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Again and Again
From one of America’s greatest, most creative novelists comes Again and Again , a poignant and endlessly surprising story about love lost, found, and redeemed
Eugene “Geno” Miles is living out his final days in a nursing home, bored, curmudgeonly, and struggling to connect with his new nursing assistant, Angel, who is understandably skeptical of Geno’s insistence on having lived not just one life but many—all the way back to medieval Spain, where, as a petty thief, he first lucked upon true love only to lose it, and spend the next thousand years trying to recapture it.
Who is Geno? A lonely old man clinging to his delusions and rehearsing his fantasies, or a legitimate anomaly, a thousand-year-old man who continues to search for the love he lost so long ago?
As Angel comes to learn the truth about Geno, so, too, does the reader, and as his miraculous story comes to a head, so does the biggest truth of that love—timeless, often elusive—is sometimes right in front of us.
Eugene “Geno” Miles is living out his final days in a nursing home, bored, curmudgeonly, and struggling to connect with his new nursing assistant, Angel, who is understandably skeptical of Geno’s insistence on having lived not just one life but many—all the way back to medieval Spain, where, as a petty thief, he first lucked upon true love only to lose it, and spend the next thousand years trying to recapture it.
Who is Geno? A lonely old man clinging to his delusions and rehearsing his fantasies, or a legitimate anomaly, a thousand-year-old man who continues to search for the love he lost so long ago?
As Angel comes to learn the truth about Geno, so, too, does the reader, and as his miraculous story comes to a head, so does the biggest truth of that love—timeless, often elusive—is sometimes right in front of us.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2023
360 people are currently reading
12852 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Evison
16 books1,212 followersJonathan Evison is the New York Times Bestselling author of All About Lulu, West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, This is Your Life, Harriet Chance!, and Lawn Boy.
In his teens, Evison was the founding member and frontman of the Seattle punk band March of Crimes, which included future members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Born in San Jose, California, he now lives on an island in Western Washington.
In his teens, Evison was the founding member and frontman of the Seattle punk band March of Crimes, which included future members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Born in San Jose, California, he now lives on an island in Western Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,078 reviews
May 30, 2024
Again and Again by Jonathan Evison is Historical and Literary Fiction Blended With Magical Realism!
Our main character, Eugene “Geno” Miles, is a centenarian, a bit of a curmudgeon, and incredibly lonely. He believes he has lived multiple lives as far back as the Middle Ages. No one believes him, including his new nursing assistant, Angel.
Geno describes the adventures experienced in his past lives to Angel and what sounds, at first, to be rehearsed storytelling, soon becomes believable to him. Perhaps Angel needs someone to believe in as much as Geno yearns to be believed...
It doesn't take long for Geno to grow on you. His storytelling is creative and his life experiences are what great characters and stories are made of. As you continue to read, Geno's truth will touch your heart just like it touched Angel's...and mine.
Again and Again has short chapters that keep the pages turning and the story moving. This was an immersive read with a Kindle copy and an audiobook narrated by Robert Fass and I was equally satisfied with either format. Sprinkled with humor and sadness, love and loss, hope and despair, and an underlying message that what we're searching for is often right in front of us.
3.75⭐rounded up!
Our main character, Eugene “Geno” Miles, is a centenarian, a bit of a curmudgeon, and incredibly lonely. He believes he has lived multiple lives as far back as the Middle Ages. No one believes him, including his new nursing assistant, Angel.
Geno describes the adventures experienced in his past lives to Angel and what sounds, at first, to be rehearsed storytelling, soon becomes believable to him. Perhaps Angel needs someone to believe in as much as Geno yearns to be believed...
It doesn't take long for Geno to grow on you. His storytelling is creative and his life experiences are what great characters and stories are made of. As you continue to read, Geno's truth will touch your heart just like it touched Angel's...and mine.
Again and Again has short chapters that keep the pages turning and the story moving. This was an immersive read with a Kindle copy and an audiobook narrated by Robert Fass and I was equally satisfied with either format. Sprinkled with humor and sadness, love and loss, hope and despair, and an underlying message that what we're searching for is often right in front of us.
3.75⭐rounded up!
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October 31, 2023Why I love it
By Shelby Van Pelt
When a book keeps me turning pages long after bedtime, I often ask myself why. Is there a delicious mystery demanding to be solved? A heart-pounding stretch of action and tension? Or is it simply a superbly told story granting me temporary residence in a world I don’t want to leave?
In the case of Jonathan Evison’s Again and Again: All of the above.
We don’t know who Geno Miles is. Geno Miles is a present-day centenarian who keeps his nursing-home staff on their toes with his curmudgeonly quirks while carrying deep wounds in his soul. Geno Miles is a street urchin who runs afoul of the powerful in medieval Spain, growing into his own bravery and risking everything for his one true love. Geno Miles is—and, honestly, this one is my favorite—Oscar Wilde’s cat, selectively spoiled in an apartment in Chelsea, believing his owner might be a reincarnated version of that one true love.
Centuries separate Geno from his love, but he still believes. It’s a fantastic story. Compelling enough to draw in Angel, a young man who works at the nursing home and forges an unlikely friendship with Geno. Compelling enough to keep me, as a reader, up until dawn, unable to put the book down.
Hope. That’s it, I think. We’ve got mystery and action and unforgettable characters but there is also an unbreakable thread of hope running through Again and Again. I can’t think of anything our world needs more right now.
Read more at: https://app.bookofthemonth.com/all-bo...
By Shelby Van Pelt
When a book keeps me turning pages long after bedtime, I often ask myself why. Is there a delicious mystery demanding to be solved? A heart-pounding stretch of action and tension? Or is it simply a superbly told story granting me temporary residence in a world I don’t want to leave?
In the case of Jonathan Evison’s Again and Again: All of the above.
