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The Versions of Us

Laura Barnett

3.55 · Rating details · 18,381 ratings · 2,379 reviews

What if you had said yes? The moments that change everything... One Day meets Sliding Doors in this outstanding debut that is causing a buzz across the publishing world
Some moments can change your life for ever. Have you ever wondered, what if...?

A man is walking down a country lane. A woman, cycling towards him, swerves to avoid a dog. On that moment, their future hinges. ...more

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Paperback, 403 pages

Published 2015 by Weidenfeld and Nicolson

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Mar 05, 2015 Karen ⊰✿ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, wheelathon2

I like the concept of the book, and the characters and story lines were well written. The issue is that the book is just hard work. There are three separate story lines following two characters and every chapter flips between those three ; and between time periods. It just becomes a bit of a mind bender to keep on top of what is going on and who each character is, and therefore forces you to have to write notes or remain thoroughly confused.
I think the author would have been better off keeping t ...more

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May 26, 2015 Angela M rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-reviews, edelweiss-reviews

Different versions of a relationship and various possibilities in the lives of two people make for a thought provoking read. How do the choices we make change our entire future and what about fate? This is a well written and cleverly crafted debut that tells the story or rather stories of Eva, a writer and Jim, a painter over the course of decades . It's not just one narrative but three and while it held my interest because I liked these characters, at times I wanted it to move a little faster t ...more

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May 12, 2015 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: women, fiction, romance

This terrific novel starts out the way many romantic stories go: Boy meets girl.
Yet....author Laura Barnett doesn't just tell us an ordinary romantic story. Instead, we get three stories. They are each distinct yet closely connected together....enjoyable and easy to follow.
Eve and Jim are shown in different scenarios. Many sides to them both. We see missed opportunities, and consequences for choices made.
( their personal and professional lives equally affected).

What unfolds through these stor ...more

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Jul 04, 2015 Jacki (Julia Flyte) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

In 1958, Eva and Jim are nineteen year old students at Cambridge. Their paths will cross one day in October, and from there this book explores three different directions that their lives might take from that day. In Version 1, Jim invites Eva for a drink. They fall in love, she dumps her boyfriend David and they end up marrying. In Version 2, they don't get together and Eva will end up marrying David. In Version 3, they get together but then Eva will go back to David. From there, the book unfold In 1958, Eva and Jim are nineteen year old students at Cambridge. Their paths will cross one day in October, and from there this book explores three different directions that their lives might take from that day. In Version 1, Jim invites Eva for a drink. They fall in love, she dumps her boyfriend David and they end up marrying. In Version 2, they don't get together and Eva will end up marrying David. In Version 3, they get together but then Eva will go back to David. From there, the book unfolds in chronological order, with chapters alternating between the different versions right through to 2014. In every version Jim will become an artist and Eva a writer, albeit with varying degrees of success. Also, in every version their paths will repeatedly cross, with some events occurring in every one of the three strands.

This is a clever idea for a novel. Not completely original - the movie Sliding Doors and the book Life after Life explored similar territory - but still one that holds instant appeal. In one version of his life, Jim does a painting called "The Versions of Us" which he describes as being about the many roads not taken, the many lives not lived.

So a clever concept but not one that is necessarily easy to read. I struggled to keep track of which life I was in at which time - was Eva happily married or unhappily? Which man was she with? Which children did she have in this life? Around the 150 page mark I gave up on reading the book in order, and instead read each Version right through - first Version 1, then Version 2, then Version 3. Which made it a lot easier to keep track of what was happening in each strand but which also highlighted to me one of the central problems with this book, which is that none of the three versions are terribly engrossing. Unlike Life About Life for example, when Ursula's alternate lives showed different facets of life for women in the 20th century, this book just shows varying ways that two people can dance around one another's lives.

The other issue is that I never really cared about these people. In every version, Jim is a hard character to like - the only striking thing about him are his long-lashed violet eyes. Depending on the version we read, he mopes, he sulks, he's unfaithful, but he's never terribly interesting and I could never see why bright, brave, determined Eva would be drawn to him. If you think about the fact that each version only has around 130 pages to cover over 50 years, it is no wonder perhaps that characters are only sketched thinly.

I realise I'm in the minority with my dislike of this book, but it left me feeling very dissatisfied.

