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The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

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The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

By: Claire North
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
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About this listen

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.

©2014 Claire North (P)2014 Hachette Audio UK Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Fiction Feel-Good Funny

Critic Reviews

"An astonishing re-invention of the time-travel narrative. Bold, magical and masterful" (M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts)"A thoughtful and considered time-travel novel, shocking twists and, most important of all, a beautiful character. Harry August will break your heart fifteen times" (Jared Shurin, Pornokitsch Blog)
This wonderful novel, narrated by Harry, ranges back and forth in time as he recounts episodes from his various lives, but it's all held together by a compelling mystery involving nothing less than the end of the world itself . . . Beautifully written and structured, the book should be a big hit . . . Fans of SF and fantasy authors China Mieville, Christopher Priest, and Adam Roberts might note a stylistic similarity, especially in the novel's elegant prose. Whoever Claire North turns out to be, he or she has written a remarkable book" (Booklist)
"Gripping" ( Sun)
"A truly extraordinary novel: an impeccable portrait of a friendship tortured by time in which masterful character and fantastic narrative come together to tremendous effect" ( TOR.COM)
"A brave, genre-defying novel, which is mind-blowing in its originality and bold concept . . . Stunning!" ( NOVELICIOUS)
"Part unique and intriguing mystery, part philosophical look at life, memory and time travel this story kept me totally gripped from the opening words to the mind-blowing finale" ( BITE THE BOOK)
" The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is an extraordinary novel, as the publicity has promised" ( The Speculative Scotsman)
All stars
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Interesting concept, well written and narrated. Starts a little slowly but once the point of the book becomes clear and the protagonist established, couldn't put it down.

Interesting story

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whilst it would tend to drag on at some points admittedly, I found it to be quite an interesting idea tackled by the author, one that kept me wondering what would happen next at every chapter

Sometimes Slow, Constantly Intriguing

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This was one of the first books to go on to my wish list when I started my audible membership. Some 3 years later I finally made the purchase. The author has a exceptional grasp on history, not just the broad strokes but the nuances. She has clearly done much research. Not just saying that from the contents of this book but all her novels have a real feet into her ground feel to historical periods.
The narration is exceptional. I’m tempted to say voice acting here. He has a diverse range and gave the narration heart. The American accent was not very diverse but I found myself backtracking to reposted to the emotion he put in to some internal dialogue. 5 stars all round.

Fantastic

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Such a great book! Very well paced. Traveling between the present and the past with such grace, it was so easy to switch contexts. The author is truly gifted. The narrator did a good job too. Definitely a book to be listened to.

Brilliant!!! Absolutely wonderful!!

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It's a great book that makes makes me want more. I would buy the second in a heartbeat.

loved it

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I haven’t read a novel in years...this book brought me back!! I listened to it in 2 days. A time travel story with a whole new perspective. Performance was excellent as well. Loved it and will read it again...highly recommend it!

Loved Harry and his journey!

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A fascinating tale, intriguing protagonist and very well told. Enthralling from start to finish and with some interesting concepts and ethical explorations woven in. Will definitely be seeing what else the author has to offer.

Wow

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A beautifully written piece of historical science fiction. Such a great thought experiment. Loved it.

Fantastic

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one of the best books ever. with ups and with downs as it should be

amazing

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Great time and effort clearly went into the careful planning of this story and yet it is delivered with so much grace and charm. One of the most interesting and engaging books I've had the pleasure to enjoy in a long time.

Great concept and execution.

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