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Signs of Life

3.27 of 5 stars 3.27 · rating details · 88 ratings · 27 reviews

It started quietly and without her looking for it, but the aftershock was profound. Ten years ago, Rachel had an affair. It spiralled out of control and left her and her life in pieces. Now, writing at her window, she tries to put those pieces back together. She has her memories, recollections of dreams, and her old yellow notebook. More than anything, she wants to be hone...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published April 12th 2012 by Picador (first published April 1st 2012)

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May 14, 2012 Blair rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, favourites, read-on-kindle, 2012-release

Beginning this book, there is something you should know. This is not a confession. This is something I am writing; something I am making out of something that happened. Ten years ago I had an affair that ended badly... With these irresistible lines begins the troubled, fragmented, and unreliable account of Rachel, the narrator of this melancholy and brilliant little book. Her story is a series of memories charting her emotional history, primarily focused around the affair she had with an unstabl...more Beginning this book, there is something you should know. This is not a confession. This is something I am writing; something I am making out of something that happened. Ten years ago I had an affair that ended badly... With these irresistible lines begins the troubled, fragmented, and unreliable account of Rachel, the narrator of this melancholy and brilliant little book. Her story is a series of memories charting her emotional history, primarily focused around the affair she had with an unstable colleague, Carl, while (and after) she was in a serious relationship with Johnny, a calm, gentle man she met in her teens. But what really happened, why has Rachel ended up living alone in a high-rise flat where she writes and watches the workmen in the building opposite, and why does she feel compelled to write this 'non-confession'?

I don't always like writing reviews of books I adored. Really, all I want to do is spew out a stream of incoherent babble, culminating in 'this is AMAZIIIIING, read it NOW' - I think the best qualities of great books are sometimes indefinable, or at least very subtle, and it's easier to be coherent about something that has glaring flaws. This is, quite simply, a beautifully written book with a fascinating narrator and an original, inventive structure. Rachel's recollections skip back and forth through time, moving through her relationship with Johnny, the affair with Carl and her present-day situation in an apparently random fashion. The narrative is written as one might really recount one's past - it seems like Rachel is writing down memories as they come back to her, but as the story progresses, a pattern of hidden secrets and uncertain details emerges. Rachel even admits that she is embellishing her tale at points, and although there are few surprises due to the non-linear nature of the book, there are choice moments when shocking revelations are delivered in a calm, cool tone. The book is rich with sumptuous, poetic prose and striking imagery, while remaining totally believable as a personal account.

I should qualify my review with a warning that I don't think other readers will necessarily love Signs of Life as much as I did. There's a bleak undercurrent to everything that happens, illustrated most obviously in the time Rachel spends with Carl, but subtly pervading the rest of the story too. I took to Rachel straight away because she seems so human - flawed, uncertain, full of guilt, more vulnerable than she realises but sometimes selfish and devious too - but I doubt everyone will have the same reaction to her. The book has been much compared to Zoe Heller's Notes on a Scandal, and I can certainly see the similarities, though I wouldn't say Rachel is anywhere near as calculating as Barbara Covett - she is sucked into events surrounding her rather than having a hand in controlling their outcome. I've found it very interesting to read through other reviews of Signs of Life and see that so many people found Rachel unlikeable. Did I feel differently because I saw something of myself in the character (as was the case with Barbara in Notes on a Scandal) - or is it simply the fact that she's a woman who is unfaithful, something that so many find so repulsive, that has turned other readers off?

I thought this book was absolutely brilliant, sublime, near-perfect. It's quite short and could be read in one sitting, but I preferred to work my way through it bit by bit, savouring the gradual uncovering of the truth. I found both style and content so delicious that it was much more satisfying to read a chapter at a time than to power through it. It's a shame that this is a debut, because I'm desperate to read more of Raverat's work... But on the other hand, this just gives me something to really look forward to when she publishes her next book. Please let it be soon.(less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Signs of Life by Anna Raverat is one of Waterstones' 11 for 2012, their list of highly recommended debut novels. Last year's picks included The Tiger's Wife (Orange Prizewinner) and Pigeon English (Man Booker shortlist) so does this bode well for Ms Raverat's first novel?

