Customer Reviews

A Tale of Time City

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Based on the fact that I rarely see this book in bookstores or libraries (and that almost nobody I know has read it) I don't think "A Tale of Time City" receives quite the recognition it deserves. My only copy was purchased several years ago and by now, from multiple re-readings and age, it's beginning to fall apart. (I've noticed that the Chrestomanci books are beginning to be reprinted; maybe they'll get around to "A Tale of Time City" sometime soon.)

This book is classic Diana Wynne Jones: convoluted plot, multiple and fascinating characters, a setting that is at once completely outrageous and very real, and all of it tied together with a wonderfully descriptive style of writing. The story begins during World War II when Vivian Smith, a young girl going to stay with her cousin because of the bombings in London, is snatched from a railway station by two boys from Time City (a patch of space-time outside of the normal course of history, designed to make sure that history runs properly and paradoxes are avoided) who believe that she can avert the city's impending destruction.

Unfortunately for Vivian, Jonathan, and Sam (and fortunately for the reader, who gets to enjoy their adventure) it's not quite that simple. Time City's well-being seems to have been bound up in four mysterious "polarities" created by Faber John, the almost mythical founder of the city, each of which has been hidden in a different age. Not to mention the fact that somebody, whom Jonathan and Sam suspect is the Time Lady, Faber John's vengeful wife, seems to be trying to destroy Time City. All in all, there's enough adventure to keep a reader turning pages at blinding speed until the end. On the lighter side, of course, there are also butter-pies (if only they existed!) and Jonathan's father, Sempitern Walker, who is dry, boring, and runs around screaming in his underwear for a half hour before every major ceremony. What can I say? This book is delightful. It deserves all the recognition it can get.

If more people read Diana Wynne Jones, this world would be a better place.

One fatal flaw in many time-travel adventures is making it too overwrought and self-conscious. Thankfully Diana Wynne-Jones recognized this, and as a result "Tale of Time City" is shot through with her delightfully otherworldly, wry sense of humor.

It's 1939, and Vivian Smith is heading to the country to stay with her Cousin Marty, while London is being bombed. But as Vivian steps off at the train station, a strange boy moves off and drags her into another world. His name is Jonathan Lee and his younger cousin Sam is helping him. They think that she is the extremely important Time Lady, who is the only one who can wake Time City's founder: Faber John.

Time City, where Jonathan and Sam live, is a futuristic civilization existing outside of time, and observing it closely. And grabbing a person from an unstable era such as "Twenty Century" is a serious offense -- both for them and for Vivian. They hastily disguise her as their cousin Vivian, who is currently living with her parents in Twenty Century as observers, and claim that their aunt and uncle sent Vivian to live back in Time City. Jonathan's family welcomes Vivian with open arms, but she still has to get used to a strange world filled with invisible furniture, androids -- and a future timeline for Earth that boggles the mind.

But Time City itself is in danger. The timekeeping "polarities" are being stolen, and the Faber John's stone (that will supposedly crumble as Time City crumbles) is cracking and crumbling. No one knows what to do -- but Vivian, Jonathon and Sam are determined to find out. Who is stealing the polarities? Who is affecting time? Where are Faber John and the Time Lady -- and how can they help?

"Tale" is a complex book. Perhaps too much so, because though I don't confuse easily, I had a little trouble keeping track of the meanings of various words, the time periods, and some of the secondary characters. It may be one of those books that is impossible to soak in fully at one reading, so I suggest that readers read it more than once.

Wynne-Jones's sense of humor is still present here; she doesn't overdo Vivian's surprise at her futuristic surroundings, but does a realistic job of portraying the desperation a person in her place would be feeling. We also have little nods and winks -- wait for the section where we find out what happened to "Leon." Sempitern Walker is a hilarious character; Elio, the android, is also fun as he experiences things like pain and anger for the first time, as well as the scene where he runs around screaming "SHOOT ME!"

If you're hoping for this book to provide lots of time-hopping to exotic locales rather than a central plot, however, you will not like this. Most of the book is concerned with Time City itself -- but don't worry, it's more than interesting enough to keep interest! One interesting detail is that though Time City itself appears rather science-fictiony, the elements in it such as the "time egg" and the Caskets are pure fantasy and quite enjoyable for a fan of either genre. Twists and complications occur that the reader can't predict or expect, so expect to be stunned and say "Of course!" more than a few times.

Characterizations are great: Vivian is perfect as a young girl snatched from her worrisome but ordinary life; Jonathan is also great, with just enough personality flaws to make him realistic; Sam is a nice sidekick, though his obsession with butter-pies becomes annoying after a while. (He IS only eight...) Elio is a nice character for fans of good androids.

Overall, a nice, complex book both for fanasy/SF fans and for fans of Wynne Jones.