We don’t know who Geno Miles is. Geno Miles is a present-day centenarian who keeps his nursing-home staff on their toes with his curmudgeonly quirks while carrying deep wounds in his soul. Geno Miles is a street urchin who runs afoul of the powerful in medieval Spain, growing into his own bravery and risking everything for his one true love. Geno Miles is—and, honestly, this one is my favorite—Oscar Wilde’s cat, selectively spoiled in an apartment in Chelsea, believing his owner might be a reincarnated version of that one true love.
Centuries separate Geno from his love, but he still believes. It’s a fantastic story. Compelling enough to draw in Angel, a young man who works at the nursing home and forges an unlikely friendship with Geno. Compelling enough to keep me, as a reader, up until dawn, unable to put the book down.
Hope. That’s it, I think. We’ve got mystery and action and unforgettable characters but there is also an unbreakable thread of hope running through Again and Again. I can’t think of anything our world needs more right now.
Read more at: https://app.bookofthemonth.com/all-bo...
October 27, 2023
Centenarian Eugene Miles is living out his days at a desert retirement home, reading books and completing puzzles. A friendly custodian named Angel, a reformed LA gang member, breaks through Eugene’s walls and gets him to talk about his life.
Or, in this case, “lives.”
But unlike everyone else, Angel listens…and believes. Believes that Eugene lived as a beggar and thief in Moorish Spain in the tenth century. Believes he lived (and died) as an island-hopping young girl in Polynesia. Believes he was reincarnated as a Victorian-era cat belonging to a poet named Oscar. And, Angel believes that Gaya, the girl with whom he fell in love in Seville, fell in love with him again in a new life and new body over a thousand years later.
Quite the concept, this dip into multiple lives. Evison shares Eugene’s tales with the intricacy of having been there. Each vignette about Eugene’s past lives is accurate and textured. The characters are real, and the situations are exciting and interesting. They’re content-filled, action-packed flashbacks, always something to see or do.
Eugene makes for a solid everyman, a relatable protagonist, true to Evison’s tendencies. In all those past lives, he’s never been a king or titan of industry. If anything, he’s had to scramble for everything. First, fighting to eat and stay alive in Moorish Spain; then, trying to get Oscar’s attention; then, convincing Gladys that she must be Gaya. His voice wavers between casual and formal in a way I found confusing, but I just leaned into it after a while. He makes a good narrator, keeping it focused and visual, not too in his head.
The supporting cast also takes on that Evison touch: everyday people with deep sensibilities. Angel is tough, kind, and itching for a chance to do some good. His relationship with Eugene is redemptive and sweet. Wayne turns out to be something more than just an annoying psychologist (the Life-Saver sucking would drive me nuts, too). And Gladys’ life course really drives the latter half of the book. She gave the story a good infusion of romance and meaning.
The middle-novel twist is more subtle than advertised, but it jolted my beliefs. I wasn’t sure about the novel’s direction for a bit, but what happens to Eugene explained a lot and brought things back to earth. His stories became more believable (hint-hint), easier to understand, more relatable. I liked him better after that.
I just wasn’t sold on the love story, however. There’s not much courtship between Eugene (Euric) and Gaya in Moorish Spain, even if there’s a “savior” story and escape from bad guys. He claims to love her through the centuries, but I got very little description of her, and not much intimacy. The chemistry isn’t there, nor is the drama very stark in that Seville angle.
The reader will also have to tolerate a tremendous amount of time-jumping. We are all over the quantum physics map, getting little snippets from everything from the printing press era to the smartphone. I couldn’t help but feel a little out of sorts. A linear timeframe would take away some creativity, but the flitting back and forth through the years rattled my brain. I couldn’t concentrate long enough to have empathy for Eugene’s past lives. I was grateful to return to present-day.
My daughter and I just finished Tuck Everlasting (and now she’s been warned by her teacher: don’t blab to the other kids). They’ve been discussing the pros and cons of immortality, with some hilarious answers (“you’ll be floating in space forever after the world explodes,” said a classmate). I told her about Eugene, and though she’s intrigued, she maintains her position: living multiple lives is a mixed blessing at best.
So, Evison’s attempt at giving an immortal soul to his MC is a good one. Realistic for its genre, tender when it needs to be, complex and detailed throughout. It doesn’t think too much of itself and keeps the focus on what’s most important: connection and love. I’m a lifelong admirer of this author, and congratulations to him for infusing his work with a little undying magic.
Thank you to Dutton Press and NetGalley for the honor of an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Again and Again will be released November 7, 2023.
Or, in this case, “lives.”
But unlike everyone else, Angel listens…and believes. Believes that Eugene lived as a beggar and thief in Moorish Spain in the tenth century. Believes he lived (and died) as an island-hopping young girl in Polynesia. Believes he was reincarnated as a Victorian-era cat belonging to a poet named Oscar. And, Angel believes that Gaya, the girl with whom he fell in love in Seville, fell in love with him again in a new life and new body over a thousand years later.
Quite the concept, this dip into multiple lives. Evison shares Eugene’s tales with the intricacy of having been there. Each vignette about Eugene’s past lives is accurate and textured. The characters are real, and the situations are exciting and interesting. They’re content-filled, action-packed flashbacks, always something to see or do.
Eugene makes for a solid everyman, a relatable protagonist, true to Evison’s tendencies. In all those past lives, he’s never been a king or titan of industry. If anything, he’s had to scramble for everything. First, fighting to eat and stay alive in Moorish Spain; then, trying to get Oscar’s attention; then, convincing Gladys that she must be Gaya. His voice wavers between casual and formal in a way I found confusing, but I just leaned into it after a while. He makes a good narrator, keeping it focused and visual, not too in his head.
