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Doomsday Book

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Doomsday Book

By: Connie Willis
Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
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About this listen

 One of the most respected and awarded of all contemporary science-fiction writers, Connie Willis repeatedly amazes her many admiring fans with her ability to create vivid characters in unusual situations. With Doomsday Book, she takes listeners on a thrilling trip through time to discover the things that make us most human.

For Oxford student Kivrin, traveling back to the 14th century is more than the culmination of her studies - it's the chance for a wonderful adventure. For Dunworthy, her mentor, it is cause for intense worry about the thousands of things that could go wrong. When an accident leaves Kivrin trapped in one of the deadliest eras in human history, the two find themselves in equally gripping - and oddly connected - struggles to survive.

Deftly juggling stories from the 14th and 21st centuries, Willis provides thrilling action - as well as an insightful examination of the things that connect human beings to each other.

©1992 Connie Willis (P)2000 Recorded Books Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Heartfelt 21st Century Time Travel Student Middle Ages

Critic Reviews

  • Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1993
  • Nebula Award, Best Novel, 1992

"Ms. Willis displays impressive control of her material; virtually every detail introduced in the early chapters is made to pay off as the separate threads of the story are brought together." (The New York Times Book Review)
"A stunning novel that encompasses both suffering and hope....The best work yet from one of science fiction's best writers." (The Denver Post)
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connie willis does a great job of immersing the reader in a historic era and making the characters real.
The only complaint is that it was too slow moving and drawn out.

history made real

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The story was excellent and narration brought it all to life wonderfully... I look to the next book

Excellent!

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No edit required, ending is brilliant, story is well told and wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyed the narration and totally recommend.

Amazing

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It was quite obvious what is going to happen in several of the scenarioes/setups in this book. most normal people (or competent characters) would make the mental leap required to solve these problems immediately. It was painful to listen to the otherwise well drawn characters, as they beat around the seemingly endless supply of bushes before getting to the point. The technology in this book was ill concieved, they can invent a time machine but are still using switchboards and have no mobile phones or internet. Having said all of that, the overall, the concept was fresh, and aside from the above, well executed. The narration was well done and appropriate for the book.

Some parts were painful but it was ok overall

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Would you listen to another book narrated by Jenny Sterlin?

Probably not. I wasn't that keen on her narrating style. While she did a good job with various voices and character, at times I just felt a bit... bored or sleepy by her style. She picked up toward the end but it was slow going at the start.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not really. Once the character went into the past it got more interesting but I nearly gave up on it at first.

A pretty good historical story...

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Connie Willis is an author who always draws me in and this is the first in her fantastic Oxford based time travel series. Even though time has moved on, leaving me to wonder for instance why the characters do not have mobile phones, the story is fascinating. The almost parallels of 21st century Oxford in the grip of a pandemic and England during the plague in the middle ages are intriguing. The characters are brilliantly portrayed and the darker aspects of the story are relieved by Connie's light touch and her gentle portrayal of the absurdities of everyday life.
The narration was good. It could have flowed a little more easily. The story was dramatic enough in itself not to need some of the emphases added by the narrator, but overall this was a great listen.

Great book

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While at first I found the characters seemingly not listening to one another infuriating, by the end of the story I was so engaged with the characters that I couldn’t stop listening. Ended up driving the long way home so I could listen as long as possible, several times I had to turn it off because I couldn’t hear over my sobbing. A beautifully researched melding of the Middle Ages and an imagined future which, post Covid, got many things about pandemics right and many things as wrong as the historians had about the black plague. A lovely story, well read.

Brilliant and touching historical science fiction

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What a great book! The beautifully brought to life characters in the parallel timelines were so touching, I cried multiple times during the book. Thank you Connie Willis, I will need to read more of your writing now that I’ve discovered it!

Wonderful storytelling

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Universities have learned how to do time travel in the 2040s. Author Connie Willis tells us of an epidemic in modern day Oxford at the same time as a young historian accidentally lands up being sent back to the time of the Black Plague. Using many twists and turns, wit and humour, we encounter this significant historical event in a way that is gripping, fascinating and bittersweet. History made accessible for people of all ages.

An amazing retelling of the Black Plague

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Narrator has too many pauses and too slow- had to speed her up.
Story a bit pedestrian at first but soon was binging on it.

I can see why it’s famous

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