The Map of Time

A Novel

By: Felix J. Palma

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in Victorian London, with characters real and imagined, The Map of Time boasts a triple play of intertwined plots in which a skeptical H. G. Wells is called upon to investigate purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including Dracula and The Time Machine, from being wiped from existence. What happens if we change history? Félix J. Palma explores this question in The Map of Time, weaving a historical fantasy as imaginative as it is exciting—a story full of love and adventure that transports listeners to a haunting setting in Victorian London for their own taste of time travel.

©2011 Felix J. Palma (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Palma makes his U.S. debut with the brilliant first in a trilogy, an intriguing thriller that explores the ramifications of time travel in three intersecting narratives." ( Publishers Weekly)

Spellbinding

This is a true adventure. The narration is first class. I know it is only one credit, but it is worth two. Buy this book and enjoy. This has my full stamp of approval.

A waste of "Time"

Full disclosure: I didn't finish it. I listened to this on a long road trip. After seven hours, I just gave up.

The plot sounded so intriguing. Bringing together all those historical characters to solve the mystery of Jack the Ripper seemed like a "can't fail" idea. But long, tortuous passages whereupon the protagonist, an upper class British gentleman, carries on and on about his obsession with a common street prostitute, nearly put me to sleep at the wheel waiting for something to happen. Occasionally, something interesting does happen, but just when you think the plot may be thickening, the pitiful angst resumes. Sadly, the writing is very good and the narrator does and excellent job, but the pace of the story is like watching paint dry. I have no idea how it all turned out, but I just couldn't bring myself to care.

A well-written historical fantasy/science fiction

Would you listen to The Map of Time again? Why?

Yes, the first time through, you likely won't catch all of the author's clues as to what is truly fantastic and what is misdirection within the world of the narrative. I plan to go back and listen through from the start of this book again after I complete the sequel, the Map of the Sky.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Herbert George Wells is my favorite. His life weaves through the plot lines of the other characters, and he is engaging and well developed.

Have you listened to any of James Langton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first book with James Langton as narrator. I thought he did an outstanding job of capturing the Victorian Era feel of the writing.

Any additional comments?

It took me a bit to really catch the rhythm of this book. For the first 30 minutes, it seemed a bit too cute in tone, but I'd encourage you to give it a chance. It's well worth the time, and highly enjoyable.

My kind of sci fi!

I found this book entrancing. There is so much originality and creativity here that is missing from most of the books that purport to contain same. It's just a lot of fun, and I can't wait for the sequel!

Too cute, and less than 1/3 Sci-Fi

I read through to the end of this book, and the last part (less than about 1/3) was Sci-Fi. The first two parts are not, although they do in places appear to be Sci-Fi of the most simplistic kind. The first parts are in fact historical drama, concerned with Sci-Fi literature in its infancy (H.G. Wells is a prominent character throughout).

The Sci-Fi of the last part left me cold. The issues have been dealt with in a far better way in The Time-Traveler's Wife (paradox), The City at the End of Time (multiverse), and The Number of the Beast (fiction as window into multiverse). Although the last part was moderately interesting, it's not worth the effort of slogging through the first parts to get there.

The narrator occasionally drops into the first person (speaking as narrator, who knows he is omniscient, etc.). This is cute the first time, more than enough the second, and grating after that.

If you like historical fiction of this period (Victorian London), or are interested in the birth of Sci-Fi as a genre, then get this book, otherwise, give it a pass.

Fantastic

These are my some of my favorite books. Originally written in Spanish with an excellent translation by Caistor and perfect vocal performance by Langton

Don't Bother

I did listen to the entire book in the hope that there would be some point to it. There never was...

Stirring

Intensity, thy name is Map of Time. Three separate but interwoven stories, each one compelling and intriguing. It starts off as the story of one of Jack the Ripper's victims (and the subsequent arrest, trial, and execution of Jack the Ripper - I know, I thought he'd never been caught, either. Turns out there's a satisfying explanation for that, but not until the third story. Use your skills at suspending disbelief and accept the premise; it all comes around right in the end). Quite brilliant in its crafting, this story has whetted my appetite for more of Felix J. Palma's work. Highly recommended.

Description is more interesting than the story

Would you try another book from Felix J. Palma and/or James Langton?

From Felix, no. From James, yes since he was only reading what Felix wrote.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Very disappointed. In the same way that Felix describes one of his character's manuscripts, I felt about this novel. If only H.G. Wells could tell Felix what he thought.

Any additional comments?

The word that kept coming to mind as I listened was 'convoluted'. The author tries to be clever in inter-weaving several stories with a time-travel theme, but in my opinion it fell flat.

A very unexpected take on time travel

Any additional comments?

Months after having listened to The Map of Time, I still find myself thinking about it. Importantly, this novel's take on time travel is unlike any other's and was a fantastic surprise, making for a far more exciting, interesting, and thought-provoking listen than expected. This book does not feature one continuous story line, but rather several shorter stories revolving around the same characters, highlighting different characters' perspectives and actions. The plot is far more complex than anticipated, making for a much more enjoyable listen. Additionally, I must admit that I'm a sucker for stories taking place in Victorian England. James Langton is one of my absolute favorite narrators. He does a stellar job of portraying each character with a very distinguishable voice, a feature I particularly appreciate in a good audiobook. His voice is also very pleasant and easy to listen to, and he has a way of bringing life to a story and its characters that not many other narrators are capable of doing. If you like time travel (and H.G. Wells) and are looking for an original take on the idea, this is for you. If you like for a book to make you think, this is also for you.