The supporting cast also takes on that Evison touch: everyday people with deep sensibilities. Angel is tough, kind, and itching for a chance to do some good. His relationship with Eugene is redemptive and sweet. Wayne turns out to be something more than just an annoying psychologist (the Life-Saver sucking would drive me nuts, too). And Gladys’ life course really drives the latter half of the book. She gave the story a good infusion of romance and meaning.
The middle-novel twist is more subtle than advertised, but it jolted my beliefs. I wasn’t sure about the novel’s direction for a bit, but what happens to Eugene explained a lot and brought things back to earth. His stories became more believable (hint-hint), easier to understand, more relatable. I liked him better after that.
I just wasn’t sold on the love story, however. There’s not much courtship between Eugene (Euric) and Gaya in Moorish Spain, even if there’s a “savior” story and escape from bad guys. He claims to love her through the centuries, but I got very little description of her, and not much intimacy. The chemistry isn’t there, nor is the drama very stark in that Seville angle.
The reader will also have to tolerate a tremendous amount of time-jumping. We are all over the quantum physics map, getting little snippets from everything from the printing press era to the smartphone. I couldn’t help but feel a little out of sorts. A linear timeframe would take away some creativity, but the flitting back and forth through the years rattled my brain. I couldn’t concentrate long enough to have empathy for Eugene’s past lives. I was grateful to return to present-day.
My daughter and I just finished Tuck Everlasting (and now she’s been warned by her teacher: don’t blab to the other kids). They’ve been discussing the pros and cons of immortality, with some hilarious answers (“you’ll be floating in space forever after the world explodes,” said a classmate). I told her about Eugene, and though she’s intrigued, she maintains her position: living multiple lives is a mixed blessing at best.
So, Evison’s attempt at giving an immortal soul to his MC is a good one. Realistic for its genre, tender when it needs to be, complex and detailed throughout. It doesn’t think too much of itself and keeps the focus on what’s most important: connection and love. I’m a lifelong admirer of this author, and congratulations to him for infusing his work with a little undying magic.
Thank you to Dutton Press and NetGalley for the honor of an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Again and Again will be released November 7, 2023.
November 10, 2023
You should know the name Jonathan Evison because he’s the author of several exuberant, thoroughly charming novels, including “West of Here” and “The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving.” But unfortunately you’re more likely to have heard of him because he’s one of the writers most frequently condemned by book-banning tyrants gnawing through our public schools and libraries.
Evison’s “Lawn Boy” was widely praised when it appeared in 2018. Writing in The Washington Post, Carol Memmott called it “an effervescent novel of hope that can enlighten everyone.” Library Journal recommended it as “an effective coming-of-age novel.” And the American Library Association named “Lawn Boy” one of the year’s 10 adult books that have “special appeal to young adults.”
Nonetheless, offended by the novel’s frank language, protesters soon began collecting dry sticks. They claimed that “Lawn Boy” was pornographic and depicted pedophilia. In 2021, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom announced that “Lawn Boy” was the second-most challenged book in America, and Evison revealed that he’d been receiving death threats.
Considering what an ordeal Evison has endured, I was looking forward to reviewing his new novel, “Again and Again.” I hoped that another successful book might provide some welcome distraction from the snarling of censorious prigs.
I have good news and bad news. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
Evison’s “Lawn Boy” was widely praised when it appeared in 2018. Writing in The Washington Post, Carol Memmott called it “an effervescent novel of hope that can enlighten everyone.” Library Journal recommended it as “an effective coming-of-age novel.” And the American Library Association named “Lawn Boy” one of the year’s 10 adult books that have “special appeal to young adults.”
Nonetheless, offended by the novel’s frank language, protesters soon began collecting dry sticks. They claimed that “Lawn Boy” was pornographic and depicted pedophilia. In 2021, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom announced that “Lawn Boy” was the second-most challenged book in America, and Evison revealed that he’d been receiving death threats.
Considering what an ordeal Evison has endured, I was looking forward to reviewing his new novel, “Again and Again.” I hoped that another successful book might provide some welcome distraction from the snarling of censorious prigs.
I have good news and bad news. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
March 13, 2024
Despite the trolling I received from the masturbatory mental midgets who could not wrap their pea-size brains around the fact that I didn’t like Lawn Boy - NOT because I’m a Karen who would ever ban a book, but because I am of the 50% who find Holden Caulfield to be insufferable and therefore found Mike Muñoz quite the same, I still immediately put my name on the library waiting list for Evison’s newest release.
And while I could complain that I wished Angel was more fully developed as a character rather than only exploring the “baby daddy” parts of him and even though I wasn’t real invested in the parts about the Moors, I still never wanted to put this book about a centenarian in an old-age home who claims to have lived “again and again” down at any point. The more I learned about Eugene (ancient Spanish history excluded), the more I became intrigued and invested.
3.5 Stars and rounding up
And while I could complain that I wished Angel was more fully developed as a character rather than only exploring the “baby daddy” parts of him and even though I wasn’t real invested in the parts about the Moors, I still never wanted to put this book about a centenarian in an old-age home who claims to have lived “again and again” down at any point. The more I learned about Eugene (ancient Spanish history excluded), the more I became intrigued and invested.
3.5 Stars and rounding up
December 3, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. I picked up this book on a whim. I was in an airport and finished the book I brought with me sooner than expected. I had recently read Small World by Jonathan Evison, which I enjoyed so I grabbed this one in the airport bookstore. It's a unique and heartbreaking story. Some of the story was never fully explained and felt a little pointless but I enjoyed it, nonetheless.
December 4, 2023
Don't read anything about this book. Go in cold
January 2, 2024
✰ 3 stars ✰
“If I’ve learned anything in eleven hundred years, I’ve learned this: It’s no easy task finding love, and more difficult still holding on to it, so hold on tight, as if your life depends upon it, because it does.”
