Life's Lottery

by Kim Newman

An adult role-playing novel where the reader can choose different narrative options which can result in very different plot resolutions, highlighting our existential lives, where seemingly small decisions have monumental consequences.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Choose Your Own Adventure, Science Fiction, Gamebooks

608 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 1999

About the author

Note: This author also writes under the pseudonym of Jack Yeovil.
An expert on horror and sci-fi cinema (his books of film criticism include Nightmare Movies and Millennium Movies), Kim Newman's novels draw promiscuously on the tropes of horror, sci-fi and fantasy. He is complexly and irreverently referential; the Dracula sequence--Anno Dracula, The Bloody Red Baron and Dracula,Cha Cha Cha--not only portrays an alternate world in which the Count conquers Victorian Britain for a while, is the mastermind behind Germany's air aces in World War One and survives into a jetset 1950s of paparazzi and La Dolce Vita, but does so with endless throwaway references that range from Kipling to James Bond, from Edgar Allen Poe to Patricia Highsmith.
In horror novels such as Bad Dreams and Jago, reality turns out to be endlessly subverted by the powerfully malign. His pseudonymous novels, as Jack Yeovil, play elegant games with genre cliche--perhaps the best of these is the sword-and-sorcery novel Drachenfels which takes the prescribed formulae of the games company to whose bible it was written and make them over entirely into a Kim Newman novel.
Life's Lottery, his most mainstream novel, consists of multiple choice fragments which enable readers to choose the hero's fate and take him into horror, crime and sf storylines or into mundane reality.

Reviews

[Chantal Patton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with this book. I'd been wanting to read it for years, as I always loved the choose-your-own-adventure books as a child, so the notion of a grown-up version just seemed like a brilliant notion.

I started reading it and was enjoying the various choices, flicking through the pages, seeing where the story was taking me, when suddenly the story sped up and I found myself dead. Ok, well I guess I just chose badly - I'll backtrack a bit and try again... more death. How about this option? Oh, death. How about a totally different route? Death. I quickly came to realise that my choices weren't really proper choices - rather than most options leading to some kind of satisfying decent-lengthed story - if you chose 'incorrectly', things would end very quickly. I started trying to find the thread that would lead me onto the actual novel-lengthed story, as it must be there, it's a pretty thick book, but my decision making was clearly bad and I started just skim-reading sections in order to avoid being too disappointed when the inevitable death occurred! This seemed to defeat the whole point of it and I just wasn't enjoying it in the way I'd expected to, so I gave up. It's quite possible that there is a really good story in this book, but finding it was far too difficult and frustrating for me, and I'm a pretty patient person. I'm just pleased I borrowed it from a library and didn't actually buy it.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly ingenious novel from Kim Newman inspired by the old adventure gamebooks (i.e. Fighting Fantasy/Choose-Your-Own-Adventure). In this tale, which loosely connects with his other novel The Quorum, you take charge of the life of one Keith Marion and take him through a myriad of different lives based on the decisions you make for him.
Aside from becoming a novel that spans different genres depending on the choices you make for Keith, it also manages to make you consider and reflect upon your own life choices. Hence Life's Lottery manages to deliver a very different reading experience, one that is enormous fun but can also be strangely profound.

[Guillermo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Llegué a este librojuego a través de la opinión de Demian Katz, que mantiene la mayor base de datos de librojuegos mundial (gamebooks.org). Curiosamente Demian no parece ser un gran fan de los librojuegos actuales. Según sus propias palabras es un formato al que le ve potencial pero le decepciona lo que se ha hecho con él. Opinión tan respetable como cualquier otra, por supuesto. Pero a continuación dice textualmente: 'El único libro que realmente destaca entre la multitud es Life's Lottery, de Kim Newman, que creo que todo el mundo debería leer'.

Y aquí estamos tras haber leído y completado cinco rutas de Life's Lottery. ¿Opino lo mismo que Damian? ¿Estoy ante una obra imprescindible? Pues yo no diría tanto, pero sí que es cierto que Life's Lottery me ha sorprendido de forma positiva.

