To Say Nothing of the Dog
by Connie Willis
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Book Reviews of To Say Nothing of the Dog
Book Review: Deserved awards - great book
Summary: 5 Stars
"To say nothing of the dog" is a blend of comedy, time-travel tale, science fiction and Victorian costumes narrative. It may seem strange at first sight, but awarded author Connie Willis, weaves all these non-related subjects into one fine story, with plenty of intrigue, mistery and an incisive and somewhat dark humor.
The main character is Ned Henry. From the first chapter, we know that he is a time-traveller, trying to locate the bishop's bird stump for Lady Schrapnell in the Coventry Cathedral shortly after the Nazis' air bombing of that town. This last sentence doesn't make much sense, huh? Well, that's how the reader feels about the plot. Ned Henry doesn't give away much of anything at first, because he is almost as lost as we readers are. As the story unfolds, we learn, along with Ned, not only his job as a time-traveler in the Victorian Era, but the impediments inherent to little-spaced jump between times and the way time-travel works. To say nothing of the dog, the cat, the loony professor, the romantic lover, the butler, the beautiful neiad and the fake medium, all part of this great, at-first-sight strange but very enjoyable book.
"To say nothing of the dog" won the Hugo Award in 1999. The Hugo Award is voted by science-fiction fans, which means how well liked this book is by the public. And I second that.
Grade 9.3/10
Book Review: The best Connie Willis book yet
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read a few Willis books, and have enjoyed them, but disliked elements of writing style and plot development. This one, however, does not have the problems of the others. You, gentle reader, will be instantly sucked into the story line, interested in the story's complications, like the characters, and want to stay up all night (I did till 2 am) to finish. Well-researched elements of Victorian society are included, but the piece does not become a parody of Victorian lit. There's enough for a laugh and a smile of recognition, but the book remains thouroughly for the modern reader, while not making fun of the elements of Victorian.
Ultimately a fantasy/mystery story, you will smile when you learn "whodunit" in every case.
In an episode of Star Trek with Captain Janeway, she once commented on how she hated those "time travel paradox" scenarios and had vowed to never get into one. This book has that time traveller's dilemna-- what are the things you're doing while in the past affecting in the future? How does even the smallest detail affect the way the world will be? And what if you, time traveller, are the real reason for things going right/wrong?
A worthwhile, rewarding use of your time. Truly a fabulous book that will both keep you guessing, laughing, and feeling that you got to know a new place and new people who you will treasure.
Book Review: Willis demonstrates her flair with humor
Summary: 5 Stars
This is, paradoxically, a book you will both want to take around everywhere you go so that you can read it in one go, and a book that you don't want to take out in public. That is, unless you don't mind people looking at you oddly when you start cackling at the frequent hilarious bits sprinkled about in these pages. Even though it's a light read, it's deeply satisfying.Ned's been sent back to the past, hopping through jumble sales to look for a hideous artifact that he must bring back to the 21st century. Now he has a time-lag (think jetlag, only twenty times worse) that makes him say thinks like, "Ah, noble dog, you are the furry mirror in which we see our better selves reflected, man as he could be, unstained by war or ambition, unspoilt by--"
The solution: send him back to the Victorian era to kick back and get some rest. After all, he'll fit right in. But instead of getting a chance to relax, he finds himself getting entangled in romance, the possibility of human history changing drastically, and worst of all, *more* jumble sales (O horrors!).
There to help him (and tell him which fork to use) is a fellow time-traveler, Verity. With one cat, one bishop's bird stump, and the spirit of Lady Godiva, they may have a chance of saving the 21st century as they know it. To say nothing of the dog.
Book Review: palatable comedy of manners -- with a side of chaos theory
Summary: 4 Stars
In 1889, JK Jerome published "Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog", a witty British commentary on Victorian culture, characters and taste; Connie Willis plays off, and pays homage to, Jerome's beloved comedy as she tells the tale of harried mid-21st century time travellers who find love in the late-19th. Allusions abound, from Conan Doyle and Sayles to Wilde, Wodehouse and Wilkie Collins. The format is fun, with humorous introductory quotes and chapter outlines that pique the reader's curiosity. The pacing is fine, though the book runs long. I enjoyed each of the characters, from Ned Henry and Verity Kindle, to Finch and Terence, Professor Peddick and Baine, and Cyril and Princess Arjumand, though I thought the plot resolutions were fairly transparent (and I'm not usually good at figuring things out in advance). In addition to a thick layer of chaos theory, this literary casserole also slathers on lots of historical speculation -- namely, the role of penmanship, disease, sleep, weather, murder, assumptions, fire and swans on historical events. So, while it's not perfect, it is a book that works on many levels -- as comedy, as satire, as speculative fiction. It will wake up your brain AND entertain you, though you might gain some enjoyment from reading "Three Men in a Boat" before picking it up.
Book Review: I Can't Say Enough About "To Say Nothing"
Summary: 5 Stars
What a marvelous romp!Of course, I'm a sci-fi fan who loves Victorian novels and prefers well-written works in the comic idiom, so this book is about as up-my-personal-alley as one can get.
If you're coming to this book from Willis' other work you should know that it's really quite different--it's really very funny, unlike her brilliantly moving Doomsday book--and if you're moving on from her earlier, slighter, lighter books, you should know this is much, much better, a fully mature classic of its genre.
The style, despite the Victorian setting of much of the novel, it more Edwardian in its humour (Wodehouse, Benson) than Victorian (Dickens, for example). The sci-fi components are more fi than sci, so it's not really worth reading if that's your sole interest in this book.
The characters are well-drawn and differentiated, the plot's constantly absorbing, the satire on Victorian England astonishingly clever, and it's really quite moving as well. It's worth reading just for the symptoms of time lag (I know several people who seem to perpetually suffer from this condition!) A joy throughout.
Note: a 3 star ranking from me is actually pretty good; I reserve 4 stars for tremendously good works, and 5 only for the rare few that are or ought to be classic; unfortunately most books published are 2 or less.