Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
3.5 stars from me.
Impressive piece of writing. The WWII parts had a real wartime London atmosphere. The Cold War parts had the scary atmosphere that I remember from growing up during that period.
On the other hand, I had the feeling while I was reading this book that a lot of the "historical" part of "historical fiction" was going over my head. I felt a little guilty for not catching it all. Maybe we need an annotated version.
Impressive piece of writing. The WWII parts had a real wartime London atmosphere. The Cold War parts had the scary atmosphere that I remember from growing up during that period.
On the other hand, I had the feeling while I was reading this book that a lot of the "historical" part of "historical fiction" was going over my head. I felt a little guilty for not catching it all. Maybe we need an annotated version.
My thought about the book was enjoyable for the most part but the final big revelation and the subsequent events that followed ended quite abruptly which was a slight disappointment. The random mentioning of names was distracting. Better to read "Transcription" as an ebook which helped referencing places/names so much more easier. The writing was fine, the usual Kate Atkinson's classy style.
The entire story was Juliet's flash back as a spy during the war. Instead of reading it as a mystery/suspense novel, I found the reading experience was rewarding if to follow Juliet's own trains of thought.
"Transcription" is a novel about espionage, the danger, the fear and the thrill of being one and sacrifices one had to make both during and years after the war. I enjoyed reading it.
The entire story was Juliet's flash back as a spy during the war. Instead of reading it as a mystery/suspense novel, I found the reading experience was rewarding if to follow Juliet's own trains of thought.
"Transcription" is a novel about espionage, the danger, the fear and the thrill of being one and sacrifices one had to make both during and years after the war. I enjoyed reading it.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Entertaining—but every Kate Atkinson book after Life After Life will feel kinda meh.
I pre-ordered this book last year, as Kate Atkinson leads a very short list of authors whose work I buy without hesitation. However, I kept putting off actually reading it, as I suspected I wouldn’t want to put it down once I did. I was right.
Juliet Armstrong is recruited by MI5 during WWII. Undercover work follows, and her actions have consequences that seek her out years after the war. Atkinson weaves the narrative with her typical flair and keeps the reader engaged.
Juliet Armstrong is recruited by MI5 during WWII. Undercover work follows, and her actions have consequences that seek her out years after the war. Atkinson weaves the narrative with her typical flair and keeps the reader engaged.
Real score 3.75. It wasn’t just me that didn’t hate this, didn’t love this. Everything seemed to happen at the end. I still can’t go to three stars though. Maybe it’s a me thing, an if I’d read it all at once thing. As the immortal idiot says though, It is was it is.
Every time I read Atkinson, I remember why I like her so much. And then I forget and don't read her for a long stretch.
This book reminds me of why I need to remember, and read more of her. While she works within genre conventions of mystery and suspense, her novels are always so much more than that, without being pretentious and/or self-conscious.
Trancription is no different, giving us a slightly different take on the WW II spy drama. Without going all John Le Carré, Atkinson's world is just as full of lies, deception and questions of identity; however, her take is more homely, more riddled with the banality of humor of day-to-day life. And all the more thought-provoking because of that.
This book reminds me of why I need to remember, and read more of her. While she works within genre conventions of mystery and suspense, her novels are always so much more than that, without being pretentious and/or self-conscious.
Trancription is no different, giving us a slightly different take on the WW II spy drama. Without going all John Le Carré, Atkinson's world is just as full of lies, deception and questions of identity; however, her take is more homely, more riddled with the banality of humor of day-to-day life. And all the more thought-provoking because of that.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
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:
No
Expected to love this book, but didn’t engage with it. Characters came and went and did not grab me. Time shift didn’t help. I realise spies and double agents aren’t direct etc, but even so I did not find Miss Armstrong to be somebody I cared about.