Reading Again and Again just made me sad. Gosh, I do have a way of drawing these books towards me. 😣 Or, perhaps, I'm the one drawn towards them. And this very hypnotic cover of a puzzle that is a heart-wrenching depiction of the fragmented mind of old and ailing Eugene is one that I didn't expect to hit so close to the heart. 💔
“No matter how long or how short, every one of them endured in the fabric of me somewhere, whether I wanted them to or not. Understand: Life is inexhaustible and undefeatable; try to snuff it out and you’re destined to fail.
Life will thrive under any circumstances.”
Eugene Miles is on the last stages of his life; after living a meaningless existence, sharing glimpses of the past lives that he has lived with his attendant, Angel - 'whose appearance at Desert Greens had already marked a welcome addition to my otherwise empty evening - is his only solace - the peace of mind to connect with another human being - who affectionately calls him Geno, and endears to his whims and mood swings, and entices him for his own personal relationship issues, as well. 🫂 How he clung on to the one person who was wanting to spend time with him - desperate for someone to listen to his voice - not out of necessity, but out of kindness and want.
'It seems that nobody is quite as resigned to their anguish as the young, nor so quick to throw in the towel regarding the prospect of happiness.' He finally had someone not only to listen to his stories, but also someone to impart his words of wisdom on - even at the sake of tough love. 🥺 Their friendship developed so candidly and with such genuine affection and concern, how Geno just wanted to have a bond with someone - seeking out someone who could relate to him - share his thoughts and feelings with.
He was grumpy and he was prickly and he was defensive of his truths - standing resolute and firm in his belief that yes, he has lived these lives. And it hurt him that people misjudged him - that they failed to look beyond what they could not see. 'Because this life will break your heart again and again.' But, it is a credit to the author how he kept the readers interested by spinning fiction and reality together in such a seamless fashion that I couldn't help but sympathize with Geno - he was *wipes tears* - his life was an unfair one. I do not blame him for wanting people to believe what he had to say. 😢
The narrative was actually quite easy to follow - the dialogue interactive and engaging with characters equally well-fleshed out and believably so. It was not hard to switch from alternate timelines, to travel eons with Geno from each set-up and still seek out the truth between them. How he lives through multiple lives - over eons of centuries, jumping through multiple timelines and different incarnations of different beings, it does make for quite an interesting tale and an entertaining one, for that matter. 👍🏻 'All I’ve ever wanted in any of my incarnations was to connect with another wholly and authentically. Deprived of meaningful connection, we are ciphers at best, and at worst invisible.' And ever so present, is his deep love - a visceral long for the one person in his life, Gaya - the one soul that he connected with - that one person he ached to draw a connection with.
“Eventually, I would have to tell him the truth if he didn’t know it already, and that was a dreaded prospect indeed.
For, as my beloved Oscar noted, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
And it is that sad and heartbreaking reflection that in a world where you have no powers - you gave yourself super powers. In a world where you've survived such torment and anguish, one creates alternate memories in order to cover up that pain - to shield oneself from the shadows of darkness that would threaten to overtake your mind. It's that painful way at how one is so affected by life, you don't know quite how to deal with it, and so you fall on different and unique ways to make it slightly more bearable. 😞 'To be seen, to be accepted, warts and all, that has been my greatest aspiration for over a thousand years. To be adored for my flaws. To be loved unconditionally.' What does one do with some memories that are so painful that you would do anything to forget them and in order to cover up the remnants of their existence - simply create alternate ideas to the awful truth that you don't wish to have? 😟
“If you do dare to open your heart, you will come to understand, as I have, finally, that love is not a force of nature but a capacity, a willingness.
If you’re willing to open your heart, it’s possible you will find that love is right in front of you.”
I don't know how else to explain it, but this was an emotional and touching read, with writing that evoked a lot of feelings in me. This story is a testament to love and how we should never disregard it when it is given to us; to cherish and nurture it, in whatever form it may be. 'It wants to reenact itself again and again. It wants to tell its story.' The ending, especially, made me tear up - his moving words that remind us not to take life for granted. Geno's story touched my heart in a way that just left me sad. What is the measure of one's life and who gets to decide how one gets to live it? 😔
The loneliness that clung to his heart till the last remnants of his existence - still searching for someone to believe his stories - someone who will see the truth for what it is. And the actual truths hurt the heart - the surprises that tie the past to the present serve as a grim reminder that we are all searching for love - that visceral connection to someone - to matter to someone - and the lengths we go to achieve it. It's not only his past lives that struck a chord with me - it was his present that just left a deep ache in my heart. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“If I’ve learned anything in eleven hundred years, I’ve learned this: It’s no easy task finding love, and more difficult still holding on to it, so hold on tight, as if your life depends upon it, because it does.”
Reading Again and Again just made me sad. Gosh, I do have a way of drawing these books towards me. 😣 Or, perhaps, I'm the one drawn towards them. And this very hypnotic cover of a puzzle that is a heart-wrenching depiction of the fragmented mind of old and ailing Eugene is one that I didn't expect to hit so close to the heart. 💔
“No matter how long or how short, every one of them endured in the fabric of me somewhere, whether I wanted them to or not. Understand: Life is inexhaustible and undefeatable; try to snuff it out and you’re destined to fail.
Life will thrive under any circumstances.”
Eugene Miles is on the last stages of his life; after living a meaningless existence, sharing glimpses of the past lives that he has lived with his attendant, Angel - 'whose appearance at Desert Greens had already marked a welcome addition to my otherwise empty evening - is his only solace - the peace of mind to connect with another human being - who affectionately calls him Geno, and endears to his whims and mood swings, and entices him for his own personal relationship issues, as well. 🫂 How he clung on to the one person who was wanting to spend time with him - desperate for someone to listen to his voice - not out of necessity, but out of kindness and want.
