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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
As I was coming to the end of this book, I was thinking: "I have no idea how I am going to write a review of this!!" because there is just SO MUCH in here that it's hard to know where to start and what to focus on. However, I'm going to try.
The book centres around Wheeler Burden - a 60's rock star from a wealthy Boston family. Wheeler suddenly finds himself transported from 1988 America to 1897 Vienna, and we are off and running on what turns out to be an astonishingly clever, detailed and well thought-out adventure through history.
The book is somewhat reminiscent of The Time Traveller's Wife in that it has the characters jumping around in time, but this is much more an exploration of world history and the part that individual people could/do play in influencing it, than the love story The Time-Traveller's Wife is.
There are appearances by Sigmund Freud, Adolph Hitler, and Gustav Mahler among others, and the plot is so well-developed that the merging of these actual historical figures with the fictional characters feels seamless and natural. The interconnections the author makes as the plot develops really are nothing short of astonishingly clever, althought when you reach one of them, you think: "Well, of course! Naturally that's how it would have had to happen!"
If you are a world history buff, I recommend this book to you. The story spans basically a century of world events, which are explored through the experience of our fictional Wheeler Burden's experiences as he attempts to make sense of what has happened to him and where he finds himself.
Towards the end the book does get a bit long-ish, and could probably have been wrapped up more quickly, however, I found the characters to be so likeable and multi-faceted, that I really didn't mind the slight drag as we came to the end.
This book is just so imaginatively and thought-provokingly written that I didn't want to put it down until I got to the end.
The book centres around Wheeler Burden - a 60's rock star from a wealthy Boston family. Wheeler suddenly finds himself transported from 1988 America to 1897 Vienna, and we are off and running on what turns out to be an astonishingly clever, detailed and well thought-out adventure through history.
The book is somewhat reminiscent of The Time Traveller's Wife in that it has the characters jumping around in time, but this is much more an exploration of world history and the part that individual people could/do play in influencing it, than the love story The Time-Traveller's Wife is.
There are appearances by Sigmund Freud, Adolph Hitler, and Gustav Mahler among others, and the plot is so well-developed that the merging of these actual historical figures with the fictional characters feels seamless and natural. The interconnections the author makes as the plot develops really are nothing short of astonishingly clever, althought when you reach one of them, you think: "Well, of course! Naturally that's how it would have had to happen!"
If you are a world history buff, I recommend this book to you. The story spans basically a century of world events, which are explored through the experience of our fictional Wheeler Burden's experiences as he attempts to make sense of what has happened to him and where he finds himself.
Towards the end the book does get a bit long-ish, and could probably have been wrapped up more quickly, however, I found the characters to be so likeable and multi-faceted, that I really didn't mind the slight drag as we came to the end.
This book is just so imaginatively and thought-provokingly written that I didn't want to put it down until I got to the end.
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The plot was fascinating--who doesn't love time travel, right? The writing was okay, but nothing to read aloud to creative writing classes.
But, frankly, there were some real implausibilities, even for a book about time travel. I mean, a torrid, sexual romance with someone you know is your grandmother--even if she turns out not to be your biological grandmother? And that same grandma running off and marrying a Nazi sympathizer who she saw shoot to death the love of her life? Come on.
*sigh* Still, if you like the idea of time shifting, this might be a book you would like. Go for it.
But, frankly, there were some real implausibilities, even for a book about time travel. I mean, a torrid, sexual romance with someone you know is your grandmother--even if she turns out not to be your biological grandmother? And that same grandma running off and marrying a Nazi sympathizer who she saw shoot to death the love of her life? Come on.
*sigh* Still, if you like the idea of time shifting, this might be a book you would like. Go for it.
Wow... I was sucked right into the early 1900s Vienna - wonderful wonderful descriptions mixed with such complex relationships; loops within loops, twist after twist...
Wheeler Burden came into consciousness and found himself in Vienna in 1897. As to how he came to Vienna in the first place, he doesn't know but in 1897 to boot! His world was San Fransisco in 1988 and whilst he is intimately acquainted with Vienna of 1897, his mind will not divulge what happened to him in SF of 1988 to transport him to where he is now. But while he is here though, he is going to survive and if possible, the most of it.
During his time in Vienna, Wheeler got to know his paternal family, Sigmund Freud, fell in love, and even came across Adolf Hitler who was still an innocent 8 years old.
******POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW*******
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There are 2 things I had questions of:
1. What does Dilly know about himself / how does that come about to make him sure about Wheeler's paternity?
2. Noting the regular 'assignations' between Wheeler and his love and the year (1897), errr, some may take this for granted but I don't and I find it strange with the lack of "issue" (if you know what I mean)
If you know the answers, PM me!!!!! :)
Wheeler Burden came into consciousness and found himself in Vienna in 1897. As to how he came to Vienna in the first place, he doesn't know but in 1897 to boot! His world was San Fransisco in 1988 and whilst he is intimately acquainted with Vienna of 1897, his mind will not divulge what happened to him in SF of 1988 to transport him to where he is now. But while he is here though, he is going to survive and if possible, the most of it.
During his time in Vienna, Wheeler got to know his paternal family, Sigmund Freud, fell in love, and even came across Adolf Hitler who was still an innocent 8 years old.
******POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW*******
*
*
*
*
*
*
There are 2 things I had questions of:
1. What does Dilly know about himself / how does that come about to make him sure about Wheeler's paternity?
2. Noting the regular 'assignations' between Wheeler and his love and the year (1897), errr, some may take this for granted but I don't and I find it strange with the lack of "issue" (if you know what I mean)
If you know the answers, PM me!!!!! :)
This book is clever and not badly written but I just had difficulty caring about the characters or what happened to them. I attribute this to not enjoying time travel stories that much. This one has pretty good execution but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
This book really surprised me. I expected a reasonably pleasant, quick read and literally couldn't put it down. He surprised me time and again.
I think I would maybe give this 4.5 if I could. It was a strangely attractive book. Despite the fact that you know it's narrated by the main character's mother, it feels almost detached and distant. There are multiple threads that follow different characters during different ears, which could have been disastrous. It works, though, rounding out the whole picture of nearly a century of non-linear living. Like any time travel story, it kind of put my brain in a jumble trying to think out the repercussions and loops. I enjoyed it, and found it touching, emotional, and thought-provoking.
This book was a slow going book, but all-in-all I found it worth reading.