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    Behind the Scenes at the Museum: A Novel
    Behind the Scenes at the Museum: A Novel
    Behind the Scenes at the Museum: A Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    Behind the Scenes at the Museum: A Novel

    Written by Kate Atkinson

    Narrated by Pearl Hewitt

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    A deeply moving family story of happiness and heartbreak, Behind the Scenes at the Museum is bestselling author Kate Atkinson's award-winning literary debut.

    National Bestseller

    Winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year

    Ruby Lennox begins narrating her life at the moment of conception, and from there takes us on a whirlwind tour of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of an English girl determined to learn about her family and its secrets. Kate Atkinson's first novel is "a multigenerational tale of a spectacularly dysfunctional Yorkshire family and one of the funniest works of fiction to come out of Britain in years" (The New York Times Book Review).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 11, 2018
    ISBN9781541446496
    Author

    Kate Atkinson

    Kate Atkinson is the author of a short-story collection, Not the End of the World, and critically acclaimed novels including Life After Life, Human Croquet, Case Histories and One Good Turn. She lives in Edinburgh, UK.

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    Reviews for Behind the Scenes at the Museum

    4/5

    1,472 ratings75 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Hilarious and tragic stories woven together with beautiful entrancing language…

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Incredible, harrowing, poignant - Atkinson knows what it is to be human.
    • 5/5
      This is one of my favorite books, a tale about a family that reaches back into their history and back again. It is both funny and heartbreaking as the reader lives the life of Ruby Lennox, our reliable narrator, who reveals family secrets and lies.
    • 3/5
      Set mostly in York, England, this is a multigenerational family saga in which protagonist Ruby Lennox narrates the story of her life from conception in 1951 into adulthood. She of her distant mother, two siblings, grandmother, and great grandmother. Ruby inserts what she calls “footnotes” to provide the necessary background and historic context. It is character-driven. It covers family secrets and tragedies. The writing is solid. My main issue with it is that it is not particularly engaging. I was not enthralled with the idea of a narrator that was self-aware at conception, especially in a book that is realistic in all other ways. It really drags in places, and I was tempted to set it aside. I liked it but didn’t love it.
    • 5/5
      This is one of those marmite books that people seem to either love or hate. As you can see, from my 5 star rating, I loved it!

      But, I wasn't always sure that I would. I read it for my book group and the description wasn't promising. It seemed to be about a bunch of Yorkshire women blaming their husbands for all their wrong choices in life. I think I married one of those, so you can see why I was a little wary :)

      But Kate Atkinson writes with a light and amusng style and the fact that the main story is viewed through the eyes of a child makes it entertaining and accessible. Much of it is very much a kitchen-sink drama, with drudgery, family tragedies and infidelities throughout - which is entirely in keeping with the 1950s / 60s setting. But think Adrian Mole rather than Harold Pinter.

      Those who didn't like it pointed to the large number of background characters, that can be difficult to keep track of and are often met out of sequence. It is very much like somebody narrating their family history and talking about people that they know well, but you have never met.

      The structure is also quirky. The main story of Ruby's childhood is fairly straightforward and dealt with in sequence (but there is an early mystery that you sense she is blanking out - although the hints are there throughout). But each chapter has a 'footnote', which is frequently longer than the chapter itself, that deals with some aspect of Ruby's recent ancestry. The best way to deal with it is to view it as a novel and a series of vignettes / short stories running in parallel.

      One of my fellow book-clubbers also wrote out Ruby's family tree as she read the book to help keep track of everybody (wish I'd thought of that).

      Who would enjoy this book? Anybody who likes a quirky style, those who can handle multiple characters; and those who like to be kept guessing, because some things are hinted at, but not revealed until right near the very end.

      Incidentally, no museums in this book. The reference is to the Castle Museum in York, which has artifacts from a variety of periods and specialises in common social history.
    • 4/5
      The story of multiple generations of women in England.
    • 4/5
      Darky humourous look at four generations of late 19C - mid 20C Yorkshire women with decidedly mixed feelings (honest ones) about their children; epiphanies re 'leading the wrong life' resonate throughout. Better 2nd time around when one can concentrate on the story, words and imagery rather than only plot.
    • 4/5
      Kate Atkinson writing about family history, with a Yorkshire setting - the perfect novel! Reading on my Kindle, I didn't feel the heft of this epic undertaking until I finished, which says a lot about the skill of the author. Instead, Ruby's story, and the history of her family for three generations, complete with 'footnotes', swept me up and carried me along for a week of boring bus journeys.The 'home' setting might have won me over but I really felt like I recognised these characters, from wry narrator Ruby, who is hiding one of the biggest 'twists in the tale', to battle-axe Bunty in the pet shop, and sisters Lilian and Nell during the First World War, growing up with a fearsome stepmother in place of the ethereal Alice, who vanished in the night after having her photograph taken by a Frenchman. I loved the storytelling too, with Ruby's sharp observations and appreciation of history undercutting tragedy after tragedy. Brothers and sons go to war and never return, children are lost in youth, generations fade into sepia photographs and are replaced by new lives, but 'history is what you take with you'. The humour, mostly dark but occasionally farcical, is also spot on. The flip-flopping through time kept me reading, whereas a straight 'aga saga' starting with Alice and ending with Ruby's own children would have been very dry. Instead I was treated to lots of satisfying 'aha!' moments in the footnotes chapters.Wonderful escapism, full of history, humour and heartache.
    • 1/5
      Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson I hated this book, well that may be a bit strong, but I certainly never liked it one bit.

