ellies_shelf's review against another edition
4.0
In Time Shelter, Georgi Gospodinov uses the surging backward-looking mentality of the European late 2010s as a springboard. He takes off with the premise of a clinic or 'time shelter' for the continent's ageing population increasingly afflicted by Alzheimer's disease, where they can take refuge in reconstructions of decades from their past: this often has the effect of ameliorating their symptoms (such as turning non-verbal patients verbal). Then, the novel narrates how a general nostalgia begins to spread through the whole of the population; the clinic becomes a place of interest for European decision-makers, wanting to capitalise on the populace's yearning for times gone by.
The narrator is a version of Gospodinov himself, who is involved in the 'time shelter' through his acquaintance Gaustine. Over the course of the novel, the boundary between the two characters becomes increasingly blurred; the narrator refers to Gaustine as his own creation, a sort of alter ego who does the things the former doesn't dare to do. Time Shelter is divided into five parts; in the first part, the narrator works for Gaustine by sourcing appropriate artefacts from past decades with which to furnish the time shelter. This section poses a clever, Saramago-esque 'what if?' premise; in the Saramago vein, we see the concept become more and more popular with clinics opening throughout Europe and patients' families and visitors increasingly wanting to spend time in the past. Part I is the longest and for me the strongest; from Part II onwards Gospodinov explores the possibility of a 'referendum of the past', where Europeans can decide which decade of their country's history they would like to live in (the 2016 EU referendum in the UK is directly referenced, as the UK is not allowed to take part in this referendum). From here onwards the novel's remaining parts are quite disparate: we learn more about Bulgaria's history as the narrator attends rallies which reenact past eras; the narrator reminisces about his personal history; a lengthy section describes and explains the results of the referendum in each EU country. None of these sections, particularly the latter, are as engaging as Part I, mainly because the narrative jumps around between ideas sketched but rarely fully developed, with fragments of philosophical musings and intercalated quotes from 'Gaustine's' writings. There are quite a lot of incongruous asides, as if Gospodinov has included every clever thought he was struck with while writing the novel; a less indiscriminate approach would have worked better.
Where the increasingly fragmentary nature of the novel does work is towards the end, as Gospodinov builds on an earlier-introduced idea of a collective amnesia induced by the seepage of the past into the present: timelines begin to converge in the outside world, and the narrator's personal timeline becomes disjointed. As well, there are some really poignant ideas about personal time and memory running throughout, particularly the idea of returning to places from your childhood which don't remember you as you remember them. This is really my kind of literature, both questioning and straight-talking, a 5-star read if not for the scattergun approach in the latter half of the novel.
The narrator is a version of Gospodinov himself, who is involved in the 'time shelter' through his acquaintance Gaustine. Over the course of the novel, the boundary between the two characters becomes increasingly blurred; the narrator refers to Gaustine as his own creation, a sort of alter ego who does the things the former doesn't dare to do. Time Shelter is divided into five parts; in the first part, the narrator works for Gaustine by sourcing appropriate artefacts from past decades with which to furnish the time shelter. This section poses a clever, Saramago-esque 'what if?' premise; in the Saramago vein, we see the concept become more and more popular with clinics opening throughout Europe and patients' families and visitors increasingly wanting to spend time in the past. Part I is the longest and for me the strongest; from Part II onwards Gospodinov explores the possibility of a 'referendum of the past', where Europeans can decide which decade of their country's history they would like to live in (the 2016 EU referendum in the UK is directly referenced, as the UK is not allowed to take part in this referendum). From here onwards the novel's remaining parts are quite disparate: we learn more about Bulgaria's history as the narrator attends rallies which reenact past eras; the narrator reminisces about his personal history; a lengthy section describes and explains the results of the referendum in each EU country. None of these sections, particularly the latter, are as engaging as Part I, mainly because the narrative jumps around between ideas sketched but rarely fully developed, with fragments of philosophical musings and intercalated quotes from 'Gaustine's' writings. There are quite a lot of incongruous asides, as if Gospodinov has included every clever thought he was struck with while writing the novel; a less indiscriminate approach would have worked better.
Where the increasingly fragmentary nature of the novel does work is towards the end, as Gospodinov builds on an earlier-introduced idea of a collective amnesia induced by the seepage of the past into the present: timelines begin to converge in the outside world, and the narrator's personal timeline becomes disjointed. As well, there are some really poignant ideas about personal time and memory running throughout, particularly the idea of returning to places from your childhood which don't remember you as you remember them. This is really my kind of literature, both questioning and straight-talking, a 5-star read if not for the scattergun approach in the latter half of the novel.
corvo_1795's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
kassi_kennedy's review against another edition
4.0
This is a special book. It has a sort of texture to it in the same way Slaughterhouse-Five and The Unbearable Lightness of Being does. And, like those other two books, it also has a sense of familiarity ... or is that really just a recognisable rhythm like an earworm or popular refrain? It's hard to put ones finger on exactly but that's really okay. I don't think one is meant to.
Unlike these two classics, Time Shelter is difficult to exactly pinpoint in genre. Is this magical realism or absurdity, for example? Is there a label one can neatly slap onto its cover so as to place it accurately on a shelf? I'm not certain. Is this a book about the objective meaning of time or the subjective fragmentation of memory and ageing? Furthermore, what exactly is its message about identity and can one have an identity and a Nationality at the same time without those two things interfereing with one another?
One almost feels lost when reading this book but perhaps that's what the author intends.
I just know that this is a special book and an important one, too. It's one that almost immediately after one finishes, one wants to re-read to "really" get. It's intellectually demanding and challenging, accessible at times and difficult at others. I can't exactly recommend it, but I think most voracious readers would get something out of reading it.
Unlike these two classics, Time Shelter is difficult to exactly pinpoint in genre. Is this magical realism or absurdity, for example? Is there a label one can neatly slap onto its cover so as to place it accurately on a shelf? I'm not certain. Is this a book about the objective meaning of time or the subjective fragmentation of memory and ageing? Furthermore, what exactly is its message about identity and can one have an identity and a Nationality at the same time without those two things interfereing with one another?
One almost feels lost when reading this book but perhaps that's what the author intends.
I just know that this is a special book and an important one, too. It's one that almost immediately after one finishes, one wants to re-read to "really" get. It's intellectually demanding and challenging, accessible at times and difficult at others. I can't exactly recommend it, but I think most voracious readers would get something out of reading it.
rebeccalollback's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
readingindreams's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
therookerybookery's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
ayinkx's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This book took me a whole month to read. I don't necessarily think that was a bad thing however because there were so many points in the book that I had to stop and reflect on then return to the book for more. It transformed my perception of time memory, the loss of memory as well as the future and the past. If I read it any quicker, I don't think it would have has as much of an impact on me as it did.
As a translated text, I think some parts translated better than others for me than others. I found the fourth section the most difficult to get through mostly due to the fact that it had a lot of Bulgarian history and cultural aspects that may have felt nostalgic to native readers, adding to the time theme, but, for me, I felt like it was such an information overload that I got lost a few times.
As a whole, I really enjoyed the book! but it definitely isn't for everyone.
As a translated text, I think some parts translated better than others for me than others. I found the fourth section the most difficult to get through mostly due to the fact that it had a lot of Bulgarian history and cultural aspects that may have felt nostalgic to native readers, adding to the time theme, but, for me, I felt like it was such an information overload that I got lost a few times.
As a whole, I really enjoyed the book! but it definitely isn't for everyone.
ec_tyche's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25