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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
A very clever book. About half-way through I started to wonder if the whole thing was meant as a farce - all this bumbling about being spies, saying spy-like things, trying to catch the ‘Right club’s’ Nazi sympathizers, where each meeting seems to have more informants than genuine members; more biscuit-breaks than espionage. On one level it’s hilarious, on another it’s all very sinister. At about the same time, I began to question how reliable our narrator was. Puzzling & engaging at the same time.
I’m not sure I fully comprehended all of the spying and double (triple?) agents or which side who was on....Maybe that’s part of the point (?). But it was a fun book to read & I enjoyed Juliet’s fantastically dry, wry & intelligent inner monologue, not to mention her ice cold veins.
I’m not sure I fully comprehended all of the spying and double (triple?) agents or which side who was on....Maybe that’s part of the point (?). But it was a fun book to read & I enjoyed Juliet’s fantastically dry, wry & intelligent inner monologue, not to mention her ice cold veins.
This is the first book I've ever read by Atkinson, and I will say it took a bit to get used to her unique characterization and the way she lets readers fill in the blanks. It was actually a refreshing read despite the content because of Atkinson's style. The book takes place during two distinct time periods - 1940 London and 1950 London. Juliet believes her years of espionage and spying end with the war, but comes to find out that the past may not always stay there. Quite the historical fiction novel, I must say.
World War II M-I5 admin assistant becomes more deeply involved as a few espionage cases unravel; much later her past comes back to haunt her. This was fast-paced and the main character is the true definition of an unreliable witness, which is fun. Probably better than 3 stars, but I found myself not caring much about the characters or plot, which was weird for me, so 3 it is.
This is more like 3.75 stars for me because it was hard to follow and a tad confusing.
140 pages in. Just meh. I don't care about the characters, and I'm a bit bored. May have to give up. For some reason feeling like I have to justify not wanting to continue I have read lots of review in which people agree. Life is too short.
I listened to this over a couple of months meaning I struggled to keep track of all of the characters and time lapses, which was a shame because the language was beautiful. I may try reading again “on paper” in due course as I can’t help feeling I’m missing out on something!
"Transcription" by Kate Atkinson is one of those rare novels that draws the reader into a world of the past and then sets little explosions off that change how you view everything that came before.
The bulk of the novel covers two time periods--1940 at the start of WWII and 1950 when post-war Britain is still dealing with the past as it tries to move forward. It is bookended by brief chapters set in 1981. Our narrator and guide through all the twists and turns is Juliet Armstrong. At the age of 18, recently orphaned and alone in the world, she is plucked to serve in a lowly capacity in MI-5. She is soon assigned to be the transcriptionist for an operation run by the mysterious Godfrey Toby. He is posing as a secret Gestapo agent in London who listens to all the fifth-columnist gossip and pipe dreams. But Juliet, who can pass easily through many social strata, soon finds herself involved in other operations, not all of which end well.
In 1950, with the war in the rear view mirror, we meet Juliet again. No longer a naive young agent, she now works for that great British bureaucracy, the BBC. But Juliet has not found happiness or fulfillment. Her past keeps popping up, starting with a surprising meeting with Mr. Toby. A note is delivered to her office telling her that she must pay for what she did. Paranoia overtakes her as she tries to find who is threatening her. Can the past really catch up with her and is anyone able to help her?
As in any good spy novel, nothing is exactly as it seems. Ms. Atkinson has done excellent research in recreating the past and helping the reader see it in a different way. There are boxes within boxes, and references to real spies (Kim Philby and Guy Burgess) and literary ones such as Richard Hannay and George Smiley. Juliet is both plucky and duplicitous and a bit heart-breaking.
Highly recommended.
The bulk of the novel covers two time periods--1940 at the start of WWII and 1950 when post-war Britain is still dealing with the past as it tries to move forward. It is bookended by brief chapters set in 1981. Our narrator and guide through all the twists and turns is Juliet Armstrong. At the age of 18, recently orphaned and alone in the world, she is plucked to serve in a lowly capacity in MI-5. She is soon assigned to be the transcriptionist for an operation run by the mysterious Godfrey Toby. He is posing as a secret Gestapo agent in London who listens to all the fifth-columnist gossip and pipe dreams. But Juliet, who can pass easily through many social strata, soon finds herself involved in other operations, not all of which end well.
In 1950, with the war in the rear view mirror, we meet Juliet again. No longer a naive young agent, she now works for that great British bureaucracy, the BBC. But Juliet has not found happiness or fulfillment. Her past keeps popping up, starting with a surprising meeting with Mr. Toby. A note is delivered to her office telling her that she must pay for what she did. Paranoia overtakes her as she tries to find who is threatening her. Can the past really catch up with her and is anyone able to help her?
As in any good spy novel, nothing is exactly as it seems. Ms. Atkinson has done excellent research in recreating the past and helping the reader see it in a different way. There are boxes within boxes, and references to real spies (Kim Philby and Guy Burgess) and literary ones such as Richard Hannay and George Smiley. Juliet is both plucky and duplicitous and a bit heart-breaking.
Highly recommended.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No