Customer Reviews

The Lincoln Exchange - Book I

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was, by far, one of the best books I've ever read. Melvin Rabinowitz doesn't miss a beat in this twisted sci fi/history saga. Definitely check this one out - it's a winner!

When I read all the rave reviews about "The Lincoln Exchange" I could not believe them. Now I do.

I loved this book! I loved it! Loved it! Loved it! It was so real that I actually believed everything I was reading. Mr. Rabinowitz left nothing to chance. Everything was explained in such realistic detail, that I even felt as if time travel was really possible. When I put the book down, and came back to reality, I was almost dissapointed that this was, indeed, science fiction. Keep up the good work. I hope you continue using the Alan Gentry character in other stories.

This is, by far, the best darn sci-fi book I ever read. All these other reviews said it all. I couldn't put the darn thing down.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Being the rabid Lincoln fan that I am, it was a great read for me and I found myself quite jealous of Alan many times throughout the book...I also found myself laughing at many of Lincoln's actions and observations of present-day Chicago (sitting on the hood of a car instead of getting inside of it, etc). I really didn't want this book to end, and when Alan had to leave Lincoln for the last time and knew what was going to happen to him, who by then had become his best friend in the whole wide world, I was quite choked up. It really felt like I was there, and when Lincoln was gone, I actually missed him! To sum it all up, great book, and worth the time and money to spend on it.

Details. Details. Details. Alan Gentry, despite the grave self doubts that constantly assault him, more often than not manages to accomplish most of whatever it is he sets about to do. He is real. He's a certifiable human being with whom, despite his many talents, we can all identify. It is these twists and turns in Gentry's personality, as well as those in the story, that has caused me to read the Lincoln Exchange books twice over. I never did this before. I didn't want them to end. It would be wonderful if the author, Melvin Rabinowitz, would continue this wonderful saga by adding more pit stops to his very believable hero's journey through time. If the next book were anything like these, I would read it in a flash. I most eagerly look forward to a third volume in this series.

Gentry's thoughtful riffs on the sounds of the Mississippi in 1828, and the sights and smells of Springfield and Chicago in the later 19th century made me feel as if I were there with him. I actually experienced a sting of poignancy when those fireworks lit up President-Elect Lincoln's face on the night of Election Day in 1860.. When I read the description of the aftermath of the great Chicago fire, I choked up. My eyes misted over and I nearly cried. The disaster was humanized. Science fiction never made me feel this way before. To top it all off, there were also many parts of the book that caused me to laugh out loud. How did the author do this? Where did these ideas come from? This is far from your usual science fiction.

The dialect Rabinowitz used in the speech of his 18th century characters was a bit off-putting at first, but as I became more accustomed to it, it reminded me of the Chaucer and Shakespeare I read when I was in college: It became easier as I went along, and lent much more immediacy to the story than if it were written differently. A perfect, perfect book. Clear. Easy to digest and understand, yet deep. Read it! After all, what harm can it do?

WHAT A RIDE! This was, by far, the best science fiction piece I ever read! From the very beginning, I was sucked right into the story, and I didn't have to suspend belief for even a moment. Rabinowitz actually made the impossible appear to be reasonable. The explanation for the workings of the time machine made it seem as if our government was going to come out with such a device at any moment. Somebody PULEEZ! Make this into a movie!

This review is actually for both of The Lincoln Exchange Books. They were just great. I have always been a big fan of science fiction and historical fiction. The Lincoln Exchange combines the best of both. In his own time, Lincoln did not have very much schooling. Mr. Rabinowitz, "proves" how Lincoln was educated in our time, rather than his own, after going into his future in a combination helicopter-time machine. A very clever idea. Mr. Rabinowitz takes the reader to Lincoln's home in Indiana in 1828, Springfield, Illinois in 1860, and the Chicago fire of 1871. All these time trips make perfect sense in the context of the book, and all are very interesting as we view these periods through modern eyes. His research into these periods seems to be very thorough, and his evocation of the feeling for these times very realistic. I loved the Mississippi River trip.