The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August cover art

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

By: Claire North
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside.

'I nearly missed you, Doctor August,' she says. 'I need to send a message.' This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.

©2014 Claire North (P)2014 Hachette Audio UK
Contemporary Fiction Fiction Feel-Good Funny

Critic Reviews

"An astonishing re-invention of the time-travel narrative. Bold, magical and masterful" (M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts)"A thoughtful and considered time-travel novel, shocking twists and, most important of all, a beautiful character. Harry August will break your heart fifteen times" (Jared Shurin, Pornokitsch Blog)
This wonderful novel, narrated by Harry, ranges back and forth in time as he recounts episodes from his various lives, but it's all held together by a compelling mystery involving nothing less than the end of the world itself . . . Beautifully written and structured, the book should be a big hit . . . Fans of SF and fantasy authors China Mieville, Christopher Priest, and Adam Roberts might note a stylistic similarity, especially in the novel's elegant prose. Whoever Claire North turns out to be, he or she has written a remarkable book" (Booklist)
"Gripping" ( Sun)
"A truly extraordinary novel: an impeccable portrait of a friendship tortured by time in which masterful character and fantastic narrative come together to tremendous effect" ( TOR.COM)
"A brave, genre-defying novel, which is mind-blowing in its originality and bold concept . . . Stunning!" ( NOVELICIOUS)
"Part unique and intriguing mystery, part philosophical look at life, memory and time travel this story kept me totally gripped from the opening words to the mind-blowing finale" ( BITE THE BOOK)
" The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is an extraordinary novel, as the publicity has promised" ( The Speculative Scotsman)

What listeners say about The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    372
  • 4 Stars
    109
  • 3 Stars
    40
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    398
  • 4 Stars
    76
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    340
  • 4 Stars
    93
  • 3 Stars
    37
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting story

Interesting concept, well written and narrated. Starts a little slowly but once the point of the book becomes clear and the protagonist established, couldn't put it down.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

This was one of the first books to go on to my wish list when I started my audible membership. Some 3 years later I finally made the purchase. The author has a exceptional grasp on history, not just the broad strokes but the nuances. She has clearly done much research. Not just saying that from the contents of this book but all her novels have a real feet into her ground feel to historical periods.
The narration is exceptional. I’m tempted to say voice acting here. He has a diverse range and gave the narration heart. The American accent was not very diverse but I found myself backtracking to reposted to the emotion he put in to some internal dialogue. 5 stars all round.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant!!! Absolutely wonderful!!

Such a great book! Very well paced. Traveling between the present and the past with such grace, it was so easy to switch contexts. The author is truly gifted. The narrator did a good job too. Definitely a book to be listened to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

It's a great book that makes makes me want more. I would buy the second in a heartbeat.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved Harry and his journey!

I haven’t read a novel in years...this book brought me back!! I listened to it in 2 days. A time travel story with a whole new perspective. Performance was excellent as well. Loved it and will read it again...highly recommend it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow

A fascinating tale, intriguing protagonist and very well told. Enthralling from start to finish and with some interesting concepts and ethical explorations woven in. Will definitely be seeing what else the author has to offer.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

A beautifully written piece of historical science fiction. Such a great thought experiment. Loved it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Sometimes Slow, Constantly Intriguing

whilst it would tend to drag on at some points admittedly, I found it to be quite an interesting idea tackled by the author, one that kept me wondering what would happen next at every chapter

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing

one of the best books ever. with ups and with downs as it should be

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great concept and execution.

Great time and effort clearly went into the careful planning of this story and yet it is delivered with so much grace and charm. One of the most interesting and engaging books I've had the pleasure to enjoy in a long time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.