Reviews

Bearing an Hourglass by Piers Anthony

wdkilpackiii's review

5.0

As the second in the series of the Incarnations of Immortality, I wasn't sure how Time in Bearing an Hourglass could be of the same level of significance as Death. For one thing, how could it be as interesting? Although I am a big Piers Anthony fan, I was worried that it was going to be something along the lines of watching paint dry. That was certainly not the case. The idea of Time is not just the passage of it, or even categories to better understand our experience, but Space-Time, where time ensures your place in the cosmos. It was one of the headier reads from Anthony, showing more of an intellectual side to his writing without needing an encyclopedia nearby to understand, and still very entertaining. The catch when Norton takes on the role of Chronos (Time) is both heart felt and well thought out. The aspect of immortality being as much a curse as a blessing (a theme in the series, it seems) is strong while, at the same time, remaining thoughtful. Highly recommended!

jeremiah042's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

3.5

zoes_human's review against another edition

adventurous

3.0

mokey81's review

1.0

This was my second time through this book. I usually skip it. I tried reading it after book 6 to see if it would help, but it didn't. Apparently, Time is too much for me to comprehend. I still just can't comprehend where this Time comes in to the overall story.

I can't stand this book. It makes my brain hurt trying to understand how Time must live his life as an Incarnation. I can't understand it.

tracy1312's review

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

readgreed's review

4.0

The trope of events running in reverse was a rare plot device in science fiction, and even rarer in fantasy. How Piers Anthony managed to expand this into a narrative that interacted with events running through the normal course of time was a rather interesting take and it was a major inspiration that led me to pursuing writing as a fulltime vocation - realizing that walls are meant to be broken. The rather incestuous relationships disturbed though, however well they were couched - sometimes I feel this could have been better presented, even though it became a major theme for the series.

giftsintogold's review

3.0

This was probably my least favorite of the Incarnations of Immortability books by Piers Anthony. I couldn't get into Chronos' excursions into alternate realities and the discoveries on space and time. I'm not a big science fiction reader, so this was more of a struggle for me.

livelywormy32's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

inger70's review

2.0

Didn't love this one. I think Mr. Anthony's method of having Chronos live backward was awkward, laborious, and inconsistent. I also felt that some of the adventures Satan stuck Norton into were contrived to increase word count. On a personal note - something I can't figure out. I often know what's going to happen next. Now, I read this series 25ish years ago and all I consciously remember is that I enjoyed it (although I remember not liking this one much the first time around either). So here's the thing. I often feel like I know exactly what's going to happen next, and I'm right. So is my subconscious remembering it, or is it just VERY predictable? I don't often reread books, so I don't know which it is.

scamp1234's review

3.0

This has literally been on my shelf for over 20 years. Finally got to reading it and can see why it took me so long.

This follows the theme of the incarnations and has ties to the first book, but its a book more to itself where it follow's Norton who takes on the guise of Chronos.

The themes throughout this series are fun to read, but not as fun as his most popular Xanth series. But the brilliance behind the themes and ideas really keeps this series going so many years since it was originally published. I'm optimistic that the next in line with Fate is supposed to be better so maybe as I progress through this and the others ill find some more appreciation for this installment.