The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
On sale
8th April 2014
Price: £19.99
Arthur C Clarke Awards, 2015
Genre
*** Featured on BBC Radio 2 Book Club on 22nd April 2014 ***
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.
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.
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Reviews
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
A masterful literary thriller
An astonishing re-invention of the time-travel narrative. Bold, magical and masterful
An astonishing re-invention of the time-travel narrative. Bold, magical and masterful
A brave, genre-defying novel, which is mind-blowing in its originality and bold concept . . . Stunning!
A brave, genre-defying novel, which is mind-blowing in its originality and bold concept . . . Stunning!
Grabs you from the first page; it crackles along at a rollicking pace . . . unputdownable
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 . . . a remarkable book
A masterful literary thriller
Claire North's sophisticated writing and astute plotting have made this my book of the year
The writing is impeccable . . Plus Harry is a fascinating main character . . . And if his next 15 lives are half as eventful, we look forward to the sequel
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
Every bit as good as its title. (And, to avoid ambiguity, I love the title.)
An extraordinary book . . . an impressive piece of work.
The writing is impeccable . . Plus Harry is a fascinating main character . . . And if his next 15 lives are half as eventful, we look forward to the sequel
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is an extraordinary novel, as the publicity has promised
Terrific, smart and entertaining
Beautiful and gripping
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
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
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 . . . a remarkable book
Gripping
Utterly readable, utterly believable and compelling . . . one of the fiction highlights of the decade