'It seems that nobody is quite as resigned to their anguish as the young, nor so quick to throw in the towel regarding the prospect of happiness.' He finally had someone not only to listen to his stories, but also someone to impart his words of wisdom on - even at the sake of tough love. 🥺 Their friendship developed so candidly and with such genuine affection and concern, how Geno just wanted to have a bond with someone - seeking out someone who could relate to him - share his thoughts and feelings with.
He was grumpy and he was prickly and he was defensive of his truths - standing resolute and firm in his belief that yes, he has lived these lives. And it hurt him that people misjudged him - that they failed to look beyond what they could not see. 'Because this life will break your heart again and again.' But, it is a credit to the author how he kept the readers interested by spinning fiction and reality together in such a seamless fashion that I couldn't help but sympathize with Geno - he was *wipes tears* - his life was an unfair one. I do not blame him for wanting people to believe what he had to say. 😢
The narrative was actually quite easy to follow - the dialogue interactive and engaging with characters equally well-fleshed out and believably so. It was not hard to switch from alternate timelines, to travel eons with Geno from each set-up and still seek out the truth between them. How he lives through multiple lives - over eons of centuries, jumping through multiple timelines and different incarnations of different beings, it does make for quite an interesting tale and an entertaining one, for that matter. 👍🏻 'All I’ve ever wanted in any of my incarnations was to connect with another wholly and authentically. Deprived of meaningful connection, we are ciphers at best, and at worst invisible.' And ever so present, is his deep love - a visceral long for the one person in his life, Gaya - the one soul that he connected with - that one person he ached to draw a connection with.
“Eventually, I would have to tell him the truth if he didn’t know it already, and that was a dreaded prospect indeed.
For, as my beloved Oscar noted, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
And it is that sad and heartbreaking reflection that in a world where you have no powers - you gave yourself super powers. In a world where you've survived such torment and anguish, one creates alternate memories in order to cover up that pain - to shield oneself from the shadows of darkness that would threaten to overtake your mind. It's that painful way at how one is so affected by life, you don't know quite how to deal with it, and so you fall on different and unique ways to make it slightly more bearable. 😞 'To be seen, to be accepted, warts and all, that has been my greatest aspiration for over a thousand years. To be adored for my flaws. To be loved unconditionally.' What does one do with some memories that are so painful that you would do anything to forget them and in order to cover up the remnants of their existence - simply create alternate ideas to the awful truth that you don't wish to have? 😟
“If you do dare to open your heart, you will come to understand, as I have, finally, that love is not a force of nature but a capacity, a willingness.
If you’re willing to open your heart, it’s possible you will find that love is right in front of you.”
I don't know how else to explain it, but this was an emotional and touching read, with writing that evoked a lot of feelings in me. This story is a testament to love and how we should never disregard it when it is given to us; to cherish and nurture it, in whatever form it may be. 'It wants to reenact itself again and again. It wants to tell its story.' The ending, especially, made me tear up - his moving words that remind us not to take life for granted. Geno's story touched my heart in a way that just left me sad. What is the measure of one's life and who gets to decide how one gets to live it? 😔
The loneliness that clung to his heart till the last remnants of his existence - still searching for someone to believe his stories - someone who will see the truth for what it is. And the actual truths hurt the heart - the surprises that tie the past to the present serve as a grim reminder that we are all searching for love - that visceral connection to someone - to matter to someone - and the lengths we go to achieve it. It's not only his past lives that struck a chord with me - it was his present that just left a deep ache in my heart. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
August 13, 2023
Not bad. I didn't think I was going to like this, and I wouldn't have chosen it if not for committing to comment on it for something else. However, it won me over, I confess I shed a few tears, and I'm tempted to rate it 4 stars. Sometimes I can be a sucker for sentimentality, though, and I am pretty sure after letting it settle I would want to come back later and lower it to 3, so that's what I'm going with.
As historical fiction - which it really isn't, although it's being treated that way in some venues - it's not great. The settings do not come to life, and the dialogue is essentially the same as in the sections set in the current day. Everybody in medieval Spain eats the same thing (saltfish). But the historical setting isn't really the point in this story, so you may be able to overlook that weakness.
At its core, this is a story about coming to terms with one's mortality. It's moving, it's sentimental, it's uplifting. There's also a bit of a mystery involved, and it takes a turn halfway through that's rather intriguing. If you look for those qualities in your reading, then you'll enjoy this.
As historical fiction - which it really isn't, although it's being treated that way in some venues - it's not great. The settings do not come to life, and the dialogue is essentially the same as in the sections set in the current day. Everybody in medieval Spain eats the same thing (saltfish). But the historical setting isn't really the point in this story, so you may be able to overlook that weakness.
At its core, this is a story about coming to terms with one's mortality. It's moving, it's sentimental, it's uplifting. There's also a bit of a mystery involved, and it takes a turn halfway through that's rather intriguing. If you look for those qualities in your reading, then you'll enjoy this.
December 7, 2023
I thought I would love this book from the premise alone…but really I just became bored by it. I feel like other works have done the whole “reincarnation” theme better, and even the whole “what if it was just mental illness” thing too.
Eugene “Geno” is such a nothing character. He’s a needy old man who can’t let go of one person he remembers from another life and he foists that burden onto a woman he knows in this life. And she very? cleary? uncomfortable with the whole thing? And we’re supposed to be rooting for him?
The vibe was just very off. And the unreliable narrator schtick came out of nowhere and wasn’t really that interesting. He didn’t lie or hide anything truly substantive. It was just random shit so it was hard to care about the details being changed.
I don’t know. This book had potential for sure, but I had such a hard time caring about any of Geno’s lives, that it made it a chore to get through.
