The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

Lynnie   

science fiction, fantasy  

I'm in a book slump. Four books in a row that I didn't finish and/or didn't enjoy. It's a bit distressing! 


I wanted to like The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I really did. Once again, I find myself reading a book with a really interesting premise & a horrible execution.  Harry August is a man who, regardless of the manner or age of his death is reborn into the exact same circumstances over and over again. The book's description includes the teaser, "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."  Sounds pretty interesting right? And lots of people LOVE this book so what could go wrong?


Well, when things are moving along in this book, it's quite interesting but there is so much meandering & reminiscing going no where that it's eternally frustrating. Right in the middle of something important, Claire North (one of multiple pen names for Catherine Webb) will flash back to one of Harry's previous lives- something that might be interesting but has NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER with what we were just reading. Every time it took me completely out of the story at hand and reinforced that I just have no patience for a story that goes nowhere.  Yes, eventually this book makes a point and moves along, but it requires the patience and wisdom of multiple lives and I only have one to live.