The Ministry of Time

A Novel

De: Kaliane Bradley

Narrado por: George Weightman, Katie Leung

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

“This summer’s hottest debut.” —Cosmopolitan • “Witty, sexy escapist fiction [that] packs a substantial punch...Fresh and thrilling.” —Los Angeles Times • “Electric...I loved every second.” —Emily Henry

“Utterly winning...Imagine if The Time Traveler’s Wife had an affair with A Gentleman in Moscow...Readers, I envy you: There’s a smart, witty novel in your future.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post

A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley.

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts.

Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.

An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.

©2024 Kaliane Bradley (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

An incredibly smart book.

I was baffled by the reviews that said this was hard to follow or that it wasn't funny. Perhaps they were expecting slapstick fluff, or worse- the tedious female leads that haunt the ACOTAR series?

This was the first book I've read in ages where I remarked on the quality of the prose to my friends as I was reading it. The author has a sharp dry wit that she uses to color a cast of characters who span centuries. She is funny like Pratchett is funny, not like Joey from friends.

I will not give spoilers, but she wraps up her story beautifully. She offers a lesson/suggestion about "how to live your life" without it feeling heavy handed or too saccharine.

I hope this book finds the audience deserves. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read (listen).

remarkable book; words, voice, intent

The voice performance is spectacular. The idea of the book is amazing, and the whole thing comes together flawlessly. And it is not a joyful book, not a good-feeling book, not a pleasant book. And yet... well, no; you'll have to read it. You'll want to give yourself a day for this, and set yourself up for your own creature comforts after you've finished. It is absolutely a remarkable book, and I dislike the genre. Really, read it. Then find someone with whom you can discuss it. With vodka. Well done to all concerned.

Hard to follow

I wanted to like this book even though it didn’t have the best initial reviews. I just couldn’t get into it though. It was incredibly hard to follow the story and enjoy.

Just Not For Me

An intriguing plot and fascinating use of historical characters were ruined for me by lackluster narration and an overly analytical protagonist.

Poetic but boring

The story doesn’t ever take off despite wading through many chapters. Advertised as funny and romantic, but actually depressing.

a bit of everything

Sci-fi, thriller, comedy, romance, drama--I found many genres represented in this book, and represented well. The performance was also very well done. This was one of the books I wished would continue even after the end. a very good listen.

Awful narration and disjointed story line

This story might have been better had the narration been better. I felt like I was listening to robots. Also it suffered from an identity crisis. Was it a love story, a teaching moment on racism, a story about government excesses, history or a warning about our future. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it. I used an audible credit for this or I would have probably given up early on.

Different from other time travel stories.

The characters were very well developed. Although the ending did wrap the story up I was hoping they would meet again to seek and accept forgiveness.

Wow

This book touched on things that bruise and things that delight and things that make you feel beyond words

Exciting Turns

This book is a wonderful story, with some exciting turns. You don’t know what’s going to happen between the chapters. Characters are lovable.