Helpful Score: 2
only a writer with the overarching vision and prodigal narrative gifts of Martin Amis could give us a novel that not ony rethinks history but Drastically revises our notion of time itself.
this is a very cool book. the author really pulled off what seemed would be the impossible task of writing a life in reverse. tod's soul is aware that time should go forward but tod seems unaware. there was one moment when time went forward in the book and i would love to know the author's reason for that brief moment.
Ron K. (WhidbeyIslander) -
Takes a while to get into the un-rhythm (and sometimes it helps to read the dialogue exchanges again in reverse order) but a very interesting read. I thought the author pulled off his experiment very well. It's like one long flashback, where you know what's happened and are being told how things led up to that point, in spades.
Had to give up, I know it's gotten great reviews here, but I didn't see the magic.
Finished Time's Arrow by Martin Amis yesterday. Was COMPLETELY unimpressed. Ugh. In fact, I disliked it so much I didn't even bother to write an actual review. It was hard to follow, and generally uninteresting. I was not invested in the character and so I was not invested in the major pivotal plot point that I was waiting on and knew would occur early in his life and late in the book. The whole 'time told backward' narration device did NOT get any easier to keep up with, as I had hoped it would early on in the book. Dialogue was a pain especially. The only things that saved this book from a 'Hate' was that it was short, so the torture didn't last too long (although it still managed to drag) and I did enjoy the theme of hurting and healing.
Still, I would not recommend this book.
3/10 - Dislike
Still, I would not recommend this book.
3/10 - Dislike