      What's with the footnotes as big as chapters? and the disjointed flow that it brings to it?

      Was it a gimmick of some kind? Because it was certainly a distraction. Whilst it may have appeared to have a beginning, middle and end it certainly lacked direction and purpose.

      At times I thought the author was just using it as framework to weave even more dysfunctionality than what she had already smeared across every page.Dreary, dreary dreary. Bah
    • 4/5
      Not my favorite among the Kate Atkinson novels I've read, but still very enjoyable; it's easy to see in this the seeds of some of her later stories, too.
    • 4/5
      Having read and loved Atkinson's three mysteries, I'd put off reading any of her "literary fiction," mostly because the term "literary fiction" really bothers me because it basically just means "not genre." Anyway, everything I loved about Atkinson's mysteries was here as well: amazing characterization, interesting metaphors, perfect pacing and multiple narrators and storylines that all work together.

      Ruby Lennox starts narrating her life at the moment of her conception, and each chapter in the book is a snapshot of one event that happened in each year of her life. Each chapter is followed by a footnote that relates to the chapter but examines the history of Ruby's family. As time passes, she (and you!) learn more about the secrets of the Lennox family. There eventually is a revelation that is a little bit unbelievable, but overall it didn't really distract from the excellence of this novel.
    • 4/5
      This book takes awhile to get going but some of the later portions are laughing to tears hysterical, e.g., the wedding scene. Picked this up before realizing it's not part of the later mystery series but it was worth the listen.
    • 2/5
      Abandoned about 75 pages in. Written well enough but just not enough happening to propel me along. May pick it back up another time.
    • 5/5
      A marvelous book.
    • 4/5
      A compulsive read, which is rare. I enjoyed the narrative alternating between Ruby Lennox, who was a spectacular narrator (almost all the way) throughout, and the story of Ruby's family. Atkinson uses a technique where she flashes forward and sometimes backward as introduces characters into books that I've always enjoyed - perfect for a reader who hates foreshadowing. My only quibble was her wrapping everything up in the end and Ruby the adult wasn't as interesting a narrator as Ruby the child. On one hand it was nice to find out certain things, on the other hand I really didn't need to know. Still, one of my best reads of the year and I suspect it will keep that status.
    • 4/5
      Atkinson is a writer who keeps the reader in good hands. I liked the structure (Ruby's life unfolds with "footnotes" that cover her family's history), though it was sometimes confusing. A meditation about families, how everyone and everything is connected in ways we don't even think about.
    • 5/5
      We live in a place called 'Above the Shop' which is not a strictly accurate description as both the kitchen and dining-room are on the same level as the Shop itself and the topography also includes the satellite area of the Back Yard. The Shop (a pet shop) is in one of the ancient streets that cower beneath the looming dominance of York Minster. In this street lived the first printers and the stained-glass craftsmen that filled the windows of the city with coloured light. The Ninth Legion Hispana that conquered the north marched up and down our street, the via praetoria of their great fort, before they disappeared into thin air. Guy Fawkes was born here, Dick Turpin was hung a few streets away and Robinson Crusoe, that other great hero, is also a native son of this city. Who is to say which of these is real and which a fiction?Ruby Lennox narrates her life story beginning with her conception in 1951. Each chapter provides a window to another year in Ruby's life. Ruby defines herself in relationship to her mother, her older sisters, her father, and her extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Each chapter concludes with a footnote that anchors Ruby to her family's past in the stories of her grandmother Nell's and her mother Bunty's youths.Up to now, my only experience with Kate Atkinson has been the Jackson Brodie novels. I liked Case Histories and loved the rest. I picked up her first novel with some trepidation. Would it live up to the Jackson Brodie novels? I'm happy to say that it exceeded my high expectations. Atkinson strikes a perfect balance between strong characters, vivid settings, and narrative pace in a distinctive voice. As she does in the Jackson Brodie novels, Atkinson follows chains of small events that propel characters toward major events that will change the course of her characters' lives. Atkinson is well on her way to becoming my favorite currently active author.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful interweaving of several generations of the one family. The things that affect each of them. The portrayal of individuals from vibrant children to old doddery folk. The random things that survive in memory and as mementoes. The unexpectedness of life (and death). Essentially it is Ruby's story, a child in a post-war pet shop, but it is also her mother's siblings and her grandmother's story.
