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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
eva braun jumpscare
Good prose, but I just couldn't get through all the skipping around and trying to recall who it was I was learning about this time. Probably just me since I know this one was rather acclaimed. I read someone else's review which begged the question about there needing to be a point to a novel. I don't think there does, but when one is written in such an unorthodox way, surely there was a reason/point, and while I am curious, I'm also not really in a place to be reading something which makes me take notes to keep the stories straight. Again, just me. I do plan to read Atkinson's new book, which is also getting rave reviews. Maybe it will inspire me to come back to this one someday.
dark
emotional
mysterious
With a butterfly effect/Groundhog Day premise, I expected the story to have a clear goal for what needed to be "fixed". I kind of like that it didn't, but it did make me go down the "what's the point of life" rabbit hole more than once.
There was a clearly defined theme, most notably stated as "Izzy is still Izzy", that ran throughout the course of the story. Is it true that no matter what choices we make in life, we will still be ourselves when all is said and done, and that there is no other way to be? Hmmmm.
P.S. Kudos for use of the word palimpsest, def: a manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing but of which traces remain; OR something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form.
P.S.S. I didn't know there was a voluntary night watch to protect St. Paul's Cathedral from ruin. Cool.
Favorite Quotes
"I don't think any of them are themselves anymore," Sylvie said. Ursula tried to imagine not being Ursula but was defeated by the impossibility of the task.
Her memories seemed like a cascade of echoes.
It was a lovely late-September afternoon, crisp as an apple.
Amor fati...A simple acceptance of what comes to us, regarding it as neither bad nor good.
[S]he skipped along the path, singing tra-la-la. Nancy was a girl who really did sing tra-la-la. Ursula wished she was that kind of girl.
A buttery, unseasonal sun was trying hard to nudge its way through the thick velvet curtains.
There was a clearly defined theme, most notably stated as "Izzy is still Izzy", that ran throughout the course of the story. Is it true that no matter what choices we make in life, we will still be ourselves when all is said and done, and that there is no other way to be? Hmmmm.
P.S. Kudos for use of the word palimpsest, def: a manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing but of which traces remain; OR something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form.
P.S.S. I didn't know there was a voluntary night watch to protect St. Paul's Cathedral from ruin. Cool.
Favorite Quotes
"I don't think any of them are themselves anymore," Sylvie said. Ursula tried to imagine not being Ursula but was defeated by the impossibility of the task.
Her memories seemed like a cascade of echoes.
It was a lovely late-September afternoon, crisp as an apple.
Amor fati...A simple acceptance of what comes to us, regarding it as neither bad nor good.
[S]he skipped along the path, singing tra-la-la. Nancy was a girl who really did sing tra-la-la. Ursula wished she was that kind of girl.
A buttery, unseasonal sun was trying hard to nudge its way through the thick velvet curtains.
Having read A God in Ruins first was probably a good thing as it allowed me to fully immerse myself in that world without knowing any different. Life After Life is enjoyable and interesting- like a Choose Your Own Adventure book- although it is hard to know what really happened in between all those possible lives. I prefer A God in Ruins but this novel easily earned its stars.
‘No point in thinking,” she said briskly, ‘you just have to get on with life.’ … ‘We only have one after all, we should try and do our best. We can never get it right but we must try.’
“What if we had a chance to do it again and again,” Teddy said, “until we finally did get it right? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” pg. 523
‘No point in thinking,” she said briskly, ‘you just have to get on with life.’ … ‘We only have one after all, we should try and do our best. We can never get it right but we must try.’
“What if we had a chance to do it again and again,” Teddy said, “until we finally did get it right? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” pg. 523
Many things about this I enjoyed, some of them I enjoyed less. I was gearing up to complain about the "look at all the fashion plates I looked at for this book" approach to historical fiction, so imagine my surprise when I reached the author's note and the bibliography and saw that she had tried to reign in the "pathological recondite research". I fear it wasn't that successful by my taste but I truly appreciate the self-awareness.
I think I'll keep itching away at this book for a while, though - something about the fragmented, slightly distant narration, something about Sylvie and Ursula, something about the muted time loop horror when it's one you don't really remember, something something I'm truly not sure if it achieved what it set out to but it undeniably achieved a lot. Many things to think about.
I think I'll keep itching away at this book for a while, though - something about the fragmented, slightly distant narration, something about Sylvie and Ursula, something about the muted time loop horror when it's one you don't really remember, something something I'm truly not sure if it achieved what it set out to but it undeniably achieved a lot. Many things to think about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault
I really enjoyed this book, but I will note the middle was kind of a slog. Super interesting concept but maybe some of it could have been edited out. Overall, 3.5⭐️
hopeful
slow-paced
Gorgeous writing, absolutely. However, the plot wasn't for me.
It started to drag and not be about anything and it got depressing