Lo primero que me llamó la atención es que el libro tiene 300 secciones pero más de 600 páginas. Esto quiere decir que las secciones son largas, de varias páginas. Eso me hacía intuir que sería más novela que librojuego y en cierto modo así es. Pero vamos por partes...

Empecé con mal pie y el primer turno me pareció un tanto pretencioso en su narrativa. Sin embargo tenía varias cosas interesantes como la total ruptura de la cuarta pared (el autor se dirige a nosotros de forma muy directa) y decisiones posibles tales como decidir no respirar al nacer (con lo cual nos vamos a la sección 0, que viene ser que no empezamos). En ese primer turno tenemos un ejemplo de como seguirá la cosa: nacemos en un sitio concreto (Inglaterra en los años 50), en una familia de clase media, con una hermana mayor, nos ponen un nombre... aquí empieza el juego del autor con la consideración de las decisiones: hay cosas que no podemos decidir. Y este tema se tocará en varios puntos a lo largo de las narrativas que seguiremos.

¿De qué va el libro realmente? Pues básicamente somos un hombre inglés nacido en los años 50 que va a desarrollar su vida. A lo largo del libro tendremos algunos puntos donde podremos tomar decisiones que cambiarán drásticamente nuestro futuro. Pero también tendremos secciones largas donde las cosas sucederán sin que podamos modificarlas. Es un ritmo curioso: podemos llegar a una sección donde se nos dice que nos graduamos, obtenemos un trabajo, nos casamos con alguien y tenemos dos hijos (todo en la misma sección, sin decisiones de por medio) pero de pronto el paso del tiempo se detiene y entramos en una micro-escena donde sí que tomaremos una decisión (a veces banal) y a partir de ella nuestra vida puede dar un giro completo.

Hay una sensación en este librojuego que me ha recordado al concepto de las 'runs' de algunos géneros de videojuegos. Perdonad el anglicismo pero no caigo en si existe un término en nuestro idioma equivalente. Las 'runs' se dan en ciertos juegos donde no grabas partida: empiezas desde el principio y tienes que hacer un recorrido hasta el final. En muchos de estos juegos el recorrido se genera de forma aleatoria para que cada partida sea distinta. Pues bien: en el caso de Life's Lottery he tenido esa sensación porque en cada partida, dependiendo de tus elecciones, el recorrido es totalmente distinto.

Para que os hagáis una idea: en mi primera partida terminé con un final que me pareció inmejorable. Fui feliz, con un matrimonio positivo, una vida plena y la sensación de ser buena persona, de las que marcan la diferencia. En la segunda acabé siendo millonario pero con un hijo despreciable. El la tercera ¡acabé matando a un montón de gente en una escena caótica de venganzas locales! Y así todo... ¿y que me llevó a una cosa u otra? Pues reacciones de mi infancia ante un abusón, o quizás cortejar a cierta chica, o decidir si quería estudiar o no... Cada recorrido supuso poco menos de un par de horas de lectura y media docena de toma de decisiones, lo cual significa que en ese libro hay un montón de recorridos esperándome y, la verdad, tengo pensado volver a él de vez en cuando.

Hay cosas que me fascinaron como el hecho de que los personajes de los recorridos son muchas veces los mismos. Familiares, amigos, conocidos... pero claro: cada vez que tú tomas una decisión su papel cambia y te puedes encontrar que quien era tu amigo en la vuelta anterior ahora es un tipo que te hace la vida imposible. O que a tu familia le pasa una cosa u otra. Es como tener un microcosmos que examinar dependiendo de tus decisiones.

La otra cosa que me llamó la atención es la inmersión en la cultura inglesa de la época. He aprendido, sin darme cuenta, algunas cosas sobre política y cultura anglosajona (ahí tenemos las Malvinas y el sistema de estudios ingles de los años 50 que recuerda a The Wall). En realidad en cada recorrido veía en mi cabeza las imágenes de las típicas películas inglesas, desde las costumbristas hasta las más locas tipo 'Snatch: cerdos y diamantes'.

