Scan barcode
lunarjuniper's review against another edition
2.0
Phew. Okay, where to even begin with this novel. How to Stop time was released a few months back and has been on my radar ever since. There’s been a wait on it in my local library for a few weeks now, so I was really excited to dive into this novel. The premise of time travel/not aging seemed intriguing and with a fun twist, so why not? I’m always down for some fantastical realism and this seemed like it was going to be a novel that really hit the spot.
The story revolves around Tom Hazard, a man born with a rare condition called anageria that causes him to age at a very slow pace. He is hundreds of years old and is a part of the exclusive Albatross Society which protects others with this condition to exposure from regular people, for fear they will be persecuted. The rules are simple: don’t tell anyone what you are, and especially don’t fall in love.
Here’s where the painful and honest part of the review begins. I hated this novel. I hated it so much. I tried to like it, I really did. But I ended up finding this book juvenile and the plot poorly realized. This book and the ideas behind it had real promise, but I feel like it was wasted. It hopped back and forth between centuries, taking us on many journeys, the lives that Tom Hazard has lived. Each time the chapters jumped to a new place, it made the novel feel fragmented. There are so many stories that a 500 year old human being could tell I am sure, but it felt like too much to pack into such a quick read. The novel is already short, and a lot of attention is paid to the early years of Tom’s life in the first half, the plot building. The last half of the book where the main weight of the plot is, felt rushed and predictable in nature.
I found the characters to be just as unrealized as the actual plot of the book itself. I didn’t really like any of them too much to be honest. I couldn’t get attached. And maybe that is the main downfall of the book. Each character felt archetypal, like a shell of their true potential. They seemed like they were there only to further the plot of the novel. I think it’s nearly impossible to like a book when you barely know anything on who you’re reading about. Tom is the only character who you really get a picture of, as he is the main character. However he comes off jaded, and the excitement of reading about someone who has lived so many lifetimes quickly fades.
Throughout the novel Matt Haig’s writing makes great attempts at being thoughtful, but I found it to be pseudo intellectual BS at best. I cringed at Haig’s attempt to create thought provoking soliloquies for Tom to ponder over. I found it to be nothing more than regurgitated, half baked ideas on the ebb and flow of time. This book is meant to be an adult novel, and yet in my opinion it is probably better suited for twelve year olds whose parents don’t mind them reading a few curse words.
While many, if not most people will disagree with me, I firmly stand by the opinion that this book is not high quality writing. I hear they’re making a movie out of it, and Benedict Cumberbatch will be starring. I can only hope it will translate better on-screen, but I won’t be holding my breath. I would probably recommend Matt Haig to change the name of this novel to How to Stop, and then take his own advice.
The story revolves around Tom Hazard, a man born with a rare condition called anageria that causes him to age at a very slow pace. He is hundreds of years old and is a part of the exclusive Albatross Society which protects others with this condition to exposure from regular people, for fear they will be persecuted. The rules are simple: don’t tell anyone what you are, and especially don’t fall in love.
Here’s where the painful and honest part of the review begins. I hated this novel. I hated it so much. I tried to like it, I really did. But I ended up finding this book juvenile and the plot poorly realized. This book and the ideas behind it had real promise, but I feel like it was wasted. It hopped back and forth between centuries, taking us on many journeys, the lives that Tom Hazard has lived. Each time the chapters jumped to a new place, it made the novel feel fragmented. There are so many stories that a 500 year old human being could tell I am sure, but it felt like too much to pack into such a quick read. The novel is already short, and a lot of attention is paid to the early years of Tom’s life in the first half, the plot building. The last half of the book where the main weight of the plot is, felt rushed and predictable in nature.
I found the characters to be just as unrealized as the actual plot of the book itself. I didn’t really like any of them too much to be honest. I couldn’t get attached. And maybe that is the main downfall of the book. Each character felt archetypal, like a shell of their true potential. They seemed like they were there only to further the plot of the novel. I think it’s nearly impossible to like a book when you barely know anything on who you’re reading about. Tom is the only character who you really get a picture of, as he is the main character. However he comes off jaded, and the excitement of reading about someone who has lived so many lifetimes quickly fades.
Throughout the novel Matt Haig’s writing makes great attempts at being thoughtful, but I found it to be pseudo intellectual BS at best. I cringed at Haig’s attempt to create thought provoking soliloquies for Tom to ponder over. I found it to be nothing more than regurgitated, half baked ideas on the ebb and flow of time. This book is meant to be an adult novel, and yet in my opinion it is probably better suited for twelve year olds whose parents don’t mind them reading a few curse words.
While many, if not most people will disagree with me, I firmly stand by the opinion that this book is not high quality writing. I hear they’re making a movie out of it, and Benedict Cumberbatch will be starring. I can only hope it will translate better on-screen, but I won’t be holding my breath. I would probably recommend Matt Haig to change the name of this novel to How to Stop, and then take his own advice.
micschoonover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bab3675656's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
bibi003's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Might come back with a more in-depth review later.
Ok I'm back. I really liked this book. It was unusual and interesting and entertaining - all good things. But there is something holding me back from giving it a full four stars and I can't quite put my finger on it.
I was enjoying the story and really feeling the back and forth in time rhythm, but then it felt like it ended sort of abruptly. And there was something about the protagonist that was just a little bit ... bland. I dunno. I just feel like he needed a little bit more pizazz in his personality to match all of his incredible experiences.
Ok I'm back. I really liked this book. It was unusual and interesting and entertaining - all good things. But there is something holding me back from giving it a full four stars and I can't quite put my finger on it.
I was enjoying the story and really feeling the back and forth in time rhythm, but then it felt like it ended sort of abruptly. And there was something about the protagonist that was just a little bit ... bland. I dunno. I just feel like he needed a little bit more pizazz in his personality to match all of his incredible experiences.
mgiegerl's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
pdez26's review against another edition
3.5
I found this book slow at times, but I understand the author’s reasoning: sometimes in life, it feels slow and uneventful. The Albatross Society was looming and huge, and I felt the resolution to that was too neat and short. The main character was not my favorite…very neurotic and not endearing. I felt like he just suffered for years and years, which I guess was the point, but I wonder if the book could have been better by having someone like Omai show the readers how he lived instead. I enjoyed the social commentary, the observations and musings, though, and do find that the author did a great job at the end of letting you see how time is relative.
laurenmo3's review against another edition
4.0
the story was really sweet while also being thought provoking, def more matter of fact in the writing than the midnight library though
a_connors's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cxv157's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75