Case histories, the first book in the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson, which I read not too long ago, was one of her books that I felt was very excellent but not completely fantastic. Previous bloggers have suggested in their comments that I would like Atkinson’s other stand-alone books more, notably “behind the scenes at the museum” and her most recent effort, “life after life,” which has been nominated for the women’s award for fiction this year. It gives me great pleasure to report that they were correct. The fundamental premise of the show “life after life” is somewhat similar to the plot of the movie “groundhog day,” although it takes place in a vastly different environment and has fewer comedic outcomes. Ursula Todd, who was born on a snowy day in February 1910 into a wealthy family, lives her life several times during the course of her lifetime. Ursula, on the other hand, is not conscious of this fact, in contrast to phil connors, despite the fact that she often has a sense of déjà vu. The main focus of the novel is on numerous possible interpretations of key episodes in the protagonist’s life, all of which lead to dramatically different outcomes for her. In one of her lives, she meets her end as a kid when she is accidentally knocked from the roof of her home. In a previous existence, she was born stillborn after being suffocated by her umbilical chord. In a past life, she was married to a man who was violent toward her. In a past existence, she has a home in Germany, where she meets and becomes friends with Eva Braun, etc. When I read “case histories,” one of the things that stood out to me as one of Atkinson’s primary talents was the way that she wove together the story’s three distinct threads. She is equally skilled at weaving together the several versions of Ursula’s life and the individuals who figure in them, despite the quick changes in time that take place chronologically throughout the story. There are aspects of Ursula’s life that are consistent throughout all of her incarnations, and these aspects, together with traces of her earlier existences, may be found in certain places. Retelling the narrative with the same people but making minor changes demonstrates how innovative Atkinson has been in her exploitation of the central idea, and the manner in which she does it is immensely enjoyable. She does an excellent job of depicting the lives of the British middle class throughout the first half of the twentieth century, particularly in the passages set during the war. despite hilary mantel’s recent monopolization of literary honors, I believe that “life after life” has a genuine shot at winning the women’s prize for fiction this year. this is despite the fact that hilary mantel has dominated other literary awards in recent months. This week, I will (finally!) be reading “nw” by Zadie Smith and “bring up the corpses” by Hilary Mantel before the women’s award for fiction shortlist readings event on June 4th… Good morning to everyone of you. Click on this link to go to my website and read more on the topic of life after death. Life After Life is a novel written by Kate Atkinson and can be found here.
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