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itsme703's review against another edition
5.0
this book was amazing! chapters 1-5 are kinda mid, but things start to pick up really quick after that. it's definitely worth reading those first chapters to get to the really good stuff. i also usually don't like endings that are up to interpretation, but this book does it really well.
another thing about this book that i really enjoyed was the writing style! the descriptions in this book are beautiful.
my one criticism of this book is that some of the characters fall flat. the only purpose William seemed to serve was furthering the character development of John. quite a few of the female characters also are just used to show the bravery/chivalry of John and William.
other than that, this book gets 5 stars from me!
another thing about this book that i really enjoyed was the writing style! the descriptions in this book are beautiful.
my one criticism of this book is that some of the characters fall flat. the only purpose William seemed to serve was furthering the character development of John. quite a few of the female characters also are just used to show the bravery/chivalry of John and William.
other than that, this book gets 5 stars from me!
richter10's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mjporterauthor's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free E-Arc from Netgalley.
Ian Mortimer is a fantastic historian - looking at the past with new eyes and in so doing shedding light on events that are often, erroneously, presented as a fait accompli. For this reason, I was very excited to be given the opportunity to read and review his first work of fiction.
The Outcasts of Time is a deeply intriguing novel, looking not at the past through our perception, but rather the future (which is now our past) through the eyes of a man who lived over 600 years ago. This means that instead of our own misconceptions being applied to the past, every new century is seen afresh, with old eyes that note the changes and the differences as well as the similarities. That said, the novel is not always successful in doing this in an entertaining way, there are the odd occasions where I pondered whether the novel was actually going to be able to successfully bring to a conclusion what appears, at points, as nothing more than a random collection of chance encounters in and around the area of Exeter with different people throughout the 600 year period. I must point out, however, that in the end, I was very pleased to have all the events brought together and to be given some understanding of John's 'chance' encounters.
The initial portrayal of the Black Death is as bleak as we could expect, and edged with harshness. I can understand why the events drove John to seek the option of travelling into the future as opposed to his hideous and painful death. What then transpires is a painstakingly detailed tramp through both the historical and the physical landscape. The book covers a small geographical area - wherever John and his brother could walk in a day's journey. This feels, on occasion, a little restrictive, and yet the research involved in the endeavour can not be underestimated. Ian Mortimer has either envisaged, or drawn from the historical record, painstaking detail about the way the landscape, people and places changed throughout the 600 years from the Black Death. While this detail may occasionally slow the narrative it can not be ignored. What else would you notice if you did travel through time? It would be people's clothes, haircuts, the decorations in their houses, the style of buildings and the food available to eat - not to mention the changes in bathrooms.
The grander events of history - the well known wars and kings and queens - are touched upon but they don't constitute what John is hoping to achieve. He is looking for redemption - to save a soul in order to save his own - and his comments and feelings remain those of a man born and raised in the fourteenth century, confused and beguiled by events almost beyond his comprehension, which only increases with distance from his own time.
The author works hard to bring out every naunce of change through time - right down to evolving speech and the changing of names - by the end John is no longer John of Wrayment but John Everyman - time and language mangling his name, and depriving him of almost everything apart from his brother's ring and his memories. By making John a stone carver, the author even manages to show that even something as 'permanent' as stone can be mangled and broken through time - the carvings John has made, based on his family and friends, gradually fall away and lose their shape. Nothing, it seems, is ever permanent, no matter the initial intent.
The people John meets are perhaps a little too easily convinced of his journey through time, and I do feel that the last two centuries - the 1800's and 1900's perhaps work better - but that is probably because they are more 'real' to me - they are more comprehensible to me just as those centuries closer to John seem to make more sense to him. This, I think, is to be expected.
I would also add that quite a bit of the novel is concerned with religion and religious change. This is fascinating, but also, on occasion, a little overpowering, and yet reflects the concerns of John very eloquently. It shows how recently religion has ceased to be such a major presence in the lives of many.
