Rating: 
Summary: Genial genius
Review: Hands down the best book I read in the year 2001 (out of 40 or
50 or so). I sincerely hope that in a decade or two, teachers
will be assigning Connie Willis to their college or high school
classes, even though I sadly think that's not going to happen.Even though it is just your average time travel story, this is not
your average time travel story. It's not your average Jane
Austenish romance knockoff either. It's a million times better
than you think it could be, given these contraints. And even
though you sort of know how it has to end, Willis is delightful
in carrying it out. The details of her loose end tying are some
of the best you'll see anywhere on the market. Though not terribly short, this book flies by. It is the best
recent proof I can find that a page turner can be good literature
too. And it is bust-your-sides funny in many places- something
that even the best books of our time fail to put their finger on.
Rating:
Summary: Would you believe the butler did it?
Review: Side splittingly funny. The mild, midwestern Connie Willis has written a honest-to-goodness British farce. Poor old Ned Henry desperately needs a vacation due to a serious bout of time-lag (symptoms: disorientation, trouble hearing, a tendancy to fall into maudlin sentimentality) caused by too much time-travel. His destination (repeatedly) has been dictated (repeatedly) by the whip-cracking battle-axe, millioneer heiress Lady Shrapnell, a loud and indominable American on a mission: To rebuild Coventry Cathedral, just as it was before it was bombed on that fateful night during the second world war. Her motto is 'God is in the details' and she will stop at nothing to ensure that her monument is an exact replica, nothing will stop her, even if it means taking over the whole Time-Travel department of Balliol College, Oxford, plus all its Historians! It becomes apparent that the only way Ned can escape Lady Shrapnell's obsession is to travel back in time once more... to the idyllic, pastoral world of Vistorian England. You know... Tennyson, Mrs Brown, Darwin, Tea, Sceances, Jerome K. Jerome, Croquet, Kedgeree, India, the Thames, Alice. One of the funniest sections in the book is when Ned is being prepped in Victorian Social History before his leap. Willis is a master at timing, in jokes and popular culture detail, and she delivers all three in 'To Say Nothing of the Dog' in spades!. The book is a tribute to Willis's own literary heritage as a reader: Mysteries, Alice in Wonderland, Three Men in a Boat, the classic farce. Her homages to the likes of Jerome K Jerome, Hercule Poirot etc are charming, and her use of Victorian literary, mystery novel, and farcicle conventions are intelligently twisted into the story and deeply satisfying. Her characters are so alive, believable, sufferable, adorable. She tells you everything with a knowing wink, and the pleasure comes from recognising what she is talking about, recognising the culture, recognising all the in-jokes, and working out what the hell is going on! There is a mystery to be solved here, and the answer is supremely satisfying. Willis is, really truly, one of the masters of her genre, not only because her ideas are so fresh, but also because she makes it so easy to swallow, not by being conventional, but by building on what we know best: popular culture and the fact that we are human. All of her books are enjoyable from page one, so readable, so re-readable, so wonderfully written, so funny.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Story in Search of an Editor
Review: To Say Nothing of the Dog is a delightful romp through the space-time continuum that addresses several pressing questions--how might a chaotic system like time protect itself from anomalies; what happens when people from the future remove an item from their past; and why did Victorian Brits have such atrocious taste? The characters here, as in most of Willis' works, are true-to-life and quite well rounded. The story is engaging and has some terrific twists and turns, including romance, suspense and adventure. Unfortunately, it is a case study of why great fiction results from the collaboration of an author and an editor. This book desperately needs an editor to cut some of the redundant and oppressive details and musings that really added nothing to the story. If, however, you can slog through page after page of confusing and often stupefying prose in the middle, you'll find a delightful and satisfying ending. This book really makes you understand why her works, including the incomparable Doomsday Book, make her one of the best in the field. However, she may be well served to pay more attention to her own short fiction. Fire Watch showcases her extraordinary talent in a medium (short stories and novellas) where she's forced to cut the fluff and focus on her strength--great tales and superb characters. Still, To Say Nothing of the Dog deserves a read. While a little editing would have made it exceptional, as is it is still far above average.
Rating:
Summary: A Hilairious Scifi Mystery/Adventure
Review: To Say Nothing of the Dog is one of the wittiest works I've ever read. It follows the story of Ned Henry, a young time traveler who is sent to Victorian-Era England for what he thinks is a peaceful time of rest and recreation. He is horribly mistaken when he belatedly discovers he is a pawn in a scheme that could easily alter the history of the entire world. Every decision Ned makes could easily change everything, and his next move is NEVER predictable.