Well, I loved Signs of Life and I think it must be acknowledged that it is an extremely brave debut novel given that its narrator, Rachel, is extremely unlikeable. It's not that she's been involved in war crimes or cruelty to an...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Deborah Dicks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review on Amazon:
The basic premiss of the story is that the protagonist, Rachel, was involved in a relationship with Johnny, a relationship that was not perfect but was comfortable for Rachel; all was well until she began an affair with her work colleague, Carl. Carl was everything that Johnny was not - unpredictable, enigmatic, and dangerous - and perhaps this was largely what drew Rachel to him. The affair ends up going horribly wrong and ends in tragedy; Rachel reflects on what happened and...more Review on Amazon:
The basic premiss of the story is that the protagonist, Rachel, was involved in a relationship with Johnny, a relationship that was not perfect but was comfortable for Rachel; all was well until she began an affair with her work colleague, Carl. Carl was everything that Johnny was not - unpredictable, enigmatic, and dangerous - and perhaps this was largely what drew Rachel to him. The affair ends up going horribly wrong and ends in tragedy; Rachel reflects on what happened and writes down her thoughts as they come to her - this is what comprises the story.

In many ways the story is disjointed. Rachel constantly flits between different time periods so in a matter of a few pages you may find yourself reading about her current situation (alone in a flat), her relationship with Johnny pre-Carl, or her relationship with Carl and at different times of that relationship too - when it was going well or when it was over. In some ways this might seem confusing but it is an accurate reflection of Rachel's thoughts. The story is told from Rachel's perspective, she is writing it after the breakdown of both relationships, while sitting alone in her flat, and the style reflects her perspective perfectly. One minute she is daydreaming (in the present) looking out of her flat window at the builders opposite, and another she returns to writing about whatever aspect of her history comes to mind at that time. This may make the reader work a little,but it is true to the intent of the novel - to provide an accurate reflection of Rachel living in the present but musing over the past and trying to make some sense of it.

Another feature that can add to the confusion is Rachel's choice of material. As she herself says in the book, memory is a subjective and nebulous thing. How can she be sure that she is recording a factually-accurate account? How can she be sure that she is not colouring it with her own biased perceptions? The truth is she cannot, and she writes accordingly. The beauty is in her acknowledgement of this potential for inaccurate or prejudiced writing - this is what makes it credible for it is exactly as it would be if any of us were to record our memories.

Rachel is not a particularly likeable character - she cheats on Johnny, but gets back with him for a short time, and one gets the sense that she is using him for her own fulfilment. She starts up a relationship with the equally unlikeable Carl, and again we get the sense that it is not Carl that she wants, but something else that she cannot quite define, as though she is searching for something and is trying to find it in Carl, although if she is honest, she knows that she will not find it there either. So she is not a particularly sympathetic character and yet, she has friends in the book who care for her so she cannot be wholly unlikable. We also cannot help feeling some sympathy for her when she is living alone and still hasn't found the elusive thing that she was looking for, but has succeeded in destroying much of what she already had. I think the inclusion of her relationship with Molly the cat was a clever addition as it is here that we see a more favourable side of Rachel in her love for the cat; sadly that relationship also ends badly although it would be spoiling it to tell you how. Suffice it to say that you will quickly deduce in the first pages of the book that the cat is no longer with Rachel so I am not spoiling anything by telling you that the relationship does not endure.

