Time and Again by Jack Finney (Time Series, Book One)

Time and Again is the first of two books in Jack Finney's Time Series. I added it to my "To Read" list after finishing Stephen King's 11/22/63 and seeing his reference to this book as "THE great time-travel story." I struggled with the pace, but appreciated the vivid imagery that brought 19th century New York to life.

Author Jack Finney (1911-1995) was a wealth of information on history due, in large part, to the decades he experienced first hand. Being a millenial, I appreciated not only his fictional account of New York but the fact confirmed in his epilogue that he and his associates researched extensively to verify and write about late 19th century New York exactly as it actually was in the 19th century. He admits there were some intentionally adjusted dates to suit the purpose of an entertaining story but for the most part, by reading Time and Again, you're stepping back into 19th century New York as it very much were.

If you love New York and maybe even have a bumper sticker saying so on your car, you may really like Finney's excessively descriptive nature. But (maybe because I'm a millenial?) I found the story to lose its grasp on my attention multiple times when descriptions got too lengthy. Finney writes in depth about nearly everything our protagonist encounters. But it's also important to consider this book was published first in 1970 for a different era of reader and market.

Author, Jack Finney (1995)

That being said, the imagery from both the 20th and 19th centuries' New York was wonderful and clear even if in excess. You would have no issue visualizing the scenes Simon Morley (or Si as he's known by most) walks into. And it's fun reading along knowing that the arm of the statue of liberty actually did set near Madison separated and awaiting construction at another site until a later date. In the book, Si is able to climb just the arm and sit near the torch.

The story's action was intriguing. If I were to re-edit it for 2015, I would cut the majority of the first 50% of the book, leaving the bare essentials to describe the time travel method and project. I also wouldn't bother with too much depth into Si's career as he's soon to abandon it for the remainder anyway. And as far as the "complicated love situation" mentioned in the description between two women it falls rather flat. Si is primarily interested in one (I won't spoil which one, in case you're interested to find out for yourself) and I feel the other could be cut completely without the story losing any of its value.

My opinion on edits aside, the last half of the book carries along nicely. Glazing through the occasional slump of adjectives and scenery, I found myself wondering "How is he going to get out of this?" or "What would I do if I found myself in his situation?" and most often "How is this going to affect the present?" And it's interesting to consider all the ways 19th century civil workers (police, firemen, politicians, etc.) and citizens responded and reacted to crisis and crime. We certainly have better technology and resources today, but what about the character composition of our communities? Would we jump into danger to help a stranger (enjoyed the rhyme, did you?)? Or would we rely on diffusion of responsibility and perhaps even pretend we didn't see anything, absolving ourselves of the need to act?

Time and Again is a book that'll have you asking questions not only about yourself but about the world you live in today. It's worth a read if you have the time - and if you don't, crack the book open halfway in and fill the gaps in as best you can. We all need to experience a bit of time travelling and I can't think of a better, more engaging way than through historically-near-accurate fiction.

Check out Time and Again from your local library or purchase it on Amazon.