...more

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Sep 23, 2017 Charlotte May rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, contemporary-recent, alcoholism-drugs

"Footfalls echo in the memory. Down the passage which we did not take." T.S Eliot

3.5 stars!
Such an interesting premise - that the span of our lives could be entirely different from only 1 single event.
Eva and Jim meet for the first time at Cambridge when Eva falls from her bike. The choices both Jim and Eva make following this determine the rest of their lives.
At times slightly confusing - as following three separate versions of their life with the same characters was difficult, but it was fas ...more

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Dec 20, 2015 Ann Marie (Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

I had to give up after reading 41% of this book. I actually read far beyond my initial impulse to stop. Though I liked the idea of having three versions, I found the way it was written to be difficult to follow. I was also not invested in any of the characters. Though I really wanted to like this book, it just wasn't happening for me.
...more

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Feb 05, 2015 Marissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is so good, I am writing my first Goodreads review EVER for it. (Full disclosure: I work for the publisher so I got to read this for work. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.)

It's easy to say a book is full of beautifully-written characters, and while that's true of The Versions of Us, the real beauty and skill is in how there are multiple beautifully-written versions of every character. As you read, you feel as though you're a silent onlooker on the road, in the pub, at the ...more

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Mar 16, 2015 Rebecca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-third-way, best-of-2015

Eva: “You don’t really believe that anything is meant to happen, do you?”
Jim: “No. Maybe not. Who knows?”
“No regrets, Jim, all right?”
“No regrets, Eva. Not now. Not ever.”

(Nearly 4.5) In this impressively structured, elegantly written debut, Barnett chronicles the romantic lives of two Cambridge graduates through three-quarters of a century. By giving three options for how their connection might play out, she investigates “the dim, liminal place where one path is taken, and another missed.” She ...more

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Sep 15, 2015 Milly Paris rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Affairs, affairs everywhere. That's my overriding thought of this book. And God, did it make me angry.

Ok, down to the main review. The concept of this book is awesome. There are many moments recently where I've been struck by how even the smallest actions could have completely changed the course of my life, which is the main theme of this book and pretty much the reason I read it. Also, I'm a sucker for a romance. However, this was not a romance. Actually it was pretty much the opposite. To me, ...more

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Aug 10, 2020 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

(3.5) I picked this novel up expecting a light read, but it was more than that. All three versions of Eva and Jim’s life were engrossing and surprising.

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Dec 12, 2016 Alice (Married To Books) added it · review of another edition

DNF at Page 208.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to like this book. Having it on my main TBR list for over 18 months, seeing a copy available from my local library got me extremely excited. But when I started to read through the pages, things started to become a struggle.

The plot follows two characters Eva and Jim who meet by chance in the grounds of Cambridge University. Both are first year students and still trying to find their way around. During this chance meeting, there are three different ve ...more

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Mar 31, 2015 Serena rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

The Versions of Us is the story of Eva and Jim told in triplicate. It centres on a moment, when they were in university, when Eva falls from her bike. In versions one and three Jim helps her up. In version two, he doesn't. From that point their lives branch off in three different directions and we are taken through all of the trials and tribulations of three versions of Jim and Eva.

Firstly, let me say that I loved the concept of this book. I loved the film "Sliding Doors" and I have a slight obs The Versions of Us is the story of Eva and Jim told in triplicate. It centres on a moment, when they were in university, when Eva falls from her bike. In versions one and three Jim helps her up. In version two, he doesn't. From that point their lives branch off in three different directions and we are taken through all of the trials and tribulations of three versions of Jim and Eva.

Firstly, let me say that I loved the concept of this book. I loved the film "Sliding Doors" and I have a slight obsession with the theory of time travel (this book isn't about that, but the principle is there: if one thing is changed in the past, it can completely alter the course of the future), so I was very excited to read this book.

For the most part, it didn't disappoint.

I loved the fact that in all three versions - although worldly different - there are certain key events that remain constant, lending to the theory that some things are destined - inevitable - regardless of the choices we make.

I also loved the fact that the two main characters lives are inextricably linked, even when, in one version, they are mere acquaintances.

I didn't love having to keep up with all three versions, which at times was difficult. It was too easy to lose track of which version you were in, and which characters belonged to it. Also, because some events happened in all three versions, it did at times feel a little repetitive.

