I've been looking forward to reading this for a while now and the novel didn't disappoint. Basically it's a family saga, but that description doesn't do it justice. There's a lot of humour and a fair sprinkling of farce in amongst the various Lennox and Barker family tragedies. And with York as a backdrop, too: excellent. ( )

I enjoyed this immensely, especially for the originality of the narration and timeline. ( )

Kate Atkinson won the 1995 Whitbread (Costa) Book of the Year Award for her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, before going on to write six more books, so far, including the popular Jackson Brodie mystery series.

In Museum, the precocious narrator Ruby Lenox takes us behind the scenes of the museum of her family history, starting with the very moment of her conception. Interleaved between the chapters of Ruby’s biography are lengthy “footnotes” that provide the story of earlier generations, back to Ruby’s great-grandmother.

This is a book about parents, children, sisters, love, marriage, infidelity, war, death, pets and the general hodgepodge of family life. Ruby is a beguilingly effervescent narrator, finding humor in the darkest cubbyholes of her family’s past and, eventually, finding her own place in the family gallery.

Also posted on Rose City Reader. ( )

Before she introduced readers to PI Jackson Brodie, Atkinson wrote this book, her first, and to say it's brilliant would be an understatement. I can understand why it won the Whitbread Book of the Year award. A novel that reads like a surreal memoir, the book is narrated by Ruby Lennox, who starts her tale at the moment of her conception. The family she's born into is dysfunctional at best, and Ruby relates her life and that, in alternating chapters, of key members of her family tree, filling in the family history in what she calls "footnotes." The passages covering relatives who fought in the World Wars, were especially well done.

But Ruby is, as many narrators are, unreliable, albeit unwittingly, and in her quest to make sense of her family, she finds herself.

Atkinson's prose is fluid and in turns humorous and moving, in a way that kept me reading (even if it took me a long time). The words sucked me in and I came to fully believe in these characters. They became real, especially Ruby. This is definitely going to make my list of all-time favorite books. ( )

Ruby Lennox knew almost from conception that she was unwanted. Her mother Bunty, father George, and sisters Patricia and Gilliam live Above the Shop (a pet shop) that George and Bunty grudgingly own and run. Ruby insightfully narrates their lives, inserting "footnotes" between each chapter that detail the lives of her ancestors.

The story that unfolds of an ordinary family kept me reading primarily because of Ruby's voice rather than my interest in the characters (I was often annoyed with them) or the plot (internal and retrospective even while being narrated in present tense). At times beautifully descriptive, it was an often unsettling story that I found compelling even when I did not exactly enjoy it. ( )

good as usual but my least fave, cos of early work, maybe ( )

I read this book about 10 years ago on a friend's recommendation and can remember thinking it was an amazing debut novel at the time. I decided to read it again recently, and had completely forgotten the story and so it was like reading it for the first time. I still think it's a great read and so well written that I still find it hard to believe it was Kate Atkinson's first novel. It's very funny and insightful. The story of Ruby Lennox's life, although sometimes tragic, is told in a very humourous way and it's the type of book that makes you want to carry on reading to the end to find out what happens to everyone as the characters are so well developed and really seem like real people. I would definitely recommend this novel and I think I'll be reading some more of Kate Atkinson's books. ( )

What a humorous way to let us know that all families are dysfunctional. Atkinson really made we want to know how things ended up, though the use of footnotes was irriating (do I read em now or later?). A 4 1/2 stars without that footnote gimmick. ( )

I never finished this...although I always meant to. Good first person voice and wacky British setting. ( )

The story of Ruby and her horrific childhood. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as I read this. It’s dark humor at its best.

Ruby narrates her own conception, and the story gets weirder and sadder from there. Atkinson breaks all the rules and gets away with it, which is what good writing is all about. Not only does Ruby narrate her conception, but we are filled in on the lives of her ancestors in chapter-sized footnotes. Obviously things that Ruby could never know, but the reader doesn’t care. It’s good writing and it works.

