chirson's review
4.0
FINALLY.
Parts were tedious, parts were amazing, the ending was sublime (or I'm easy). More to come.
Proper review below.
I took ages to read this novel, even though I heard about it the year it came out and found the premise immediately appealing. But even once I finally bought it, approximately a year ago (thank goodness for cheap secondhand books), sitting down and getting round to it wasn't easy. First, I wanted to read it in order after To Say Nothing of the Dog, but I've had several false starts with that. Secondly, I could see it would be quite a time investment: a ~1500-page behemoth divided into two volumes, not handy for carrying around, stationary and heavy and long, so I dithered and only got round to starting this autumn. And then even once I'd started, getting through it was a bit of a slog. Don't get me wrong, this is a very readable novel. It's also, once again, a novel I have little doubt could have been shortened by 1/3 without losing anything terribly relevant, and if one wanted to be really sparing, perhaps a full half of its length could have been cut.
But then, when it all falls into place, it feels so, so, so worth it. Its ending is sublime (even if I'd predicted most of it). And I even understand the significance of the length for the thematic resonance: you have to get through the whole experience for the ending to have its weight. This is, after all, what the protagonists (particularly Eileen) learn. Being there for the victory dance means nothing unless you've put in the work that makes that victory happen. That's what makes it count.
All the same, I'm not sure I need an sf novel to be that much like the Blitz (long, chaotic, confusing, repetitive, requiring a lot of effort) to tell me a meaningful story about the Blitz. I absolutely get the haters (like I don't get the haters when it comes to Doomsday - I will go down with that ship, covered in buboes) who found the first part (Blackout) and even half of All Clear tedious.
But let me stop with repeating the books mistakes by starting with a prolix introduction: let's get to the gist. Willis's novel shines where she usually shines (if I can say that based on two other novels and some stories): in showing the importance of human responsibility and connection. Blackout/All Clear is a beautiful novel about time travellers who turn from what they imagine historians should be (passive observers paralysed by fear of influencing events and yet incapable of preventing said influence from happening even when they try their hardest) into responsible humans living up to their role in history and in everyday life (who realise that regardless of some theoretical ethical dilemmas, when a person is drowning in front of you, the moral impulse is to save them and you worry about repercussions later). And networks of responsibility are what makes this novel great. Eileen's growing up and gradual shift from a person thrust into responsibility to one who embraces it. Mike's transformation from observer of heroes into a heroic human. Polly is great from the beginning, but she opens to others over time, learning to let them in, and that was amazing to witness, too.
It was also beautifully researched (though, I'm told and it seems to me, not flawless US/UK-wise or London topography-wise) and choreographed. There are so many well-used quotes, and aspects of everyday life during the war. As soon as Willis stops placing all the possible obstacles in the way of the characters and gets round to the later part of the plot, the characters and stories converge beautifully. All the pieces fall into their places.
What worked less well for me was the narrow context. It's a very white and American/British novel, and its focus on the plight of the "regular British person" means certain elisions. Such as the fact that not all Brits stood up bravely and took the right side. Or the horror expressed by historians at the reality of Blitz in London even before they actually go there: boy, would I like to see you hear about Warsaw. Or Jews and Roma (and other ethnic minorities, and Poles) in Poland. It's also pretty insistent on giving pretty much all the credit for winning World War II to Brits and Americans. It feels petty to demand representation in a historical science fiction novel, and of course each nation wants to toot its own horn, but... but.
Another aspect I'd nit-pick concerns the entire science-fictional device. I think the final construction doesn't fully convince me; I also think it quite simply works better when not examined too closely, and a little more vagueness would have served it well. The more the book tries to convince me continuum does something for a reason rather than "because it does" the less I enjoy it. Timey-wimey reasons. I get it. "Chaos theory negative positive consequences protecting the continuum" - nope, I am thrown out. But that's a personal preference, I suppose.
I think I'll put some more thoughts on the blog later, because they're very spoilery. For now: the last 300 pages of this novel deserve all the stars. The first 500 pages should have been streamlined, condensed, given less sprawl.
I love the Hodbins and their role in all of this. And that's it. I hope.
Parts were tedious, parts were amazing, the ending was sublime (or I'm easy). More to come.
Proper review below.
I took ages to read this novel, even though I heard about it the year it came out and found the premise immediately appealing. But even once I finally bought it, approximately a year ago (thank goodness for cheap secondhand books), sitting down and getting round to it wasn't easy. First, I wanted to read it in order after To Say Nothing of the Dog, but I've had several false starts with that. Secondly, I could see it would be quite a time investment: a ~1500-page behemoth divided into two volumes, not handy for carrying around, stationary and heavy and long, so I dithered and only got round to starting this autumn. And then even once I'd started, getting through it was a bit of a slog. Don't get me wrong, this is a very readable novel. It's also, once again, a novel I have little doubt could have been shortened by 1/3 without losing anything terribly relevant, and if one wanted to be really sparing, perhaps a full half of its length could have been cut.
