A God in Ruins

A Novel

By: Kate Atkinson

Narrated by: Alex Jennings

This stunning companion to Kate Atkinson's #1 bestseller Life After Life, "one of the best novels I've read this century" (Gillian Flynn), follows Ursula's brother Teddy as he navigates an unknown future after a perilous war.

"He had been reconciled to death during the war and then suddenly the war was over and there was a next day and a next day. Part of him never adjusted to having a future."

Kate Atkinson's dazzling Life After Life explored the possibility of infinite chances and the power of choices, following Ursula Todd as she lived through the turbulent events of the last century over and over again. A God in Ruins tells the dramatic story of the 20th Century through Ursula's beloved younger brother Teddy -- would-be poet, heroic pilot, husband, father, and grandfather -- as he navigates the perils and progress of a rapidly changing world.

After all that Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge is living in a future he never expected to have. An ingenious and moving exploration of one ordinary man's path through extraordinary times, A God in Ruins proves once again that Kate Atkinson is one of the finest novelists of our age.

Critic reviews

"A novel so sublime I would nominate it to represent all books in the Art Olympics. The afterword deserves a literary prize all to itself. It is, as claimed on the sumptuous proof, even better than Life After Life."—The Bookseller

"Only as the book unfolds is each character more fully revealed. Ms. Atkinson's artistry in making this happen is marvelously delicate and varied."—Janet Maslin, New York Times

"If you loved Atkinson's Life After Life, you're in luck. If you're one of the, say, five people who didn't read it: You're still in luck--Atkinson is a master at the top of her game. A quiet, moving portrait of a guy navigating life's small pleasures and painful failures."—Marie Claire

"Gorgeous, thought-provoking...once again, Atkinson explores the concept of paths not taken versus those that are. Her hero's journey has its trials...but also joys and deep love. Quiet, humble Teddy is easy to root for. At the end of this tender story (a weeper, by the way), you won't want to let him go."—Good Housekeeping

"Dazzling."—People

"A sprawling, unapologetically ambitious saga that tells the story of postwar Britain through the microcosm of a single family, and you remember what a big, old-school novel can do."—Tom Perotta, New York Times Book Review

"Atkinson's genre-bending novels have garnered critical praise, but nothing on the order of a Rushdie, or even an Ian McEwan. A God in Ruins should change that."—Amy Gentry, The Chicago Tribune

"Atkinson writes the way LeBron dunks or Stephen Hawking theorizes; she can't help but be brilliant."
—Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

"Transcendent."—Moira Macdonald, The Seattle Times

"A staggeringly gorgeous book, offering through the story of one small, good, imperfect life, the chance to grieve and cherish so many more."—Ellis Avery, Boston Globe

"Ms. Atkinson rises beautifully to the challenge of dramatizing the raids, capturing the virtually suicidal nature of these operations in muscular, unsentimental prose."—Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

"A novel that takes its place in the line of powerful works about young men and war, stretching from Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage to Kevin Powers's The Yellow Birds and Ben Fountain's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk."—Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post

"A sprawling, epic novel...A God in Ruins expresses the ways lives can be seen close up, in seemingly unconnected individual moments, or from a distance, as a series of through-lines."—Tasha Robinson, NPR.org

"...more subtly postmodern, shifting between past, present, and future in ways both subversive and perfectly organic."—Boris Kachka, New York Magazine

Masterful follow-up to "Life After Life"

What made the experience of listening to A God in Ruins the most enjoyable?

Atkinson is a literary writer of the highest caliber, a magician with words and story. When I heard there was a follow-up to her supremely artful and wondrous "Life After Life," I RAN to Audible. A GOD IN RUINS is yet another feast for lovers of carefully culled words, and deeply developed characters. My only complaint is that, at 16 hours, it STILL wasn't long enough for me.

What other book might you compare A God in Ruins to and why?

Obviously, it is Atkinson's LIFE AFTER LIFE, where we first fell in love with Teddy Todd, now the protagonist of A GOD IN RUINS. But I also put this book in a the same category as Anthony Doer's ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, as well as any of Pat Barker's brilliant WWI books, and also Louisa Young's MY DEAR, I WANTED TO TELL YOU, and LOVE AND TREASURE. I might even add to that UNBROKEN.

What does Alex Jennings bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

You can tell that Kate Atkinson puts great and careful thought into each word she chooses to put on the page. Alex Jennings does honor to the author by beautifully voicing each character--and not getting in the way.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did. I listened in a two-day period. All the while thinking, "Don't listen. Stay away. Let it last."I'm taking a week off and then starting it over. Unlike a fine wine that is gone once it's been consumed, I can thankfully listen to A GOD IN RUINS over and over.

Any additional comments?

I really loved the fact that at the end of this book, Atkinson actually discusses how she came to do a follow-up to LIFE AFTER LIFE, and then why she put it into the format she did. She explained her desire to write a book specifically about the British bombing raids of WWII. If you have not read LIFE AFTER LIFE, you might still enjoy this book. But if you read this book first, I am almost positive you'll want to then go back and read LIFE AFTER LIFE.I am so grateful to have read this touching, introspective, thought provoking look at the moral dilemmas of those fighting "the good war." I wish I could give it ten stars.

Well-written, but annoying storyline

I loved the first book, LIFE AFTER LIFE, and the diction in both books, but the characters in this book were mostly depressing and with few redeeming qualities. Teddy, who seemed so charming, hopeful and... touched by goodness... was pathetic and weak in this book. Maybe that's the point. Maybe it's the reality of life as one grows up, that things aren't always so pretty or gifted or "touched". I found his marriage, his children and his entire post-war life so... sad. I want to give this book 3 ☆ because I didn't like the people, but that's probably not fair. Any book that elicits a strong reaction to characters and plot is a good book with good writing, no? Everything about this book, subject matter, research, word choice, flow, structure, diction, everything is very good. I just didn't like the people as I thought I would. Though the ending was almost a relief, in response. So 4☆.

Good but sad

I almost stopped the book because it made me so sad. Teddy was such a great character that was going through the motions of life not necessarily enjoying any part of it

Another Atkinson home-run.

Be prepared to cry your eyes out during the last hour of this book. I have listened to "Life after Life" over and over again since it came out and I imagine I will do the same with "A God in Ruins". Both readers were excellent and Kate Atkinson has become my very favorite writer in the last decade. In particular, these two books prove to me that Atkinson is a magical thinker.

Hard to follow, cliche ending

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

The wartime chapters are well written, provide good visuals, and kept my attention, but the rest of the flash backs and flash forwards are too confusing. Far too many characters. The ending was such a disappointment....

What was most disappointing about Kate Atkinson’s story?

The end was awful. Its like she ran out of story line and just gave up...

Which character – as performed by Alex Jennings – was your favorite?

Teddy

Was A God in Ruins worth the listening time?

Maybe...I dont know. I wouldnt listen to it again.