Status
Available
Call number
Publication
William Morrow Paperbacks (1998), 322 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. Science Fiction. HTML: A time-travel classic in the tradition of Jack Finney's Time and Again, Ken Grimwood's acclaimed novel Replay asks the provocative question: "What if you could live your life over again, knowing the mistakes you'd made before?" Forty-three-year-old Jeff Winston gets several chances to do just that. Trapped in a tepid marriage and a dead-end job, he dies in 1988 and wakes up to find himself in 1963, at the age of eighteen, staring at his dorm room walls at Emory University. It's all the same...but different: Jeff knows what the future holds. He knows who will win every World Series...every Kentucky Derby...even how to win on Wall Street. The one thing he doesn't know is: Why has he been chosen to replay his life? And how many times must he win---and lose---everything he loves? Winner of the 1988 World Fantasy Award for best novel and published in eleven languages, Replay unravels the answers in a masterful skein that captivates our imagination..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member BeckyJG
Page one: "Jeff Winston was on the phone with his wife when he died." It is 1:06 p.m. on October 18, 1988. Three pages later and twenty-five years earlier Jeff will wake up in his college dorm room, eighteen years old again, his whole life ahead of him. It's spring, 1963, and Jeff knows exactly
Or does he? It doesn't take much to alter the story, even on this first day back. With a little planning, a little capital, and somebody to place the bets for him, Jeff quickly amasses a small fortune based on his foreknowledge of several key sporting events that year. A multimillionaire by twenty-one, Jeff and his partner form an investing firm, Future, Inc., and Jeff lives out his second life a rich man.
And on October 18, 1988, at 1:06 p.m., he dies. Again. And comes to himself at college, in the spring of 1963. Again.
In what could be a gimmicky and cheap conceit, Jeff lives his life over and over, each time differently, rarely better, sometimes worse. He lives, he learns, he dies; each time he awakens with the memories and knowledge of all his previous lives. But Replay is not gimmicky, and it's not at all cheap. Rather, Replay is a thoughtful study of fate, self-determination, free will, what it means to be a good person living a good life. Jeff lives lives of fabulous wealth, of decadent hedonism, of quiet isolation. He attempts to influence world events, only to discover that certain events will happen. He meets a fellow replayer who is his soulmate, and together they move through their lives, trying to make sense of it and to make a difference.
Replay is intelligent, thought-provoking, and beautiful. It is a truly satisfying book that leaves one wanting more.
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what's going to happen, like a book he's already read and doesn't feel much like rereading.Or does he? It doesn't take much to alter the story, even on this first day back. With a little planning, a little capital, and somebody to place the bets for him, Jeff quickly amasses a small fortune based on his foreknowledge of several key sporting events that year. A multimillionaire by twenty-one, Jeff and his partner form an investing firm, Future, Inc., and Jeff lives out his second life a rich man.
And on October 18, 1988, at 1:06 p.m., he dies. Again. And comes to himself at college, in the spring of 1963. Again.
In what could be a gimmicky and cheap conceit, Jeff lives his life over and over, each time differently, rarely better, sometimes worse. He lives, he learns, he dies; each time he awakens with the memories and knowledge of all his previous lives. But Replay is not gimmicky, and it's not at all cheap. Rather, Replay is a thoughtful study of fate, self-determination, free will, what it means to be a good person living a good life. Jeff lives lives of fabulous wealth, of decadent hedonism, of quiet isolation. He attempts to influence world events, only to discover that certain events will happen. He meets a fellow replayer who is his soulmate, and together they move through their lives, trying to make sense of it and to make a difference.
Replay is intelligent, thought-provoking, and beautiful. It is a truly satisfying book that leaves one wanting more.
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LibraryThing member Lisa2013
recommended for: fans of sci-fi and romance books (I’m not really of the latter but I enjoyed it)
This is my favorite kind of sci-fi book: well written and thought provoking, and with completely believable people in unusual circumstances. I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book the best,
I read it for my book club but it was already on my to-read list.