When John offers the opinion that "The man who has no knowledge of the past has no wisdom" he is speaking for the rationale behind this novel and doing so very eloquently.
Recommended to all who enjoy history and historical fiction.
Ian Mortimer is a fantastic historian - looking at the past with new eyes and in so doing shedding light on events that are often, erroneously, presented as a fait accompli. For this reason, I was very excited to be given the opportunity to read and review his first work of fiction.
The Outcasts of Time is a deeply intriguing novel, looking not at the past through our perception, but rather the future (which is now our past) through the eyes of a man who lived over 600 years ago. This means that instead of our own misconceptions being applied to the past, every new century is seen afresh, with old eyes that note the changes and the differences as well as the similarities. That said, the novel is not always successful in doing this in an entertaining way, there are the odd occasions where I pondered whether the novel was actually going to be able to successfully bring to a conclusion what appears, at points, as nothing more than a random collection of chance encounters in and around the area of Exeter with different people throughout the 600 year period. I must point out, however, that in the end, I was very pleased to have all the events brought together and to be given some understanding of John's 'chance' encounters.
The initial portrayal of the Black Death is as bleak as we could expect, and edged with harshness. I can understand why the events drove John to seek the option of travelling into the future as opposed to his hideous and painful death. What then transpires is a painstakingly detailed tramp through both the historical and the physical landscape. The book covers a small geographical area - wherever John and his brother could walk in a day's journey. This feels, on occasion, a little restrictive, and yet the research involved in the endeavour can not be underestimated. Ian Mortimer has either envisaged, or drawn from the historical record, painstaking detail about the way the landscape, people and places changed throughout the 600 years from the Black Death. While this detail may occasionally slow the narrative it can not be ignored. What else would you notice if you did travel through time? It would be people's clothes, haircuts, the decorations in their houses, the style of buildings and the food available to eat - not to mention the changes in bathrooms.
The grander events of history - the well known wars and kings and queens - are touched upon but they don't constitute what John is hoping to achieve. He is looking for redemption - to save a soul in order to save his own - and his comments and feelings remain those of a man born and raised in the fourteenth century, confused and beguiled by events almost beyond his comprehension, which only increases with distance from his own time.
The author works hard to bring out every naunce of change through time - right down to evolving speech and the changing of names - by the end John is no longer John of Wrayment but John Everyman - time and language mangling his name, and depriving him of almost everything apart from his brother's ring and his memories. By making John a stone carver, the author even manages to show that even something as 'permanent' as stone can be mangled and broken through time - the carvings John has made, based on his family and friends, gradually fall away and lose their shape. Nothing, it seems, is ever permanent, no matter the initial intent.
The people John meets are perhaps a little too easily convinced of his journey through time, and I do feel that the last two centuries - the 1800's and 1900's perhaps work better - but that is probably because they are more 'real' to me - they are more comprehensible to me just as those centuries closer to John seem to make more sense to him. This, I think, is to be expected.
I would also add that quite a bit of the novel is concerned with religion and religious change. This is fascinating, but also, on occasion, a little overpowering, and yet reflects the concerns of John very eloquently. It shows how recently religion has ceased to be such a major presence in the lives of many.
When John offers the opinion that "The man who has no knowledge of the past has no wisdom" he is speaking for the rationale behind this novel and doing so very eloquently.
Recommended to all who enjoy history and historical fiction.
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
4.0
What would you do if you knew that you were dying? Would you take your fate and hope for the best, or try and make a deal?
John and William are two brothers who are living through the black plague. As people die around them, they work on getting back home, just hoping that they can make it alive. As they pass the dead and dying, John wonders about his soul, and whether he would make it to heaven or not. As they pass a young couple on the road, John notices a baby, and he refuses to leave the child even though the parents are dead of the plague. As they carry the screaming babe through the night, William curses his brother, but John could not allow the child to die alone on the side of the road. They head to the home of an acquaintance, who is nursing a child of her own and can at least feed the child until they can read their own home. But as they enter the home and the woman goes to care for the child, it is discovered that he is plague ridden. The brothers leave the home, and are soon sick themselves, but John heard a voice telling him to go to a certain spot.