Como puede apreciarse es un librojuego muy diferente a los habituales. Y por eso debo advertir que no es para todo el mundo. Comencé con mal pie con él pero al final me ha encantado, pero sé de más de un conocido que lo tiraría a la hoguera sin pensárselo dos veces. No esperéis aquí aventuras heroicas, aunque hay algunas tramas que se las traen, con explosiones incluidas. Pero si queréis salir de vuestra zona de confort y probar algo diferente es vuestro libro. Es más: añadiría que si no os gustan los librojuegos pero queréis probar uno: es vuestro libro.

[Красимира · Rating 2 out of 5]

Вероятно щях да харесам тази книга много повече, ако нямах толкова големи очаквания в началото. Имам специален интерес към интерактивните романи за възрастни, дори написах такъв, така че се бях подготвила за приятно и забавно четиво.

Всъщност не е чак толкова зле, но за мен има огромен пропуснат потенциал. В стремежа си да развие възможно най-много варианти на живота на главния герой, Ким Нюман е оставил повечето действащи лица повърхностни до степен да не мога да почувствам никой от тях, нито да изпитам симпатия или интерес. При първите няколко прочетени линии дори не бях сигурна кой кой е, нито какво прави и защо.

Книгата изобилства от резки и внезапни преходи понякога с десетина години. Веднъж дори се върнах да проверя дали не съм видяла грешно номера на епизода. Историята направо подскача. Освен това през повечето време поради липса на място авторът прави резюмета и обобщения. В един епизод например на шест страници е описано какво се случва от 1982 година до 2020 година! Хей, това е повече от целия ми досегашен живот - от две години преди да се родя до след четири години.

Повествованието се води в напълно излишно второ лице. Аз лично никога досега не бях имала проблем с второто лице, което е типично за много книги-игри, може би защото често то се използва, за да допълниш героя със собствените си характеристики или начин на мислене. Тук обаче между мен и главния герой нямаше нито една пресечна точка и бих предпочела да чета за живота му в трето лице. И не ми харесваше авторът да ми казва как се чувствам.

(следват малки спойлери)




В част от развитията се появяваха ни в клин, ни в ръкав разни фантастични елементи, които за мен имаха единствената функция да ми нарушават чувството за правдопособност. Съответно още по-малко ме беше грижа за героите и събитията.

Пример: героят и брат му подмамиха група хора, с които имаха сметки за уреждане, в една планина на нещо като курс по оцеляване, за да им въртят номера. После някой взе да ги избива. До тук добре. Внезапно до един от труповете се появиха клонирани обувките на всички присъстващи?! Като прочетох вариантите, видях, че в друга линия въпросните обувки изчезнаха. Може отстрани да изглежда хитро, но след като научих, че обувки се появяват и изчезват самоволно без особена причина, съвсем изгубих интерес към мистерията и търсенето на убиеца.

Изборите също бяха преобладаващо случайни и често без ясна връзка с последващото развитие. Пример: героят решава да се самоубие, защото е преспал с пияно момиче и се чувства виновен. Изборът е дали ще използва хапчета или бръснач. Ако избереш второто, следващият избор е как ще си реже вените - напряко или по дължина...

Понякога в различните развития едни и същи персонажи се развиваха в толкова различни посоки, че ми беше трудно да ги приемам сериозно като истински хора. Да, знам, че и в живота вероятно характерът на човек се променя според обстоятелствата, но на места в случая беше малко прекалено. Пример: един персонаж в една от линиите беше гей и си имаше друг гей за приятел, във втора линия беше гажде на главния герой (който иначе във всички останали варианти си беше хетеро), а в трета линия беше женен за сестрата на главния герой и двамата имаха шест деца.

Мога още много да се оплаквам по темата. Ще спомена само, че авторът си има свят, а от обясненията в края на книгата става ясно, че част от второстепенните герои, както и разни типове мотаещи се наоколо, са главни действащи лица в негови романи. Ако ги бях чела или смятах да ги чета, това вероятно щеше да ме заинтригува. Засега обаче смятам да избягвам Ким Нюман и творчеството му.