But then, when it all falls into place, it feels so, so, so worth it. Its ending is sublime (even if I'd predicted most of it). And I even understand the significance of the length for the thematic resonance: you have to get through the whole experience for the ending to have its weight. This is, after all, what the protagonists (particularly Eileen) learn. Being there for the victory dance means nothing unless you've put in the work that makes that victory happen. That's what makes it count.
All the same, I'm not sure I need an sf novel to be that much like the Blitz (long, chaotic, confusing, repetitive, requiring a lot of effort) to tell me a meaningful story about the Blitz. I absolutely get the haters (like I don't get the haters when it comes to Doomsday - I will go down with that ship, covered in buboes) who found the first part (Blackout) and even half of All Clear tedious.
But let me stop with repeating the books mistakes by starting with a prolix introduction: let's get to the gist. Willis's novel shines where she usually shines (if I can say that based on two other novels and some stories): in showing the importance of human responsibility and connection. Blackout/All Clear is a beautiful novel about time travellers who turn from what they imagine historians should be (passive observers paralysed by fear of influencing events and yet incapable of preventing said influence from happening even when they try their hardest) into responsible humans living up to their role in history and in everyday life (who realise that regardless of some theoretical ethical dilemmas, when a person is drowning in front of you, the moral impulse is to save them and you worry about repercussions later). And networks of responsibility are what makes this novel great. Eileen's growing up and gradual shift from a person thrust into responsibility to one who embraces it. Mike's transformation from observer of heroes into a heroic human. Polly is great from the beginning, but she opens to others over time, learning to let them in, and that was amazing to witness, too.
It was also beautifully researched (though, I'm told and it seems to me, not flawless US/UK-wise or London topography-wise) and choreographed. There are so many well-used quotes, and aspects of everyday life during the war. As soon as Willis stops placing all the possible obstacles in the way of the characters and gets round to the later part of the plot, the characters and stories converge beautifully. All the pieces fall into their places.
What worked less well for me was the narrow context. It's a very white and American/British novel, and its focus on the plight of the "regular British person" means certain elisions. Such as the fact that not all Brits stood up bravely and took the right side. Or the horror expressed by historians at the reality of Blitz in London even before they actually go there: boy, would I like to see you hear about Warsaw. Or Jews and Roma (and other ethnic minorities, and Poles) in Poland. It's also pretty insistent on giving pretty much all the credit for winning World War II to Brits and Americans. It feels petty to demand representation in a historical science fiction novel, and of course each nation wants to toot its own horn, but... but.
Another aspect I'd nit-pick concerns the entire science-fictional device. I think the final construction doesn't fully convince me; I also think it quite simply works better when not examined too closely, and a little more vagueness would have served it well. The more the book tries to convince me continuum does something for a reason rather than "because it does" the less I enjoy it. Timey-wimey reasons. I get it. "Chaos theory negative positive consequences protecting the continuum" - nope, I am thrown out. But that's a personal preference, I suppose.
I think I'll put some more thoughts on the blog later, because they're very spoilery. For now: the last 300 pages of this novel deserve all the stars. The first 500 pages should have been streamlined, condensed, given less sprawl.
I love the Hodbins and their role in all of this. And that's it. I hope.
catsflipped's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The book you never want to end, and when it does you just want more. This final half of a series that started with Blackout, we follow immediately on from the first book. This isn't really a 2 book series, more of a single book that was split in two. I recommned reading them back to back.
Trapped in London during the Blitz, Polly, Mike & Eileen must first survive and then find a way home.
As this is a book about time travel prepare for things happening in a non-chronological order. Lives are lost in one time stream only to be saved in a later one. The space-time continuum has a plan to ensure history is as it should be and every action taken has a reason.
The early chapters move between 1940 and 1944 but the relevance of what is taking place does not become clear until the second half of the book when little by little everything starts to fall into place.
Willis' writing is pure genius as she intermingles lives across the years. I find myself already mourning the end of the amazing Oxford Time travel series.The book you never want to end, and when it does you just want more. This final half of a series that started with Blackout, we follow immediately on from the first book. This isn't really a 2 book series, more of a single book that was split in two. I recommned reading them back to back.
Trapped in London during the Blitz, Polly, Mike & Eileen must first survive and then find a way home.
As this is a book about time travel prepare for things happening in a non-chronological order. Lives are lost in one time stream only to be saved in a later one. The space-time continuum has a plan to ensure history is as it should be and every action taken has a reason.
The early chapters move between 1940 and 1944 but the relevance of what is taking place does not become clear until the second half of the book when little by little everything starts to fall into place.
Willis' writing is pure genius as she intermingles lives across the years. I find myself already mourning the end of the amazing Oxford Time travel series.
Trapped in London during the Blitz, Polly, Mike & Eileen must first survive and then find a way home.
As this is a book about time travel prepare for things happening in a non-chronological order. Lives are lost in one time stream only to be saved in a later one. The space-time continuum has a plan to ensure history is as it should be and every action taken has a reason.
The early chapters move between 1940 and 1944 but the relevance of what is taking place does not become clear until the second half of the book when little by little everything starts to fall into place.