The more I think about it, the more immensely satisfying I find this book, and I can think of much to discuss.
This is my favorite kind of sci-fi book: well written and thought provoking, and with completely believable people in unusual circumstances. I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book the best,
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although the portion (I found disturbing) near the two-thirds mark and the rest of the events in the last third were all “plausible.” I did think that most of the plot, at least up until the very end, was predictable, but that didn’t really detract from my enjoyment in reading it. It turned out to be not quite the book I expected when I’d first heard of it, but it was equally interesting.I read it for my book club but it was already on my to-read list.
The more I think about it, the more immensely satisfying I find this book, and I can think of much to discuss.
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LibraryThing member salimbol
A well-characterised and deeply humane story about a man 'replaying' a portion of his life, over and over again. Manages to be profound without being ponderous. For me, this has been one of the real highlights of the Fantasy Masterworks series so far.
LibraryThing member salgalruns
So...what would you do with your life if you had it to live all over again? This is the theme that permeates Ken Grimwood's novel involving time travel in a most imaginative way. Jeff Winston dies at the age of 43 only to arrive 25 years earlier in his college dorm room. He has the opportunity to
While obviously a work of fiction, it makes the reader ponder what they would do with this time for a replay in their own life. Such a creative premise, and truly the best "time travel" book I've read - it secured a spot on my favorites shelf, that's for sure!
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completely change the focus of his adult life, whether by gambling on a sure thing to make some serious money, experimenting with drugs (hey, it IS the 60s), or saving the world... Problem for Jeff is, he is also doomed to repeat the day of his death, so he's only got a set amount of time to change things.While obviously a work of fiction, it makes the reader ponder what they would do with this time for a replay in their own life. Such a creative premise, and truly the best "time travel" book I've read - it secured a spot on my favorites shelf, that's for sure!
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LibraryThing member tabascofromgudreads
This one is just wonderful. One of the best time travel stories I've ever come across.
LibraryThing member santhony
Stuck in a time loop. Condemned to relive the last 25 years of one's life, over and over. Hardly an original concept, yet the author throws in a few wrinkles and due largely to the fact that the book is so well written, he pulls it off for me.
For the first 100 pages of this short, 300 page book, I
As Jeff continues to cycle through the final years of his life, he takes various tracks that one can certainly sympathize with. He accumulates extreme wealth by trading on his knowledge of sporting results and stock market fluctuations, he tries to forestall tragedies (some successful, others not), he searches for kindred souls, tries to make the world a better place, tries to find answers and finally just seeks what happiness he can find in simplistic existence.
The author throws in a few twists that are effective in differentiating this work from others in a similar vein. Despite the same date of death, each cycle begins to shorten, giving the "replayers" less and less time. Finally, the ending contains a final, satisfying surprise.
All in all, a well done treatment of a somewhat overdone premise.
For the first 100 pages of this short, 300 page book, I
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was unimpressed. As many other have pointed out, returning to the past and trying to improve upon the first go around seems to be a pretty common theme in recent years (Groundhog Day, Butterfly Effect). As Jeff continues to cycle through the final years of his life, he takes various tracks that one can certainly sympathize with. He accumulates extreme wealth by trading on his knowledge of sporting results and stock market fluctuations, he tries to forestall tragedies (some successful, others not), he searches for kindred souls, tries to make the world a better place, tries to find answers and finally just seeks what happiness he can find in simplistic existence.
The author throws in a few twists that are effective in differentiating this work from others in a similar vein. Despite the same date of death, each cycle begins to shorten, giving the "replayers" less and less time. Finally, the ending contains a final, satisfying surprise.
All in all, a well done treatment of a somewhat overdone premise.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
What if you died and awoke as your younger self, all of your memories intact but your accomplishments erased? What might you do differently in the replay of your life? And what if it kept happening?