Once there, they both hear a voice, although it tells them different things, they are given an amount of time, each day will be 99 years in the future, and they can see the changes that are coming. As they set out, the changes are shocking, and dangerous.
This was an exciting read. I had a hard time putting it down. As John and William work their way through the different centuries they remember home, and do their best to make the most of their situation. As time goes on, and the days dwindle, both are ready for death and the end of their suffering. John suffers through the choices that he has made, wondering if anything he did made any difference.
This shows the good and the bad of each century. While there are some who enjoy the suffering of those around them, there are those who are determined to do good, and to try and make the world around them a better place. Hope and chance - the ability to work through the challenges of what life throws at you, and the eventuality of what the choices of one person in the past could have on the future generations.
John and William are two brothers who are living through the black plague. As people die around them, they work on getting back home, just hoping that they can make it alive. As they pass the dead and dying, John wonders about his soul, and whether he would make it to heaven or not. As they pass a young couple on the road, John notices a baby, and he refuses to leave the child even though the parents are dead of the plague. As they carry the screaming babe through the night, William curses his brother, but John could not allow the child to die alone on the side of the road. They head to the home of an acquaintance, who is nursing a child of her own and can at least feed the child until they can read their own home. But as they enter the home and the woman goes to care for the child, it is discovered that he is plague ridden. The brothers leave the home, and are soon sick themselves, but John heard a voice telling him to go to a certain spot.
Once there, they both hear a voice, although it tells them different things, they are given an amount of time, each day will be 99 years in the future, and they can see the changes that are coming. As they set out, the changes are shocking, and dangerous.
This was an exciting read. I had a hard time putting it down. As John and William work their way through the different centuries they remember home, and do their best to make the most of their situation. As time goes on, and the days dwindle, both are ready for death and the end of their suffering. John suffers through the choices that he has made, wondering if anything he did made any difference.
This shows the good and the bad of each century. While there are some who enjoy the suffering of those around them, there are those who are determined to do good, and to try and make the world around them a better place. Hope and chance - the ability to work through the challenges of what life throws at you, and the eventuality of what the choices of one person in the past could have on the future generations.
psychotherabee's review against another edition
5.0
(This review can also be found here: https://beautifulilies.wordpress.com/2017/08/21/the-outcasts-of-time-by-ian-mortimer/)
This is by far the most quotable novel I have ever read. Mortimer is definitely one of the most skilled writers of our time, in language and through his imagination. His ability to manipulate the reader to feel exactly how he wants them to feel is to be admired.
So this poignant story follows two men faced with purgatory if, in the next six days of their lives, they’re unable to perform a pure good deed. The trick is, for each of the six days they live, they’ll be ninety-nine years in the future. Aside from the barrier this presents in terms of language, fashion and technology, good deeds somehow become harder to achieve through the centuries.
This is an excellent piece of historical fiction that highlights the changes, both small and substantial, that have taken place over the last few centuries. Funny and factual, I would definitely recommend this novel to people who enjoy reading historical fiction.
Another dimension of this novel is that it is highly philosophical. John and William together embrace the prospect of dying while pondering the existence of humanity. I feel as though this dimension of the novel should have a whole genre of its own, a “books that make you think” genre, because that would suit this novel perfectly. Rarely do I come across a book that I read, and I feel a changed person afterwards. This is one of those books.
I’m exceptionally impressed by what a good read this book turned out to be and I hope to explore more of Mortimer’s work because if it’s anything like this novel, I’m sure it’ll turn out to be a great read.
This is by far the most quotable novel I have ever read. Mortimer is definitely one of the most skilled writers of our time, in language and through his imagination. His ability to manipulate the reader to feel exactly how he wants them to feel is to be admired.
