Life After LifeLife After Life
Score Modern
What it's about
On a snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born in England and dies before taking a breath. On the same night, she's born again and lives. Again and again, Ursula lives and dies and lives again, each life changing slightly: through the 1918 flu, a bad marriage, the London Blitz, and Germany in the 1930s, where she has a chance to change history.
Why it's worth reading
Both the New York Times and the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's inventive, moving and full of English wit.
You'll love it if you liked
Atonement
All the Light We Cannot See
OutlanderGood to know
It repeats scenes with variations, which some readers find confusing at first. There's domestic abuse and wartime death.
By the numbers
- Readers8 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller61 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #129 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #197 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #723 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1359 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Adventurous, Epic
More by Kate Atkinson
If you like this, read next
Gideon the Ninth
All Systems Red
Promises in Death
Innocent in Death
The Blind Assassin
Jade CityExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Life After Life worth reading?
Yes. Both the New York Times and the Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #1,359 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Life After Life about?
On a snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born in England and dies before taking a breath. On the same night, she's born again and lives. Again and again, Ursula lives and dies and lives again, each life changing slightly: through the 1918 flu, a bad marriage, the London Blitz, and Germany in the 1930s, where she has a chance to change history.
How long does it take to read Life After Life?
About 14 hours (544 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Life After Life?
If you liked it, try Atonement by Ian McEwan, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr or Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.