There is even a mystery too, which is what you would expect from Atkinson. The solution is revealed in the climax. ( )

It is truly amazing that this is a first novel. It is so smart and funny and British with their seemingly inherent dislike of children. Four generations of Yorkshire women and two world wars pass by in a flurry of storytelling all narrated by the remarkable Ruby Lennox. Ruby starts her story at her conception and upon being brought home from the hospital by her parents to their shabby home above a pet shop, Ruby observes that this is not too promising. She is quite right of course. While her dark humour never lets her down, there is both tragedy and mystery in Ruby's life and the book is at times very sad and moving.
Of course Ms Atkinson has gone on to write more wonderful books (sadly I only have one left to read) but there is something very special about this book. ( )

This is the story of Ruby Lennox's family - her great-grandmother, her great-aunties and great-uncles, her mum, her sisters. Funny, interestingly structured with some of the chapters titled "Footnote". ( )

My first Kate Atkinson, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Behind the Scenes at the Museum is a complex, sweeping tale of four generations with many characters and does require a certain level of concentration to sort them all out and get the most from the story. Having said that, it is told simply and honestly and with great humour, poignancy and insight. Ruby Lennox is a wonderful narrator and her first person sections are aided by the "footnotes" chapters, giving the fascinating family backstory. Not all the characters are likeable and the events in the life of the family are often harsh and even tragic, but it is realistic and makes for a great tale told with much skill. An interesting plot, quirky three dimensional characters, vividly imagined episodes, and good dialogue; what more could one want!

An absolutely stunning debut novel. ( )

With Behind the Scenes at the Museum I am now, out-and-out, an absolute Kate Atkinson fan! This is the second of her books I have read – being much taken with Case Histories I rapidly collected all her books I could find - purposely opting to read this, her debut novel, next. And, despite needing two attempts at starting this book – the story necessitating a certain concentration from the very beginning - I was once again amazed at the talent of this author to weave such a sophisticated tale.

Foremost this is the story of Ruby Lennox’s life; told from her distinct viewpoint and in her unequivocal terms, beginning directly at the moment of her conception and following through many of the significant events of her next forty-or-so years. But as it would not be possible to rightly comprehend her family dynamics from this singular point-of-view, interspersed into the composition are chapters of explanations – designated cleverly as footnotes – accordingly fleshing out past, and sometimes present, crucial circumstances beyond Ruby’s direct sphere of engagement; enabling the reader to grasp the essence of this somewhat exhaustive arrangement of familial foundation. Consequently, within this context, Ruby reveals to the reader, from her rather odd childhood experiences, and therefore often immature perspective, a picture of family life filled with grit, grief and grand events reflective of the times it depicts. What unfolds is a twisted, elaborate, sweeping epic of the past four generations of Ruby and her family, through two world wars and by way of a Yorkshire emphasis, which evokes extraordinary poignancy and complexity, with a comedy of manners difficult to expound in a simple review.

And the title… at first I was intrigued, as I read more I became confused – what could it mean; at the end I was astounded! The story of this family is a display, the truth carefully hidden behind a curious façade; but like any exhibit at any museum, when the layers are pealed back, what a saga there is to tell. Often it is only when the curator is tasked to disclose the measures required from ‘behind the scenes’ to construct the show, does the true picture emerge. Ruby was, thus, an admirable custodian of this tale!

It was hard, at times, to like many of the characters in this chronicle, and the stark, often harsh, reality of Ruby’s existence overwhelmed at others; but the honesty of it all could never be questioned. There were moments of absolute hilarity (the holiday in Scotland comes to mind), and there were times when I ached with despair for Ruby and her family’s lot; but overall I was compelled to read on to the final act. This is, after all, a story told oft-times from the magical aspect of a child’s innocence – both the good and the very bad – and it is so well-crafted, and uses such mesmerising imagery and wry discernment that, despite the horrors, and probably due to its rather pragmatic style, I was enchanted and totally enthralled from beginning to end.

This book is not at all what I had anticipated – except for the brilliance of the actual writing of the work – and as such, was another totally unexpected delight! And, it was my 50th read for 2008 to boot!

