Kate Atkinson

[herewegoroundtheblueberrybush]

I keep being suggested her books by the audible algorithm but I think I tried one years ago and didn't like it. I can't recall which!

I read reviews and they're all mixed. I see her recommended on here a lot too but then again I see people saying some of her books are better than others.

I admit I am a fussy reader with no clear pattern to the authors of genres I like!

But basically I want to know which book of hers to try first - if I only read one to get the sense of her, which?

Either Behind the Scenes at the Museum or Life After Life.

She writes two very different types of book. Her literary fiction is a mixed bag - it includes some of my all time favourite novels (Life After Life; Behind the Scenes at the Museum) and some odd stuff I couldn’t get on with (Emotionally Weird). She also writes detective fiction.

If you want to try the detective stuff, start with the first Jackson Brodie novel Case Histories. It’s pretty representative of the rest of the series and will give you a good idea if they’re for you.

If you want to try the literary fiction, are you up for a slightly unusual/experimental narrative structure? If so start with Life After Life. If not try Transcription.

I love Kate Atkinson. My favourite of hers is Life After Life, it's a bit of a sliding doors type story, although rather than just one different choice there are multiple. I still think about the main character Ursula Todd!
Also the Jackson Brodie series which start with Case Histories are a good detective type read.
I read Shrines of Gaiety last year, was put off by the title at first but loved it. A mystery / romance set in London in the 1920s.
I think as an author she dips into multiple genres but is always good at transporting you back to a particular time and creating a world.
Hope you find one you like.

She’s one of my favourite authors.

Personally I’d start with Behind the Scenes at the Museum - the first one I read and definitely made me want to read more.

I also love the Jackson Brodie books and they start with Case Histories.

I adored Life After Life and A God in Ruins and strongly recommend them, but I’d be tempted to start with the others mentioned above first.

I disliked Emotionally Weird, wasn’t mad on Human Croquet and enjoyed Transcription but didn’t think it was up there with her best. I’m listening to Shrines of Gaiety on audible* *at the moment, haven’t finished yet but already feel it’s not up there with her best, there’s lots to enjoy but tightly plotted it is not - I’m finding it hard to sustain interest at times, although that might be the audiobook format making it worse so I’m going to switch to actually reading for the remainder I think.

This is all very helpful, thank you!!

Completely agree with everything @AliasGrape says. Behind the Scenes, Life After Life and A God in Ruins are by far her best closely followed by the Jackson Brodie series. I really didn’t enjoy Emotionally Weird, Human Croquet or her first book of short stories.

Interesting, because I enjoyed all her books except Life After Life. Pretentious crap, absolutely loathed it.

The Jackson Brodie books are good, I would try those first.

This thread’s also worth a read

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4968238-which-kate-atkinson-book?reply=131697127

Think I have enjoyed every book of hers, particularly Life After Life, which I found amazing. Loved the Jackson Brodie novels too, and apparently there is another one coming soon!

Interesting you say that because I listened to a sample of life after life and I didn't take to it. But I have downloaded case histories!

Thanks!

I loved Transcription. So different.

I loathed Life after Life too @TonTonMacoute
Glad I'm not the only one .

Good news, Jackson Brodie fans, new book out on Wednesday 21st August. Hurrah. Also, superfans, noticed Kate Atkinson doing a live Q&A on Jackson B books on same day via Guardian website. Great, something to look forward to after some grim weeks.

It just shows how tastes differ. I loathed Behind the scenes at the museum. I've liked the Jackson Brodie books.

It’s out on the 22nd, not the 21st.

Ooh live Q&A sounds good!

I didn't like Life After Life and didn't finish it. I love the Jackson Brodie books.

Love her books . Especially Shrines of gaiety.
also like the Jackson Brody books

I have only read Brodie and Transcription so far. I liked transcription although I felt like the ending was weaker than the rest of the book. Which of her others am I likely to like??

I read Behind the Scenes at the British Museum and a Jackson Brodie and found both incredibly annoying.

I always feel I need to duck if I say this on Mumsnet though.

I've just remembered she referenced this website in A God in Ruins? Could Kate be a Mumsnetter?

Her book of short stories "Not the end of the World" is brilliant, IMO, and I reread it every couple of years or so.

Life after life is my favourite novel. A god in ruins is great too. I read behind the scenes at the museum when she was a new author and I loved her from then. BTSATM or LAL are the best books to start with. I know I've read emotionally wierd and human croquet but it was too long ago to remember and I know I enjoyed them.

I like the Jackson Brodie books but didn't get on with Big Sky. Its been so long since I started reading them I forgot his back story.

I have just read transcription which I bought when it came out but have not previously bothered with. I didn't think it was one of her best but it was intriguing and quite clever, especially when you read her explanation of the historical sources.

I loved Shrines of Gaiety. Really solid novel but wouldn't be my first book of hers to read.

Has anyone started reading Death at the Sign of the Rook? Amazon still haven’t dispatched my copy!