The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells

By: Andrew Sean Greer

Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy

1985. After the death of her beloved twin brother, Felix, and the breakup with her longtime lover, Nathan, Greta Wells embarks on a radical psychiatric treatment to alleviate her suffocating depression. But the treatment has unexpected effects, and Greta finds herself transported to the lives she might have had if she'd been born in different eras.

During the course of her treatment, Greta cycles between her own time and alternate lives in 1918, where she is a bohemian adulteress, and 1941, which transforms her into a devoted mother and wife. Separated by time and social mores, Greta's three lives are remarkably similar, fraught with familiar tensions and difficult choices. Each reality has its own losses, its own rewards, and each extracts a different price. And the modern Greta learns that her alternate selves are unpredictable, driven by their own desires and needs.

As her final treatment looms, questions arise: What will happen once each Greta learns how to remain in one of the other worlds? Who will choose to stay in which life?

Magically atmospheric, achingly romantic, The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells beautifully imagines ""what if"" and wondrously wrestles with the impossibility of what could be.

intriguing

intriguing story., but kind of hard to follow a couple of times. I also had to slow down tg e speed slightly, since I usually listen before I go to sleep.

Intricate, but not Complicated - 5 stars EASY!

Another easy 5 stars!! I have read a few this year! What a story (or stories)! I only wish the book was longer, it was relatively short. I would read this entire book again from the point of view of a different Greta, I liked it so much.

Greta sees (and lives) her life in 3 different time periods. 1918, 1941 and 1985. We follow the Greta from 1985. It goes like this: The three Gretas all begin electro-shock therapy for depression when they are 31 years old then proceed to jump between each other's lives. There is a version of all the main players in each life. Each life has positive and negative circumstances that influence the personality and behaviors of all the players, even Greta herself. This was a thought provoking way to have the reader think about nature vs nurture. Would I be the same if I grew up right at the turn of the 20th century? My values and ideals? But, I'm still me, right?

I pondered how the book would end. How can this possibly be wrapped up to satisfy a reader like myself?! Maybe I am the only one, but I did not predict the ending. I am, however, VERY satisfied with the ending and the entire novel. This one will be remembered.

Just shy of brilliant

This book is a great concept and I think it was just shy of truly brilliant. It reminded me of Kate Atkinson's Life After Life and I think fans of that book will also enjoy this book.

The parallels between the three eras were fascinating and while I completely believed the time travel and the different Gretas, I think some things were over-simplified or glossed over in terms of social realities both for women and gay men which causes its conclusion to feel rather weak compared to the whole.

My only other issue with this book was the poor production quality. Throughout much of the book the sound quality came and went and the edits were really obvious. I think they could've done a better job.

Regardless of the minor weaknesses, this book certainly kept me a awake and listening and kept me in my car.

Great

Great characters I really enjoyed the book I like the concept I thought the author did a great job and I would highly recommend this lady that narrated it was quite nice to listen to overall it was a great performances

Achingly beautiful

Greer describes depression, loss, our choices about how we live and love with magical clarity. The narrator is simply enchanting and adds so much character and texture.