I also didn’t love the fact that there was no climax, no crescendo in any of the versions; Jim and Eva’s lives seemed to merely plod along without pomp and circumstance, which, while certainly grounded in reality, makes for a flat read. It took me nearly three weeks to finish this book, which is unusual for me, and that was purely because there was nothing about it that made me rush to pick it up again once I’d put it down for the day. I kept finding other things to do aside from read, which is not a good sign in my eyes.

I had to think for a while after finishing The Versions of Us, to determine how I really felt about it. It was so beautifully written - the author has an enchanting way with words, the concept is unique and alluring, the characters felt very real. On the surface it’s a laudable creation. But when I finished (which I did so hurriedly, so that it was over) I didn’t... feel… the way that I had hoped I would. There was no catharsis, no epiphany, and no deep satisfaction.

It just… ended.

Please note, I received a copy of this book free through First Reads. ...more

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Jan 18, 2016 Marianne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“Jim, looking back at his lovely, handsome son….had felt so full of pride and love that for a moment he’d been unable to speak. And so he’d simply slung his arm around Dylan’s shoulders, thinking that he’d never expected things to turn out like this; but then he’d lived long enough to understand the futility of expecting anything at all”

Cambridge, 1958: trying to avoid a small white dog on the path, a young woman swerves her bicycle and ends up with a puncture. A young man notes her plight and o “Jim, looking back at his lovely, handsome son….had felt so full of pride and love that for a moment he’d been unable to speak. And so he’d simply slung his arm around Dylan’s shoulders, thinking that he’d never expected things to turn out like this; but then he’d lived long enough to understand the futility of expecting anything at all”

Cambridge, 1958: trying to avoid a small white dog on the path, a young woman swerves her bicycle and ends up with a puncture. A young man notes her plight and offers to help. After some conversation and consideration, they head for his room together to effect the repair. But what if she manages, narrowly, to avoid the dog and the puncture, and curtly dismisses the young man’s concerned "Are you alright there”? Or what if she falls off the bike, twists her ankle, the young man offers to help, and convinces her to skip class and come to the pub? For university students Eva Edelstein and Jim Taylor, three almost identical encounters with three different outcomes.

Where some authors might tentatively explore the “what if” scenario, Barnett executes her exploration with an elegant finesse that belies her status as a first-time author. There are three distinct timelines, each clearly marked, running in parallel throughout the book. In three separate stories, the reader observes Jim and Eva forming relationships (not necessarily with each other) and experiencing the highs and lows of everyday life.

Each chapter updates the reader on their lives at a certain time (alone or together, depending on the version and the narrator), thus covering almost sixty years. In each version there are many common elements: friends, acquaintances and family members are the same, as are mostly their character and personal details; children necessarily differ as they are begotten at different times and to different couples; incidents, anecdotes, certain themes and occasionally whole conversations occur in most or all versions. All of this gives the reader insight into emotions experienced and choices made.

Barnett’s characters are appealing: the reader easily shares their hopes, their joys and sorrows, and is occasionally dismayed by their poor behaviour. The storylines are all wholly believable: events in their lives are what happen to us all. Barnett manages to effortlessly locate her stories in place and time with the seamless inclusion of the topical: news, fashion, music, literature, popular culture.

Barnett’s writing, her themes, her characters and her style are very reminiscent of that of David Nicholls, and perhaps Anne Tyler and Kate Atkinson (Life After Life). While it can be a bit challenging to keep the three versions (with so much in common) distinct while reading, taking notes does help, and the beautiful descriptive prose more than makes up for any inconvenience.
"He stands for a moment before opening the studio door, looking down at the beach, flooded with a disorientating happiness; and he savours it, drinks it in, because he is old enough now to know happiness for what it is: brief and fleeting, not a state to strive for, to seek to live in, but to catch when it comes, and hold on to for as long as you can".

“…Jim doesn’t care: he is thinking only about when he will see Eva again. For all the years he has spent without her are dulling now, losing their shape and colour – as if he were sleepwalking through them, and has only just remembered what it is to be fully awake” are just a few examples of this. This is a brilliant debut, and fans of this style will look for more from Laura Barnett. 4.5 stars.
...more

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Jun 04, 2016 Thyago | MrsMargotBlog rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It is a lightweight and easy to follow reading, my fear is to end up losing myself in different versions, but it did not ..
This book shows us how our decisions may affect the course of our lives and how our choices can change everything, but when it is destined to happen will happen even if the next decade or there 50 years.
In all versions, we see how our life is made of the priorities, in the first version we see a priority for the work which ultimately affect in any way the relationsh ...more

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Jul 12, 2019 Amber’s reading rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, second-chance-romance, made-me-cry

I knew I had to read (listen to) this book when I saw it was compared to the movie Sliding Doors. I loved that movie so much in college that I cut my hair into a pixie cut like Gwyneth Paltrow. Fortunately, this book worked out much better than my terrible pixie cut.

