
'To Say Nothing of the Dog' by Connie Willis is a time travel science fiction novel set in both the Victorian era and the future. The story follows Ned Henry, a time-traveling historian who is tasked with recovering the Bishop's Bird Stump, a lost artifact crucial for the reconstruction of Coventry Cathedral. The plot is filled with mishaps, romances, historical references, and humorous elements, all set against a backdrop of intricate time travel logistics and paradoxes. The writing style is described as light-hearted, witty, and full of dry humor, with impeccable research and detailed character development that brings the story to life.
The book combines elements of comedy of manners, Victorian romance, and science fiction, creating a unique and engaging narrative that keeps readers entertained. The characters, particularly Ned Henry and Harriet Verity Kindle, are well-developed and their interactions drive the plot forward. The setting in Victorian England is vividly portrayed, almost like a character in itself, adding depth to the story. Despite some initial confusion and slow pacing at the beginning, the book gradually builds momentum, culminating in a satisfying and intriguing climax that ties together the various threads of the plot.
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Has Romance?
There is a moderate level of romance throughout the story, mainly involving the main characters.
From The Publisher:
From Connie Willis, winner of multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, comes a comedic romp through an unpredictable world of mystery, love, and time travel . . .
Ned Henry is badly in need of a rest. He's been shuttling between the 21st century and the 1940s searching for a Victorian atrocity called the bishop's bird stump. It's part of a project to restore the famed Coventry Cathedral, destroyed in a Nazi air raid over a hundred years earlier.
But then Verity Kindle, a fellow time traveler, inadvertently brings back something from the past. Now Ned must jump back to the Victorian era to help Verity put things right-not only to save the project but to prevent altering history itself.
Ratings (26)
Incredible (8) | |
Loved It (13) | |
Liked It (4) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (78):
Read It (27) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (38) | |
Not Interested (12) |
1 comment(s)
I first read this in high school, and I love it more now than I did then. Willis is all at once writing mystery, science fiction, historical fiction, and romance. Her genuine love for history is obvious in the way she treats the Victorians: teasingly, but also with gentleness and fondness.
To Say Nothing is the light, fun alternative to
Doomsday Book. Both books are set in the same universe, where time travel is possible but has been abandoned by mulitinational corporations and governments due to the impossibility of bringing riches forward from the past.
TSNOTD explores the possibility of creating paradoxes in the space-time continuum. This involves cats, bulldogs, horrid works of Victorian art, boating accidents, and a series of indomitable women stretching from the 14th century to the 21st. If "romp" wasn't such a horrid cliche, I would call this book a romp.
About the Author:
Connie Willis is a member of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and a Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She has received seven Nebula awards and eleven Hugo awards for her fiction; Blackout and…
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