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Doomsday Book

by Connie Willis
Doomsday Book

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  • Synopses & Reviews
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ISBN13: 9780553562736
ISBN10: 0553562738



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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received.

But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin — barely of age herself — finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.

Five years in the writing by one of science fiction's most honored authors, Doomsday Book is a storytelling triumph. Connie Willis draws upon her understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the ageless issues of evil, suffering and the indomitable will of the human spirit.

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

Review

"Splendid work...brutal, gripping and genuinely harrowing, the product of diligent research, fine writing and well-honed instincts, that should appeal far beyond the normal science-fiction constituency." Kirkus Reviews

Review

"The world of 1348 burns in the mind's eye, and every character alive that year is a fully recognized being....It becomes possible to feel...that Connie Willis did, in fact, over the five years Doomsday Book took her to write, open a window to another world, and that she saw something there." The Washington Post Book World

Synopsis

"A tour de force."--The New York Times Book Review

Connie Willis draws upon her understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the ageless issues of evil, suffering, and the indomitable will of the human spirit.

For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received.

But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin--barely of age herself--finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.


About the Author

Connie Willis has won six Nebula Awards, more than any other writer, and was the first author to win the Nebula in all four categories.

4.5 11

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating 4.5 (11 comments)

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Ann E Haynes , November 14, 2013 (view all comments by Ann E Haynes)
Yes, I read this book years ago and it has remained one of my all time favorites, and have re-read it several times. Willis makes these people real, and I just love how she makes her (meticulous) research resonate when real people who are living the facts of that time.

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equivalence , November 13, 2013 (view all comments by equivalence)
Perhaps the best "artistic" way into 14th Century England's winter countryside and its beauty and horror. The young heroine's twisting adventures in a medieval "Wonderland" are interspersed with an older hero's somewhat similar adventures in 2048 Oxford. The first 100 or so pages in this long book are a little puzzling but one soon notes that the book's characters are just as confused as you are as mysteries accumulate. Stay in there for "the ride of a lifetime".

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Margaret McNally , August 04, 2012 (view all comments by Margaret McNally)
I love this book! If you can overlook the technical difficulties (ie, no cell phones/voicemail in the 25th century), you can get your sci fi and history in one dose.

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Newly converted , January 01, 2011
This premise of this book is outstanding, the writing outstanding, and the heart and pathos top notch. I'm grateful to have experienced her skill as a storyteller, and look forward to reading the rest of her books. While unfortunately classified as sci-fi, this book is for anyone interested in historical fiction as well. Please look past the narrow ideas you may have for sci-fi or fantasy and give this book a read!

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MSRenfrow , August 07, 2010 (view all comments by MSRenfrow)
I read this book years ago. I had gotten to the point where I remembered that I had hated the book, but a lot of my friends had just read it for a book club and were raving, so I decided to purchase a copy and remind myself why I hated it. Well, I remember now. The book drove me mad because everyone involved in the time travel aspect were absolutely dumber than a bag of rocks. The only logical explanation I can come up with for this lack of brains amongst people who are supposed to be well-educated is that the virus made them stupid. The only character I have any sympathy for at all is Colin. Not because he isn't stupid, because he is, but he's a teenager with that invincibility complex that grown adults are supposed to have gotten over. The plot is well written and only drags in a few places. The pace is quick, which means you sometimes are subjected to point of view whiplash. It's a solid novel, if you like reading about complete idiots suffering because of the completely idiotic things they brought upon themselves through their moronic actions.

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Dovile , December 23, 2009 (view all comments by Dovile)
A captivating read, the best part of which was the medieval setting. I'm not an expert of medieval England, so to me the descriptions seemed quite believable, and the medieval characters quite were engaging, thoug the plot did take time to develop to something more interesting. I particularly liked the final part of the novel, when the Plague finally strikes the village. The future setting wasn't particularly interesting, with little developed characters, and served more as a contrast and also for suspense. The novel suffered in a few places due to being written in the eighties. There was little of future technology described, but the lack of mobile phones jarred the most. Half of the problems in the novel could've been solved if the characters used any kind of a mobile communication device. All in all, this is a novel that is best to be approached with your heart and emotions, and not your mind. Recommended with reservations

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Ambrosia4All , June 17, 2009 (view all comments by Ambrosia4All)
Again I must say, this was one of the best books I've read this year. It was entertaining and enlightening and all those other things that make novels particularly impressive. It didn't mess with history for the sake of the narrative and it didn't try to create romance in a situation where romance would be seriously out of place. Other than that it's hard to really describe this one. As I was reading other more negative reviews, I could see where most of their writers were coming from. If you are looking for a particularly fast paced novel, this probably isn't the book to pick up. It steadily works it's way towards the conclusion without cutting corners or forgetting to detail the mediaeval world that makes this book so engrossing. The modern storyline could become tedious, but I found the way Willis tied the two together engaging. Without Dunworthy's story, I'm afraid the message of historical repetition would have been lost on me. The future also let in the comic relief that was necessary to cut the high drama of the mediaeval sections for me. I can see why this was given so many awards, it was well researched and put together and allowed me to recall the power of storytelling (something I believe every good novel should do). This is highly recommended to those who like science fiction, historical fiction, or stories of good and evil.

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crystalsprowl , May 08, 2009
I loved this book! The story line was interesting and I especially liked how she kept both story lines going and it never got boring. Kivrin was very courageous how she dealt with the situation. Connie Willis wrote a great book. My husband and i liked the book so much we named our 3rd child Kivrin.

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Jeane , February 13, 2008 (view all comments by Jeane)
The year is 2054. Kivrin is a history student who travels back to the 14th century. She's supposed to arrive a decade before the black plague breaks out in Europe, but there's a mistake and she shows up in 1348, right when plague starts appearing. The story is told in two parallels: one of Kivrin struggling to understand medieval Europe, which is not at all what she expected. The other is a confusion of woefully inept technicians and students in the future trying to figure out what went wrong so they can bring her back, while dealing with an outbreak of influenza. This book was pretty fascinating. The medieval setting was the most interesting part. Connie Willis spent five years researching and writing it. It won Hugo and Nebula Awards for science fiction. I found it a very good read.

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kaaren a. , November 24, 2006 (view all comments by kaaren a.)
Despite this book's use of a "Back to the Future" idea of time travel (or maybe this book used it first, I don't know), I really enjoyed Kivrin's adventures and struggle to survive while in the year 1348. The author quite skillfully depicts what living in that year would entail, including what experiencing the Plague might be like. I enjoyed the historical part so much that I have actually read this book twice, and the second time through I enjoyed it as much the first time (once I got past the time travel). I recommend this book to sci-fi enthusiasts, medievalists, and especially high school/college students - I think this book would make history come alive for them.

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Elisabeth A Lyons , March 29, 2006
This book is the kind of Sci-Fi book that you can give to people who say "I hate Sci-Fi" and they will love it. Guaranteed.

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780553562736
Binding:
Mass Market
Publication date:
08/01/1993
Publisher:
BANTAM DOUBLEDAY DELL
Series info:
Oxford Time Travel
Pages:
592
Height:
1.40IN
Width:
4.20IN
Thickness:
1.25
Number of Units:
1
Copyright Year:
1993
Series Volume:
68-254
UPC Code:
2800553562738
Author:
Connie Willis
Subject:
Black death
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-A to Z
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Science fiction
Subject:
Europe
Subject:
Middle ages
Subject:
Europe History 476-1492 Fiction.
Subject:
Time travel
Subject:
History

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