Beautifully written and complex, The Versions of Us gives us three different stories that center around one chance meeting, or not, between Jim and Eva while they are in college. It dives into the harsh realities of ambition, loyalt ...more

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Jun 19, 2015 Anmiryam rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-2015, pub-2016, female-writers-2015, favorites-2015, print-arc, popular-fiction-2015

A well written and cleverly constructed commercial novel that envisions three versions of the lives of the protagonists -- Eva and Jim. Unsentimental -- almost subversive in its assault on the architecture of romantic fiction.

Laura Barnett’s smart and engrossing debut, The Versions of Us is cleverly constructed and almost subversive in its assault on the architecture of romantic fiction. In the complex, yet easily followed dance of the three story lines, we get to know this Eva Edelstein and Ji ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Petra rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, literary, uk

The Versions of Us follows Eva and Jim from the age of nineteen from a chance meeting in Cambridge in 1958 until they are in their seventies in 2014. There are three different versions showing how the decisions they make as individuals change the paths of their lives. It also includes their extended families and how various decisions affect them.
I listened to this. It was extremely hard work. I wonder if it would have been easier to follow if I had read it. I found it very difficult to keep up w ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Deanna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this “what if?” exploration, rather elegantly done.

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Jun 26, 2015 Girl with her Head in a Book rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: love-will-set-you-free, life-story, beautiful, beg-borrow-or-steal-but-make-sure-y, 2015-challenge

So. The word on the street (and by street, I mean Waterstones) is that this book is this year's The Miniaturist. I did not read The Miniaturist. I did however decide to give this one a shot and am very glad I did - I already picked it as one of my Favourite Books of 2015. Described as Sliding Doors meets One Day, The Versions Of Us tracks two people throughout their lives, throughout three different trajectories depending on three slightly different turns of events. As students in 1958, Eva ride So. The word on the street (and by street, I mean Waterstones) is that this book is this year's The Miniaturist. I did not read The Miniaturist. I did however decide to give this one a shot and am very glad I did - I already picked it as one of my Favourite Books of 2015. Described as Sliding Doors meets One Day, The Versions Of Us tracks two people throughout their lives, throughout three different trajectories depending on three slightly different turns of events. As students in 1958, Eva rides her bike down a lane and in one version, her bike hits a nail and she falls, so Jim steps forward to her aid. The two of them meet and quickly fall in love. In another version of their lives, Eva misses the nail, cycles on past and stays with her original boyfriend, aspiring actor David. In the third telling of the story, Eva does meet Jim but obstacles spring up in their way. The same approximate cast of characters, three possible stories.

This has been done before - in last year's Life After Life, Ursula Todd was born, lived, died and lived again, revealing a different self each time. Going further back, Lionel Shriver's The Post-Birthday World again examined how far one's life can really be changed by one simple action. Yet still, although Barnett is not the first to examine the question of the multiverse, The Versions Of Us is written with real sensitivity and warmth so that whether at their best or indeed at their worst, one cannot help but feel a sympathy for the characters, a hope that no matter how far their paths diverge, they will still find their way to that elusive happy ending.

Eva is the novel's true heroine - whether she is unhappily married to David or indifferently married to David or even just contentedly involved with someone else, she is the most consistently moral character. Jim is a nice man, a sweet man but under pressure, his flaws become exposed and although the version of him that was a young man seemed so much of a preferred option to David's arrogance, other incarnations are less appealing. In many ways, The Versions Of Us seems an argument for the notion that true love never does run smooth - although the first version of Eva and Jim's love story seems to be going so well, the reader knows to expect doom. And doom appears. Yet indeed, where would be the story in a life where nothing ever goes wrong?