    • 5/5
      I rarely give books 5 stars. Although I note this is the second time in a fortnight! But I enjoyed this book so much, and mainly because of its dry wit. The story is many-layered, occasionally confusing (and sometimes intentionally so), often quite sad or confronting, but invariably funny. There is the odd belly-laugh, but most of it just wry and smile-worthy. This is Atkinson's debut novel and worthy of commendation in that category. Its debut-ness is hinted at by the many short stories it contains, yet all these are episodes in a grander plot that has its twists, turns and satisfying resolutions. I think I've found a new favourite.
    • 5/5
      I really did enjoy this book, Kate Atkinson writes with such wit and humour but underneath are some heartbreaking goings on, with really important messages.Ruby is aware at conception, and already realizes that things are going to be rough, but doesn't know quite how rough! Some pretty dreadful things happen within the family, but life just keeps on running along.Wonderful writing that will have you doubled up laughing one minute, but tearful the next. Fantastic book, and I shall be reading more from Kate Atkinson I can assure you!
    • 3/5
      This book tells the story of Ruby Lennox, from her conception to her old age. Interspersed with her story is the story of her mother - Bunty, her Grandmother - Nell, and her Great-grandmother - Alice. Both World Wars are background to the various generation's lives. I started out loving this book - the writing is good and the format was inventive. Atkinson generally uses objects to bridge the flashbacks into other generations and then tells the flashback in a lengthy "footnote". So the reader reads about a button that a child finds and there is a footnote cue. That footnote then tells in a roundabout way why the button is where it is, also revealing another character's story. It is a clever technique and I thought it was very effective. The problem I had with this book was that there is a lot of unhappiness in it. There are a lot of children dying, men dying in wars, and people dying in accidents. Also, most of the characters seem trapped in boring, unfulfilling lives. I just thought the balance wasn't right in this book. It didn't feel like it was intended to be a sad book, but it kind of depressed me.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful story, I loved it from start to finish.
    • 3/5
      Behind the Scenes at the Museum is a very short book which I listened to on cd. Ruby, a young girl whose story is woven in and out of the novel from her conception through adulthood, though not in a sequential manner, is sad and somewhat hard to follow. The setting begins in Britan, in a a flat in York where the family lives and Ruby is conceived. The time begins around World War I and the interplay between Ruby, whose own lack of self worth, lack of love from her mother and her meandering father George all are cemented in sadness in the strained relationship with her sisters. The storyline in the book is depressing as it tries to give an inside look of what it would be like love a poor, uneducated and disfunctional family in Britan during the this time. It does not provide any sense of relief for the family caught in a stagnent world of depression, blame and weakness. Moving from the past to the present and spaning the time between both World War I and World War II, Ruby’s memories and thoughts leave the reader with a sense of emotional loss. This is not a book that I would recommend except for those who want a glimpse of one family’s history during this time in 19th century England. I would rate it 3 stars.
    • 3/5
      "The past is what you leave behind in life, Ruby," she says with the smile of a reincarnated lama. "Nonsense, Patricia," I tell her as I climb on board my train. "The past's what you take with you." Page 331 Ruby Lennox is our intrepid narrator, weaving a tale that begins with her conception and all the subsequent years in between. Atkinson takes us through the stories of Ruby's family, generations of people, countless names, faces, and experiences. Secrets are revealed, memories are recovered, and at the core of it all is the relationships between people, the bonds that are broken and restored and the reality that life so exquisitely ordinary can also be painfully beautiful. I can definitely see the hype that comes with Atkinson's books because she is one heck of a storyteller. The problem is with my ability to connect with plethora of characters in the Behind the Scenes at the Museum. There is a lot of them and there is a lot of jumping around with different times and different lives so that each time I would have to reorient myself and mentally picture which part of the family tree I've landed on. Despite all that, there were definitely moments where I marvelled at how she was able to write about rather mundane everyday living and still make it readable and enjoyable. If nothing else, it has perked my interest to read her other books for comparison to see if perhaps there I will find more connection with her characters and the stories they have to share.
    • 4/5
      I'm very fond of Kate Atkinson, she is a splendid storyteller. Moving back and forth in time from one generation to another, the story gives us four generations in all, both World Wars and a great deal of happiness and sorrow.