Eugene “Geno” is such a nothing character. He’s a needy old man who can’t let go of one person he remembers from another life and he foists that burden onto a woman he knows in this life. And she very? cleary? uncomfortable with the whole thing? And we’re supposed to be rooting for him?
The vibe was just very off. And the unreliable narrator schtick came out of nowhere and wasn’t really that interesting. He didn’t lie or hide anything truly substantive. It was just random shit so it was hard to care about the details being changed.
I don’t know. This book had potential for sure, but I had such a hard time caring about any of Geno’s lives, that it made it a chore to get through.
November 16, 2023
New favorite book?? I think so.
Read
November 10, 2023Blew through this in one sitting. That hasn't happened in a while.
December 12, 2023
I really liked the multiple lives and reincarnation story in this book, and the way that you aren’t really sure if the narrator is telling the truth adds a fantastic layer to the book. But the best thing about this was the characters. All of them were so layered and human that it made it easy to understand their thoughts and motivations.
My only issue was that the love story spanning multiple centuries was lacking. I never felt that belief that Euric was anything other than infatuated with Gaya, and I also never believed that carried over into Gladys. Even in a vacuum, Eugene and Gladys’ love story was more of longing than love.
Still, this was very good and the writing style makes me interested in checking out the author’s other stuff.
My only issue was that the love story spanning multiple centuries was lacking. I never felt that belief that Euric was anything other than infatuated with Gaya, and I also never believed that carried over into Gladys. Even in a vacuum, Eugene and Gladys’ love story was more of longing than love.
Still, this was very good and the writing style makes me interested in checking out the author’s other stuff.
December 29, 2023
This is now one of my favorite books. It is so beautiful and funny and sad and ugh I want to give the main character, Geno, the biggest hug and be his friend!!!
April 19, 2025
27th book read in 2025
I am a huge Jonathan Evison fan. I have read all but his latest book. Somehow, I missed Again and Again when it came out in 2023. I sure am glad I read it now.
The story of a man’s life told in his own words. Words which turn out to be unreliable. You don’t realize this right away. The fellow seems to be almost an immortal, claiming to have lived many lives in which he experienced hardships, lost love, and adventures anyone would have enjoyed. Now he is nearing the end of his current life and wondering if it will be his last.
Being of a certain age myself, I have visited the aging, the dying and the illusional in hospitals, care facilities, Alzheimer’s homes, etc. It is not fun going to such places. It is not fun caring for the dying. Jonathan Evison has a history of caregiving himself, has written about it before, and so it is not surprising that the hero of this tale is a caregiver.
I must admit that for about the first half of this novel I was not sure if it was going to work for me. I have doubted this author before and only once did he let me down. Was he going to do that again?
No, he did not! I love how in every novel, he takes me through various circuitous story lines and emotional pathways to show me how truly astonishing life is. He did it again!
I am a huge Jonathan Evison fan. I have read all but his latest book. Somehow, I missed Again and Again when it came out in 2023. I sure am glad I read it now.
The story of a man’s life told in his own words. Words which turn out to be unreliable. You don’t realize this right away. The fellow seems to be almost an immortal, claiming to have lived many lives in which he experienced hardships, lost love, and adventures anyone would have enjoyed. Now he is nearing the end of his current life and wondering if it will be his last.
Being of a certain age myself, I have visited the aging, the dying and the illusional in hospitals, care facilities, Alzheimer’s homes, etc. It is not fun going to such places. It is not fun caring for the dying. Jonathan Evison has a history of caregiving himself, has written about it before, and so it is not surprising that the hero of this tale is a caregiver.
I must admit that for about the first half of this novel I was not sure if it was going to work for me. I have doubted this author before and only once did he let me down. Was he going to do that again?
No, he did not! I love how in every novel, he takes me through various circuitous story lines and emotional pathways to show me how truly astonishing life is. He did it again!
December 22, 2024
Eugene Miles is a 106-year-old man, bored and rather bitter as he waits to die in his nursing home. Until, that is, the aptly named Angel, a new housekeeper, takes an interest in hearing the stories of his many past lives, starting 1,100 years before in Seville under the Moors, where, as a petty street thief, he is rescued by the beauteous Gaya, and then spends his many lives in many incarnations (Oscar Wilde’s cat!) down the centuries trying to find her again. Well, you can imagine that those who surround Eugene are pretty skeptical, but Angel is at least sympathetic and friendly, and the two are drawn closer as Eugene finds himself coaching the young man through his own romantic tribulations. The narrative pace is sometimes herky-jerky as we plunge back and forth through the centuries and into Eugene’s present life, where his secrets are gradually being laid bare, but there’s a lovely and warm emotional pay-off in the end.
December 11, 2023
This is the second Evison book I've read, and I believe I've become a firm fan. In "Again and Again," Evison shows off his characteristic ability to bring characters to life rapidly, layer in multiple complex threads, and ultimately leave you wanting more.
Eugene (Geno) is in the last days of his current, and perhaps final, life — one of many that he has lived in over 1,000+ years. Now a resident in an assisted living home, Geno largely keeps to himself, with no patience for companionship. When Angel, a cheerful custodian at the home, begins talking to Geno despite his gruffness, Geno begrudgingly shares stories from his past lives. Understandably skeptical but willing to humor him, Angel comes to wonder if Geno is delusional and processing a life of trauma, or truly an exceptional man who has lived again and again.
Compared to "Small World," I would guess that "Again and Again" will be more accessible to the pop-fiction reader, though in many ways the book is no less ambitious. At times, I was feeling pseudo-Forrest Gump vibes, with Geno popping up at key moments of history across many generations. Whether it's life in medieval Spain or a life spent as Oscar Wilde's cat, Geno never lets go of the true love he once lost, and his pursuit of this love becomes a lives-long quest.
