Time and Again

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Jack Finney’s Time And Again is a time-travel yarn that concentrates more on creative plot development than it does on pseudo-science.  As a result, we get a story with mystery and a little romance instead of a hardcore science fiction tale.

Told in the first person, the novel follows a 1970s commercial artist working at a New York City advertising firm.  He’s recruited by a secret government agency, becoming the unlikely candidate for an experiment in time travel—one that transports him to New York in the late 19^th century.

Finney smoothly incorporates actual historical events and characters into his story.  Period photographs—presented as though taken by the protagonist himself—further enhance the narrative. 

The result is a fun read with an imaginative solution to the mystery.  Finney even treats us to a little stinger at the very end.

As a bonus, Finney also gives us perhaps the best quote applicable to a book lover:

“Have you ever given someone a book you enjoyed enormously, with a feeling of envy because they were about to read it for the first time, an experience you could never have again?”

As you progress through the story, you may find that Time And Again is a favorite science fiction novel that you’ll find yourself revisiting time and again.

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