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- T
- 20-03-13
A satisfying trip through sliding doors
I've enjoyed a number of Kate A's books, includding all the unabridged ones on audible, and think this is my new favourite. Well written and narrated, it covers a period from 1910 until post-war, returning time and again to reconsider events and what might have been. Parallel worlds of personal history? The path/s taken/not taken? Deja vu is given an intriguing viewpoint through moving portraits of people locked together by family and circumstance. I loved it!
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40 people found this helpful
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- 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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- Judy
- 18-04-13
not sure
The reader was brilliant. She captured the voice of the era perfectly and brought the characters to life.
The story was clever, the idea of being born again and again until you got it right, was fascinating.
It is the first time I have read about war torn London, usually avoid war stories, but this was beautifully done and very evocative.
It all worked very well .. until the end. Then, I'm just not sure. It wasn't what I expected and I don't feel I understood anymore. I may go back and re-listen to the end and see if I can understand it better. It sort of ..flopped. But the rest of the book was terrific.
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24 people found this helpful
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- 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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- Gamester
- 10-06-13
Gripping, original, fantastic
Have read all of Kate Atkinson's books and this has to be her best. I'd never voluntarily listen to /read any WW2 books. But this......stunning and evocative.
Great characters, fascinating plot, gripped from start to finish.
Imagine The Time Travelers Wife crossed with Sarah Waters The Night Watch.
And them some. 5 star.
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18 people found this helpful
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- Joanna Burke
- 27-04-13
Beautifully read
I really enjoyed it, and thought Fenella Woolgar has the perfect voice (she has an amazing range and can do male, female and child's voices very convincingly). My only criticism is that it was over-long.... about 45 minutes before the end I was thinking "ok,.. I think we've finally got there"... and we hadn't. But in general I'd certainly recommend it.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Pj
- 09-04-13
Superbly written and superbly read.
There are times when a book takes your breath away - the originality of the story line and the quality of the writing work together to bring the reader something wonderful. That is what Kate Atkinson has done with her latest novel. How often have we asked the question 'what would have happened if...?' - Ms Atkinson has taken that idea and constructed something marvelous with it. The reading too is excellent, Fenella Woolgar added an extra dimension to what is an excellent novel. Her characterisation was superb, and her wonderful modulation kept me spellbound. I could not stop listening. I loved it all.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Londongayle
- 28-12-16
28 chapters to go and I give up
The concept is interesting, and this book came highly recommended by people who had read it. As I have difficulty reading, I listen to audio books and this is the first one I have given up on.
The reading is monotone and it is difficult to tell the difference between one chapter and the next, and each section of the story.
For me, it was dull and had no life in it.
Extremely disappointing.
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10 people found this helpful