The plot does take a certain amount of careful attention as it jumps across eras, especially in the audio format; the reader must be able to fluidly move in and out of various stories, often mid-thought. I appreciated this mental challenge, though, and respected Evison's ambition in crafting it. One thing I did wish for, however, was a deeper sense of Geno's love for Gaya. I felt their scenes needed more complexity to make his all-pervasive love seem genuine. Instead of feeling this love, we're simply told to feel it, and this is the only significant missed opportunity I can point to. Nonetheless, the relationship between Geno and Angel is truly heartwarming and, for me, the book was close to a home run. "Again and Again" is ultimately an homage to love in its many forms, and the ways that we all can find love, whether it's across a single lifetime or many. 4.5 stars rounded up.
Eugene (Geno) is in the last days of his current, and perhaps final, life — one of many that he has lived in over 1,000+ years. Now a resident in an assisted living home, Geno largely keeps to himself, with no patience for companionship. When Angel, a cheerful custodian at the home, begins talking to Geno despite his gruffness, Geno begrudgingly shares stories from his past lives. Understandably skeptical but willing to humor him, Angel comes to wonder if Geno is delusional and processing a life of trauma, or truly an exceptional man who has lived again and again.
Compared to "Small World," I would guess that "Again and Again" will be more accessible to the pop-fiction reader, though in many ways the book is no less ambitious. At times, I was feeling pseudo-Forrest Gump vibes, with Geno popping up at key moments of history across many generations. Whether it's life in medieval Spain or a life spent as Oscar Wilde's cat, Geno never lets go of the true love he once lost, and his pursuit of this love becomes a lives-long quest.
The plot does take a certain amount of careful attention as it jumps across eras, especially in the audio format; the reader must be able to fluidly move in and out of various stories, often mid-thought. I appreciated this mental challenge, though, and respected Evison's ambition in crafting it. One thing I did wish for, however, was a deeper sense of Geno's love for Gaya. I felt their scenes needed more complexity to make his all-pervasive love seem genuine. Instead of feeling this love, we're simply told to feel it, and this is the only significant missed opportunity I can point to. Nonetheless, the relationship between Geno and Angel is truly heartwarming and, for me, the book was close to a home run. "Again and Again" is ultimately an homage to love in its many forms, and the ways that we all can find love, whether it's across a single lifetime or many. 4.5 stars rounded up.
January 5, 2024
I initially started the book, and put it down within a few chapters to read other books on my TBR. I picked it up again and truly gave it a chance, and ended up devouring it in a few days. This story is so uniquely and beautifully written. The main storyline is about a man living in an assisted living facility who tells stories of his multiple lives. Throughout the book you’re trying to figure out if he���s delusional, or intentionally lying & the search for the truth while you’re falling in love with the characters will take you on a ride that will leave you feeling all the feels. My favorite books are the books that make me FEEL, and by the end of this book I was definitely emotional. Even though the ending was not unexpected, I was surprised when the tears just started falling. I was sad that it was over, and felt myself wanting more. I personally was more invested in Eugene’s present life (and his touching friendship with Angel), and found myself rushing through the reincarnation storylines. I recently saw a review that said that they felt the love story was lacking, and I can see that; but I also think it’s kind of the point. If you look at the multiple lives Eugene talks about living, they all have one thing in common - his love was never fully reciprocated.
January 28, 2024
It felt like it took at least half of this book to really get into and for something to hook me. The beginning was so wordy and just tough to get into. There was a nice twist I didn’t see coming and really finally gave this some meat but it got there so late in. Ended nicely but was just underwhelmed.
November 8, 2023
This story is about a man, Eugene, who thinks he has lived through several centuries through reincarnation. Having fallen love with a beautiful woman, Gaya, during his very first life, he continues to search for her through the centuries.
However, at the beginning of the book, Eugene is a 92-year-old man living in present day in an elder care home. As he begins to tell Angel, one of the carers at the home, the stories of his past lives, he and Angel become good buddies and make a difference in each other’s lives.
The book goes back and forth between Eugene’s past lives and his current life, and it is all very interesting, but did the past lives really happen? Many people have tried to figure this out but mostly they just think he’s crazy. But how can he prove it? And what will happen at the end of this life? Will he ever find Gaya?
This book is intriguing but it was just okay for me. I felt it left too many loose ends, and overall didn’t hold my attention as much as I would have liked. I have enjoyed several of Jonathan Evison’s books in the past, but I didn’t feel like this was his best one.
I’d like to thank NetGalley, Jonathan Evison, and Dutton for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
However, at the beginning of the book, Eugene is a 92-year-old man living in present day in an elder care home. As he begins to tell Angel, one of the carers at the home, the stories of his past lives, he and Angel become good buddies and make a difference in each other’s lives.
The book goes back and forth between Eugene’s past lives and his current life, and it is all very interesting, but did the past lives really happen? Many people have tried to figure this out but mostly they just think he’s crazy. But how can he prove it? And what will happen at the end of this life? Will he ever find Gaya?
This book is intriguing but it was just okay for me. I felt it left too many loose ends, and overall didn’t hold my attention as much as I would have liked. I have enjoyed several of Jonathan Evison’s books in the past, but I didn’t feel like this was his best one.
I’d like to thank NetGalley, Jonathan Evison, and Dutton for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
March 3, 2024
I loved this story, I love stories from elderly people and seeing and hearing about what they once were, what made/makes them tick. Probably stems from my Nana and grandparents and all of their stories... it's probably why I ended up working in the field I do.. Very interesting and intriguing main character and story. I would say 4.5⭐️ rounded up if not a total 5.
Plus the author is a Washingtonian!
Plus the author is a Washingtonian!
January 10, 2024
I need this made into a movie A👏🏻S👏🏻A👏🏻P👏🏻
December 25, 2023
What a story! Had no idea where this book was going most of the time…. But I HAD to keep reading. Absolutely heartbreaking! Best book of 2023!
