# Novel - Life after Life. Hard time getting into it...should I keep going? Is it worth it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211 "2014-02-13T02:35:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211/1 "2014-02-13T02:35:53Z")
I started “Life after Life” a highly rated novel from last year. I don’t want to read too many details about it, but it is on Amazon’s 100 books that I have to read. I know that’s bunk, but I need to get reading advice somewhere. I reading it on Kindle, so I don’t know how far along I am, I think less than 20%. So, Fellow dopers who have read this book…should I keep with it?? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211/2 "2014-02-13T04:14:02Z")
I thought it got more interesting (and less repetitive) after a while. But I didn’t have a hard time getting into it, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Charley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211/3 "2014-02-13T05:51:52Z")
I had exactly the same feeling at potentially the same point. Then suddenly… Stick with it. I was so involved, so moved, so blown away by it once I’d finished. I wept buckets. It’s not nice and neat, it’s not flawless, but oh lord I think it’s worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211/4 "2014-02-13T12:09:23Z")
Like **Hogarth** , I liked it from the outset and, despite some reservations about the ending, it was one of my favourite books last year. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211/5 "2014-02-13T12:35:31Z")
I’m reading it now. Didn’t have any trouble getting into it, and so far loving it, much more so than I expected from the description. That said, the way I approach books is that if I don’t like 'em, I don’t read 'em. If you’ve given it a good go and still don’t like it, put it away and pick up the next book. Life is too short to spend it reading books you don’t like. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211/6 "2014-02-13T23:05:40Z")
One of my favorite books. Unfortunately, you have to read quite a few pages to be hooked. Then, about two-thirds of the way in, the sense of amazement in Atkinson’s craft takes over. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211/7 "2014-02-14T16:20:17Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I thought it got more interesting (and less repetitive) after a while. But I didn’t have a hard time getting into it, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Likewise. I urge you to stick with it. It was one of the top ten books I read last year. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-life-after-life-hard-time-getting-into-it-should-i-keep-going-is-it-worth-it/681211/8 "2014-02-14T17:15:53Z")
I am currently reading this book, too! And like **diggerwam** , I found it vastly overrated at first. But! It absolutely gets more interesting the further along you are. I struggled to get through the first ~100 pages before it started to draw me in. So I’m definitely gonna stick with it and hope that I’m blown away by the last 1/3 😛