Review: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

I can easily see how this book would not be to everyone's taste. The story has a unique twist- it tells the story of the many different ways the protagonist's life could have unfolded based upon her own choices, the choices of others around her, impulsive decisions, the mood she is in when certain events happen, and simply pure fate. The way in which the book is written results in scenes being repeated, although usually from a different perspective and often with a different outcome. I quite liked the way in which the book was written, and found it a refreshing change from the norm.

Life After Life follows Ursula, who is born during a blizzard in 1910 into a well-off family living outside London. She experiences WWI as a child and WWII as an adult. She dies many times, only to be "reborn" at various points in her life just prior to a critical junction in time wherein she takes an alternate path to the one chosen prior.

The book was a bit chaotic in the beginning, as the reader is left to try to piece together the characters and the foundations of the story from multiple story lines. However, Atkinson gives the reader just enough information to be able to understand the characters and the different paths Ursula could embark on without spelling everything out. Over time the reader gets to know the characters despite the piecemeal storyline. I was impressed by Atkinson's ability to keep the story interesting despite repeating several critical scenes on multiple occasions.

I found the book to be engrossing, particularly the sections of the book set in London during the Blitz. Atkinson is able to transport the reader through her vivid descriptions of the blazing night sky and the shock waves of nearby bombs. She is also able to portray how easily the status quo becomes normalised, even in the most brutal of conditions, in the blasé attitudes many of the characters attain towards the nightly raids after so many months of bombings.

Unfortunately, I really disliked the ending of the book. It seemed abrupt and was completely unsatisfactory. One of the storylines was so absurd I found myself audibly asking "Did you really go there?"

Despite the unsatisfactory ending I found the vast majority of the story engrossing. I enjoyed the change of pace the twist in the storyline provided. Although obvious I enjoyed the overriding theme- that the trajectory of life can change abruptly by the smallest and seemingly most insignificant of decisions. Overall the book was an enjoyable read, particularly the rich settings that Atkinson creates.