Time and Time Again

By: Ben Elton

Narrated by: Jot Davies

Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Great of course, it's Ben.

What did you love best about Time and Time Again?

I love everything Ben writes* and have every book he's written.
This is totally in keeping with his theme of - choose a topical subject, then write the most well researched, original, witty, intelligent, insightful, razor-sharp, entertaining and detailed book about it. With the most memorable and real characters in it.
With this one, he's also following his recent theme of exploring WWI and II and everything that went on around them, which is obviously a personal interest for him.
His take on time travel and it's repercussions is typically Ben - original, but about as realistic and down to earth as it's possible to get given the subject matter.


*(one exception - Past Mortem, where he decided to leap over the boundaries of gruesomeness, way past what the average person - or at least me - could stomach. Don't get that one).

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

Great. He does other Ben Elton books and is always good.

Any additional comments?

If you like Ben, it goes without saying - get this book!
But - don't expect the laughs of his older books, he's gone a bit more serious lately.
If I had to give one negative point - I'd like it to have been a bit longer.

If you don't know Ben but like great writing of the easy to read/listen and always absorbing and entertaining type - get this book.

You don't have to be in to sci-fi or time travel at all - that's quite incidental to the story.

Riveting

I've read some of Ben Eltons other books, and this by far the best.
A story that grabs you in and takes you back and forward in time, never hinting about what's to come.
The plot, although far fetched, is made believable with Bens historic knowledge and the specifics that become as much a lesson in history as a great novel.
Loved it!

Brilliant!

This is such a masterpiece of a time travel novel! It was intelligent, well-narrated, and riveting. I loved it!

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.

Don't Mess With Yesterday!

What happens when a bunch of academic historians actually get the opportunity to change history? Well, I think you can imagine that the results are not what they expected - and not necessarily of benefit to the present and future.

This is an often fascinating look at alternative histories, of the "be-careful-what-you-wish-for" variety. There's lots of action and some quirky and interesting characters in both the past and present sections of the book. For time travel genre fans, it's a real winner with excellent narration.

If, like me, you tend to find yourself asking too many questions and thinking too many "but"s, just remember to suspend that gut disbelief in the whole concept - you'll have a good time inside "Time and Time Again"!

Most excellent!

Sadly, there is not going to be any sequels! Oh wow was this good! Narrator as well!