On the whole though, this felt like a novel without true villains. Even the self-obsessed David was allowed redeeming qualities. There was a definite sense of just ordinary people reacting to events and trying their best. Still, the women definitely come out of this better than the men. Eva's angelic mother Miriam reveals that she fled Germany because Eva's biological father did not want the baby - I chose you - while Eva's mother-in-law Judith (in the versions of her life where she marries David) brings over food and apologies for her son's behaviour. One of the few constants across the three narratives is Eva's friendship with Penelope who provides a running commentary on the state of Eva's relationships. Barnett's afterword features a tribute to her own adored step-grandmother (and indeed she has written a whole article about her) and I had a feeling that this was a novel written by a woman who truly likes other women.

The Versions Of Us raises a number of different questions about fate, our senses of self but also equality issues within relationships. Eva's success in her writing appears to overshadow Jim's attempts to establish himself as a painter, then in her marriage to David, his acting career causes her to fade into the background. It is only when Jim is alone that he appears able to achieve true artistic triumph - even Ted, one of Eva's tertiary love interests, notes that he has been unable to find a lasting relationship until later in life because he has been so focussed on his career. Is it ever truly possible for two partners to achieve creative success simultaneously?

A big point though that I felt about this novel was also how we ourselves change beyond recognition. Reminiscing about childhood with her brother Anton, Eva is caught by how little she recognises him. Although there are many character traits which remain constant across the three narratives, Eva and Jim do become different versions of themselves based on the lives which they have led. This is something that I think is incredibly true - I look back on my life, a fairly short one so far, and can't help but think of how much I have changed. What would the five year-old with the big fringe who vowed never again to wear a dress make of the woman in her mid-twenties who essentially earns a living answering emails. Even more recently - I myself am constructing a new version of myself having left teaching last year. A big part of my identity used to be my job so it has been a big change in my life, but one that has made me very happy. I have seen friends change their outlooks based on circumstance, situation but more than anything due to their relationships - not even just in the case of abusive or overpowering relationships, but the people we love have the ability to alter our whole lives.

Throughout this book, there is that wafting sense of 'meant to be' - Eva says to Jim at one point that surely he does not believe in fate but yet the reader is left unsure. Jim's most celebrated painting is entitled The Versions Of Us and while another character dismisses the triptych structure as 'spot the difference', he feels offended as he means it to symbolise 'the many roads not taken, the many lives not lived'. That feeling of 'what if' is common to us all - my mother met my biological father while waiting for a train one day in Scotland while he was backpacking over from Australia. Were it not for that one chance meeting, their paths would never have crossed again and I would never have been born. I find it impossible to imagine a version of either of their lives where they would have stayed together but it seems so strange to realise that I owe my existence to such a random event. Yet still, odd though it may seem, that very poem The Road Not Taken itself comments on the fact that we can never truly know which events in our lives have truly made all of the difference. Perhaps there are not many possible paths for our lives, but just the one, the only one - does that make things easier or actually more terrifying?

For my full review: http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspo... ...more

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Jul 28, 2015 Andrea rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I was attracted to this book after falling in love with "Sliding Doors" more than a decade ago. I'd also read the many favourable reviews and felt confident that it was a "safe bet".

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, it was beautifully written. However, I feel like the book lacks a climax. After such a promising start, the plot becomes rambling and I had to motivate myself to keep reading.

I love books that make you feel something, that make you laugh or cry. This one did neither. ...more

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Apr 13, 2015 Anne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Versions Of Us by Laura Barnett is due for publication on 4th June by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in hardback and ebook formats: the publishers are calling it their biggest book of the year, the book the whole publishing industry wanted to buy. This week there was even the unprecedented news - before publication - that the television rights have been optioned by Trademark Films who are convinced it will make "a compelling television drama".

I very rarely read a book so far ahead of publication, an The Versions Of Us by Laura Barnett is due for publication on 4th June by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in hardback and ebook formats: the publishers are calling it their biggest book of the year, the book the whole publishing industry wanted to buy. This week there was even the unprecedented news - before publication - that the television rights have been optioned by Trademark Films who are convinced it will make "a compelling television drama".

I very rarely read a book so far ahead of publication, and hardly ever review one. But I do like to publish my review straight away - while I'm still feeling everything I felt when I was reading the book - and I rather broke my own rules with this one when the publishers organised an online blogger event where the author was due to appear. So let's not call this a review - let's call it "one to look forward to" instead. Because having read the book, there's no way I can't talk about it. In terms of structure, emotional impact, originality and sheer readability, I thought it was quite wonderful, and I can wholly understand why the publishers are so convinced that they've got something really special.

