Time Travel discussion

Another great suggestion from Lizz:

What "Time Travel adjacent" stories do you like?

Lizz, you mentioned The Picture of Dorian Gray and something by Schwab. Would you please elaborate?

I do enjoy stories involving reincarnation or immortal beings. Its a bit of a fantasy to imagine living through so many different time periods.

The only one I can think off of the top of my head is The Years of Rice and Salt and some vampire novels.

I like stories that span long time frames or multi-generations. I think that's due to the relationships and familial ties, the complex chain of events, and the echoes of the past that make for exciting storytelling.

A few examples in my recent memory include The Bone Clocks, The Three Body Problem series, and Roots.

Heather(Gibby) wrote: "I do enjoy stories involving reincarnation or immortal beings. Its a bit of a fantasy to imagine living through so many different time periods.

The only one I can think off of the top of my head ..."

The most amazing I can think of is "the first 15 lives of Harry August". If you do not know it, I suggest you not spoil it for yourself.

happy, real Happy reading!

We have read Harry August for the group. It may have been long ago enough that it could be renominated.

That was a really good one! I haven't read anything else by the author - anyone have recommendations for others that she's written?

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North for the links. :)

Pat of Rocks wrote: "That was a really good one! I haven't read anything else by the author - anyone have recommendations for others that she's written?"

"Touch" and "the sudden appearance of hope"

I read a lot of antiquarian fiction, which transports you to another era through the language, writing style and settings.

I have always loved The Picture of Dorian Gray concept. A picture ages and shows the dark nature of a very spoiled jerk who doesn't age a day since it was painted. The old movie with a young Angela Lansbury is worth viewing after reading the book.

VE Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was a unique concept that isn't time travel but more of someone living on the edge of time.

We actually did read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue in February of 2021. :)

Good recommendations everyone! Thank you!

Samantha wrote: "I read a lot of antiquarian fiction, which transports you to another era through the language, writing style and settings."

Could you give us an example? It sounds intriguing.

For example, a book like January Thaw takes you back to a time when laws and formalities were only recently taken more seriously, when rural areas were still operating under a simpler structure and people's expectations of life were different.

Daddy-Long-Legs gives you a slice of what letter-writing was like (before the days of email and quick correspondence) and some of the antiquated beliefs are on display in the opinions expressed.

Beauty gives you a sense of how difficult it was to be a woman in an era when they were only just gaining independence and freedom.

Gentleman's Agreement shows how prevalent and open people were about their antisemitism.

Above Suspicion gives us a taste of what an American might feel if they were thrust into the conflict with the Nazis as civilians, which we never had to experience firsthand. This was written during the early part of the war before Pearl Harbor.

Chicken Every Sunday: My Life with Mother's Boarders is non-fiction, and it really gives a slice of what life was like at the turn of the 20th century, how people struggled to make ends meet and were creative about ways they made and saved money. It also illustrates family life and gives us an idea of diet, living arrangements, etc.

I love old movies for this reason too, especially silent films, which innocuously capture the hairstyles, clothes, manners, social structures, homes, offices, etc. and watching them often feels like traveling back in time.

Ah, yes. I read Daddy Long-Legs, too. And I still love Pollyanna and other classic children's lit. Trying to think of books for adults like these; I'll definitely investigate your suggestions. Imo you're exactly right - historical fiction that was contemporary at the time is pretty special.

There's always A Wrinkle in Time. Lots of folks tag it TT but it really isn't. It's more that the tesseract feature allows for time & space to be cheated of their immensity.

I see that A Christmas Carol is on at least one TT list, too. That seems an awful stretch for me, in some ways. After all, it would imply that every time we watch a documentary movie or home movie we're experiencing TT. Of course, OTOH, lots of TT stories are about people who witness poorly documented history, for example the Crucifixion.

It is so funny you are mentioning A Wrinkle in Time because I am planning on re-reading that this year. I haven't read it since I was a teenager. I agree it isn't really time travel but it is tagged as such.

I hope it holds up for you, that you still enjoy it!