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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
2nd read: June 2020
While slow to start, this book is still a hoot and I have a soft spot for it. I understood it better this time and the Victorian storyline was twice as fun to read. Also, Cyril... <3
1st read: Oct - Dec 2016
What a delightful book! Easily one of my favorite reads for the year. Victorian Era, WWII, time travel, this tome has it all.
While slow to start, this book is still a hoot and I have a soft spot for it. I understood it better this time and the Victorian storyline was twice as fun to read. Also, Cyril... <3
1st read: Oct - Dec 2016
What a delightful book! Easily one of my favorite reads for the year. Victorian Era, WWII, time travel, this tome has it all.
Delightful, funny. Much better than Doomsday. Decidedly more sci-fi. There was still that element of, "if only people would speak to each other in words that make sense before getting plot-deviced away from each other." But it was more humorous and the pacing was good. Maybe a bit over-explained at the end as well. But yeah, the charm outweighed its defects.
Overall 4.8 rounded to 5 (Must-Read)
Plot 5
Characters 5
Themes 5
Cool-factor 4
Writing 5
Incredible. Slow. But incredible. Funny. Intelligent. Satisfying. I have only good words for this novel. If you want something that makes you laugh and feel good, read this book.
Plot 5
Characters 5
Themes 5
Cool-factor 4
Writing 5
Incredible. Slow. But incredible. Funny. Intelligent. Satisfying. I have only good words for this novel. If you want something that makes you laugh and feel good, read this book.
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Excellent comedic story of accidentally ending the world to time travel, and the only way to prevent it is to run around the Victorian era trying to arrange a marriage. The romances are fleshed out and the characters feel real
Some books you want to read again just so you can be with those characters in that world. This is one of them. Even though it hinges on a mystery, which is revealed with delicious deliberation at the end, the book does not depend on that for its appeal. Lighter than the Doomsday Book although it deals with fate, determinism, free will, etc., and ends with romance. What a delight to meet Jerome K. Jerome on the river, in the midst of the voyage he chronicled in Three Men in a Boat. I have no doubt whatsoever that Henry really saw them.
Wow. What a change of pace from the first in the series.
Doomsday Book is grim, while To Say Nothing of the Dog is a fun Victorian romp replete with literary references and charismatic animals.
Three Men In A Boat was clearly the main inspiration for this novel, and since the former is one of my favourite books I expected to like this homage more than I did. I think my issue was similar to that I had with #1 - it's overlong and would have benefitted from a ruthless editor. I also found the time travel elements more difficult to follow here, though that is possibly my issue rather than the author's. To say nothing of that nauseating ending.
Doomsday Book is grim, while To Say Nothing of the Dog is a fun Victorian romp replete with literary references and charismatic animals.
Three Men In A Boat was clearly the main inspiration for this novel, and since the former is one of my favourite books I expected to like this homage more than I did. I think my issue was similar to that I had with #1 - it's overlong and would have benefitted from a ruthless editor. I also found the time travel elements more difficult to follow here, though that is possibly my issue rather than the author's. To say nothing of that nauseating ending.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Engrossing, charming, funny, smart, and delightful. A far cry from the misery of Doomsday Book (which is also brilliant, but not a good choice to read during a pandemic).