January 10, 2024
I’m an absolute sucker for stories about sad, old men finding friendship with wayward, young men. This story was absolutely fascinating and a real tear-jerker. Oh my gosh I can’t even think about the ending without tearing up again. My cats think I’m crazy.
December 29, 2023
I flew this book. I usually hate a book where things aren’t neatly wrapped up with all questions answered but somehow this one was different. Would definitely recommend!
November 3, 2023
In this absorbing and quite unique story we meet an elderly man named Eugene Miles. He claims to be 105 years old, yet his birth certificate states that he is 92. Either way, he has seen a lot of living, and of life. More even than his years would suggest, for Eugene believes he has lived many times before and he remembers each of his incarnations - going back eleven hundred years!
Now he lives a very solitary life at a nursing home. He hasn't had a visitor for almost a decade and he spends his days doing jigsaw puzzles. He claims he likes it that way... until... a gregarious and kind worker at the home befriends him, almost against his will. The young man could not have been farther from the type of guy you would imagine that Eugene would have a rapport with. 'Angel' is Chicano, in his twenties, complete with tats and a nose ring and he loves hearing Eugene's myriad stories. He seems to be the only one who believes him and Eugene comes to care for Angel deeply.
We come to know Eugene's many previous life experience through the stories he tells Angel. But does Angel really believe him? No one else does. Is he just a delusional old man or is there some merit to his fanciful stories? Are they memories like he claims?
This novel was basically a treatise on the human need for connection. For being 'seen' by another person no matter what age you are, whatever stage of life you find yourself in. It also spoke to the intrinsic importance of anticipation and hope in our lives.
The author's writing flowed fairly smoothly, no easy task considering he jumped around through different countries and centuries within Eugene's storytelling. Mired as Eugene was in his past lives, the book mired there too. At times I wished there was more about Eugene's life in the present, yet I can understand the reasoning behind the author's decisions. Throughout, the book displayed Evison's deep empathy and understanding of the human condition.
The ending begs the question of whether or not to believe Eugene's claims. Were his 'memories' the fanciful fabrications of a lonely old man? Were they the resulting manifestation of childhood trauma?
This is the second novel I've read by this author and I plan to read more of his work when time permits. "Again and Again" is a touching and sentimental foray into the mind of an elderly man. Recommended!
Now he lives a very solitary life at a nursing home. He hasn't had a visitor for almost a decade and he spends his days doing jigsaw puzzles. He claims he likes it that way... until... a gregarious and kind worker at the home befriends him, almost against his will. The young man could not have been farther from the type of guy you would imagine that Eugene would have a rapport with. 'Angel' is Chicano, in his twenties, complete with tats and a nose ring and he loves hearing Eugene's myriad stories. He seems to be the only one who believes him and Eugene comes to care for Angel deeply.
We come to know Eugene's many previous life experience through the stories he tells Angel. But does Angel really believe him? No one else does. Is he just a delusional old man or is there some merit to his fanciful stories? Are they memories like he claims?
This novel was basically a treatise on the human need for connection. For being 'seen' by another person no matter what age you are, whatever stage of life you find yourself in. It also spoke to the intrinsic importance of anticipation and hope in our lives.
The author's writing flowed fairly smoothly, no easy task considering he jumped around through different countries and centuries within Eugene's storytelling. Mired as Eugene was in his past lives, the book mired there too. At times I wished there was more about Eugene's life in the present, yet I can understand the reasoning behind the author's decisions. Throughout, the book displayed Evison's deep empathy and understanding of the human condition.
The ending begs the question of whether or not to believe Eugene's claims. Were his 'memories' the fanciful fabrications of a lonely old man? Were they the resulting manifestation of childhood trauma?
This is the second novel I've read by this author and I plan to read more of his work when time permits. "Again and Again" is a touching and sentimental foray into the mind of an elderly man. Recommended!
November 13, 2023
I... liked this... to the point where I had my cursor hovering between 3 and 4 stars and clicked to let the gods of fate decide where it landed. It was a good idea, well written, but I don't feel like either the flashbacks or the modern-day stories got the full attention they deserved. The past lives stories were so scattered throughout that it was hard to care too much about them as their own narratives, and Eugene's modern-day plot was basically centered on what he saw from his room.
Part of the problem is that I keep hoping for another West of Here from Evison and then getting disappointed when the books fall far short of that. It's like going into every Springsteen album hoping every song will be Thunder Road.
Part of the problem is that I keep hoping for another West of Here from Evison and then getting disappointed when the books fall far short of that. It's like going into every Springsteen album hoping every song will be Thunder Road.
December 6, 2023
I don’t quite know what to make of this book. The concept is interesting, albeit a little confusingly executed. If the book’s goal was to make the reader question the story’s reality, it definitely accomplished that for me. There were some decent twists in the middle of the story that kept me wanting to read, but by the end, the story was both repetitive in parts and rushed in other parts. The ending didn’t pack the emotional punch for me that it did for others. I didn’t dislike the book, but it wasn’t a solid read for me either.
July 6, 2023
2.5/5
There’s literally nothing really wrong with this book except nothing about it is what I personally wanted. I didn’t mesh with the writing style at all. All of the twists felt forced or eye roll worthy. I didn’t buy the romance. And I didn’t really understand the main character. In the end I just found it boring. This will entertain and delight some readers but that reader just wasn’t me.
There’s literally nothing really wrong with this book except nothing about it is what I personally wanted. I didn’t mesh with the writing style at all. All of the twists felt forced or eye roll worthy. I didn’t buy the romance. And I didn’t really understand the main character. In the end I just found it boring. This will entertain and delight some readers but that reader just wasn’t me.
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