    • 4/5
      A highly original, tragicomic family story spanning a century of misadventure and misfortune. Ruby, the primary narrator, has a sharp eye and a sharper wit. She does not suffer fools gladly and her family is rife with them. I enjoyed this book tremendously, start to finish, and only felt, as others did, that it lost a bit of momentum near the end. Not a lot, just a bit. Looking forward to more from this author.
    • 5/5
      Ich habe "Familienalbum" von Kate Atkinson schon vor einiger Zeit gelesen. Ich hab es zufällig im Keller meiner Eltern gefunden und es innerhalb kürzester Zeit verschlungen. Ich hab es beim ersten Lesen geliebt aber vermutlich damals noch nicht alles verstanden, da ich relativ jung war. Das schöne an einem Roman wie "Familienalbum" ist aber, dass man ihn immer wieder lesen kann, da es so voller Details gibt, die man erst beim zweiten oder dritten Lesen bemerkt.Die Handlung ist in großen Teilen aus der Sicht von Ruby Lennox geschrieben, die der Leser beim Heranwachsen begleitet. Bereits vor ihrer Geburt wird Ruby, und dem Leser, klar, dass ihr wohl kein einfaches Leben in ihrer Familie bevorsteht.Die Familie. Auch wenn Ruby ganz klar die Heldin des Romans ist erfährt man doch Stück für Stück durch Rückblenden von den Schicksalen ihrer Verwandten. Atkinson konzentriert sich hierbei auf die Frauenfiguren, die durch die Wirren eines ganzen Jahrhunderts stolpern. Und so taucht man als Leser in die Familiengeheimnisse der weit verzweigten Familie Lennox ein. Es ist fast wie ein Puzzel, dass sich nach und nach mit jedem Kapitel mehr zusammensetzt.Was mich an diesem Buch so begeistert ist, dass Kate Atkinson genau den richtigen Ton trifft. Das Buch ist manchmal brüllend komisch und manchmal todtraurig. Und obwohl kaum eine der Figuren als leuchtendes Vorbild gelten kann,hat man sie am Ende des Buches so lieb gewonnen, wie seine eigene verrückte Familie.
    • 5/5
      God I love Kate Atkinson's writing. And her sense of humor. And her wry wit. And her sense of history. Oh let's face it, I love Kate Atkinson. And this polished novel was her debut novel?? Can that be right? Of course I read and loved [Life After Life] but that didn't prepare me for a debutnovel that exudes shades of Dickens and had me furiously turning pages well into the night.The story is narrated by Ruby Lennox and who better to tell the story of her life as well as that of her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and sundry other relatives. Ruby’s family, much like yours, mine and everybody else’s, is littered with rogues, crooks, cheats and scoundrels. As Atkinson moves the narrative back and forth in time, across the twentieth century, she drops one tidbit after another that attest to her narrative wiliness. Ruby’s mother, Bunty, is such a rich, vibrant character (although not a contender for “Mother of the Year”) and Atkinson plays her for all she’s worth:”I love the smell of paraffin heaters, so warm and dangerous. ‘Be careful,’ Bunty warns automatically. In another life Bunty was related to Joan of Arc, constantly alert to the possibilities of fire….Paraffin heaters are even more hazardous than stakes to riches, and they never occur in a sentence without a cautionary warning attached. None of us….could be within five feet of one of the Shop heaters without being in danger of conflagration. The coal fire in the living-room is treated similarly and kept guarded day and night (lit or unlit); matches are lethal, of course; the burners on the gas cooker are alive and trying to grab you as you pass by; cigarettes are struggling to drop and smolder----and as for spontaneous combustion! Well, it’s just waiting to happen.” Page 182So that’s what this book is like: laugh out loud moments followed by a history lesson or two (the section about Ruby’s great uncles during WWI was some of the most poignant writing on that subject that I’ve ever read) with Atkinson setting a frantic pace throughout the narrative. Pure delight from beginning to end and very highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      It took me a long time to warm up to this story but I did eventually like it. A small quibble with the narration, which had pauses at places that didn't seem to be related to the content...
    • 5/5
      After loving Life After Life, I decided to go back to Atkinson's backlist and read her debut novel. With the story of Ruby Lennox, I immediately saw similarities to Ursula Todd and as a storyteller Atkinson has only improved. Of course, she had a pretty strong start with this one.While there were a few things with this one that didn't seem to work, overall it's a wonderfully weaving story of several generations of Ruby's family -- Alice, her great grandmother, Nell, her grandmother, and Bunty, her mom -- and we see over and over how history manages to repeat itself despite all the different paths taken.Spoiler: The one thing that threw me was that Ruby apparently had a twin, Pearl, but we don't know about it until MUCH LATER. Which doesn't make a lot of sense because Ruby starts narrating at the point of conception.... So that kind of distracted me from the story. I think the story could have survived without that piece, but it also didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the novel.