This is exactly the scenario posited in Replay, in which Jeff Winston dies of a heart attack in 1988
The author never poses an explanation for why this is happening to Jeff. He is more interested in the choices Jeff makes in each of his lives and how those choices affect the course his life will take. Jeff’s journey ultimately leads him to a deep understanding of how isolated each of us is as we navigate through our lives, and how funadmentally important our connections with others — no matter how impermanent — become. By allowing his character to relive his life over and over, Grimwood is cycling in on the fundamental meaning of life itself. As the story progresses, Jeff’s “replays” become shorter, forcing him also to face and accept his own mortality. This unique story will fire the reader’s imagination long after the book is closed.
This is exactly the scenario posited in Replay, in which Jeff Winston dies of a heart attack in 1988
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and reawakens as his 18-year-old self in 1963, free of his troubled marriage and his dead-end job, his life a blank slate that he can remake any way he wants. Which he does. Armed with his foreknowledge of the outcomes of major sporting events and corporate successes, Jeff has no problems quickly making a fortune. Preventing societal tragedies, such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, proves more elusive. But most challenging of all is building meaningful relationships — with a wife or children — and then dying and starting all over again, those relationships simply negated.The author never poses an explanation for why this is happening to Jeff. He is more interested in the choices Jeff makes in each of his lives and how those choices affect the course his life will take. Jeff’s journey ultimately leads him to a deep understanding of how isolated each of us is as we navigate through our lives, and how funadmentally important our connections with others — no matter how impermanent — become. By allowing his character to relive his life over and over, Grimwood is cycling in on the fundamental meaning of life itself. As the story progresses, Jeff’s “replays” become shorter, forcing him also to face and accept his own mortality. This unique story will fire the reader’s imagination long after the book is closed.
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LibraryThing member Bagpuss
What would you do if you could live your life again? And what if you had knowledge of what was to come? Would you try to save the world – to prevent tragedies from happening? Would you use that knowledge to become rich? Famous? Would you use it for good or for self-gain? Would your lifestyle be
Although I’m perfectly happy with my life, there have been times when I wondered what might have happened if I’d made different choices – worked harder at school, married my first ‘love’, taken a different job... I think at some time or another we’ve all had the fantasy of revisiting the past.
For Jeff Winston, this fantasy becomes reality when he suffers a heart-attack in 1988… and wakes up as a college freshman in 1963. At first he’s completely bewildered, but soon he comes to realise that this situation could work to his advantage. After all, a well-timed bet might change his fortunes – and he is onto a winner, being able to back a dead cert.
But will he be happy with his new-found life? And what will happen when he dies once more – and wakes up in 1963 again?
I mentioned on the Book Club Forum that I don’t “do” fantasy and was challenged to read this by another member. I needn’t have worried though – it was great. It’s such a good story. Despite the fantasy element of the book, Jeff is a totally believable character. Although he changes the course of his history, he doesn’t become egotistical and try to change his life into something extraordinary or to make himself into a hero. I guessed a few things in the book but that didn’t detract from it at all.
If I have one, tiny, criticism of the book it’s that some of the secondary characters, even some of those with whom Jeff becomes very involved, maybe lack a little depth, but that’s only a minor criticism. I hardly like to admit this, but this is definitely one of my favourite reads of this year. Thanks for the recommendation, Steve. :)
According to Wikipedia, Ken Grimwood was working on a sequel to Replay when he suffered an untimely heart-attack at the age of just 59 and died. Or maybe he just went back to being 18 again…?!
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similar to your old one – or hedonistic, or charitable? Although I’m perfectly happy with my life, there have been times when I wondered what might have happened if I’d made different choices – worked harder at school, married my first ‘love’, taken a different job... I think at some time or another we’ve all had the fantasy of revisiting the past.
For Jeff Winston, this fantasy becomes reality when he suffers a heart-attack in 1988… and wakes up as a college freshman in 1963. At first he’s completely bewildered, but soon he comes to realise that this situation could work to his advantage. After all, a well-timed bet might change his fortunes – and he is onto a winner, being able to back a dead cert.