This is one of my absolute favorite books and is also my first Diana Wynne Jones book.
Vivian Smith has just been evacuated from London and on the train ride to the country side where a Cousin Marty is supposed to meet her. She imagines millions of things that could go wrong, except what actually does.
Two boys kidnap her off to Time City, thinking she was the "Time Lady" and was trying to destroy Time City, which exists in Time, but not in history.
After finally convincing the two boys (Jonathan and Sam) that she wasn't the Time Lady, they realized they're in trouble and can't take her back. So she poses as Vivian Sarah Lee, their cousin, whose parents are out watching time in the 1940's.
All the kids then, after finding a time egg, which allows them to move through time and as Time City gets nearer and nearer torward the end of its cycle, travel through time trying to warn Gaurdians of Caskets (which hold Time City together) that someone is trying to steal them.The iron gets stolen, as well as the silver, but they continue thinking that the Time lady had something to do with it, although a boy keeps showing up.
As time runs out, unsuspected people prove to have important parts and Time Ghosts are made.
This is an absolutely wonderful book, although some parts, mostly the very end for me, are a bit confusing and you may want to read it a few times to help clarify.

"A Tale of Time City" is a little different from Diana Wynne Jones's usual fare - it is not fantasy but science-fiction, though apart from that distinction there is the same wry humour, complicated storylines, quirky characters and original invention.

Time City is a place existing outside of space and time where the progress of time is watched over by the inhabitants, to make sure it progresses normally. But Time City is slowly running down, (helped along with the tampering of rouge time-travellers) and the legendary founder Faber John is the only being that is able to renew it. It is told that four caskets of Gold, Silver, Iron and Lead may save the city, but only the mysterious Time Lady can awaken Faber John.

Jonathon and Sam, two sons of important families within the City have decided to take matters into their own hands. After seeing a "time-ghost" (a visual imprint of an important moment) they travel through a time-lock into History for an adventure of their own that they haven't even begun to sort out. There, Jonathon grabs Vivian Smith, the girl that they are certain is the Time Lady.

Vivian Smith however, is soon to correct them - she's just a normal girl who was being evacuated with hundreds of other children from World War II. Now with no way back, and the concept of Time itself in jeopardy, Vivian agrees to help the boys uncover the mystery of Faber John (and keep them out of trouble while she's doing it). Racing through time to collect the four caskets before their enemies, the trio have to dodge androids, teachers, time-ghosts and antagonistic locals in order to save Time City.

Though I enjoyed "A Tale of Time City", it is not my favourite Diana Wynne Jones book; perhaps because I'm not a big sci-fi fan, perhaps because time-travelling stories utterly confuse me. I'm never sure what happened when, or what the true chronological order of the events are. But as usual, there is a lot in this DWJ book to recommend it, and it is packed full of creativity and enjoyment - such as the "butter-pies", cold on the outside and warm on the inside. Likewise, she gives us some future events to look forward to, such as the Mind Wars, the Forth World War and the Depopulation of Earth.

Time City itself is a great idea, (complete with architecture, social customs, and low opinions of those that live in 'history') and is vividly brought to life, but this is not really a book for younger readers, as the plot is quite twisty and complicated, and the ending a little bittersweet. But for a DWJ book that is a bit different, or a science-fiction book that is truly unique within the genre, then give this one a try.

This is another fantastic story from the pen of a consistantly astounding writer. Once again, it has the YA designation, but the story will appeal to fantasy fans of all ages. The story begins when Vivian, a young girl in WWII England, is sent to the countryside like most of the children of the city to escape the German bombing raids. She is suposed to stay with an aunt she's never met, but as she gets off the train and waits for her aunt on the platform, she is suddenly hustled off by two boys she has never before seen -and is brought to another time- another *patch* of time, to be more precise. As her two new unwilling acquaintances explain to her, Time City is a city that is built on its own piece of time, separate from History. The government manipulates History to the benefit of the human race, intervening secretly in wars to be certain of the outcome, and moving or removing people who might mess up the timeline. In fact, there is a trouble rising of an incompletely understood cause right now, and in the nature of young children Johnathan and Sam decided to take the matter into their own hands- and, because they really *didn't* know what they were doing (even though they were sure that they did), they have kidnapped Vivian instead of the true culprit. Conveniently, they have a cousin Vivian, daughter of their Uncle Viv, who is a field operative in the same time that Vivian came from. No one has seen since their cousin Vivian since she was an infant, and in an attempt to hide their wrongdoing the two boys decide to pass Vivian off as their cousin who has been sent home to Time City because of the German bombing raids until they can bring her back. What follows is a delightful adventure in an amazing city whose wonders will amuse even the most jaded science-fiction lover. The story is never boring and in her special, familiar fashion, the author skillfully juxtaposes the careless play of children with the sense of terrible responsibility that children often feel when the adults that they love are in more trouble than they can handle. This is another favorite of mine, and one I have read over and over again.

A Tale of Time City
By Diana Wynne Jones, Published by HarperTrophy (January 22, 2002).

