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I recently
read Kate Atkinson’s two newest novels, Life
After Life and A God In Ruins.
These are described as “companion novels,” The two books take place during
roughly the same time period (1900s, focusing on World War II) but A God In Ruins is not a sequel to Life After Life. Life After Life focuses on the life of Ursula Todd and A God In Ruins focuses on the life of
Ursula’s brother, Teddy. Atkinson has a unique writing style that is very fresh
and engaging. She also makes her characters seem really alive and every character
(main or supporting) elicited some sort of response from me.
Life After Life
Took me a
minute to get into, couldn’t quite figure out where she was going with the
writing style. The main character, Ursula Todd, repeatedly dies and her life
starts over again, with a different outcomes (sometimes) à la a butterfly
effect. There is a lot of repetition for the first third or so of the book, but
then it picks up. I’ve never read a book like this so I enjoyed it. Ursula is
vaguely aware that something is not “normal” about her. She realizes that if
she takes an action (say, pushing someone down the stairs) the end result (that
person not dying) will be better. It’s interesting to read the multiple paths
her life could/did take depending on her actions.
A God In Ruins
I liked
this book better than Life After Life.
It too deals with the choices that people make and the subsequent consequences.
It really gets at how we humans are an imperfect species and how the past
shapes the future. This book follows Teddy, Ursula’s brother, through his life
and the life of his child and grandchildren. The sequencing of the story was a
little confusing at times, but what I think is the main message of the book
came across: life is fickle. The ending was very poetic, but in a non-cheesy
way.
I would
really recommend these books, but read them back to back or you might be a
little lost in the second book—there are references to things that happen in
the first book and the characters’ backgrounds that you learn in the first book
aren’t recapped in the second.
Disclaimer:
All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in
the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive
reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for
you. This post is not sponsored.
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