Somewhere in Time

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Time-Travel SUPREME! - Rated
As a 'time-travel' freak I came across the film first and found it utterly compelling. I just had to read the book, to fill in the gaps and, of course, to gorge myself on every moment of this unforgettable tale.
The book, needlessly I believe, has our hero dying from a disease right from the start; who needs it when dying from a broken heart says all that needs to be said?
Nevertheless it's a great read, and a permanent fixture in my book cabinet.
Check out Jack Finney's 'Time And Again' for the perfect time-travel novel.

And love most sweet - Rated
Somewhere in time is a beautifully crafted tale of love that transcends time itself.
The year is 1971 Richard Collier has only months to live and comes across a hotel where he instantly feels at home. There he sees and falls for an actress in an old photograph from 1896. In finding out more about her Collier becomes obsessed by the idea that they were lovers roughly seventy five years ago when she performed at the hotel.
Matheson has done an outstanding job in creating a moving novel that will grip you and occupy your thoughts for a while afterwards.

A must buy.

ROMANTIC AND POIGNANT...THE LONGING IS PALPABLE... - Rated
A terminally ill man falls in love with a famous turn of the century actress. The only trouble is that they are separated by a span of about seventy five years. What is a man to do? Why, travel back in time, of course.

That is just what Richard Collier does in order to be with the beautiful Elise McKenna, the woman of his dreams. Or does he? Does he really travel back in time, or is it merely the delusion of a desperately ill man who seeks to find meaning for his existence? Does his tenuous hold on life in the present mirror his equally tenuous hold on life at the turn of the century? Is his death ultimately the only way for these unrequited lovers to be united, at last?

This is a beautifully poignant love story in which the longing the protagonists have for each other is palpable. A bittersweet sadness permeates the pages of this book, as Robert and Elise pass through life, each a shadow on the consciousness of the other. One only hopes that they find in the hereafter, what they were denied in this life.

This wonderfully imaginative and inventive book draws the reader into its fantastical web. A veritable page turner, it is a classic story of a love which will not be denied. Read the book, and then see the movie with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. You will not be disappointed.

ROMANTIC AND POIGNANT...THE LONGING IS PALPABLE... - Rated
A terminally ill man falls in love with a famous turn of the century actress. The only trouble is that they are separated by a span of about seventy five years. What is a man to do? Why travel back in time, of course.

That is just what Richard Collier does in order to be with the beautiful Elise McKenna, the woman of his dreams. Or does he? Does he really travel back in time, or is it merely the delusion of a desperately ill man who seeks to find meaning for his existence? Does his tenuous hold on life in the present mirror his equally tenuous hold on life at the turn of the century? Is his death ultimately the only way for these unrequited lovers to be united, at last?

This is a beautifully poignant love story in which the longing the protaganists have for each other is palpable. A bittersweet sadness permeates the pages of this book, as Robert and Elise pass through life, each a shadow on the consciousness of the other. One only hopes that they find in the hereafter, what they were denied in this life.

This wonderfully imaginative and inventive book draws the reader into its fantastical web. A veritable page turner, it is a classic story of a love which will not be denied. Read the book, and then see the movie with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. You will not be disappointed.

Disappointing, lacks the immediacy & coherence of the film - Rated
Somewhere in Time, the film based on the book, captivated us the very first time we saw it, and retains it's magic still. The book, sadly, is disappointing, and does not live up to the expectations raised by the film. Richard Collier simply does'nt ring true, a six foot two inch Newman look-alike who has never had a real love affair, and who is singularly unable to express himself despite having a degree in journalism. Dying of a frontal lobe tumour which he seems to leave behind in the present, while taking mere appendages such as as a suit, shirt, tie, etc., with him into the past. The romance between Richard and Elise strains credulity, and, frankly, the ending of the film is a lot more believable than that of the book. Overall, it reads a bit like a first draft, and would benefit from a re-write.