So this poignant story follows two men faced with purgatory if, in the next six days of their lives, they’re unable to perform a pure good deed. The trick is, for each of the six days they live, they’ll be ninety-nine years in the future. Aside from the barrier this presents in terms of language, fashion and technology, good deeds somehow become harder to achieve through the centuries.
This is an excellent piece of historical fiction that highlights the changes, both small and substantial, that have taken place over the last few centuries. Funny and factual, I would definitely recommend this novel to people who enjoy reading historical fiction.
Another dimension of this novel is that it is highly philosophical. John and William together embrace the prospect of dying while pondering the existence of humanity. I feel as though this dimension of the novel should have a whole genre of its own, a “books that make you think” genre, because that would suit this novel perfectly. Rarely do I come across a book that I read, and I feel a changed person afterwards. This is one of those books.
I’m exceptionally impressed by what a good read this book turned out to be and I hope to explore more of Mortimer’s work because if it’s anything like this novel, I’m sure it’ll turn out to be a great read.
jedore's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
“You did the greatest good a man can do — only you do not see it, for you are looking only at yourself. You must see what you mean to others to know your true worth.”
As a historical fiction buff, I was excited about this book. But, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
First off, the characters…I was hoping for more depth. The author only lets you in to the main character, but not very far. Pretty much all that is shared is his angst. I wanted to get deeper inside his head and heart, but that never happened.
Second, the time-traveling aspect…despite being fairly knowledgeable about English history, I needed more background info on each era the characters visited. A little summary at the start of each chapter would’ve given me more context so I could connect deeper to the story.
While this book didn’t totally knock my socks off, its thought-provoking theme and ultimate message at the end made me glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
charlibirb's review against another edition
4.0
This is a morality play, cleverly done. I didn't see it until the end! Mortimer is a genius at painting a rich historical English background.
bethsponz's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting read, and a different look at time travel. It’s not just jumping from the present to the distant future, or from the present to the distant past. You get to see how time changes everything every 99 years from the 1300’s to the 1900’s, shown in the details of clothing, dialect, machinery, human behavior, customs and other odds and ends. One man witnesses these changes in order to save his soul and learn what it means to be human.
ajb24's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like 4 stars is perhaps a little generous considering that the book didn't "grab" me as much as I thought it would. The 4 stars is really in appreciation for the research that went into the book and for the fact that I've always wanted to read a story where a person from long ago experiences modern day. I love that premise, and this book delivered it in multiple ways.
When I try to pin down what exactly didn't "grab" me about the writing, I think it's just a little...generic? The concept is there, but the characterization isn't anything special. And I'm not saying that I could do much better, because I don't think I could. And granted, trying to add depth to the side characters that we only meet once as John travels through the centuries is a big ask; and truthfully I don't think the book would have benefited from added details there. Most of the book is centered around describing the "new world" that John finds himself in each day (obviously...) so we end up with a lot of reactionary descriptions and never delve deep into who John is as a person (besides his ostensible religiousness). And I guess based on the premise there's not much more we could ask for: since each new day is a new century, there's a lot of difference to establish each time. If the author extended John's internal reckoning with every "new thing" he comes across, the book would be endless!
I can't speak to the historical accuracy of everything, but given that Mortimer is a historian and the author of multiple books about periods of British history, I'll assume that most all of the details accurately correspond with their time periods. And there were many little details that I thought were really fun and interesting to include as something John would take note of as someone originally from 1348. I particularly liked his reaction to new spices, glasses, and carpets. These are small things that I take for granted now, but obviously they had to be invented/introduced at some point. Some things came as a surprise, like when he tastes sugar in 1447. It never occurred to me that before that, people in England literally didn't have sugar! Or glasses! OH, I also really enjoyed how they (John and William) learned about years. Again, it's another thing that I never really think of as "invented", but I guess it had to be standardized at some point. Same thing with clocks and time-telling! It's a thing that is literally the most *basic* to us modern people, but would be new to someone from 1348 travelling forward in the future! It's all very cool to me. And another favorite part of mine was the progression of his accent and the naming conventions that eventually fell by the wayside or transformed into something new. The ways "John of Wrayment" gets misinterpreted and how people around him get confused by why him and his brother have different last names, etc. is one of those details that makes me really enjoy the concept of "person from past goes to future." They're such small conventions, but they change over time! And it would be weird/confusing for a peasant from the Middle Ages to be asked questions like "what is your occupation?" or "what year were you born?" and I love seeing that played out in fiction!