All in all, I really enjoyed this. I thought the writing style was clever and drew me into the book. Because of the constantly-shifting time frames, the reader is given snippets of information but then has to wait to find out the details. For instance, very early on, we read that the relationship with Carl ended in tragedy - but we have to wait until the end of the book to find out what that tragedy was. We also hear that Rachel was hospitalised - but again we have to wait to find out why and whether it was serious. These tantalising snippets of information made me want to continue with the book to find out what happened. Furthermore, I think Raverat has been skilled very skilled in creating an unlikeable character that we still feel some sympathy for. Perhaps the only thing I did not enjoy were the repeated quotations from other literature as they did not always seem to add anything to the story. Some were appropriate but some seemed awkward and forced. Nevertheless, notwithstanding the quotations, this was a enjoyable and clever book that I would have no hesitation in recommending. (less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Anna Raverat is a descendant of Gwendolen Raverat, a celebrated English artist and member of the Bloomsbury Group. Signs of Life is Anna's debut novel and has been chosen as a Waterstone's 11; their pick of the best debuts of 2012.
Signs of Life is a dark, but compelling story of an out-of-control love affair that happened ten years ago. Rachel writes her story as she sits in the window of her new flat, now alone, her memories and her writing are fragmented and patchy. It is a very clever and ta...more

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Feb 14, 2013 George rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is based on an interesting idea: Rachel, a woman in her early thirties, is reflecting on two significant relationships. She considers her role in the affairs and thinks about why she behaved as she did. It has the feeling of a piece of reflective writing that might be done as part of ongoing psychotherapy. This fits in nicely with the fact that Rachel has suffered a "nervous breakdown" and spent time in Hospital.

I did enjoy the book but felt that the themes were not pushed far enough....more

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Feb 24, 2012 Lindsay (Little Reader Library) rated it 4 of 5 stars

'There is what I remember, what I know, what I think, and what I imagine.'

I was anticipating something special when this novel arrived, as it has been chosen as one of the Waterstones 11 picks of debut novels for 2012, and the ones I have already read from that list have been very good reads.

This novel is narrated by main character Rachel throughout, stuck in her lonely room, staring out of the window and watching the builders working on the site across the way from her. I inferred from what we...more 'There is what I remember, what I know, what I think, and what I imagine.'

I was anticipating something special when this novel arrived, as it has been chosen as one of the Waterstones 11 picks of debut novels for 2012, and the ones I have already read from that list have been very good reads.

This novel is narrated by main character Rachel throughout, stuck in her lonely room, staring out of the window and watching the builders working on the site across the way from her. I inferred from what we learn of her that she may even not really go out much anymore. She is attempting to write about an affair ten years ago, the memories of which evidently affect her very deeply even now. Whilst in a long-term relationship with her partner Johnny, she embarks on an affair with work colleague Carl, who has made quite plain his attraction to her. We learn that the affair came to a tragic end, but we don't know how, or what exactly happened, until we have read the whole book. The narrative style is short, sometimes very short, chapters, with paragraphs that skip about in time; at one moment Rachel is telling us about something that happened at the start of the affair, and then immediately she jumps to writing about something that happened after the affair. This non-chronological approach is very unsettling for the reader, and gives the whole novel a disjointed feel.

Rachel pours her thoughts and feelings out, and they scatter onto the page in a disordered fashion, and this gives us an insight into her mixed-up thinking; jumping backwards, forwards, backwards again in time. She readily admits that what she remembers may not all be true, or may not be quite what happened. She looks to the notebook that she has from the time of the affair, and thinks back to her dreams. But the notebook is not a full record, and she can't be certain about what she remembers of her dreams. What should we believe? What is true, and what is incorrectly recalled? At one stage, Rachel tells us that she is 'not telling us the story so much as finding it, making it.' This all makes for an uneasy, unsettling experience for the reader; when our narrator no longer knows what is genuine, where does it leave us?

I found this an interesting read; it's brave of the author to present us with such an unreliable, not particularly likeable narrator throughout, and clever to present all of the recollections in such a fragmented way. It keeps the reader interested and keeps you guessing as to the truth, the lies, and the outcome. I certainly was intrigued enough to want to finish the story. It reminded me a little in terms of the style and narrator of the Deborah Kay Davies novel 'True Things About Me'. For me, it was an interesting book, perhaps not a favourite, but I'm glad to have read it.(less)

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Jul 16, 2012 M rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Absolutely shocking." That's what Alan Hansen would say about this book if it were featured on Match of the Day, and I have to agree.

