Atkinson elegantly executes these chronological loop-de-loops, leaving a reader to marvel at that most banal of epiphanies: how fast life goes by.

Atkinson's nonlinear storyline enhances the poignancy of time passing: For instance, during the Blitz, a young Teddy on leave recklessly spends his money on drinks and a hotel room because, after all, there are 'no pockets in shrouds' a couple of pages on, his grandson complains that 'Granddad's got so much crap' as Teddy is being packed off to an assisted-living residence with most of his possessions destined to be 'offloaded on charity shops.' Similarly, in the blink of an eye, the goldfish that Teddy, as a young father, wins at an agricultural fair for his daughter is 'echoed' in Teddy's membership in the so-called 'Goldfish Club' of bomber pilots who ditched their planes into the sea, as well as in his diagnosis of himself as a goldfish in captivity once he's ensconced in his old-age home. Life after Life tapped into what life would be like with infinite chances to live and how choices affect those chances. That Atkinson can so thoroughly destroy and then restore the mystery and magic of an extraordinary work of fiction is part of what makes A God in Ruins such a marvelous literary construct.

In stop-and-start fashion, 'A God in Ruins' hops around in narrative perspective and era, from Teddy's golden between-the-wars childhood to his grim fade out as a nonagenarian. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson Digest & Review On SALE Now: 3.99 2.99 A God in Ruins is the companion novel to Life after Life, both written by Kate Atkinson.

Kate atkinson a god in ruins review