Really, I could go on for a long time about all the smaller things that John encounters which are strange or foreign concepts to him, because like I said, that's what I really enjoy about this kind of premise. And that's ignoring the larger sociopolitical changes which were equally baffling for John and, while interesting, are harder for me to summarize here (because obviously, like, the entire rise and fall of the British colonial Empire happens over the course of his six century journey, so that change is...a lot to cover lol).
Overall, I liked this book. Are the characters all that memorable? No. Will I remember a lot about John's moral/religious reflections? Probably not. But it's clear that Mortimer loves history and believes in the power of history to teach us things about ourselves. He knows a lot and I appreciate this book for attempting to bring to life a question that I often think about: How would someone from X year react to what we have now? What innovations would blow their mind the most?
When I try to pin down what exactly didn't "grab" me about the writing, I think it's just a little...generic? The concept is there, but the characterization isn't anything special. And I'm not saying that I could do much better, because I don't think I could. And granted, trying to add depth to the side characters that we only meet once as John travels through the centuries is a big ask; and truthfully I don't think the book would have benefited from added details there. Most of the book is centered around describing the "new world" that John finds himself in each day (obviously...) so we end up with a lot of reactionary descriptions and never delve deep into who John is as a person (besides his ostensible religiousness). And I guess based on the premise there's not much more we could ask for: since each new day is a new century, there's a lot of difference to establish each time. If the author extended John's internal reckoning with every "new thing" he comes across, the book would be endless!
I can't speak to the historical accuracy of everything, but given that Mortimer is a historian and the author of multiple books about periods of British history, I'll assume that most all of the details accurately correspond with their time periods. And there were many little details that I thought were really fun and interesting to include as something John would take note of as someone originally from 1348. I particularly liked his reaction to new spices, glasses, and carpets. These are small things that I take for granted now, but obviously they had to be invented/introduced at some point. Some things came as a surprise, like when he tastes sugar in 1447. It never occurred to me that before that, people in England literally didn't have sugar! Or glasses! OH, I also really enjoyed how they (John and William) learned about years. Again, it's another thing that I never really think of as "invented", but I guess it had to be standardized at some point. Same thing with clocks and time-telling! It's a thing that is literally the most *basic* to us modern people, but would be new to someone from 1348 travelling forward in the future! It's all very cool to me. And another favorite part of mine was the progression of his accent and the naming conventions that eventually fell by the wayside or transformed into something new. The ways "John of Wrayment" gets misinterpreted and how people around him get confused by why him and his brother have different last names, etc. is one of those details that makes me really enjoy the concept of "person from past goes to future." They're such small conventions, but they change over time! And it would be weird/confusing for a peasant from the Middle Ages to be asked questions like "what is your occupation?" or "what year were you born?" and I love seeing that played out in fiction!
Really, I could go on for a long time about all the smaller things that John encounters which are strange or foreign concepts to him, because like I said, that's what I really enjoy about this kind of premise. And that's ignoring the larger sociopolitical changes which were equally baffling for John and, while interesting, are harder for me to summarize here (because obviously, like, the entire rise and fall of the British colonial Empire happens over the course of his six century journey, so that change is...a lot to cover lol).
Overall, I liked this book. Are the characters all that memorable? No. Will I remember a lot about John's moral/religious reflections? Probably not. But it's clear that Mortimer loves history and believes in the power of history to teach us things about ourselves. He knows a lot and I appreciate this book for attempting to bring to life a question that I often think about: How would someone from X year react to what we have now? What innovations would blow their mind the most?
joellenroberts's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0