Vivian Smith was being evacuated along with all of the other children in London to "the Country" because World War II had just broken out. When she got off the train she was pulled into the greatest adventure of her life. When she got off the train she was kidnapped by an older boy named Jonathan Lee Walker, who claims to be her long lost cousin. In a space outside of time, there is a city. Placed there by a mythical man named Faber John, it has the overwhelming task overseeing the history of the earth and mankind all the way from the stone age to the depopulation of earth. This place is called Time City. Brought through a silver portal Vivian is taken to Time City. There's only one problem with Time City, its falling apart. Mistaken for another person called the Time Lady (Faber Johns mysterious wife), Vivian is swept away in the struggle to keep time city alive. This is one wonderful science fiction/adventure/action/fantasy book, I never really liked sci fi but I made an exception for this book and I was greatly rewarded.

The main characters are Vivian, a normal 18th century girl, who as I explained was kidnapped off a train. Vivian seems like anyone else, she just wants to go home. Jonathan Lee Walker, who Vivian always describes as a very "lordly" boy is the one who with the help of his best friend Sam kidnapped Vivian off the train during their mid year break. He and Sam at first only took it as an adventure but after they found out that Vivian was the wrong person it turned serious. Sam is another Lee (the Lees are the oldest family in Time City) he is only 8 but he is the closest in age to Jonathan for along distance ( There aren't many children in Time City). Sam is a butterpie addict (butterpies are a form of futuristic food) and it really shows. It is said that Faber John built the city with the help of his wife, the Time Lady, but when they were deciding how to govern the city they had an argument.

This is one of those books you can never put down,
if you are ever going to start this than make sure you have a long time to read. You just can't stop. Oh just one more page, just to the end of this chapter, I'm going to quit now, well maybe a little bit longer. I spent many late nights reading this book. I became part of this book as I read it, I felt as though I was really in Time City and I couldn't get enough! This is one book that I know I'm going to read over and over again, I can't wait to find more books like this. It's one of the books you can't figure out until the last page. This book is a treat that will satisfy almost anyone (unless you have a thing against fiction). I would recommend that every one at least give it a try.

I think this is my *favourite* of all Diana Wynne Jones' books, and that's saying a *lot*! I read her Chrestomanci series and loved it (and I still say it's better than Harry Potter!). So when I saw "Tale of Time City" with her name on it, I, of course, had to pick it up.
I was hooked.
I found myself doing the whole "flashlight under the blankets" thing because I wanted so badly to know how it turned out. That was when I was around ten. I'm nineteen now, and I still love it. I even, finally, picked up my own copy, because I figured if I was checking the library's copy out so much, well...I needed my own ;).
This book is a delightful blend of adventure, science fiction, fantasy, action, and intrigue, all rolled up into a story about a WW 2 era girl who somehow slips from her own time into a city that is apart from time. Time City. Except, maybe not so much as the residents may think. After all, when the founder comes back, we find...well, I guess that would be telling.

This is an awesome book!!! because I am saving for something else I do not own it but I check it out from the Newton library all of the time.It is about Vivian Smith a World war 2 refugee sent from London to live with an aunt whom she doesn't know in the country. As she alights from the train she is approached by a boy who claims to be her cousin Marty. He leads her to a silver capsule and brings to time City. A placewhere people can look out over and enter history. The city is in a state of Crisis but nobody but Vivian,Jonathon who kidnapped her and Sam their young friend know this. They spend their time Traveling through history in order to find the polarities that will restore Time City.The satisfying ending and the suppenseful story line make this one of the best books that of ever read.I thought that the book was still in print in England but unfortunantly not. review by Thomas otherwise known as SilverBlade

By the time I finished reading A Tale of Time City, I wondered if Diana Wynne Jones had ever been here before. She was from an Unstable Era, though. How rude of Vivian to call Time City clothes pajamas! And I loved the way the time ghosts were so accurately described. The author is a genius. In fact, I loved it so much I passed it on to my friends at Duration, and they said that they agreed with this non-fiction book too. But how could an author from an Unstable Era know so much . . .

I am the type of reader that finds an author I like, and then I order everything I can get my hands on that the author has written. My thinking is that if I like the writing style of the author in one book, I am likely to enjoy it in another.

USUALLY this turns out to be true. (Orson Scott Card, Robert Sawyer, Richard K. Morgan, David Brin, etc...) but sometimes a book pops up in an author's bibliography that just doesn't excite me.

Time City is definitely one of those books for me with Diana Wynne Jones.

I LIKE time travel stories and I liked the characters in the story. But one thing you have to watch for with time travel is creating scenarios where no matter what you do there are no consequences since you can go back and try again. Paradoxes are introduced in most time travel stories as a way of putting up boundaries, but in this book there just seemed to be no real lines in what you could and couldn't do - except one malfunctioning time travel egg, which still eventually got the job done.

It isn't a terrible book, but I expected so much more after reading her Chrestomanchi Chronicles. This was just not in the same league.