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The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Wildly original, funny and moving, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is an extraordinary story of a life lived again and again from World Fantasy Award-winning author Claire North. Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. "I nearly missed you, Doctor August," she says. "I need to send a message." This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.
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Community Reviews
Excellent interesting read. The characters in this book are easy to fall in love with and grow to hate at the same time. Which in my opinion makes them all the more life like. A definite recommend to anyone who likes an urban fantasy or urban sci-fi kind of book. The prose itself is written so fluidly it makes me want to sing it. Just don't let the reading of this change yourself in your next life, or the club will be after us all.
не без клюквы, но темп держит. прочитала, по сути, пока торчала в аэропорту и за время полета. в советской части понравилось, как герой в 50-х годах приезжает в отдаленный северный поселок и там заходит в БАР, где ему кладут миску риса с бобами и наливают какой-то алкоголь, видимо самогон. спросила у мамы, был ли у них в деревне бар в её детстве. мама подумала и сказала, что была СТОЛОВАЯ, где по пятницам вечером и субботам, когда все шли из бани, наливали пива на разлив
но такого сценария клэр норт, думаю, не могла себе представить
но такого сценария клэр норт, думаю, не могла себе представить
It starts out strong then has a definite low (and slow) patch, but it finishes well. I'd give it 3.5, but 4 is a bit of a stretch. Many compare it to Life After Life, the general theme is the same, but they are very different. I'd say this one has a tad more sci-fi feel to it.
This is quite remarkably creative. Harry August lives, then dies and lives the same life again. Over and over. And although things get confusing to me, Harry remembers every. single. detail. Eventually he has to hunt a rival to preserve goodness. I was fascinated by the intricacy of the plot strands and the recurring characters. It turns out that subsequent lives are not completely identical. Some choices matter. Most of the story is set in the 20th century and draws heavily on world events but thy is is clearly a work of speculative fiction. If you had your life to live over, what would you change?
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