[Δημήτρης Μαύρος · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a CYOA book that aspires to be literature, so instead of the usual sci-fi kind of CYOA which is mostly for kids or teenagers, here we got a man and we're making his choices for him as he moves through life. The narration is really basic (you do this, you do that, go to 102, back to 67 etc.) and the style rather bland; there is no rhythm, no linguistic distinctiveness, everything is very, very simple. And seeing as it is 600 pages long (300 chapters) I can predict how tiring it could be become after a whileIt's a very interesting attempt (the serious CYOA which should then be CYOS, substituting Story for Adventure) but thankfully for me unsuccesful (sic). I've never been happy that a book is mediocre. Actually, that's not true; I was quite satisfied when Nesbo proved to be even worse than I thought. But the reason here is completely different and probably uninteresting to anyone but me: I'm also writing a CYOA book (which in my case should be something like CHLS, Choose His Life Story) wanting to use this great narrative structure for serious literature. So the fact that Newman did it before me but somewhat failed in every aspect that I find critical (language, narration, structure complexity, intellectual depth) is relieving.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing initially pulled me with the author's sly humor, but I quickly grew bored. I just couldn't get into being such a generic character. It seemed like the author was more interested in the question of free choice vs. pre-determination than actually telling an interesting tale. I have to admit I was also put off tight from the start when she makes the assertion that when you were in your mother's womb you were already making choices whether to flail your arm or not because you were already a person. That is one hundred percent wrong. Humans don't begin to even gain conscience control over their limbs until three to four months after birth. It's hard to take seriously a book that seeks to explore the nature of choice when the author doesn't even know the difference between reflex and conscience decision.

I have read some really engaging Japaneses visual novels that are essentially choose your own adventure novels but this just didn't work for me.

Also the kindle edition doesn't have hyper links for the decision points so you have to use the table of contents to skip to the next part. Lame.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully creative Choose Your Own Adventure Book aimed at a somewhat older audience. Exceptionally creepy and disturbing at times. I actually got pretty creeped out by it for awhile and really set it aside. Some of the outcomes are quite unsettling, and it's a bit too large to do the old "flip ahead and see which one you want" game that I found so workable in the old, classic CYOA books of my childhood. Definitely worth a spin, though, and it definitely accomplishes its goal of emphasizing the contingency of human existence in a clever fashion.

[Googoogjoob · Rating 2 out of 5]

A noble experiment, but one that, I think, doesn't really work out.

Life's Lottery is a "choose your own adventure" novel, or a "gamebook"- it's an interactive text, where, at the end of each segment of narrative, the reader is prompted to make a decision on behalf of the protagonist, and then read another segment of narrative determined by that decision. Most gamebooks are marketed to children and teenagers, and have fantastical or science-fictional settings. Life's Lottery sets itself apart by its real-world setting, by its length relative to most gamebooks, and by being aimed squarely at adults. This is a cool idea, but I find that it's let down in practice, in several ways.

While this is not in the overtly fantastical vein of speculative fiction inhabited by most gamebooks, it's also not really literary fiction. It's more like a potboiler thriller. It deals with real-world ideas and relationships, but the pull is always to the sordid and absurd; the writing is generally in a terse, immediate style that doesn't allow for much characterization or reflection. There's not much to "get" here.

The choices offered to the reader are massively contingent- the decision points are all at vital, life-changing junctures. This allows for greater variety in the story, but the consequences of your decisions are often obscure, and so much happens between the choices, that the reader has very little deliberate influence on the story, rather outside the spirit of most gamebooks. It doesn't really feel like a "role-playing novel" as a result- the reader is along for the ride here, rather than a participant deliberately shaping the narrative.

The book is overlarded with references to British pop culture and politics of the 70s and 80s. This isn't really a positive or a negative, but it creates a distancing effect for non-British readers, and likely for British readers who happen to be younger than the author, as well. Later issues of the book include a glossary to explain all the references, originally prepared for American readers- but if anything this is more distancing, highlighting how many of the references can't be understood via context, and are essentially gratuitous to the text's meaning.

The book is also full of references to other novels and short stories by the author. This strikes me as self-indulgent; especially so given the tangential nature of so many of the references, and the way that Newman seems to delight in documenting every such reference in the aforementioned glossary. This is again something that isn't unambiguously negative, but it's grating in the absence of more committed ideas and development.