I can imagine there will be readers who will worry about this one - a love story told three ways, the three different courses their lives could take, a bit of a reading challenge maybe? I have to say I found it quite effortless - I've seen reviewers who've mentioned making notes to keep track, but I far preferred to throw myself in and trust the author. She has a wonderful touch - this whole book has the intricate texture of lace. Every divergence and convergence is meticulously planned, those life and (particularly) death events that can't be escaped whichever path you take, the high and lows of every life. If the author planned this one out with post-it notes, it must have been an enormous wall. I'd love to ask her how she wrote it - story by story, or in that wonderfully organic way the reader approaches it. Hopefully I'll get the chance nearer the release date.

The whole book might not have been as mesmerising had Eva and Jim been less fascinating characters. I wasn't a fan of David Nicholls' One Day - comparisons are inevitably being made - but this is an infinitely broader canvas, a far longer timescale, more opportunity to flavour it with period detail, and quite crucially better developed characters giving the book a far greater emotional depth.

I loved this book - you can tell, can't you? But I know you'll forget... so I promise to remind you nearer the publication date. You're not going to want to miss this one...

My thanks to Rebecca Gray at Orion Books (W&N) for my advance reading copy.
...more

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Feb 13, 2015 David Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

We never know how things will turn out and Laura Barnett reminds us all of this in the brilliant The Versions Of Us. The fickle finger of fate is pointed in the direction of Jim & Eva. There is a moment in time when in 1958 they meet as 18 year old students that depending on one fateful decision by Eva will determine the outcome of the rest of their lives. It is in this ‘what if’ moment that the author takes the opportunity to tell us 3 possible versions of a love story.

The book is constructed r ...more

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Nov 11, 2018 Daniel Adam Garwood rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Cambridge, 1958. Eva turns her bicycle sharply to avoid a small dog. Her tyre meets with a rusty nail and tears. Jim witnesses the incident, offers to take her to his lodgings and repair the tyre. Eva accepts. Now, what if she didn’t swerve, and the dog jumped out of way, and Jim had no assistance to offer. And what if she swerved, fell off her bike, twisted her ankle and limped to the pub with Jim for a drink. Each scenario launches a different version of life for Eva and Jim.

Covering a period ...more

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Jul 15, 2016 Robert Blumenthal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I will start this review by stating that The Post Birthday World by Lionel Shriver is one of my favorite modern day novels. This is significant for two reasons: 1) it reveals that I really enjoy books about multiple possible scenarios based on one incident or decision, and 2) I like Shriver's handling of the technique so much that it becomes a virtual standard for the genre. Let me say that The Versions of Us is about as good as it gets it writing about multiple scenarios. And let it be said tha I will start this review by stating that The Post Birthday World by Lionel Shriver is one of my favorite modern day novels. This is significant for two reasons: 1) it reveals that I really enjoy books about multiple possible scenarios based on one incident or decision, and 2) I like Shriver's handling of the technique so much that it becomes a virtual standard for the genre. Let me say that The Versions of Us is about as good as it gets it writing about multiple scenarios. And let it be said that if you tried and failed at enjoying The Post Birthday World, you probably won't like this one either.

Two young people meet cute over the girl falling off her bicycle near where he is (or not), and the author proceeds to create three (yes, count 'em, THREE) different scenarios that occur right after the incident. In one Jim and Eva fall in love and get married, in the second they live their separate lives (at least for a while), and in the third they meet but for reasons I won't reveal here, they do not get married right away. The stories are told as version one, version two and version three, and the book proceeds in chronological order with the dates as a heading for each section.

This could have been a complete mess, but Laura Barnett handles it beautifully, showing off her organizing and plotting skills, as well as her obvious strong general writing skills. She deals with many trials and tribulations (raising a family, dealing with dysfuctional parents, dealing with loving parents, establishing a career, affairs, unfilled desires, artistic development, jealousy, compassion, and, most notably, love). The greatest pleasure comes from seeing how these versions play out and, to be honest, it could be difficult to remember what exactly was happening in the three. Amazingly, I managed to keep myself current and felt a little proud that I was able to keep it all together. Part of this, I am sure, was due to the artful craft of the author. I was also intrigued how the relationship between Jim and Eva was able to be addressed in all three versions, though they may have completely different families.