I picked it up on a whim in Waterstones (note to self: stop doing that), and the book tricked me: I liked the tone, and thought the idea was interesting. Unfortunately this book,for me, is only an idea - there is no real story, or narrative. Rachel, our unreliable narrator, is having an affair with Carl behind her boyfriend's back. Since she seemed to loathe both...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Donna Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

What can I say about Rachel? Well, I don’t understand her, that’s for damn sure but that’s no surprise because you pretty quickly gather from the book that she doesn’t seem to even ‘get’ herself. Despite a comfortable life with a solid relationship, she’s unsettled and that leads to an affair with Carl, a workmate. Unfortunately, this leads to the unravelling of life around her as a bit of fun turns into passion, turns into drama, turns into disaster.

I’ve heard people say that you need to have a...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Becky Vowles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, drama, love

I was given the proof of this sometime ago, and kept putting off reading it in preference of other books. Now it's actually been released I thought I really should get on and read it, and I wish I had done so earlier. This is one of Waterstones' top books for 2012 and it is clear why. The story is engrossing and simply told. Dipping in and out of the past, focusing on the affair that Rachel had ten years ago. We gradually learn that this affair had profound consequences beyond the expected end o...more

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May 26, 2012 Lynn marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-womens, fiction-thriller

I absolutely loved this from the minute I opened the book! An amazing début and one that will stay with me for a long time.

A mish mash of past and present roll voluptuously entwined within each chapter, engaging the senses and throwing quotes by authors and poets to underline the melancholy. Written as a confused yet illuminating thought process into a series of events that led to Rachel's despair. As the reader, I felt that I identified with various aspects of her personality in a self aggrandi...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ten years ago, Rachel had an intense love affair with a work colleague and it did not end well. Ever since then she has been trying various ways to help her move on with her life - alcohol, medication, distancing herself from friends and situations that might bring the memories flooding back to her. When she finally feels ready to face up to what happened back then it proves difficult because the passing of a decade and the consumption of various mind-altering substances have blurred her memorie...more Ten years ago, Rachel had an intense love affair with a work colleague and it did not end well. Ever since then she has been trying various ways to help her move on with her life - alcohol, medication, distancing herself from friends and situations that might bring the memories flooding back to her. When she finally feels ready to face up to what happened back then it proves difficult because the passing of a decade and the consumption of various mind-altering substances have blurred her memories. Fortunately she has her notebooks to help her piece together a mental jigsaw, hastily scribbled diary entries and song lyrics that capture brief snapshots of her thoughts back then. But can we rely on Rachel to fill in the blanks accurately? As the blurb asks: "is she telling us the truth?".

And I guess this question is key to your enjoyment of the novel - for this story to have maximum impact you need to see the protagonist as a liar or at the very least an intentionally unreliable narrator. I just didn't get that impression of her. Sure, there are blanks in her narrative and details that are mentioned early on and then described in a different light later in the book. But Rachel herself admits that she doesn't remember things clearly and can't be sure that events had transpired exactly as she recalls. In that sense I found her quite honest and actually felt sympathetic towards her. Embarking on the affair in the first place - particularly with an unhinged brute like Carl - was clearly a very foolish and selfish decision, but it's a human mistake that lots of people make. And after the affair was established, I didn't think it was overwhelmingly Rachel's actions that led to a bad outcome. It's interesting, from other reviews I've read of Signs Of Life it seems a lot of readers dislike Rachel very strongly and think she's a self-centred and manipulative person. I guess if you share this viewpoint then you would probably find the eventual conclusion much more powerful.

My impression of the protagonist aside, I thought this was a well-written novel that was constructed very cleverly. The non-linear narrative was disorientating at first and almost feels like a stream of consciousness as thoughts and memories occur to Rachel at random. Nevertheless, it really works well as a way to build suspense throughout and shrouds events in a hazy fog of confusion. I liked how it allowed Raverat to clearly illustrate the contrast between the rosy early days of the relationship with the situation later on when things had turned sour, and similarly the contrast between the characters of the two men in Rachel's life.