There are metatextual segments commenting on the fragmented, branching structure of the book itself, which a reader can only find by reading through the book cover-to-cover- which is, again, a cool idea; but they don't really pay off thematically very well, and mostly serve to deliver more self-indulgent cross-referencing.

As a result of all this, the book is more of a novelty than a successful novel. Its formal experimentation is worthy of respect and praise, but it's a shame that it doesn't actually have the ideas or thematic heft to make it any more than a curio. I understand that some aspects of the book- the sordid "exploitation" stuff, the gratuitous pop culture references, the linked-up shared universe- are habitual elements of Newman's style; they aren't things that motivate me to explore his work any further.

[Luke Stacks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a bonkers choose-your-own-adventure novel that works from the conceit that our current world is punitive and uneven (a perspective I agree with). You have to choose carefully to avoid a quick death or such a boring life that the narrator gives up on you. This is a neat premise to explore in CYOA but it's an ungainly reading experience to constantly circle back from these many dead ends. I got whiplash from how fast I became a crack addict after choosing to smoke pot as a teen, for example. One of the biggest strengths of the novel is how deeply felt it is in a time and place (mainly 1970s England); one of the biggest weaknesses is how much the character you're driving conforms to a fading view of masculinity. Part of the book's "adventure" spirit is bedding women, who are often prizes for your good choices. This was so distracting that it took away from many other positive qualities, such as how the book's choice structure often sorts you into different genres: one strand is a murder mystery, another an action film, one more horror.

[Mjhancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has read a lot of these books, this is... pretty weird, but in a good way. It's a choose your own adventure, but one that focuses more on the mundanity of life. It really takes full advantage of the choice-based nature of these books to explore what essentially comes down to a deterministic world view, where early choices in your childhood have a profound effect on future options. There's a lot of melodramatic scenarios that are fun to work through in all their permutations--and more than one that acknowledges the strangeness at the story's core, that you are really succumbing to some sort of meta-reality sci-fi disease or a strange creature beyond existence that is making you live out multiple lives--or perhaps both. It's hard to do something really interesting and innovative with the choose your adventure format that isn't just making it more "adult"but I think this, strange as it is, succeeds.

[Steven Berger · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars means 'it was ok' and yes, that's about it. Go through the life of Keith, and make 'choices' and then read in horror as your life falls apart in a mixture of ways. Most of the paths lead to a pretty shitty existence, and the few that don't are often brief.

There are some very branching stories in here, all from some seemingly very minor decisions, and I felt that the author was trying to make this point. Where it didn't work for me is that you'd make a small choice, and then the next section you'd read would be about how that choice meant you had a fairly miserable life for the next 30 years, and I'd be thinking 'hang on, I only decided to stay in rather than go down the pub - how did that lead to 30 years of hell?'.

In the end I probably read about 30% of the entries, and by that point I was done with Keith and his various miserable lives.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting experiment, this "Choose Your Destiny" novel is much more grounded, even mundane, than the classic CYOA books of my youth. The prose is subdued, the humor subtle, the fantastical elements fleeting (depending on your path). Good stuff, but not for everybody, and you definitely get what you give.
I did not read all 600-ish pages, but read about a dozen branching paths. They ranged from kitchen-sink realism to county warfare to horror and sf (of a sort). I like it, and intend to return to it several times, but it may not be for you.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Life's Lottery is a choose-your-own adventure story revolving around a man name Keith, whose lot in life you will take on in the story. Keith is a rather boring individual born in the 1950s in Britain and seems to live a bullied life in the shadows of his siblings. This book asks you to make choices on how miserable Keith's life will become before you're sent back to the beginning. I have a feeling if I kept up with it any longer, it would have become a one star.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the idea of choose your own story element, as I loved reading those types of books as a child; and so that is the only reason I picked to read it. Also because it was one of the challenges for the Popsugar reading challenge.

But this book was really slow, boring and I just didn't enjoy it. I wish I hadn't read it - as it has been a waste of my morning!

[Eric]

I'm not giving a star rating on this, just landing it on the DNF list. It's supposed to be a pick your own path book... and I have certain expectations for that. This book did not meet those, nor did it fill me with an urge to keep reading after I struggled with it for a while.

Once a friend told me about the "choices" in the later part of the story I decided it was best to let this one go.

