To Say Nothing of the Dog (Bantam Spectra Book)

Rating:
Summary: In a word: Funny!!
Review: Very enjoyable book - Connie Willis takes you on a ride through time to the Victorian Age and back. Very lighthearted, but not simple-minded. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Ah, such fun
Review: Willis's best, period.

While not as emotionally poignant as "Doomsday book" (with which it shares a couple of minor characters), TSNOTD is all but guaranteed to make you smile.

A time traveling story taking place (mostly) at an idyllic version of late Victorian England, sporting a cast of eccentric yet lovable characters, the book never takes itself too seriously. The 21st century hero and heroine are almost as silly as their 19th century compatriots, and the mission they are sent to perform is (at least initially) almost ridiculously trivial.

Importantly, this book avoids a pitfall that plagues many of Willis's works - namely, an uneven mood that makes some of the comic moments seem grating or inappropriate. It's probably the lightest and least cynical book by the author to date, and quite simply - it's funny throughout.

For sheer "feelgood" factor, TSNOTD is hard to beat. Very readable, even for the non-SF crowd. Can't recommend it enough.