One thing I love about books is the scope they offer for individual interpretation and how all readers see things slightly differently. I enjoyed this book but found it didn't have as much impact on me as others have experienced. I'll definitely be looking out for more by Anna Raverat, though.(less)

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Jun 15, 2012 Claire rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book began for me with so much promise, a gripping beginning and a disjointed style that somehow just worked. I felt that I took to the character and that the story was u folding just as she remembered it in flashes of memory.

However as the story unfolded it was just disappointing, this felt to me like an author who had a great opening line going round in her head for months and writing a whole book based upon that...the story lacked imagination and was just a huge disappointment. Would no...more

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May 13, 2012 Alison Kennedy rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting read. The disjointed narrative reflects the narrator's state of mind and powers of recall so is not distracting for the reader. The emotions that the narrator expresses feel very accurate and the whole affair that the author portrays through her narrator is authentic and real; in the sense that it is no fairytale.

The book didn't bowl me over or stay with me after I was finished but it did get to me while I was reading it. Therefore, I'd recommend it but it is no life changer.

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Mar 03, 2012 Shayan rated it 1 of 5 stars

I found this book to be very boring. It's a review of the events in this narrator's life in which she is in a long-term relationship with a man who loves her but she decides to have an affair with a colleague who she doesn't seem to think highly of. The events in her life are explained from her point of view but they don't go in a particular order.

I haven't finished the book and have no intention of spending any more time reading it as I just found it pointless and boring.

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Jan 27, 2013 Yvonne Barlow rated it 3 of 5 stars

The author drew me in with a voice that was personal and promised much. The story of being in love with two men is probably one many could confess, but I grew weary of the narrator as a victim. More, I grew weary of the narrator and her citations of life being about choice. I stayed with the novel because I had started it. In reality it could have been half as long and brought more pleasure.

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Feb 12, 2013 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not quite sure what to say about this one! I didn't much like the main characters. Talk about an unreliable narrator. It reminded me a bit of Notes on a Scandal.

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Feb 26, 2013 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

really enjoyed this psychological book detailing a woman's account of her affair and death of her lover and even it says not a confession you feel that the character is selfish, cold but you can see many things as what happens in reality is different to ones perception of the truth but this novel makes you at different angles and enjoyed it

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Sep 02, 2012 Heather Noble rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book was on my pile as it was one of the Guardian's debut novelists for 2012.
I have been looking at it askance for some time thinking it didn't look promising. It wasn't.

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Apr 08, 2012 Starr Daphne rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Starr Daphne by: Nobody

This is a good book and actually there are signs of life sign of what to do another sign of what not to do it depends there are tons of signs in the world

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Apr 05, 2013 Biogeek rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A book that never really took off. Raverat explores the anatomy of a fairly mundane affair, hoping that the gimmick of having the narrator piece together the scraps of information in no particular order would make it consistently interesting. The slow reveal method ends up focusing more on the slow, than the reveal. In the midst of memories of dreams, bits from other books, and the mixed-up chronology, this novel lost its way for me.

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Jan 13, 2013 Juliette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Took a while to get going. The last half is much better and I could put the book down.

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Oct 30, 2012 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

It had some interesting ideas in it - but I think because I really didn't like any of the main characters I was never really going to love this book.

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Jul 01, 2012 Kelaine Blades rated it 1 of 5 stars

Can't recommend this one...I felt it was poorly written & hard to follow.

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Apr 17, 2012 Dawn Wightman rated it 4 of 5 stars

I couldn't put it down but I think it made me sad and I'm not sure I liked it!

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May 28, 2012 Nina Todorova rated it 1 of 5 stars

Boring...

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Feb 16, 2012 Sally Boocock rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: thrillers

Disjointed and boring.

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Apr 24, 2012 Clare rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: waterstones-11, cant-get-you-off-my-mind, debaucherous, for-the-love-of-you, received-for-review

http://www.bookgeeks.co.uk/2012/04/24...

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May 18, 2013 Jo rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Rachel had an affair with Carl while she was with Johnny and now she's thinking back, blah blah blah. Found it difficult to get into and got kind of bored as I didn't care for any of the characters.

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May 18, 2013 Lorraine marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: must-get-soon

May 18, 2013 Lisa marked it as to-read

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