But will he be happy with his new-found life? And what will happen when he dies once more – and wakes up in 1963 again?
I mentioned on the Book Club Forum that I don’t “do” fantasy and was challenged to read this by another member. I needn’t have worried though – it was great. It’s such a good story. Despite the fantasy element of the book, Jeff is a totally believable character. Although he changes the course of his history, he doesn’t become egotistical and try to change his life into something extraordinary or to make himself into a hero. I guessed a few things in the book but that didn’t detract from it at all.
If I have one, tiny, criticism of the book it’s that some of the secondary characters, even some of those with whom Jeff becomes very involved, maybe lack a little depth, but that’s only a minor criticism. I hardly like to admit this, but this is definitely one of my favourite reads of this year. Thanks for the recommendation, Steve. :)
According to Wikipedia, Ken Grimwood was working on a sequel to Replay when he suffered an untimely heart-attack at the age of just 59 and died. Or maybe he just went back to being 18 again…?!
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LibraryThing member stellarexplorer
I don’t know how I missed this book, other than that it was written in 1986, a time when my eyes were averted.
Wow. No matter its shortcomings, this book succeeds in no small part because its premise is so captivating. This is one of those stories that makes you wonder why it hadn’t been written
Briefly: man has a heart attack at 40, dies and awakens, alive, earlier in his own life at 20 year of age.
This is a book I couldn’t put down easily, and when I did I was anxious to get back to it. That is the way reading is at its best; books that are a chore and a duty violate the love of reading that so passionately bound me as a child. And as a child I knew how to make myself happy. Note to self: remember always the lessons of one’s experience. And that is the topic of this book as well.
So perhaps the less said the better. No, the writing isn’t Proust, but it’s not bad either. Yes, I wish the protagonist were a little better fleshed out, a little more likeable. Maybe early in the book he needn’t have been so callow. Some of its sensibility is already a bit dated. I would love to see this book written again by a greater writer. Again, the topic of the book.
All that said, Grimwood has created a an irresistible saga about the meaning of life, the freedom to choose one’s path, and the limits of change and control. And serious as that is, the book is fun! I recommend it to you.
Wow. No matter its shortcomings, this book succeeds in no small part because its premise is so captivating. This is one of those stories that makes you wonder why it hadn’t been written
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before. And it was, of course, in other guises. Certainly in one’s imagination. Cyteen comes to mind, for one. The Time Traveler's Wife, perhaps. No, that was later ;) Actually, they both were.Briefly: man has a heart attack at 40, dies and awakens, alive, earlier in his own life at 20 year of age.
This is a book I couldn’t put down easily, and when I did I was anxious to get back to it. That is the way reading is at its best; books that are a chore and a duty violate the love of reading that so passionately bound me as a child. And as a child I knew how to make myself happy. Note to self: remember always the lessons of one’s experience. And that is the topic of this book as well.
So perhaps the less said the better. No, the writing isn’t Proust, but it’s not bad either. Yes, I wish the protagonist were a little better fleshed out, a little more likeable. Maybe early in the book he needn’t have been so callow. Some of its sensibility is already a bit dated. I would love to see this book written again by a greater writer. Again, the topic of the book.
All that said, Grimwood has created a an irresistible saga about the meaning of life, the freedom to choose one’s path, and the limits of change and control. And serious as that is, the book is fun! I recommend it to you.
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LibraryThing member AJRyan6of7
I discovered this book about 10 years ago, and it has been one of my favorite books since then. Just an awesome effort by Grimwood. Smart, poignant, heartbreaking, frustrating, sometimes even amusing. It really kept me turning the pages voraciously. Jeff Winston, the main character here, goes
Some people have said this book changed their lives. I don't know if that's true for me, but it certainly gave me a lot to think about, and that's high praise for any book, I think.
