A dramatic story of WWII espionage, betrayal, and loyalty, by the #1 bestselling author of Life After Life In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after … tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past forever.
Ten years later, now a radio producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence.
Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit, and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of the best writers of our time.
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I will add my voice to everyone who says Kate Atkinson’s book is one of the best of the year. Set in WWII and after, about a woman who was a spy for MI5. Great story.
If you enjoy historical fiction about women in the intelligence, WWII-era, do yourself a favor and read this book. The characters are endearing, dry-witted, intelligent, and sympathetic. The history rings true. Another piece of wonderful storytelling from Kate Atkinson.
“Transcription” draws the reader in from the first page. It is layered with lies from beginning to end. No one is who he or she appears to be at first glance. Devotees of spy novels will enjoy this book.
3.5s
A most unusal thriller told through the eyes of a young woman, Juliet Armstrong, who becomes unwittingly involved in WW2 espionage – or is she as unwitting as she seems?
Transcription was off to a promising start with a plucky heroine who is recruited to work for MI5 during WWII, but it bogged down a bit afterwards. The supporting characters with their real vs spy vs nicknames, peculiar characteristics and murky motives made the story a bit complicated to follow and required periodic re-reading. I liked Transcription less than other Atkinson novels I’ve read.
I couldn’t stop reading it although I did have a slight trouble telling apart some of the (men) characters, and I admit, I felt rather annoyed by a twist. However, Kate Atkinson’s writing is …well, for me its brilliant, its witty, its observational, its interesting, its clever. I actually laughed out loud at some of the exchanges. eg. “Do I need to spell it out” – ‘Yes he did’. There was so much about this book to love – the atmosphere, the work at the BBC, the prominence of a dog character and its perfectly political. Ooh actually, it reminded me a little of The Museum of Broken Things – where there was a similar discombobulation at the ending which leaves you feeling slightly, ‘eh?’ but overall, its a massive immersive pleasure to read. Such beautiful story-telling… Most of us can only dream of being able to put words together like Kate Atkinson does.
Transcription by Kate Atkinson has everything – wit, humor, drama, suspense. I enjoyed every minute of it. There is an assumption that the reader has a well-rounded education and that appeals to me very much. It was like being in on an inside joke. I will definitely seek out more books by this author. Bravo! Loved it.
It was a slow book to get into, Atkinson splurges a lot of info about the BBC in the 1950s which really isn’t necessary to the story – and I was beginning to believe all the low ratings I’ve seen. But it quickly becomes something amazing and we realise the main character has been turning the narrative to suit herself.
It’s about spies in WWII, and what do spies do? They lie and they deceive, and there are double agents and no one (especially the reader) really knows who to trust. The upshot: trust no one!
I really looked forward to reading this book. But was disappointed at the slow pace and mundane everyday events. There is some veracity to the plot, but reading all the transcriptions is so boring. I think of today’s computers sifting through millions of lines of data looking for key elements of future disruption and terror. I hope all this tedium helped win the war! I will read more Kate Atkinson with hope.
Really enjoyed the writing craft and storytelling that drive this gripping and profound tale of espionage, betrayal, and loyalty in WWII Britain.
Young Juliet is recruited into British intelligence in 1940 to transcribe recordings of fascist sympathizers with a British spy posing as a Gestapo agent. Her services lead to lies, and confrontation, and years later her war-time deeds must be answered for. This book gave me an education on a small corner of British WW2 intelligence operations. A fair share of spy thriller misdirection forced me to keep my eye on the ball, though the ball seemed to bounce around more than I enjoy in historical suspense reads. Through the eclectic cast of miscreants and their pursuers the constant is Juliet, a likeable, believable young woman who ventures into challenges that she never asked for, but proves up to nonetheless.
Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/.
This was a page turner with a surprise ending. An incredibly suspenseful historical fiction novel that took place in London during the Blitz of World War II. The main character is a young woman brought into the intelligence community to function as a spy and the ramifications this has for her whole life. I finished it very quickly because I couldn’t put it down!
I found Kate Atkinson’s work to be really original, I must say. I think I only grasped the full idea of it when I finished the book and realised the backdrop of the Cambridge spies that inspired it. I just had one niggling doubt that the main character, as she is portrayed, was capable of treason. It all seemed so banal until … well, no spoilers here. Was that the author’s intention? To lull the reader into thinking this character was just a routine low ranking person in the whole set up?
I’ll be perfectly frank: it took me almost halfway through the book before this became a page turner. But when it did I couldn’t put it down. And, that ending. Great historical set in London during the early days of WWII.
The story was interesting but not one of the best I have read this year. (Listened via Libby/Overdrive)
Another excellent Atkinson novel!
Brilliant writer – everything that Kate Atkinson writes is very clever, characters, plots and good solid stories
Its as if she is actually there telling you a story. A friend put her on to me with ‘ rose early and took the dog’
After I had finished this book I bought all her books in that series.
I tried, but it didn’t hold my interest. I stopped reading just over half way through. The train of thought was all over the place.
Transcription is the historical fiction story focusing on Juliet Armstrong and her experience working for MI5 during and after WWII. I love historical fiction set during WWII, but I didn’t love this book. I didn’t find Juliet very likable. She had a very bitter edge to her. Although I did enjoy the writing style and the content of the book. Juliet admits that “her war (and her peace too, she supposed) had been shaped by the men she knew” (p. 203). Perhaps that’s why she came off as bitter to me. She realizes that she’s a pawn in what she calls “a complicated game of chess … [that even she] didn’t know all the rules or where anyone else was on the board” (p. 242). The book really highlights the war that happens in secret, even after the “war” is over, and Juliet sums it all up nicely, admitting to the reader, “wasn’t everything, even this life itself, just a game of deception” (p. 260)? A good, but not great read.