178 of 183 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic of time travel, romance, and history, March 20, 2004
Author Jack Finney (1911-1995), among his other writing accomplishments, penned two great, influential science-fiction novels: the 1955 alien invasion story "The Body Snatchers," the source for three great movies (with "Invasion of..." usually tacked onto the front), and this 1970 subtle romance about time travel. It's a novel that many people hold close to their hearts, and like the movie "Somewhere in Time," has the magic to allure you with the wonder of traveling back to a simpler time -- 1880s New York in this case -- and exploring in depth a world so unlike your own. Finney, with meticulous detail and the support of numerous old photographs and drawings from the period (this is referred to as an "illustrated novel") recreates New York in 1882, letting us and the main character, Si Morley, marvel as we walk over the old streets, see places where one day great skyscrapers will stand, gaze on a traffic jam of hansom cabs, discover the arm of the Statue of Liberty sitting in Madison Square awaiting the rest of its body, play old parlor games in a boarding house, and look at Fifth Avenue when it was a thin street of trees and apartments. People who have lived in New York will especially adore these decriptions of the vanished city and the comparision Finney makes between the "modern" city (1970; vanished now to us as well) and the 1880s city. However, even if you've never been to New York in your life, you'll feel like you have after reading this. That's an incredible compliment to pay to a writer.
"Time and Again" won't please readers looking for quick action and thrills. It is a leisurely book that takes its time to build up the central situation: the U.S. government has found a possible method to travel back in time through purely mental means, and believes that young artist Si Morely fits the profile of the person who can achieve it. Once the books moves to the actual time traveling, the focus is mostly on the experience of being in another time and Si's discovery of how it affects him...especially when he feels he may be falling in love with a girl from the time. There is, however, a mystery simmering inside the story, and Si sets himself out to unravel it. What will the consequences be for history itself if he interferes? And what does the government really want to achieve with this project?
The last third of the book is tense and suspenseful, and contains an incredible and lengthy description of a disastrous event that ranks with the most vivid visual writing I've ever read. And the resolution is nothing short of perfect; Finney delivers the most satisfying conclusion. However, the book takes patience. Let Finney's prose, his wonderful main character Si, and his ability to pull you back in time with him sweep you away -- you won't regret it when the journey is over. Even if you never read science fiction or claim to dislike it, this is one book you'll find it difficult not to fall for.
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69 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easily my favorite book of all time - a great read, December 16, 2003
I am shocked by the range of reviews for what I consider one of my favorite books. It is (using a much over used word here) a masterpiece. Strong characters, intricate plot, exquisite detail all grounded in the most exciting place in the world, New York City. What's not to love? I have re-read this book several times. I also have it on tape and play it to get through long car trips - it's an old, reliable, much loved friend. I am fascinated by time travel and I love New York so that probably explains the appeal of this book. I also grew up as a reader (as opposed to a real TV junkie) and I love getting lost in very detailed prose and intricate word pictures - the kind Finney employs here to hook the reader. I can visualize one scene in my mind now - Sy Morley in his rooms in the Dakota, snow falling, the city silent, bathed in white. Is he in the 19th or 20th century? Was the experiment a success or a dismal failure? You have to read on (and will want to read on) to see.
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49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Author's best--great novel of time travel, July 28, 2002
Simon Morley, an illustrator, is enlisted by a secret govenment project to hypnotize himself into 1880s New York. He is successful, and goes back to investigate a mystery. As we are overwhelmed with details of 1880s New York, we can almost believe that this time travel is possible. Morely finds himself in love with his landlady's daughter in the past, and must deal with threats both in the past and in the present.
This is Finney's finest, a gentle novel which nevertheless prompts us to give serious thought to the morality of the decisions we make. Morley's decision to treat the people in the past as more than images long dead in the present leads inevitably to his decision to question the rightness of the project he is engaged in, and to act on that decision.
....
A fine, fine book that I wish Finney hadn't spoiled with a sequel. When will they make that movie out of it that they keep talking about?
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