So there. Obviously, I loved, loved, loved this novel. And I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this type of thing. And through it all, the last 20-30 pages were profoundly moving. ...more

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Apr 14, 2015 Eileen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What an unexpected treasure! Following the same set of characters, this debut novel traces the three separate paths which might evolve, as dictated by seemingly inconsequential decisions. I had read reviews comparing it to the movie Sliding Doors, and wondered how the author could carry that off effectively! Indeed she did! The writing is luminous, as Laura Barnett conveys inevitable joys and sorrows erupting over a lifetime.

“ ….Eva tries again to dispel the image that has been spooling through ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 Rachael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm struggling with how to rate this, perhaps as 3.5 stars.
The ending of the story, all three of the stories, has left me with a lump in my throat, but I feel so bloody angry at some of the character's flaws, their selfishness, apathy, obliviousness or bad decisions. I don't understand why so many of the men in the book, and a few women, find it impossible to be faithful.
I really enjoyed the author's writing style, and I very nearly enjoyed all the versions of Jim and Eva, but I feel like there ...more

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Jun 09, 2015 Sian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

**4.5 stars**
This book... hit me on a deeper level than I ever thought it could. With being able to practically read the whole life span of the characters in different versions, it made me relate this story to a family member that I had recently lost and loved so dearly, making it an incredibly hard, but wonderful story to read at the same time. The what if aspect is what really really sank in and hit me with this book. I don't really have the words to describe how this story made me felt. But ...more

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Feb 11, 2017 Elise Cripe rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-books

it took me awhile to get into this one. almost gave up but I am so glad I didn't. the final third was excellent and I'm always impressed with books that span such a long period of time. this was three lifetimes (think sliding doors) and the perspective of each was well done. it's a book that will stick with me. ...more

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Aug 10, 2015 Ellie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

A disappointing and hard work read.

On the plus side, while the "what if?" concept is not original, Laura Barnett has handled it with originality. I had expected a much more formulaic plot (after all, it starts with Boy Meets Girl) but actually the three versions of Jim and Eva twist in some quite unexpected ways. It was this, and the fact that Laura Barnett is a decent writer, with a nice ear for figurative language, that kept me reading.

I had three main problems with this book:

Firstly, as other A disappointing and hard work read.

On the plus side, while the "what if?" concept is not original, Laura Barnett has handled it with originality. I had expected a much more formulaic plot (after all, it starts with Boy Meets Girl) but actually the three versions of Jim and Eva twist in some quite unexpected ways. It was this, and the fact that Laura Barnett is a decent writer, with a nice ear for figurative language, that kept me reading.

I had three main problems with this book:

Firstly, as others have mentioned, it gets very confusing. The story is told in short chapters, alternating between the different versions of the Jim and Eva story. The three stories, naturally, have many of the same characters and a number of the same plot events, and jumping between them so quickly gets confusing very quickly. At the beginning of each chapter, I had to mentally review what I could remember about this version, and it wasn't unusual to find that I couldn't remember which version was which. There are also lots and lots of vaguely sketched-in minor characters (friends, sons- and daughters-in-law, grandchildren) who I could not keep track of. I would find myself reading "Eva gratefully caught Jennifer's eye" and thinking "Jennifer? Who was she again?". This made it much harder to read than it should have been.

Secondly, and in many ways connected to the point above, not a lot happens in this book. Laura Barnett has concentrated on the artistic and domestic careers of her two main characters, with very little drama outside the shifts and surprises in the relationships between the various characters. Now, there is nothing wrong with that in itself, and the relationships are often skilfully drawn. Often within one of the short chapters I would find myself very much engrossed in what was happening, not wanting it to end. Then that short chapter would finish, usually on an unresolved note, and I would find myself dropped abruptly into one of the other versions, with a different set of characters, or the same ones but in a completely different situation, and any involvement that I'd felt in this snippet of love story or domestic drama was lost. It started to feel like the same characters going round and around on a succession of rather similar hamster wheels.

