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barbaraaford's review against another edition
2.0
Very strange. First half rather dull, second half more a page turner.
laila4343's review against another edition
4.0
Dazzling and weird. Part fantasy, part coming of age story set in England mostly in the 1960's (but with a sprinkling of time travel/alternate lives here and there.) Really playful writing but also sad. Incredibly readable. I'm going to have a hard time writing a post about this one. But I really liked it. AND it's a book I own, huzzah! It's been on my shelf for years now - that feels like a victory. I liked this one *much* better than Atkinson's first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
alexisrt's review against another edition
4.0
This is Kate Atkinson's second novel, and it shows a little. It has all the ingredients of her later novels, but the structure is a little shaky. The writing is still good, the concept works, the characters are interesting, but the construction of the novel--which flips back and forth in time--is not as strong, so that you can guess much of what happens in advance, and the reveals aren't all doled out as well as they should be.
It's still a delight to read, though.
It's still a delight to read, though.
missmim's review against another edition
5.0
We see the themes that Atkinson would later explore in Life After Life begin here, in her second novel. The idea of multiple narratives, multiple worlds we could live in. Same cast of characters, different outcomes, all held together by our interest in the main protagonist. This may not be your cup of tea, but I love narratives like this. And Atkinson's prose is matter-of-fact loveliness. Highly recommend.
pattiillbee11's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 really. Ms. Atkinson is an amazing writer and she doesn't disappoint me this time.
jenifrances's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jenmcmaynes's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as Behind the Scenes at the Museum, but Atkinson's characteristic style shines through.
melissa__w's review against another edition
1.0
I loved Life After Life, so I bought this one to read, but I just really didn't like it. It almost seems like it was a practice run for Life After Life, but not done nearly as well. And the multiple instances of father-daughter incest were quite unexpected....