"Life after Life" is a historical fiction novel that has a science-fiction twist to it. It follows a woman called Ursula who relives her life over and over, living through both of the World Wars and other historical events such as the Spanish flu. Each of Ursula's timelines is essentially bringing her closer to her purpose, which is to kill the main perpetrator of the Second World War.
Each of her deaths is a new beginning, following the idea of resurrection, but rather than the classical notion of resurrection of being born as someone else, Ursula relives her own life as only herself. This, more closely interpreted, is following the ancient belief of "ouroboros", which is a symbolism of a snake eating its own tail, symbolizing infinity, which is confirmed at the end of the novel. The end is only the beginning of another Ursula's lifetime, which in turn reveals that there is no end and no ultimate goal to end the cycle.
The novel thematizes familial relations as well as finding a purpose in life as a woman. While reading the novel, it appears that all the other characters around Ursula have more depth, more personality, despite her being the center. This could be interpreted as her role of being a witness to the past, living on the sidelines of life, observing the events in order to make right decisions, consciously or subconsciously, to fulfill her purpose.
The novel is almost like a puzzle, with each lifetime being a chance to put the pieces correctly together.