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through every emotion a human can go through in this book, and in doing so makes the reader question their own life and how they're living it. Some people have said this book changed their lives. I don't know if that's true for me, but it certainly gave me a lot to think about, and that's high praise for any book, I think.
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LibraryThing member mainrun
This is the second five star book, one I plan to re-read, I have read in the last two years. It was written in 1980's, and was a good time period (1963 to 1988) for this book: no internet for the lead characters to help them when they "replay." I had a "if this was happening to me, I would do this"
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thought, and the author worked it in. Not surprisingly, it was the WORST thing to do. This book is an excellent example of why it would not be a bad thing to memorize the last 20 to 25 Kentucky Derby winners. Show Less
LibraryThing member stefferoo
I love books like this that deal with time travel in an interesting way, with a touch of the supernatural and unexplained. Stephen King's 11/22/63 was kind of like this, and in many ways that book could be a considered spiritual successor to Replay. They share similar elements, themes and are both
The novel begins with the death of 43-year-old Jeff Winston, who inexplicably awakens back in 1963 as his 18-year-old college student self (the book was published in the late 1980s, which is totally amazing to me, as aside from the references to the dates, for a science fiction time travel novel it has aged extraordinarily well). With his memories of his previous life intact, Jeff thus begins to "replay" his life again. Like a time-loop, this happens again and again, with Jeff dying at 43 each time, but awakening later and later in his life, losing more time each cycle. Each of Jeff's replays become vastly different, due to his attempts to change events.
I adored the concept, but as with the danger with many great ideas, I think sometimes they can become too big for themselves. I thought this was the case with this book. I have to say the ending was a little disappointing, but at the same time it was something I'd expected; a book like this with such an original and imaginative premise, it's difficult to imagine what kind of ending would be worthy of it, with which I would have been happy. I would say that the final message, to live life to its fullest, is adequate enough. In any case, I ate this book up like candy.
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certainly in the same frame of mind.The novel begins with the death of 43-year-old Jeff Winston, who inexplicably awakens back in 1963 as his 18-year-old college student self (the book was published in the late 1980s, which is totally amazing to me, as aside from the references to the dates, for a science fiction time travel novel it has aged extraordinarily well). With his memories of his previous life intact, Jeff thus begins to "replay" his life again. Like a time-loop, this happens again and again, with Jeff dying at 43 each time, but awakening later and later in his life, losing more time each cycle. Each of Jeff's replays become vastly different, due to his attempts to change events.
I adored the concept, but as with the danger with many great ideas, I think sometimes they can become too big for themselves. I thought this was the case with this book. I have to say the ending was a little disappointing, but at the same time it was something I'd expected; a book like this with such an original and imaginative premise, it's difficult to imagine what kind of ending would be worthy of it, with which I would have been happy. I would say that the final message, to live life to its fullest, is adequate enough. In any case, I ate this book up like candy.
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LibraryThing member indygo88
Jeff Winston is 43 years old when he dies of a heart attack in 1988. But then he unexpectedly wakes up in 1963, back as his 18-year-old self as a freshman in college, with a chance to relive his life. And so it goes, with Jeff living over and over again, but always dying of a heart attack at age
I'm always intrigued by these time travel-ish novels. Each one I read seems to bring a new twist to the story, or at least an alternate way of looking at things, even if they don't always make complete sense to me. This one was enjoyable, albeit a bit dated, but I did enjoy reliving some of the 60's, 70's, and 80's. The plot reminded me of Kate Atkinson's Life After Life, although written with more simplicity and an overall easier read. The writing itself was adequate, although a bit cliche'd at times. As an audiobook, the reader was mildly annoying, but I could overlook that as the plot was fun enough to keep me going. Overall enjoyable, and one of those stories to make the reader ponder "What if....".
