Time and Again

By: Jack Finney

Narrated by: Paul Hecht

Length: 17 hrs

Publisher's summary

One of the most beloved tales of our time!

Science fiction, mystery, a passionate love story, and a detailed history of Old New York blend together in Jack Finney's spellbinding story of a young man enlisted in a secret Government experiment.

Transported from the mid-20th century to New York City in the year 1882, Si Morley walks the fashionable "Ladies' Mile" of Broadway, is enchanted by the jingling sleigh bells in Central Park, and solves a 20th-century mystery by discovering its 19th-century roots. Falling in love with a beautiful young woman, he ultimately finds himself forced to choose between his lives in the present and the past.

A story that will remain in the listener's memory, Time and Again is a remarkable blending of the troubled present and a nostalgic past, made vivid and extraordinarily moving by the images of a time that was... and perhaps still is.

©1970 Jack Finney (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Go back to a wonderful world and have a wonderful time doing it." ( The New York Times)

Liked some aspects, not others.

I didn't care for the author's over use of details that were unimportant to the story, made it drag at times. I liked some of the twists and turns, especially the surprise at the end. I love the time travel genre but this wasn't my favorite.

Meh

Any additional comments?

I expected a lot from this book, based on the other comments. The main character time travels by thinking about it, which is kind of a cop out. Plus, it really didn't get interesting until the last 4 chapters.

Pretty good story, a little twist at the end

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was a pretty good story, it had a couple of good twists. More of a detective strory than anything else. Worth a listen.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The concept of a modern mans views of 1882 and vice versa.

What aspect of Paul Hecht’s performance would you have changed?

It was a little flat, no real distincton between character voices.

Do you think Time and Again needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No but I understand that there was one written. The ending is meant to be an ending and I thought it was well done.

Any additional comments?

I was looking for a time travel book with some paradoxical situations. This book really didn't deliver on that.

gently delves into the morality of time travel

wonderful performance of the story which I first learned about when listening to Stephen King's afterword for 11/22/63 and at his recommendation.

Great story but the book is way too long.

Some descriptions are way too detailed and slow the storytelling down too much to the point of annoyance.

great story narrated by a guy who drinks water

Every time the narrator swallowed, I felt like I was right there in his throat.

Perfect Ending

A little slow getting into, but most good books are. However, it is well worth the read and has a great ending.

Great sci-fi time travel story.

Where does Time and Again rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

about the top third

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

When he went back the third time.

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

no.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

not extreme, but time travel fantasy stories always keep my attention.

Any additional comments?

It is very much like the new Stephen King novel 11-22-63, but different enough to not be boring with duplicity.

excellent

Would you listen to Time and Again again? Why?

Absolutely, best time travel story I've read.

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

Descriptions of 1882 NYC

Which character – as performed by Paul Hecht – was your favorite?

Julia

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

This is a story not without it's flaws. There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding the time travel method they were using. And I was frustrated early on by Simon not asking the questions I had about what was really going on. Also,it was way tooooo easy for Simon's friend to join him on one of his trips. But all that is easily forgotten given the outstanding descriptions of 1882 NYC. At first I was thinking "let's get on with it..." but quickly found myself literally mesmerized by the descriptions as read by the narrator.

If you are looking for an action based Time travel story this is not it... Check out Dr. Who ! But if you want to feel like you are really traveling back in time this is the book for you.

Star + Star + Star + Star + Star

Time travel at the speed of thought

Jack Finney's Time and Again is a time travel tale that is both engaging and well crafted. In this universe of 1970, time travel is envisioned as a consequence of Einstein's view that rather than flowing, time is always and influenced by our perception. This permits a mental process for travel. A dissatisfied artist becomes involved with the project and succeeds in traveling back to 1882 which has some significance for his girlfriend. While successful, he become enthralled with the past and increasingly frustrated with his 'present' day. He stumbles upon and eventually solves a mystery, but the backers of the project want him to intentionally change the past. While he succeeds, he does it in a unique manner and elects to remain timeless.

Finney crafts a well written tale that avoids much of the typical time travel paradox while managing an engaging story. Most noticeable is the stark contrast between 1882 and 1970 (his actual present). Most enjoyable the realism brought to the 1880's in terms of fashion, attitudes, and behaviors.

The narration is well done with excellent character distinction and solid pacing.