(Dec 29, 2008) ( )

Enthralling and delightful, this made me go out and read all of her other books. ( )

I really enjoyed this read, the story is about Ruby and takes us through her own story, as well as that and her (mainly female) relatives. It is funny, close to the bone and very sad. There is great local colour in the book - York, rural Yorkshire, a farm in Canada and Scotland. Everything is interconnected, with wee (and not so wee!) footnotes telling you the background to remarks, possessions, etc.
As GorgeousGlo said, nothing lasts forever, memories are subjective and history seems doomed to repeat itself. ( )

I loved it! I have yet to be disappointed by Atkinson. It was really interesting to see how choices and circumstances affect people (and their offspring) down the line. ( )

From the very beginning Behind the Scenes draws the reader in. Told from the point of view of young Ruby Lennox...(before she is even born) there is humor and sarcasm. Her voice reminds me of the wise-alec baby on Family Guy (sorry, the name escapes me). Ruby is omnipresent, giving the reader insight on every thought, feeling, dream, nightmare her family has.
The alternate chapters (told in third person) give the backstory of Ruby's mother's life during the second Great War. The writing is not as humorous, nor as witty as when Ruby gets to speak. Over all the reading is a rollercoaster of ups and downs, twisting you through life's crazy moments. ( )

I’ve recently read a couple of other books by this author and I enjoyed them so much I went out and bought her whole back catalogue. As ‘Behind the Scenes at the Museum was Atkinsons’ debut novel, It seemed the best place to start my journey. It was published in 1995 and won the Whitbread prize for book of the year. It also appeared on the 2003 BBC Big Read list.
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. She tells the story of her family exploring complex family relationships, births, weddings, divorce, death, secrets and lies. She spends her childhood trying to placate her mother and playing with elder sister's Gillian and Patrica, as they trundle along the old pebble-stone streets and in and out of the pet shop, the family business.
Atkinson divides Behind the Scenes at the Museum into Chapters and Footnotes: the Chapters focus on Ruby and her direct family life with her mother and father and her sisters. The Footnotes tie up unexplained information mentioned within the chapters, exploring the history of her family over the previous two generations further, starting with Ruby's great-grandmother Alice, who supposedly died giving birth.
Despite adoring later Atkinson works, I thought at first that I wasn't going to like this book. The plot is amazingly convoluted and switches back and forth over the years. Although there isn’t a cast of thousands, it's certainly more populated with characters than most novels. There’s such an excess of quirky characters in three different generations that I had trouble remembering who's who. I found many of the characters profoundly unlikeable - Ruby's mother, the chronically overwhelmed and under-enthused Bunty for example. A family tree would have helped, but perhaps this would have given away too much of the story.
None of this really mattered though. Atkinsons’ ability to draw astounding images carried me along regardless of my qualms about the plot. Ruby's theory of the afterlife will stay with me forever. She believes there must be a Lost Property Cupboard where all things we have ever lost have been kept for us - every button, every tooth, every lost library book, every spare pen; and also less tangible things like lost tempers and patience and innocence and the dreams we forget on waking.
The ending was unexpected and shocking, cleverly tying together previous events, fitting together the pieces of the puzzle – and making me reassess my view of the whole story.
This is certainly not a book to pick up and put down. It really requires concentrated reading. However, after the first few chapters, the chances are that you won't be able to put it down until you’re finished. ( )

This is the story of Ruby Lennox, from her inauspicious conception in a flat above a Pet Shop in 1952 in York, UK to the present day. It also delves into the lives of many of Ruby’s female ancestors in her mother’s line and ties them all together with interesting threads and themes—some minor, some major, and all very interesting. Bopping back and forth between present-day, World War I era and World War II, the author skillfully weaves the story of just how Ruby came to be and gives us some insight as to why she is the way she is—although Ruby is the last to figure this out. I did glean the major plot twist well ahead of time (as indeed, I think the author meant the reader to do) but it in no way spoiled the story. Chock full of the realities of each of the times the story lands in, I loved this book and thoroughly enjoyed the imagery, the voices of the different people and once again being reminded that what we do today can have far-reaching ripples of effect for years and years. Wonderful!! A+ ( )

This story is told from the point of view of Ruby Lennox, beginning from the moment of her conception in England in 1951. She introduces us to her family - mother and father and 2 older sisters - and their lives "above the shop". The family owns a pet shop and lives in the quarters upstairs. She also examines her family's history, going back to her great-grandmother before the turn of the century, her grandmother reaching adulthood around World War I, her mother at World War II, and her own adolescence in the 1960's, through to her middle age in the 1990's. She explores various branches of the family tree, including one which ends up in Vancouver, Canada, and her own sister who settles in Melbourne, Australia. Most of the attention is given to the women in the family, although several uncles and beaus of her aunts are introduced, and Ruby does talk quite a lot about her father.