Told from Ned's point of view, his musings are hilairious and definitely add texture to the story. The characters he encounters have a life all their own as well, including a bulldog named Cyril with a DEFINITE personality. Many of the characters previously appeared in Willis' The Doomsday Book; if you've read that, getting interested in To Say Nothing of the Dog will not be a problem.
This story relies greatly on dialogue to advance the plot, and bookworms who do not like dialogue-laden stories will be quite unhappy. It's not exactly for the fan of hard-core science fiction either, as the story does not rely heavily on anything truly scientific. To Say Nothing of the Dog is more for the reader looking for a hilairious adventure, with just a hint of science fiction. Just be prepared for a VERY suprising ending.
Rating:
Summary: Entrancing, To Say Nothing of the Dog (and penwipers)
Review: This is a really good book! I just finished it today, and... wow! Almost the whole tmime I was rather confused about what everything meant (well of course I was supposed to be, it's a mystery!), but at the end it all got sorted out and I was surprised!
I loved the character development, and the way the plot twisted and turned, yet all made almost perfect, flawless sense in my mind. And it's so weird how everything that's happened all works out at the end. You'll just have to read it to know what I mean.
(All the little references to Three Men in a Boat, Agatha Christie, Darwin, and the Titanic, among other things, are interesting as well. Plus the penwipers and interesting bulldog history and cats with pantaloons and baby talk, etc.)
All in all, this is a great read that you won't have trouble getting involved with. Very intriguing.
Rating:
Summary: Willis Astonishes
Review: My first introduction to Willis was Doomsday Book. Although her style of mixing history and science fiction was something that intrigued me it was, well, boring. This book is an altogether different story (pun intended). I go through a LOT of books annually, and I don't usually keep books when I'm done reading them. I just keep a very few of the gems. This one stays on the top shelf. Take someone you love to a bookstore near you (or to Amazon <ahem>) and make them buy you a copy... and one for themselves.
Rating:
Summary: What's not to love about Victorian England?
Review: This is my absolute favorite book. Connie Willis is my favorite author, and this is her funniest book, and the one that explains her time-travel theory. I reccomend reading Doomsday Book first, but it isn't neccessary. Willis has tremendous talent, and makes you care about her characters. Ned has a special place in my heart, and I carry him with me always. When I packed for college, this was one of the books I had to bring with me, because I couldn't bear not having it nearby. It's funny, sweet and a fascinating mystery. I haven't been able to put it down on any of the multiple occasions I've read it. A must read for anyone, no matter how they feel about time travel or Victorian England.
Rating: 
Summary: What's all the hysteria about?
Review: To call this book superior to Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat is ludicrous. And, to compare it to Wodehouse borders on sacrilege. Being a fan of both, I had high hopes for this book, based on the reviews. But, I was disappointed. It was interesting. It was frequently amusing. But, on the whole, I just didn't really care for it. It's hard to say why, exactly. Perhaps all the raves set too high an expectation. It does have both some extremely funny scenes as well as some interesting science fiction concepts, but the whole just seems to add up to considerably less than the sum of the parts. In fact the parts didn't seem to me to add up to anything. They remained schizophrenically separate, which may be the reason I didn't enjoy the book. In the end, I was left not with the "Ah! Now THAT'S a good book." feeling one gets from reading Jerome or Wodehouse, but more of a "Hmm. That was interesting." feeling. Is it worth reading? Sure, if only to see what all the fuss is about. Does it catapult Ms. Willis into the literary stratosphere inhabited by Wodehouse and Jerome? Hardly.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Hoot!
Review: Okay, I'm a serious fan of time-travel Science Fiction and screwball comedies (as well as a "dog person"), so I'm prejudiced.
This book was a delicious romp! Folks are popping in out of time like characters in a vintage French farce, and the dog is adorable. Enough said.
Rating:
Summary: That was a great trip!
Review: I really really enjoyed this book! It was a lot of fun & I really enjoy Ms. Willis's writing. Her attention to detail, historical & within the story, is superb. The only thing that I kept me from giving this book 5 stars is the highly predictable & somewhat sappy ending. It seemed "out of joint" with the rest of the book. Otherwise I highly recommend it. The characters are fun & the plot is like a rollercoaster. IT'S JUST A FUN BOOK!
|