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43. Knowing the future, what will he choose to do differently each time, and will it make for a better life or a worse one?I'm always intrigued by these time travel-ish novels. Each one I read seems to bring a new twist to the story, or at least an alternate way of looking at things, even if they don't always make complete sense to me. This one was enjoyable, albeit a bit dated, but I did enjoy reliving some of the 60's, 70's, and 80's. The plot reminded me of Kate Atkinson's Life After Life, although written with more simplicity and an overall easier read. The writing itself was adequate, although a bit cliche'd at times. As an audiobook, the reader was mildly annoying, but I could overlook that as the plot was fun enough to keep me going. Overall enjoyable, and one of those stories to make the reader ponder "What if....".
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LibraryThing member GirlMisanthrope
This is an exceptionally well-crafted story of time travel. Every time Jeff dies, he returns to his 18 year old self for another "replay". We get to follow the choices Jeff makes for each lifetime and the story experiences a great twist when Jeff suspects he finds another "replayer". This book had
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me rushing to get home from work so I could continue the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member tjwilliams
Ken Grimwood’s Replay is a phenomenal novel that is as compelling today as it was when it was first published more than twenty years ago. From it’s opening line – “Jeff Winston was on the phone with his wife when he died” – to its closing epilogue laying the base for yet another
Grimwood’s protagonist, Jeff, opens the book by dying on October 18, 1988. He then awakens in 1963, to find himself eighteen again, in college, with his entire life ahead of him. He takes the obvious strategy of selling his car, betting on sports, investing in fast food and computers, and quickly amassing a multi-million dollar fortune. Unfortunately, his life does not turn out as he plans and on October 18, 1988 he dies, again.
What follows is a twisting, fantastic story in which Jeff tries to recreate his first life many times, abandons all hope to a life of decadence and drugs, discovers another person replaying her life, falls in love, tries (and utterly fails) to change the world and discovers that, ultimately, the best thing he can do is to live his normal life.
Grimwood has crafted a time-travelling masterpiece that is completely uninterested in time-travel. Instead, the author focuses on his character and the connections they make. Ultimately, it becomes obvious that, in our lives, we bear relatively little importance. Instead, it is the people we meet and the relationships we form that have the greatest influence on our lives.
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adventure, Grimwood weaves an epic time-travel tale that, for one person, answers the classic question, “what would you do if you could do it all over again?”Grimwood’s protagonist, Jeff, opens the book by dying on October 18, 1988. He then awakens in 1963, to find himself eighteen again, in college, with his entire life ahead of him. He takes the obvious strategy of selling his car, betting on sports, investing in fast food and computers, and quickly amassing a multi-million dollar fortune. Unfortunately, his life does not turn out as he plans and on October 18, 1988 he dies, again.
What follows is a twisting, fantastic story in which Jeff tries to recreate his first life many times, abandons all hope to a life of decadence and drugs, discovers another person replaying her life, falls in love, tries (and utterly fails) to change the world and discovers that, ultimately, the best thing he can do is to live his normal life.
Grimwood has crafted a time-travelling masterpiece that is completely uninterested in time-travel. Instead, the author focuses on his character and the connections they make. Ultimately, it becomes obvious that, in our lives, we bear relatively little importance. Instead, it is the people we meet and the relationships we form that have the greatest influence on our lives.
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LibraryThing member RobertDay
An intriguing premise, and one that reflects a thought everyone must have had at some time or another - what would I do differently if I had my time again? (I never believe anyone who says 'I'd change nothing', by the way.)
Reading this book and spending a little time reflecting on it made me
Eventually, though, I spotted the flaw in the reasoning. In the novel, the protagonist Jeff Winston changes his life because he remembers the winner of the Kentucky Derby from 25 years before. I can't remember the winner of either the Grand National or the Derby from last year, let alone 25 years ago. The same goes for any other sporting event that people bet on. About the only thing I could win bets on would be the outcome of British general elections - and I'd have to wait until 1992 to get long enough odds to make it worth my while...
