Kate Atkinson

In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past forever. Ten years later, now a radio producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence--Back cover.

Transcription

BBC radio producer Juliet Armstrong finds herself targeted by dangerous individuals from her past as a World War II espionage monitor for MI5.

Sonia Grgas

Really 3.5. I nearly put this book down early on but I picked it up again and became interested in how the story was going to end. I’m glad I did. Recommended for anglophiles, especially fans of the home front during WWII.

Jeff James

Life After Life is one of my all-time favorite books, and the audiobook read by Fenella Woolgar (possibly the most British name ever) is a big part of why I loved it. Transcription reunites narrator and author, and although I didn’t love this book as much, it’s still a damn good read.

Atkinson has a talent for the sort of imagery that surprises you with its incongruous perfection, and Woolgar’s delivery of Juliet’s world-weary witticisms is bar none. I just didn’t think the story resonated as much as Ursula’s adventures throughout her many, varied lives.

I’m also not sure how I felt about the end of the book. To a certain degree, it’s a spy novel, with the requisite misdirection and twists, but I felt like the ending didn’t have the punch that it should have once Atkinson laid all her cards on the table.

Still, she is an author I will follow wherever she wants to go. I’ve still got the rest of the Jackson Brodie mysteries to read, as well as her early novels.

Amy Thibodeau

I've loved Kate Atkinson's other books and was excited to read this. I found the characters hard to connect with and the plot and pacing tedious and meandering.

Wanted to love this so much, after adoring Life after life. Unfortunately, it was a bit bland, no real insight on the insipid protagonist, Juliet, and looks like the interesting stories were the ones never told. Three stars for the fluid and gorgeous writing though.

Nadine 

Needed a light read for the weekend and this fit the bill perfectly. Good story, makes one question the upper classes of British society and interesting twist in the tale.

______________ THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER BY AWARD WINNER KATE ATKINSON 'An unapologetic novel of ideas which is also wise, funny and paced like a thriller' Observer In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past for ever. Ten years later, now a producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence. Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of this country’s most exceptional writers. 'How vehemently most novelists will wish to produce a masterpiece as good' Telegraph ______________

Liz Carpenter

The phrase "literary spy novel" should pretty much tell you what you need to know about this one. I felt completely ambivalent about the protagonist, which is possibly why the book seemed to drag on for me.

'AN UNAPOLOGETIC NOVEL OF IDEAS WHICH IS ALSO WISE, FUNNY AND PACED LIKE A THRILLER' - OBSERVER * THE MAGNIFICENT NEW NOVEL BY AWARD-WINNER KATE ATKINSON * In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathisers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past for ever. Ten years later, now a producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence. Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of this country's most exceptional writers. 'HOW VEHEMENTLY MOST NOVELISTS WILL WISH TO PRODUCE A MASTERPIECE AS GOOD' - TELEGRAPH

A Novel

Lisa Miller

Yeah it was just OK, and to be honest that's based on having previously enjoyed Life After Life so much and to a lesser extent A God in Ruins otherwise I probably would have hated this novel. The unreliable narrator, erratic timeline and easter eggs for the observant reader (or re-reader) was taken too far with too little pages. It seemed like an exercise to strip out as much as possible but still have the plot just barely hang together and this came at the expense of the characters and their motivations.

Jeremy Cote

I thought this was a decent book, but I found myself losing the thread of the plot at times. The novel jumps in between two timelines, and while this often is fine for me, I just wasn't able to get into it here. I thought the writing was good, but I guess the story itself just didn't click for me. It was by no means difficult to read, but I didn't find myself frantically turning the pages to see what happened next.

Sara Inthavongsa

Tarannum Kamlani

Helen Bright

Kyle Curry

Lorraine

Georgie K

Keith Harrison

"In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathisers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past forever. Ten years later, now a radio producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realise that there is no action without consequence." --Cover.

Transcription

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