[Josh Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a very good time with this one. After a few read-throughs, I began to get the impression there was something else "hiding" behind the standard CYOA format. In searching it out, I read through all the available choices and all the available n0n-choices. It was a unique reading experience, for sure, and I'm glad I gave it a go!

[Valeria G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright but a bit long, I don't think I finished all the story lines (I would probably estimate around 60%). I put it down when the novelty of choose your own adventure wore off. I just wanted to read something else and get invested fully in a story instead of snippets.

[Kerie Mooney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just could not finish it!
I hate giving up on a book but the repetition was too much !
I liked the concept , wasn't sure if I was supposed to make the choices or just move on ....
I just moved out !!!!

[Kathleen]

I don’t think I can adequately rate this book. I got several of the endings but I don’t feel like I have a good overall grasp of the themes. This is more of a novelty or pick something up to read for a little bit kind of book. Definitely an interesting add to my collection.

[Literarykittens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this adult choose your own adventure book. I'm on my second playthrough. The stories are wild and you can never see where it's headed.

Beating up my childhood bullies in a pub bathroom with my brother was one of the most satisfying scenes in fiction.

[Jelaina Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't hate it. But it was not a happy ending type book!

[Ben]

Got my first ending, there are many more I'll come back to later.

[Lauryn Turk · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be far it’s not that I didn’t finish this book, it’s just that the idea of it was appealing but was executed below my expectations. Might be good for someone else but not for me.

[Kylie C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like at all. I loved choose your own adventure books when I was younger, loved the idea of an adult version, couldn't figure it out, just kept dying, wasn't fun, didn't make sense

[Shen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very strange and I love it. I only wish I could find my old copy. Must have left it at my parents' house.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little different from my usual review books. It’s an adults’ Choose Your Own Adventure book! I really enjoyed reading these as a kid and, of course, spent a good deal of time cheating and remaking choices for a better outcome. Those were mostly sci-fi based and not grounded in reality. For those not familiar with the concept, you’re essentially presented with two options, if you choose option A, turn to section 29 , if you choose option B, turn to section 94 – that kind of thing.

You are Keith Marion, born in England, and pretty much from then on you’re presented with choice after choice which direct the outcomes of your life. It is a fascinating experience as you go through the book, with seemingly minor decisions having large repercussions. You see the ripples your decisions make throughout the rest of your life. When you do make what appears to be a bad decision, it is genuinely gutting, and as you read, you feel the regret we all feel about such mistakes in real life. In some ways it’s sort of like starring in your own reality TV show. It’s so well written that during events like rough break ups, you really feel it. Emotions triggered by real life experiences and your own personal history come to the surface. Kim Newman’s writing style is intelligent and witty, and it’s impossible not to get drawn in. The mundane is made interesting as you live somebody else’s life for them. Then there are the other occasions where no matter what decision you make, you end up on the same path – fate laid out on the page. Unavoidable.

The characters you meet in the book are well-developed, from life long adversary Robert Hackwith, to other classmates from school and your younger brother, James. Of course, your character is largely governed by your decisions. Time is measured from childhood in the 60s through the historic events, politics and social movements that you live through, and entertainingly, who the current lead actor in Doctor Who happens to be. Growing up in England myself through some of those decades meant that the references resonated with me and conjured nostalgic images, especially the end of the Thatcher era and the Poll Tax riots. However, those readers who have not grown up in England won’t find that that detracts from the story. The author has included a handy annotated glossary in the back of the book to explain the references that might not be clear to a U.S. audience.

Due to the nature of the book, it really stands up to repeated readings as you explore where different options might take you. Therefore, a plot synopsis isn’t really applicable for this book, but there are twists – huge twists – that I won’t spoil. In my initial reading I ended up as a murderer who got away with it, but I never found happiness. There really isn’t much in the way of horror in this book, although there is plenty of death and some murder, with the worst fates awaiting those who did the worst at life’s lottery. This is a fun read that is a much different reading experience from the norm. I recommend it.