Reading this book and spending a little time reflecting on it made me
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realise that the one change I'd make as first choice might not have done me any good, made me a better person, or been of the greatest utility in the world as a whole. Then I got to thinking that I'd have to replay quite a few times to try all the variations, or to put right various things I'd got wrong.Eventually, though, I spotted the flaw in the reasoning. In the novel, the protagonist Jeff Winston changes his life because he remembers the winner of the Kentucky Derby from 25 years before. I can't remember the winner of either the Grand National or the Derby from last year, let alone 25 years ago. The same goes for any other sporting event that people bet on. About the only thing I could win bets on would be the outcome of British general elections - and I'd have to wait until 1992 to get long enough odds to make it worth my while...
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LibraryThing member seldombites
We have all thought about what we would do differently if we had our life to live over again, but have we really thought through the implications? We think about what we could gain but have we truly thought about what we could lose? And what if we had to live our life over, and over, and over?
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Could we handle it? Replay is a brilliant book about time wasted and time gained and how we manage what very little time we have. The style is fresh and easy to read and the characters inspire empathy. I found this book hard to put down. Even those who are not fans of the fantasy genre ought to enjoy this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gwendydd
A man dies in his early forties, and finds himself back in his past at the age of 18. He repeats these 25 years of his life over and over. This was a good concept, with some interesting food for thought, but I found it unsatisfying. Each time he starts over, Jeff takes a different approach to his
Many reviewers have talked about how much they enjoyed the romance aspect of the novel, but I didn't find the romance to be compelling or believable. Jeff seems to fall in love very easily, but to have very little concept of what that means, except that he wants to be with someone (and being with them seems to mostly involve sex). Jeff has almost no male friends, and he tends to use and dispose of the men in his life.
[mild spoilers]
By the last quarter of the book, I found myself getting really annoyed by wondering, "What is the point? What is Grimwood trying to say here?" I found the ending to be very disappointing: again, I just didn't feel like Jeff learned much of anything, other than to appreciate what he has, which isn't a very profound lesson.
[/mild spoilers]
I listened to the audiobook, and found the narration to be very good.
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life, trying to get it right each time. For him, the most important aspect of his life is relationships with people: in each life, he looks for love with varying success. For him, love seems to revolve primarily on sex: I would expect that after living 100 years or so and being in several committed relationships, he would have a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between sex and love, but that doesn't seem to happen. In fact, it is surprising and disappointing how little Jeff's character develops throughout the book. I think this is the crux of the problem with the book: Jeff (and Pamela, another character who replays her life over and over) should gain more wisdom in their long lifetimes than the author was capable of writing. Grimwood tries to write about their growing wisdom, but fails.Many reviewers have talked about how much they enjoyed the romance aspect of the novel, but I didn't find the romance to be compelling or believable. Jeff seems to fall in love very easily, but to have very little concept of what that means, except that he wants to be with someone (and being with them seems to mostly involve sex). Jeff has almost no male friends, and he tends to use and dispose of the men in his life.
[mild spoilers]
By the last quarter of the book, I found myself getting really annoyed by wondering, "What is the point? What is Grimwood trying to say here?" I found the ending to be very disappointing: again, I just didn't feel like Jeff learned much of anything, other than to appreciate what he has, which isn't a very profound lesson.
[/mild spoilers]
I listened to the audiobook, and found the narration to be very good.
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LibraryThing member Veeralpadhiar
Jeff Winston, the protagonist of the novel, dies at the age of 43 again and again and relives his life starting at the age of 18 (for the first replay at least). There are no paradoxes here as Jeff is not going to meet his past self in the other life. The only thing that has been transferred are
The novel is more nearer to being classified as a fantasy rather than a science fiction one as Ken Grimwood never dwells on the science of time travel. Instead, the story focuses itself on the psychological effects one might have to endure if put through Replays of life.
The whole essence of the book can be summed up by the line said by another Replayer in the book, Pamela who puts it as, "We only make things different, not better."
