Time and Time Again

De: Ben Elton

Narrado por: Jot Davies

It’s the 1st of June 1914 and Hugh Stanton, ex-soldier and celebrated adventurer is quite literally the loneliest man on earth. No one he has ever known or loved has been born yet. Perhaps now they never will be.

Stanton knows that a great and terrible war is coming. A collective suicidal madness that will destroy European civilization and bring misery to millions in the century to come. He knows this because, for him, that century is already history.

Somehow he must change that history. He must prevent the war. A war that will begin with a single bullet. But can a single bullet truly corrupt an entire century?

And, if so, could another single bullet save it?

©2014 Ben Elton (P)2014 Random House Audiobooks

Wonderful Premise and Payoff

If you could change one moment in time, which would you choose? That's the premise of Time and Time Again. Is there a single moment in time that hurdles the 20th century into unspeakable violence, pollution and vapid consumption? Were we heading for a better future if not for a single event? And if you had the power to change that one event, should you use it?

This novel is a fantastic blend of action, adventure, romance and philosophy. Add a dash of Isaac Newton (because who doesn't yearn for more Isaac Newton). Faultlessly l
paced with twists and turns - some you see coming, and at least one that shakes your foundations to the core.

Beautiful narration be Jot Davies who made even the most wretched of characters wholly human (if not all slightly masculine). The novel's conclusion - perfect to the story but also haunting in such a way that will simply not permit you to easily put this story away.

I am so eager to talk about this book with my frinds, but sadly I will need to wait for them all to finish reading the numerous copies I am purchasing and intend to gift to them all first.

Great concept and ideas marred by moping and romance

The concept is great. The author has a way of transporting you back to 1914 to various historical locations with a flowery prose, but that same descriptive writing also drags and gets sidetracked sometimes in eye roll inducing romance and internal moping. Keep with it, though, and you are rewarded some interesting time travel twists and turns and historical adventure.

Time travel tension

What made the experience of listening to Time and Time Again the most enjoyable?

Thought this book was great! Superb performance by narrator, kept my rapt attention after a somewhat slow start. Highly recommended!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Time and Time Again?

Meeting characters in the past, and their interaction

Which character – as performed by Jot Davies – was your favorite?

The "train babe", of course!

Who was the most memorable character of Time and Time Again and why?

The professor

Best story I've heard in a long time!

Excellent narrative, riveting story, with twists and turns right up until the very end. Great for fans of the genre or anyone who loves a good story. Wonderful narrator, as well.

New Twist on Time Travel Story

If you could sum up Time and Time Again in three words, what would they be?

Fast-paced. Novel plot-line. Excellent narration

What did you like best about this story?

I thought I'd read every possible twist on the time-travel story, but Elton finds something new. Admittedly, the plot is fairly absurd in many details, but it races along before you have time to consider too much at the time. The characters are pretty much cardboard but the real interest is in the situation (preventing WW1 from happening) and how the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first visualisation of Constantinople in 1914 is very well done. I didn't detect any anachronisms then (or later either).

If you could take any character from Time and Time Again out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The murderous lady professor would be lively but I suspect a bit of a bore before the evening was out.

Any additional comments?

Not Elton's best for sure, but very listenable when you're feeling mentally lazy and just want to be swept along in a lively story. The narrator is first-class: he can do a creditable Irish and Scottish accent, and others too, and swap seamlessly between them.

Very uneven book.

The performance was the best part of this uneven novel. The plot ok but executed in a mediocre manner. It was sometimes a very painful listen. It lacked Jodi Taylor’s wit. Its protagonist was unlikable and foolish. Only morbid curiosity about how the author wind up the plot kept me listening.

Similar But Yet So Much Different From 11/22/63

Any additional comments?

Ben Elton's Time and Time Again is very similar, but yet so much different from Stephen King’s 11/22/63. Like King's novel, the protagonist travel's back into the past via a time-portal to stop a political assassination; Archduke Franz Ferdinand replacing President John F. Kennedy. Yet unlike King's novel, Elton's protagonist, being a highly trained ex-SAS officer, has relatively little difficulty in achieving his mission. In what King only briefly explored, Elton instead devotes significant time to showing his readers (listeners) the consequences of his protagonist's success, the Butterfly Effect. Ben Elton's “Time and Time Again” will haunt you long after you read (listen) to its final page. It is perhaps the most intelligently written time travel novel ever created.

Hard to put down.

Really good- typical Ben Elton, not exactly great literature but the pacing is incredible and the story compelling. Absolutely loved it.

Time travel and the 20th Century

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - it was thoroughly engaging

Who was your favorite character and why?

the protagonist because he was very human in his failings

Which scene was your favorite?

first trip on the train from Istanbul

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

many - but more exciting than moving

Same vien as "Time and Again" and "11/22/63"

Of the three, the conclusion of this book makes me think about history the most.