The book provides interesting glimpses of life in other times and places. Since I am in USA, even ordinary life in England is novel to me. The book also exposes the pain, heartache, and disappointments which abound in all families and talks about the secrets which are kept and the effect they can have on the lives of everyone.

As far as my own reaction to this book - I thought it is better done than most of this type. I usually don't care for much introspection and analysis. I prefer lots of plot. The sections when things were happening were much more enjoyable for me than the sections when Ruby was telling us that things had happened. There were lots of characters and towards the end I began to confuse the relationships (Was Tom Nell's brother or her uncle?) But in the end, I think it didn't matter. The point is that families are tied together, even if the genealogical relationships are unclear. I found my self thinking about this book over and over after I had finished it - a sign that it did touch me at some level - but I'm just as happy not to still be reading it.

Recommendation? Yes, definitely, for those who enjoy these relationship stories. The plot driven types should save this one for a time when you want something more touchy-feely than normal. ( )

The first novel published by Kate Atkinson. No-nonsense Midlands imagery, darkly comic coming of age in 20th century Yorkshire.

Ruby Lennox is a delightful and perceptive narrator. From conception to middle age, she guides the reader through the stories of her quirky family. Atkinson has a knack for writing about tragic events with a comedic flair, although tragedy prevails at times. I'm so glad I "discovered" this talented writer and look forward to more reading adventures with her. ( )

Kate Atkinson's Behind the Scenes at the Museum is a real treat. The book opens in 1951 with the conception of the Rose Lennox, narrated by Rose herself (from an insider's perspective, of course). The wee little one-celled, oopps, two-celled person, oopps, four-celled now, has all the vocabulary and literary references of a grown-up. It is a quirky and highly engaging narrative voice and I loved it.

Interspersed with Rose's voice are footnotes that tell the backstories of the extended family. Boys go off to war, girls get pregnant, families squabble, people die, small children too. There is sadness and relief, amusement, mystery, and ordinary detail of ordinary people. The pleasure of the book is Atkinson's entertaining voice and her ability to recall and relate what it was to be small. She nailed me with this passage:

I am sent to bed first and have to negotiate this treacherous journey entirely on my own. This is manifestly wrong. I have adopted certain strategies to help us in this ordeal. It's important, for example, that I keep my hand on the banister rail at all times when climbing the stairs (the other one is being clutched by Teddy). That way, nothing can hurtle unexpectedly down the stairs and knock us flying into the Outer Darkness. And we must never look back. Never, not even when we can feel the hot breath of the wolves on the backs of our necks, not when we can hear their long, uncut claws scrabbling on the wood at either edge of the stair-carpet and the growls bubbling deep in their throats.

I felt the same way as a child, though I was much less eloquent about it. I'll be adding Kate Atkinson's other books to my To Read pile.



see more book reviews on my blog: :: Adventures in Daily Living :: ( )

You know it's bad when you go online to see what the big secret is when you're halfway through the book. But that's what I finally had to do with this book. I just got overcome by curiosity. Or possibly driven mad by all the vague hints and innuendo. (And yes, all my suspicions were correct.) If you're looking to find the answer, you'll have to look elsewhere (I suggest Wikipedia), but at least now you know you're not alone in not being able to wait for the big reveal.

Aside from all the secrets, this book is populated by a vast and confusing cast of characters. Told in alternating chapters between the life of Ruby Lennox (who narrates her own story from the moment of conception) and the stories of her maternal antecedents (told in the third person), we learn about several generations of women who make bad decisions in marriage and what happens to them as a result. Needless to say, this isn't a particularly cheerful book. ( )