To Say Nothing of the Dog
by Connie Willis
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Book Reviews of To Say Nothing of the Dog
Book Review: Interesting Mix
Summary: 4 Stars
This is one of the most interesting literary mixes I've ever come across, all the more surprising as it appears in the form of a science-fiction time-travel book. The book itself is a mix of hard sci-fi, Victorian comedy of errors and manners, and cozy mystery. Literary homages (most notably to Three Men in a Boat) and references abound, including P.G. Wodehouse's Beeves books, Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, not to mention Tennyson's poetry and Herotodus (who are both quoted throughout). The story has to do with a project in 2057 to rebuild the Coventry Cathedral, and time-traveling historians sent back to study its contents prior to the bombing of 1940. The story is set in motion when one of the historians somehow brings a Victorian-era cat through the time-travel "net", contravening the natural laws governing time-travel. The heroes must then return the cat in order to correct any "anomalies", but this gets them enmeshed in a matchmaking fiasco with loads of fun and well-drawn archetypes of the era (the ditzy girl, the absentminded Oxford don, the seance-loving matron, and miscellaneous butlers). And of course, by the end, all mysteries are revealed, everyone is paired off, and everything neatly dovetails. Truly a wondrous feat of writing and imagination.Book Review: A Wonderous Melange
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the most interesting literary mixes I've ever come across, all the more surprising as it appears in the form of a science-fiction time-travel book. The book itself is a mix of hard sci-fi, Victorian comedy of errors and manners, and cozy mystery. Literary homages (most notably to Three Men in a Boat) and references abound, including P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves books, Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, not to mention Tennyson's poetry and Herotodus (who are both quoted throughout). The story has to do with a project in 2057 to rebuild the Coventry Cathedral, and time-traveling historians sent back to study its contents prior to the bombing of 1940. The story is set in motion when one of the historians somehow brings a Victorian-era cat through the time-travel "net," contravening the natural laws governing time-travel. The heroes must then return the cat in order to correct any "anomalies," but this gets them enmeshed in a matchmaking fiasco with loads of fun and well-drawn archetypes of the era (the ditzy girl, the absentminded Oxford don, the seance-loving matron, and miscellaneous butlers). And of course, by the end, all mysteries are revealed, everyone is paired off, and everything neatly dovetails. Truly a wondrous feat of writing and imagination.Book Review: Capsized
Summary: 5 Stars
"God is in the details," Lady Schrapnell informs the exasperated time travel staff of a futuristic Oxford. Lady Schrapnell, a shrew in the tradition of the infamous Kate, had her life, to everyone's utter dismay, altered after the reading of her great, great etc. grandmother's journal. In the diary, Tossie, a young woman of the Victorian era, describes having her life changed forever after a visit to Coventry Cathedral and seeing what became known as the Bishop's Bird Stump-a Victorian artistic monstrosity. Ned Henry, our protagonist and a historian/time traveller for Oxford, finds himself severely time-lagged after a series of failed attempts to locate the Bishop's Bird Stump. Ned is sent back to the Victorian era to recuperate and to help solve a disaster after a beautiful fellow time traveller, Verity Kindle, causes an incongruity by bringing an historic object forward through the net. As Ned and Verity try to correct the situation, they struggle with Lady Schrapnell's frustrating and hysterical ancestors and the saccharine environment of the Victorian period in Englad. To Say Nothing of the Dog is exceptionally witty with vivid characters and excellent commentary on Victorian lifestyle. References to the works of Jerome K. Jerome and Dorothy Sayers are added bonuses. ;)Book Review: A Hilairious Scifi Mystery/Adventure
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Book Review: Great fun!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a fun and very quick read (you probably won't be able to put it down---I found myself sneaking glimpses of it while stuck in traffic).Ned Henry is a time traveler who thinks he knows what his mission is...to locate the bishop's bird stump in Coventry Cathedral right before the raid which destroyed the cathedral. But, as it quickly becomes clear, the search for the bishop's bird stump isn't really Ned's mission---altho' just what Ned's mission is is never clear.
After returning to the future without the bishop's bird stump, Ned is sent back into the past yet again. But this time he's wandering (quite literally) around the Victorian era---searching for a lost cat and trying to ensure that the proper Victorian miss, Tossie, meets the right man on the right date. Problem is Ned doesn't know what the right date is or who the right man is. Adding to all the confusion are proper (or improper?) butlers, eccentric Oxford dons, spiritualists, lovesick undergraduates, apoplectic colonels, scheming matrons...and one very interesting young woman who hails from Ned's time as well.
Sound confusing? It is! But it's a wonderful tangle---if you have ever read Victorian novels, murder mysteries or even just visited Britain, this is a book you'll really enjoy!