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Life After Life

By: Kate Atkinson
Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
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Publisher's 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.

©2013 Kate Atkinson (P)2013 Random House Audiobooks
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Editorial reviews

Life After Life is the latest release audiobook by master of contemporary fiction, Kate Atkinson and narrated by English actress Fenella Woolgar. The story follows that of Ursula who is given infinite chances at life. Most would believe that the value of life would be lost should the chances to live it were endless but it is with this profound gift that Ursula sees how desperate the need is to protect Earth from human destruction. This is a story that is so cleverly constructed in its plot and deep in its meaning you will be enchanted from the opening words. Available now from Audible.

What listeners say about Life After Life

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A mind altering book

What made the experience of listening to Life After Life the most enjoyable?

The trick to this book is to stay with it. It is 1910 and snow is falling and life starts. And starts again.Kate Atkinson is simply one of the finest writers today. This book is a literary wonder - earthed by beautiful characters and a solid English country home - and yet delving into the questions of life and time and choice. World War Two vividly evoked. Ethereal and captivating. Don't miss it.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

a bit jumpy but well worth persevering

Would you listen to Life After Life again? Why?

Yes. A really interesting story line with great characters. Sort of like a choose your own adventure where you can go back and find a better ending, except the author is choosing the new story lines her self, time and time again.

What other book might you compare Life After Life to and why?

The book thief or The time traveller's wife for its unconventional story line

Any additional comments?

I read comments about how jumpy the story line was and that put me off a little bit. But you soon get used to it and I actually started looking forward to the story line jumping back in time again. A great novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Less profound than it claims

Struggled to finish it and was very annoyed by the end. I missed the wit and the comedy that interlaced so well through profound themes in Atkinson's other books.
Narrator had bad German pronunciation, but that will probably only irritate German speakers.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I REALLY enjoyed this

What did you love best about Life After Life?

It's such a creative story! The characters were so easy to attach to and the reader has such talent for telling the story, not just reading.

What other book might you compare Life After Life to and why?

It's such a creative story. I can't compare it to anything because I've never read/listened to another story quite like it.

Have you listened to any of Fenella Woolgar’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I had not listened to Fenella before but her voice is so fantastic for audio books that I will definately be looking out for more of her books.

If you could take any character from Life After Life out to dinner, who would it be and why?

This is a hard one. I'm tossing up between Ursula and Izzy. Izzy would be highly entertaining, but Ursula would the character I would be most interested in chatting to.

Any additional comments?

Thank you to the author for such an entertaining story.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Stunning story and performance - Missing it!

What other book might you compare Life After Life to and why?

One Day, The Last Letter from Your Lover

Have you listened to any of Fenella Woolgar’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, she's new to me, but I'll be looking into her other performances.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I never wanted to reach my destination in the car and turn it off. I miss it since I finished listening.

Any additional comments?

I've recommended this to my friends. I just loved it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Superb rendition of life after life

Brilliantly read - a great way to listen to Kate Atkinson - one of her best books - I loved it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful novel

This is the first Kate Atkinson novel I've listened to. I thought it was superb. So good that I immediately downloaded another by her. The middle chapters that depict the blitz could stand alone as a novella.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hurry up and write a new book please Kate...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, but I am biased...I love any book by Kate Atkinson.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Life After Life?

The bomb scene in the London townhouse when the baby is found...

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

Audible books come to life with a brilliant narrator...

If you could take any character from Life After Life out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Silvie - as long as we could have dinner at Fox Corner as I would love to visit that house.

Any additional comments?

LIke I said, please write another book soon Kate Atkinson.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Can I give this book six stars?

Where does Life After Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 5.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Life After Life?

Every moment described in beautiful detail by Kate Atkinson becomes memorable. I am literally IN the rooms, the gardens, the wars and the hearts of the characters. The story is compelling, funny, poignant and mesmerising.

Which scene was your favorite?

The novel involves the retelling of stories multiple times so this is tricky to answer. The whole novel, with it's changing and retelling of scenes and the switching of time and place is just overall, fabulously, deliciously enchanting.

Any additional comments?

I cannot imagine this story without the voice of the superb narrator. I loved her portrayal of the various characters and accents, but she does a particularly wonderful job of creating believable voices for the children. The author is fabulous but the narrator is simply divine

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Extraordinary

Fenella"s extraordinarily gifted talent for narration brought life after life to life again and again

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