Finally, I simply didn't like either of the main characters. Not normally something that bothers me but this is the kind of book that doesn't really work unless you find something engaging or sympathetic in the characters whose lives you are following so closely. Eva came across as a prim and buttoned-up goody-two-shoes, while Jim was rather the opposite - lazy, immature, lacking in backbone. Neither of them came alive for me except in little flashes (I liked Eva's dealings with her mother-in-law Mrs Katz, and Jim's relationship with his own mother). They live in a world where people pop up and offer well-appointed jobs ("I heard that the editor was looking for someone to do this and mentioned him to you, I do hope you don't mind but would you consider it?"), where homes are in Highgate or Italy or Cornwall. No-one from this book speaks or acts like they come from any other world other than this one. At one point a very minor character, who we are obviously not supposed to like, says to Jim and Eva "Now, why don't you both run along back to your nice comfy middle-class lives". I have to admit I felt the same way. ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Priscilla rated it did not like it · review of another edition

It was a painful book to read. Right from the start, I knew it wouldn't be my cup of tea. The first half of the book was slightly interesting (albeit uselessly complicated), but the romance between Jim and Eva is one of the most insta-love romances I've ever read. We don't know why they fall in love. It's literally as follows:

"I had an accident with my bike."
"Oh, let me help you! And we should grab a coffee."
JIM HAS BLUE EYES ERMAHGERD SO BEAUTIFUL.
"Okay"

*Next chapter*

"So Jim and Eva went back It was a painful book to read. Right from the start, I knew it wouldn't be my cup of tea. The first half of the book was slightly interesting (albeit uselessly complicated), but the romance between Jim and Eva is one of the most insta-love romances I've ever read. We don't know why they fall in love. It's literally as follows:

"I had an accident with my bike."
"Oh, let me help you! And we should grab a coffee."
JIM HAS BLUE EYES ERMAHGERD SO BEAUTIFUL.
"Okay"

*Next chapter*

"So Jim and Eva went back from their honeymoon..."

WUUUUT. NO. NO YOU CANNOT DO THAT. When I read romance, it's for the tension, the build-up towards the moment when the romance finally happens. This book was the most anti-climactic romance ever. Whoever thinks Twilight is a poor romance story has never stumbled upon this book, let me tell you. I believed more in the relationship between David and Eva, and David is supposed to be a lame husband. But we knew much more about their romance than Jim and Eva's! This is just ridiculous.

Then the book just went downhill and the last 200 pages were so, so boring. The characters are so, so NOT developed and I prefer character-driven books, which means I prefer books with fleshed-out characters. The characters didn't make me care about what happened to them (and the writing style didn't help). Oh and don't even get me started on the children. I care about children as much as I care about the last potato I ate. In each version, there were children, far too many children, and I cared about exactly NONE OF THEM.

The concept was good, but the execution was terrible. If this book hadn't been a gift, I would have DNF it after a couple of chapters. But I kept reading, hoping it would get better, and it just went worse. Each version was more pessimistic than the last. They had affairs, lived terribly boring lives without doing anything to change it (once again, David was more clever than Jim and Eva and took action when needed!). The book stretches over 60 years of their life and that was far too long too. If the book had focused on 10 years only, it might have been better. We could have actually known WHY Jim and Eva loved each other and that would have been, you know, A BIG PLUS as we're reading a ROMANCE. But you know, who I am to judge. Well still, I am judging this book.

Nope, nope, nope, I definitely do NOT recommend this book. ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Literary fiction. British couple meets at university; three alternative story lines. [s]	5	20	Aug 28, 2020 05:45PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Alternate universe romance book about boy and girl meets (universe #1) or don't meet (universe #2) in university when her bike broke down or she fell off her bike. [s]	4	26	Jan 04, 2019 06:12AM
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett - Starting June 2nd 2018	6	10	Jun 11, 2018 09:55AM
All About Books: The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett (June 2016 Group Fiction Read)	35	125	Jul 18, 2016 11:10AM

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About Laura Barnett

Laura Barnett

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Laura Barnett is a writer, journalist and theatre critic. She has been on staff at the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph, and is now a freelance arts journalist and features writer, working for the Guardian, the Observer and Time Out, as well as several other national newspapers and magazines.

Laura was born in 1982 in south London, where she now lives with her husband. She studied Spanish and Itali ...more

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Quotes from The Versions of Us

“he is old enough now to know happiness for what it is: brief and fleeting, not a state to strive for, to seek to live in, but to catch when it comes, and to hold on to for as long as you can.” — 16 likes

“People bear loneliness every day. They think they won't be able to, that they won't survive, but somehow one second slips into another, becomes an hour, a day, a week, and they are still living. They are still alone, even in the middle of a crowd of people. Even with a partner, a child.” — 9 likes

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