Willis' writing is pure genius as she intermingles lives across the years. I find myself already mourning the end of the amazing Oxford Time travel series.The book you never want to end, and when it does you just want more. This final half of a series that started with Blackout, we follow immediately on from the first book. This isn't really a 2 book series, more of a single book that was split in two. I recommned reading them back to back.
Trapped in London during the Blitz, Polly, Mike & Eileen must first survive and then find a way home.
As this is a book about time travel prepare for things happening in a non-chronological order. Lives are lost in one time stream only to be saved in a later one. The space-time continuum has a plan to ensure history is as it should be and every action taken has a reason.
The early chapters move between 1940 and 1944 but the relevance of what is taking place does not become clear until the second half of the book when little by little everything starts to fall into place.
Willis' writing is pure genius as she intermingles lives across the years. I find myself already mourning the end of the amazing Oxford Time travel series.
eggjuices's review against another edition
4.0
I so wish Blackout/All Clear could have been edited into a singular book. Excellent story but much too long!
glitterbomb47's review against another edition
4.0
Great conclusion to the story started in Blackout. It was a beautiful tribute to the everyday heroes on the home front during WWII.
xeniaaaaaah's review against another edition
4.0
I love Connie Willis' work, but I should know at this point in my digestion of her words that not all of her works are as cheery as "To Say Nothing of the Dog".
I've gotta stop reading when I'm overemotional, haha.
I've gotta stop reading when I'm overemotional, haha.
isigfethera's review
4.0
I loved ‘Blackout’ and ‘All Clear’. I really cared about these characters and couldn’t put the books down until I found out what happened to them. I see there’s a lot of criticism and I can understand that- they are long books, and at times the tension can get a bit repetitive, but I thought it was very effective in capturing the state of uncertainty of the characters- their hopes and anxieties. They are very immersive and it feels very real.
Connie Willis can be a bit of a slow burn writer, and she uses that slow burn to set the scene and build her characters beautifully. I particularly enjoy the time travelling perspective- it immerses you in the past, but the main characters are as out of place there as you, the reader and that’s a refreshing way to experience historical fiction.
Connie Willis can be a bit of a slow burn writer, and she uses that slow burn to set the scene and build her characters beautifully. I particularly enjoy the time travelling perspective- it immerses you in the past, but the main characters are as out of place there as you, the reader and that’s a refreshing way to experience historical fiction.
mdpenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This book hits on a number of my pet peeves. It relies a whole lot on really smart people doing dumb things, not knowing things about the period of time they supposedly specialized in, and keeping information back from each other for no particularly sane reason. The characters are more differentiated than in the first book, but only when the story is told from Polly's perspective. And when it is, they're just totally inconsistent. For example, Merope is treated like she's terribly naive and fragile despite the fact that she's a trained, time-traveling post-graduate historian who's completed a very tough mission by being tougher and smarter than everyone around her. And then when you get the story back in her perspective all of the differences between the characters go away again and she's suddenly very competent, confident, and clever again.
And that's without going into the fact that the whole point of time traveling historians is to learn about things that you can't learn about through archival research and interviews, and yet they keep going to England in WWII, which is so insanely well documented that there are tons of very realistic books set in it (including these two).
The ending almost is good but the author lays it on way too thick and keeps throwing more and more little tidbits in until it becomes unbelievable. It definitely has its moments that got me excited and/or emotional, but then it would just keep going beyond what was needed for either the scene or the story and it would all just become a bit too contrived for me.
Overall, this is better than fair and maybe even a decent read. I think that if the duology had kept the plot points related to time travel a little more simple and focused more on telling the story of regular English people during the war then it could have been great. It comes across as though that was the real story that Willis wanted to write about anyway.
eandrews80's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
As with Blackout, I maintain that this is TOO LONG and needs quite a bit of editing. That said, I loved the ending so much that it earned itself a higher rating. After reading both books right in a row, I feel like I've been with these characters FOREVER, and while I'm relieved to finally be done, I'm also going to miss this world a lot. There are some truly beautiful moments in this book and I think it will stay with me for a long time to come.
charlibirb's review against another edition
4.0
My main problem with this series is that many of the characters have multiple names that have NO similarity, so I had trouble remembering who was who. It would have been nice if aliases started with the same letter or something.
Other than that, really really cool concepts about time travel, and great time-line. Very well thought out. I just wish I could tell Polly & Eileen's characters apart :(
Other than that, really really cool concepts about time travel, and great time-line. Very well thought out. I just wish I could tell Polly & Eileen's characters apart :(
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
4.0
I must say I *loved* Willis's (apparent) decision to stay true to the time travel technology she dreamed up in pre-web 1993 when she started writing in this universe. The "net" and "coordinates" -- and all the frantic phone calls on land lines -- are adorably quaint in our mobile-crazed world.
There are so many unexpected twists and turns in these 2 books that I feel almost compelled to start reading again from the beginning, now that I know where and when everyone is. Definitely reading Doomsday Book and Fire Watch, not sure about the other one. Awesomeeeeeee.
There are so many unexpected twists and turns in these 2 books that I feel almost compelled to start reading again from the beginning, now that I know where and when everyone is. Definitely reading Doomsday Book and Fire Watch, not sure about the other one. Awesomeeeeeee.