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the memories from his past life. This happens repeatedly, and he remembers all his replayed lives every time he starts anew.The novel is more nearer to being classified as a fantasy rather than a science fiction one as Ken Grimwood never dwells on the science of time travel. Instead, the story focuses itself on the psychological effects one might have to endure if put through Replays of life.
The whole essence of the book can be summed up by the line said by another Replayer in the book, Pamela who puts it as, "We only make things different, not better."
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LibraryThing member kerbam1421
Please do not judge this book by its' cover!!! I loved this book and couldn't put it down! Really makes you think, how would I live my life over if I had the opportunity? What would I do differently? What would I do the same? If you liked The Time Traveler's Wife - you'll LOVE this read! :)
LibraryThing member JenneB
This is what I think they call a cracking good yarn.
It's sort of like Groundhog Day, except the guy keeps living his whole life over and over.
It's sort of like Groundhog Day, except the guy keeps living his whole life over and over.
LibraryThing member queencersei
Jeff Winston is an average man, living an average life in 1988 New York. In his early forties, he manages a local radio station and lives quietly with his wife, wondering how his life became so ordinary. But then something spectacularly out of the ordinary occurs to Jeff one day. Sitting at his
Thus begins Jeff’s first replay as he lives out every day from 1963 until his next ‘death’ in October of 1988. Jeff explores the age old question of what would you do if you could travel back in time, with all the knowledge that you had of the future? During multiple replays he builds spectacular wealth, marries and loses a child, because lost in despair over his situation during the 1960’s counter culture movement and finally tries to find some peace in isolation. Along the course of his replays Jeff meets two others who suffer from the same condition that he does, including the brilliant Pamela.
Replay is a fascinating novel by Ken Grimwood. Unique and nuanced it raises haunting questions about life, time and how both are ultimately what you make of them.
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desk he suffers what he thinks is a heart attack, only to wake up in his college dorm room in 1963.Thus begins Jeff’s first replay as he lives out every day from 1963 until his next ‘death’ in October of 1988. Jeff explores the age old question of what would you do if you could travel back in time, with all the knowledge that you had of the future? During multiple replays he builds spectacular wealth, marries and loses a child, because lost in despair over his situation during the 1960’s counter culture movement and finally tries to find some peace in isolation. Along the course of his replays Jeff meets two others who suffer from the same condition that he does, including the brilliant Pamela.
Replay is a fascinating novel by Ken Grimwood. Unique and nuanced it raises haunting questions about life, time and how both are ultimately what you make of them.
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LibraryThing member turtlesleap
An excellent piece of speculative fiction. Imagine being able to live 20 years of your life, over and over again, choosing each time to live it differently, to make different choices and different decisions. Grimwood has carried his fantasy premise forward with great logic and a detailed
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thoroughness that make this a tantalizing novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member ManipledMutineer
I have just finished reading Ken Grimwood's "Replay". It's an oddly moving book, dealing with a man who, upon dying, is dragged twenty-five years back into his own past to inhabit his eighteen-year-old body with the burden or blessing of twenty five years' accumulated memories of the future, until
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at the age of forty-three the cycle repeats ("replays"), and so again and again. I was first drawn into it by the early-sixties American settings and atmosphere, which I love, but the real heart of the book is seeing how the protagonist deals with the slowly accumulating burden of memories and experiences, and meeting the women who, through their relationships with him in successive "replays" help (or not) to deal with his solitary existence. From the start of the book to the satisfying denouement I was gripped, and I thoroughly recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Hellblazer
I read the first seven chapters, took a break because of a busy week, and then finished the rest in one sitting. An excellent, interesting, very well-written book. I loved it.
Awards
World Fantasy Award (Nominee — Novel — 1988)
Arthur C. Clarke Award (Shortlist — 1988)
Locus All-Time Best (Fantasy Novel — 32 — 1998)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#6 — 1991)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1986
Physical description
322 p.; 5.25 inches
ISBN
068816112X / 9780688161125
Other editions
Replay by Ken Grimwood (Hardcover)