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 . - narrator terrible

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

History

Would you be willing to try another one of Jenny Sterlin’s performances?

No

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes indeed

Any additional comments?

Jenny Sterlin was a terrible narrator. She could not do male character voices- she just lowered her volume & slowed her speech whenever she had to read a male characters dialogue. Pretty awful.

Brilliantly apocalyptic

A beautiful, haunting and funny unforgettable story.
Loved the characters. The authors brilliance shines brightly through her words

Sooo good!!

Such an uncanny resemblance to some of the events we all went through only 2-3 short years ago. I preferred book 2 of the Oxford Time Travel series just for the lighter subject matter and the humor, but Willis did a great job with this one too. Masterfully written!!

Time travel

Really good time travel story. I always love the rules around time travel for different authors. Connie Willis does a great job presenting her time travel system and creating a compelling story around it.

A beautiful yet heartbreaking story

It took me a bit to get into it but I’m glad I pushed through. It’s a beautiful story about friendship and loss. I’m a new fan of Connie Williams.

It goes on and on and on and on!

The story was good,but come on! you hear what happens in excruciating detail, then the character tells someone what happened in almost as much detail, then guess what? it happens again. And all the gruesome details. . . . ick! I really wanted to like this book; but won't be back for any more! The narrator was good, tho.

A great story

I really enjoyed this book. Although it started a little slowly, I became totally absorbed in the two worlds, staying in my car once I reached home after work, not wanting to stop listening. The characters -especially Colin, Kivrin, Dunworthy, Agnes and Father Roche were well thought out, and the relationship between Kivrin and Agnes was very special. Christmas Eve, with the beautiful night, and the feasting: the suspense kept on building. The book ended almost too suddenly, and I was left wanting to know more. A good sign perhaps. I enjoyed the narration - Jenny Sterlin. Well worth listening to.

Sobering Trip Back in Time

This book is a Medieval cliff-hanger. It rings true to an English major and history buff. It switches between centuries very well. It is full of maddeningly slow procedures, difficulties, barriers, enforcers of rules, people (and cows) who only get in the way, who don't know or won't say. I loved all the different characters of all ages in both centuries and an appreciation of each person's life fitting into the whole story. Do not listen on a rainy day, especially if you are depressed already; and try to have some knitting to do or you might bite your fingernails. While the book has descriptions of rare beauty and magnificent fine character and noble acts, it is also not really a pleasant journey. With less than hour to go, there are still miles to cover in the snow and people to find. A beautifully crafted story, but unlike many really good reads, you're quite relieved when it's over. And I am sure I will listen again. P.S. Nobody milked the cow.

Amazing book

I understand that some listeners find the beginning a little hard to get into, but those who stick with it will be rewarded. The characters become incredibly, heartbreakingly real, as do the worlds Willis painstakingly creates. I listened to this a year ago, and I still think of it often. Willis is one of our great writers crossing the border between sci-fi and "serious" fiction.

Not really sci-fi

Although this book involves time travel, that's just a totally unexplored plot device that the author uses to tell a story about frustration and impotence. Its interesting if you're interested in that, but the the sci-fi elements -the science behind time travel, the larger impact on human society of being able to send historians back in time, etc, etc, are totally ignored.

The whole book is about not being able to reach people on the phone because all the circuits are busy (really, this is a constantly recurring event in the book), sick people saying things like "the key piece of information needed to resolve the main issue of the story is...is...is...(passes out -repeat again and again and again), officious and annoying one dimensional characters going on about how they don't care that we're all going to die, but we need to practice our musical instruments for the concert on Tuesday or protecting their little bureaucratic domain at the cost of their own and other lives. Its infuriating that the simple plot Will Not Move Forward until you realize that the book is really a study in frustration and impotence and not really sci-fi at all. If you're good with that, go for it. I kinda wanted a sci-fi book.