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A review by taranottahra
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
This book is supposed to be a time-travel romance. It is not action and adventure or a thriller, not really. Maybe a mystery or a thriller when you consider nobody in the government who knows about the time travel project can be trusted and every so often a person tries to kill you for mysterious reasons - not a thriller or mystery, to me, because that’s likely the case for ANY highly classified government project, with any project matter, existential threat or not. So, it was more like “ah, I’ve read a few chapters so makes sense there’s another kill attempt at this point.” The book explicitly dialogues near the beginning to not get caught up in the mechanics or the physics of the time door or how it works or branches of realities and timelines. They make an in-book excuse for it, but really, it’s telling you that this isn’t a book about quantum physics and string theory so just accept it exists here and focus on the characters. Which is exactly how this book should be read and I detest any book invoking time travel that attempts to spend a good portion of it explaining it. I much more appreciate reading about a character dealing with the effects of it than the hows and whys of it.
This book is also largely commentary on colonialism, institutional racism, and generational trauma. As a white woman, I don’t feel as though I saw that much portrayed in this book I don’t already witness in the human experience for my non-white friends. There was no “ah ha” moment for me, or an angle I never thought of. Except for one passage, on generational trauma, and something the narrators mother said in passing. Which was so shocking and awful and such a complete testament to the compartmentalization of trauma I could NEVER comprehend.
The romance had potential but more so potential than anything. It didn’t help that all we ever knew of the narrator was that she was a bi-racial (Cambodian/English) woman from London who was a civil servant and thought Graham Gore was hot as hell. So, when he seemingly had feelings for her…I didn’t understand why. There isn’t much to her. While he is charming, witty as fuck, situationally hyperaware, and “of the most pleasant of temperaments.” I simply could not understand the narrator’s POV for most of the book. the naivety was outstanding and annoying. However, there were a few moments, a few lines a few pages, that hit hard and very incredibly emotionally astute. Especially the very last page.
a decent observational story on the human condition, essentially.
This book is also largely commentary on colonialism, institutional racism, and generational trauma. As a white woman, I don’t feel as though I saw that much portrayed in this book I don’t already witness in the human experience for my non-white friends. There was no “ah ha” moment for me, or an angle I never thought of. Except for one passage, on generational trauma, and something the narrators mother said in passing. Which was so shocking and awful and such a complete testament to the compartmentalization of trauma I could NEVER comprehend.
The romance had potential but more so potential than anything. It didn’t help that all we ever knew of the narrator was that she was a bi-racial (Cambodian/English) woman from London who was a civil servant and thought Graham Gore was hot as hell. So, when he seemingly had feelings for her…I didn’t understand why. There isn’t much to her. While he is charming, witty as fuck, situationally hyperaware, and “of the most pleasant of temperaments.” I simply could not understand the narrator’s POV for most of the book. the naivety was outstanding and annoying. However, there were a few moments, a few lines a few pages, that hit hard and very incredibly emotionally astute. Especially the very last page.
a decent observational story on the human condition, essentially.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Cannibalism, War