From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

Life After Life (Todd Family, #1)

Kate Atkinson

Start date: September 15, 2013

Finish date: October 15, 2013

Discussion: Reading List

Discussion leader: Sherry

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Reading List

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What Members Thought

Mar 24, 2013 Kathy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-authors, world-war-2, highly-recommend, favorites, historical-fiction, england

First thought in describing this novel during and after reading is how innovative a vehicle Kate Atkinson created in presenting the story, or so it happens, stories. Reincarnation is alive (pardon pun) and well in this latest by Atkinson. I feel it is a major achievement in this author's writing career, a progression to higher thinking, so to speak. The novel starts and stops with the birth of Ursula Todd, or with major events in her lives, as she lives many variations of her life throughout the First thought in describing this novel during and after reading is how innovative a vehicle Kate Atkinson created in presenting the story, or so it happens, stories. Reincarnation is alive (pardon pun) and well in this latest by Atkinson. I feel it is a major achievement in this author's writing career, a progression to higher thinking, so to speak. The novel starts and stops with the birth of Ursula Todd, or with major events in her lives, as she lives many variations of her life throughout the novel.

I was a bit uncertain as to what my attachment to Ursula would be in the first of the book, as her birth on a snowy evening in February 1910 and her early childhood seemed to be stuck in a repetitive cycle unable to proceed. However, once the bump past her childhood was achieved, the person who is and was Ursula becomes interesting and emotionally connective. Much time is spent in London during the blitz of WWII and a lesser amount of time in Germany. It is the time in London that I found more historically interesting and revealing about Ursula. Deja vu becomes a large part of Ursula's lives, as she is able to relate to or vaguely remember things from her previous lives. For certain, there are some of Ursula's lives that are more palatable than others, ones I was happier with for her and other members of her family. Born (albeit many times) to Sylvie and Hugh Todd, she is the third of five children and the second of two daughters. Her family is hugely important in her life, and one of the compelling reasons that she has an inconsolable desire to "get things right." Many philosophical questions are raised in the repetition of her lives, and it rests with the reader to determine if any satisfactory answers are arrived at by the end of the book.

I was completely immersed in this novel and its revolving door presentation. Although the atmosphere of it was mostly dark, there were bits of humor interspersed that helped round out an existence that was temporal at best. The ending was somewhat less than satisfying for me, but I'm not sure it was fair of me to expect such an ending for a circular story such as reincarnation is. I do consider it an amazing read that does what all amazing reads should do, push me out of my comfort zone of what the world is and consider what the world might alternatively be. ...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, book-discussion-read, uu-opal

This book pulled me in and would not let go. The writing was precise and beautiful. The story follows Ursula Todd through numerous replays of her life. Most in my book discussion had trouble following the plot(s), but I did not. It turned out that those of us who liked "The Time Traveler's Wife" liked this and those who didn't, didn't.
This book really spoke to me especially during times of loss for Ursula. I think 4.5 stars would be closer my true rating. ...more

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Nov 01, 2013 Pang rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, constant-reader, tob, ecomist-page-turners, 2013, tob2014

Life: What if we had a chance to do it again and again, until we finally did get it right? Wouldn't that be wonderful?

And I don't know if really has worked out for Ursula Todd, who was born in a wintry night in 1910 but soon died. The rest of the book is, you guess it, the story about her going back in time over and over again. Each story takes on a different path and, obviously, with different outcome.

This is a book that you have to physically read, I feel. I was thoroughly confused by the stor ...more

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Jul 16, 2024 Pang rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, ecomist-page-turners, fiction, 2013, nyt-recommended, 2024

apparently i read this back in 2013, but couldn’t remember a thing. so i read it again, and now wish i let it be 🫤

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Sep 09, 2013 Dree rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-adult-fiction, england-uk-ireland, continental-europe, women-s-prize-long-short, 2014-reads

Excellent book, clever idea--and fascinating stories. I love stories with lots of characters that are well developed, and in this book Atkinson develops different parts of her characters while exploring the butterfly effect (for lack of a better explanation). How might small happenings or quick decisions affect our lives and the lives of those around us?

Even those characters we don't see much of (Derek, Mr Emslie) still leave a strong impression. And Maurice has to be one of my most hated charac ...more

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