Doomsday Book

By: Connie Willis

Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the most respected and awarded of all contemporary science-fiction writers, Connie Willis repeatedly amazes her many admiring fans with her ability to create vivid characters in unusual situations. With Doomsday Book, she takes listeners on a thrilling trip through time to discover the things that make us most human.

For Oxford student Kivrin, traveling back to the 14th century is more than the culmination of her studies - it's the chance for a wonderful adventure. For Dunworthy, her mentor, it is cause for intense worry about the thousands of things that could go wrong. When an accident leaves Kivrin trapped in one of the deadliest eras in human history, the two find themselves in equally gripping - and oddly connected - struggles to survive.

Deftly juggling stories from the 14th and 21st centuries, Willis provides thrilling action - as well as an insightful examination of the things that connect human beings to each other.

©1992 Connie Willis (P)2000 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1993
• Nebula Award, Best Novel, 1992

"Ms. Willis displays impressive control of her material; virtually every detail introduced in the early chapters is made to pay off as the separate threads of the story are brought together." (The New York Times Book Review)
"A stunning novel that encompasses both suffering and hope....The best work yet from one of science fiction's best writers." (The Denver Post)

Good story, bit of a slog

What made the experience of listening to Doomsday Book the most enjoyable?

The overall story and plot are very good.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Doomsday Book?

The ending was well done.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Jenny Sterlin?

Not really, she did a fine job reading, giving each character a voice, but I found her to be intolerably slow. I set the playback to x2, which is something I never do, this made it acceptable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

This book as a good book, but it didn't really resonate with me.
The story and plot are great, the characters are really well rounded and I really enjoyed the direction the book took. The ending was very good and Connie is clearly a good story teller, she did a great job giving you just enough information so that you are not lost while holding back enough to make you want to find out more. The descriptions of the middle ages were fun and seemed well researched.
My biggest complaint about the book is the main character, he was just so wishy washy that I had a hard time wanting to stay with him. He constantly talks about his regrets and his angst, for that reason I found the book to be a bit of a slog and hard to want to go back to.
The reason I picked up this book is that a good friend of mine said the second book in the series was her favorite.
I'm still not decided on what to do.

Favorite book of all time

This has been my favorite book for 20 years. I can’t keep a copy as each time I loan it out it never comes back. Everyone loves it and they end up loaning it out! Thus, my copies of the Doomsday Book are still circling around....

Excellent Time Travel Sci-Fi

In a not to distant feature historians travel to the past to report first hand accounts of history. Both future and past settings are in Oxford, England. Kivrin Engle is the protagonist, a historian traveling to the 14th century. Her trip suffers a fateful "time-slip", and buth future and as past experience influenza outbreak, as Kivrin's mentor Mr Dunworthy struggles to locate Kivrin.

This novel can be long winded at times, but author Connie Willis needs the time to build the reader's understanding of historic England and time travel. A long book, but well worth the read, and/or listen.

This story will be more entertaining if you have some knowledge of the geography and history of Oxford; some light reading on Wikipedia will bring you up to speed.

Note: the title "Doomsday Book" is related to the 11th century manuscript compiled at the order of William the Conqueror with the goal of reacording what or how much each landholder had in land and livestock, and what it was worth.

Loved it

I really like Willis' style. Very complex and interwoven. Deeply fulfilling and worth the time commitment.

It’s the Brit’s turn

I am sure the Brits cringe at our vernacular and accents. The incessant abbreviated/truncated words like “vid” and “corder” were off putting for me, however I got past it and was able to stay with the story. The narrator had difficulty with changing accents and character changes but for the most part made it believable. It held my attention and I enjoyed it.

Still one of my favorites

I read this book several times when it was first published then listened to the audiobook. I am listening to it again, as it seems relevant right now. Me Willis has a talent for creating characters that are relatable and timeless. Her storytelling is terrific, too. I recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction, great characters, interesting and expansive plot lines, and/ or history.

I love this book

I’m not typically a non-fiction reader, but this is an exception. It both made me happy and made me cry. I love this book, thank you Connie Willis. I’ve already downloaded To Say Nothing of the Dog.

Good but with a slow pacing

This is a slow book, with a lot of building and some repetition. It’s not bad and serves it’s purpose, but just know that as you go into it. Also, the ending is both fitting in parts, for the historical context, with some aspects of the rather unbelievable magical narrator save aspects as well.

My first audio book!

I wanted something involving time travel and saw this book on a few lists. When I saw 26 hours I was worried it might have been too long but after finishing it I could easily listen to another 26 hours. What a great story, much better than I could have expected. I really felt I knew the characters and it got me hooked emotionally. Highly recommend if you’ve never listened to an audio book and want something involving time travel!

Great read

A great story! When I bought this I had no idea how this tale will play out. I thought it was a straightforward time travel story but then it dealt about medieval history, Black Death, human nature. A rich and engrossing story! Will definitely read more of the author’s work!