[Antonio Gallo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tra i tanti libri che mi ritrovo questo l'ho appena ripescato dopo averlo dimenticato dietro ad una fila di altri libri. Non c'è nessuna data o luogo di acquisto, come sono solito fare con ogni nuova entry e non mi è possibile collocarlo nel tempo. Ricordo vagamente di averlo acquistato in un aeroporto durante uno dei tanti viaggi che ho fatto.

"La vita è una lotteria" è un libro interamente nuovo nella sua struttura e concezione: è un romanzo interattivo. L'autore invita il lettore a diventare il personaggio centrale e fare lui le scelte del percorso narrativo nei panni di Keith Marion, un ordinario inglese d'oggi. C'è un vantaggio che il lettore ha nei confronti di Keith. Il fatto che può (e voi lettori potete) sempre tornare indietro e prendere un percorso diverso, facendo ogni volta strade nuove. L'esperienza di lettura è esilarante, unica e personale. “Se hai coraggio, continua e vai a 1. Se no, torna indietro a 0″. Questa è l’alternativa che il lettore può continuamente scegliere e prendere decisioni, scegliendo percorsi diversi, forzando la mano al destino.

In apertura del libro l’autore propone una significativa anticipazione di quanto andrà a raccontare. Egli dice: Questa è la storia di un uomo che ha fatto sempre la scelta sbagliata. Avrebbe potuto avere due lavori, scelse quello sbagliato e fu licenziato. Avrebbe potuto sposare due donne diverse, scelse quella che lo lasciò. Avrebbe potuto investire in due aziende diverse, scelse quella che fece bancarotta. Poi alla fine decise di porre fine alla sua vecchia vita e volle cambiare identità ricominciando tutto d’accapo.

Va all’aeroporto e scopre che può prendere due voli diversi. Sceglie il volo con l’aereo il cui motore si incendia sull’Atlantico. Così mentre si trova a mezz’aria, sospeso tra la vita e la morte, in preda al panico con tutti passeggeri, cade in ginocchio, comincia a pregare e urla: “San Francesco aiutami!”. Il tetto dell’aereo che sta precipitando si apre, appare una luce divina. Una voce angelica gli chiede:” San Francesco Saverio o San Francesco d’Assisi?”…

[Beetqueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I make better choices in my real life than I did in this book. I've read through it 7 times so far and have ended up dead (once by my own son) four times. I loved Chose Your Own Adventures as a kid and this book made me nostalgic. Granted, it was much darker than anything I read back in grade school.

Since the main character is a bit older and British, a few of the choices were hard to make. My dad loved "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," but I've never seen it. Still, even without that knowledge, the choices were fun to make. I like that many of them forced me to make moral decisions. The first few times through, I tried to be true to myself (which ended horribly violently the first time). After that, I made some morally dubious decisions and that was fun.

I read a review of this book that said there was a lot of futuristic sci-fi in this book, but so far I've only had one story with any sci-fi elements in it. I like sci-fi, so it would be fine with me if there were more. Since the book takes place over such a large span of time, even the future elements didn't seem to out there.

I'm pausing on this book to read a few new ones, but I know I'll come back to it soon.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a really unique premise - a choose-your-own-adventure style novel but for adults, with a deeper and more involved story. I was really excited to read this one and see what it did, how it played with the reader. Unfortunately, the execution was really poor.

The main character, whose actions you decide, is mostly a shitty, lackluster person. Whether the decision was good or bad (and usually even the good ones lead to a dissatisfied life) he remained someone I’d like to punch in the face. There’s variety, but by that I mean he (of course a he) can end up sleeping with his sister or raping other women (or murdering people or making a bomb or marrying a variety of women, and so on). There’s one path that leads to “enlightenment”, but it too isn’t worth it. If this was an ironic commentary on life and choices it failed miserably for me.

[Kim Fraenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book , to a certain extent. It is set up like the old Choose Your Own Adventure books that many of us loved as kids. I did like the first storyline that I read. I made some food choices and it ended well. I felt that we were supposed to go back and try more and after a wile I just got board of doing it. I really didn't care about the characters so when I made bad choices it didn't matter. maybe I'm just being lazy, but I just didn't want to make the choices for this guy.
I really loved another book by this same author so I'll keep trying his other books. this one wasn't one I was in the mood for.