Why people recommend it
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is a celebrated novel that follows protagonist Ursula Todd as she repeatedly dies and is reborn across different eras of the twentieth century, most notably the Second World War. On The Book Review, Sarah Lyall praised the novel as one of her all-time favorite books, later noting its status alongside its sequel as a Costa Award winner and a towering masterpiece of contemporary fiction. Tom Perrotta also strongly recommended reading the book before tackling its companion novel, A God in Ruins. During interviews on the same podcast, Kate Atkinson discussed her meticulous preparation for tackling the Second World War with the requisite seriousness, as well as the unique plotting challenges of writing a narrative where the protagonist continually lives and dies. She also reflected on how the book forms a cohesive trio centered around the London Blitz era and noted its occasional categorization as science fiction.
Who recommended it
- Pamela Paul Discussed
- Kate Atkinson Discussed
- Tom Perrotta Recommended
- Sarah Lyall Recommended
- Gilbert Cruz Discussed
Pamela Paul — 7 mentions
“well to go back to Life After Life just for a moment in that question of time”
“I mean I thought Life After Life says I don't write beautiful sentences which I think do write beautiful sentences”
“this is your third novel in a row that's kind of taken place in this same sort of London World War II Blitz era period the first life after life then a God in Ruins why what was the attraction”
“apparently scence Life After Life is science fiction partly a science fiction novel surpris”
“well to go back to Life After Life just for a moment and that question of time and where did you get that idea of having this character constantly”
“it's like Kate Atkinson's Life After Life or like the movie sliding doors what would have happened if just one teeny little thing had been different and that would have set a life on a completely different course”
“but also about her previous novel um 2013's Life After Life which was one of our 10 best books of the year with Tom PDA”
Kate Atkinson — 4 mentions
“well Life After Life I felt I had to be ready to write about the war and to be able to tackle its seriously so and to give it it he that it deserved”
“because every single time I say it people go no really easy to write there was no plotting she lives she dies she lives she dies”
“this is her third novel in a row that's kind of taken place in the same sort of London World War II Blitz era period the first life after life then a God in Ruins”
“apparently scence Life After Life is science fiction”
Tom Perrotta — 4 mentions
“so the book is a companion book to Life After Life which is acting 's Masterpiece”
“I would seriously recommend reading Life After Life before reading a God in Ruins”
“one of the amazing things about Life After Life was you know that Ursula Todd is this character um as you mentioned who um is born and then dies repeatedly in the novel”
“Life After Life had a kind of a video game strategy as you say you know if I if the character makes this Choice then this story will unfold”
Sarah Lyall — 3 mentions
“and she's written some beautiful novels, especially Life After Life, which is one of my favorite books of all time.”
“in the 2010s two of her other novels Life After Life and its sequel a God in Ruins won the Costa Award for best novel of the year in Britain”
“in 2013 you published Life After Life which some people think of as your Masterpiece and it's a book in which the main character repeatedly dies is born again isn't fully aware of her previous lives”
Gilbert Cruz — 2 mentions
“how does Life After Life Kate Atkinson's 2013 critical hit figure into her new novel”
“did you like Life After Life I love life and I love her”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- A god in ruins
- Orlando
- Transcription
- We need to talk about Kevin
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- All the Sinners Bleed
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“new at number six also sort of the second book in a series um Kate Atkinson Covergirl last week yes our Covergirl last week uh has her novel a God in Ruins which is sort of a follow-up or a companion volume to her big bestseller Life After Life”