The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Claire North

Apr 2014 · Sold by Redhook

About this ebook

Wildly original, funny and moving, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is an extraordinary story of a life lived again and again from World Fantasy Award-winning author Claire North.

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.

Ratings and reviews

I don't often read novels twice; this one I have. While I didn't glean much more the second time through; it was just such an enjoyable read I found myself reading it for the second time almost without intending to - maybe a year after the first time -as I found I'd forgotten a few details and wanted to revisit, and just ended up re-reading in full. It's not 'hard' scifi, but I enjoy the sense of agency in coming up with my own ideas as to the main characters motivations. A compelling and entertaining read.

Despite the interesting premise, I finished this book only because the spouse wanted to discuss it. The opening was very dry and very little happened until the end of the 5th chapter. It did pick up, but I never connected with the book mainly because I couldn't establish a rapport with Harry August. As a character, I found him distant and aloof. The author's style called attention to itself by frequently addressing the reader (it's a gimmick made clear at the end of the novel) and repeating phrases from earlier in the book during emotional moments. Combined with the book's length as well as the character's penchant for rumination, it began to feel like I would need 15 lives to finish the book. But finish it I did. The ending was a little too neat and anti-climactic for my taste. It's not a book I would recommend, but my spouse certainly does. It's rare that we disagree on books, but she claims this is one of the better books she's read. Though she agrees the opening is very slow, she says it is Harry August that makes the book memorable for her. She loved his character. So I guess it really is a matter of personal taste.

This is a fascinating read with such deep philosophical questions about the human condition and experience. It’s loaded with history and science that is captivating but not confusing if you’re not a history/science buff (but I imagine much more intriguing and inclusive if you are in the know).

About the author

Claire North is a pseudonym for Catherine Webb, a Carnegie Medal-nominated author whose first book was written when she was just fourteen years old. She went on to write several other novels in various genres, before publishing her first major work as Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, in 2014. It was a critically acclaimed success, receiving rave reviews and an Audie nomination, and was included in the Washington Post's Best Books of the Year list. Her next novel, Touch, was also in the Washington Post's Best Books of the Year, in 2015. Catherine currently works as a theatre lighting designer and is a fan of big cities, urban magic, Thai food and graffiti-spotting. She lives in London.