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The Map of Time (Trilogía Victoriana #1)

3.37 of 5 stars 3.37 · rating details · 5,125 ratings · 1,333 reviews

Enter a world of wonder, intrigue and adventure …

London, 1896. Andrew Harrington’s beloved has been murdered by Jack the Ripper. Claire Haggerty longs to escape the constraints of Victorian society. For both, time is the problem: to escape it, to change it, might offer them the hope they need. As their lives become entangled with that of H.G. Wells — who is basking in the...more

Paperback, 480 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Scribe Publications (first published January 1st 2008)

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Sep 13, 2012 Traci rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk, favorites

The less said about this book the better. Do you enjoy magic tricks even though it's all sleight of hand? Can you simply enjoy the construction of a novel? I loved every moment I spent with this new and talented author. A little bit of The Prestige, some Neil Gaiman, completely original. I'm not even sure where to put this title. Fantasy? Fiction? Science Fiction? Steampunk? It's all of these. One of the best, and one of my favorites, of the year. Beautifully written.

25 likes · like · see review

Sep 29, 2011 Kelly Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone with a pulse and even those without

Shelves: historical-fiction, sci-fi, how-do-i-love-thee-let-me-count-the

I adore this book so much so that it has made the quantum leap onto the coveted "How do I love thee let me count the ways" virtual Goodreads shelf. At this moment in time I am struck speechless about how much I love and enjoyed reading The Map of Time, so I must formulate my thoughts before I write them down otherwise they'll be a gabbling mess. But I will say this: I love Señor Palma's mind in all its creative glory.

Okay, a week later thoughts have been formulated. Here goes . . .
I’ll start o...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Velma rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: someone willing to edit it. heavily.

Shelves: arcs-galleys-proofs, fiction, sci-fi, setting-uk, 2012-reads, i-like-big-books-and-i-cannot-lie

Time travel! Jack the Ripper! Automatons! What's not to love?!? Well, as it turns out, almost everything.

I know everyone else here is raving about it, but I could barely stomach The Map of Time; it took every ounce of stick-to-it-iveness I could muster to get through this convoluted, interminable literary maze. WHERE, I ask you, was the EDITOR in this hot mess? There is the kernal of a potentially good story here, had about 2/3 of the fat been excised. The only way it could have been more byzant...more

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May 15, 2011 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-mt-bookpile

I was so excited to get this book - the back flap suggests a Jasper Ffordian adventure starring H.G. Wells. However... not so much. This novel is in three parts, only lightly interwoven. One of those threads is H.G. Wells, another is Gilliam Murray and his Trip to the Year 2000. The author has written this as a pastiche of Victorian novels, filled with digressions, overly adjectived, and a tad rambling.

Part One is the story of Andrew, an upper-middle class boy who falls in love with a beautiful...more I was so excited to get this book - the back flap suggests a Jasper Ffordian adventure starring H.G. Wells. However... not so much. This novel is in three parts, only lightly interwoven. One of those threads is H.G. Wells, another is Gilliam Murray and his Trip to the Year 2000. The author has written this as a pastiche of Victorian novels, filled with digressions, overly adjectived, and a tad rambling.

Part One is the story of Andrew, an upper-middle class boy who falls in love with a beautiful whore, Mary Kelly. Their relationship progresses to the point where Andrew announces his love for her to his father and promptly gets disinherited. Lost, he wanders back to her home/hovel, only to arrive minutes after Jack the Ripper has visited his fifth victim. Eight years later he's prepared to kill himself in that same room, until his cousin Charles, with the help of Mr. Murray and Mr. Wells, convinces him that by traveling through time he has saved Mary.

Part Two is set in Murray's Time Traveling fraud, with a young, bored woman taking the trip to the year 2000 only to fall in love with the Savior of the Human Race, Derek Shackleton. Derek - aka Tom - falls in love with her, too; back in the "present day" they spend one night and several passionate letters declaring their love (Tom's letters are written by Wells).

Part Three finds us contemplating three murders, committed with some weapon unknown to the era. Scotland Yard's detective has decided that the only possible suspect is Mr. Shackleton and convinces his superiors to allow him to travel to the year 2000 to arrest Shackleton. Murray, afraid his huge hoax will be discovered, convinces Wells to find the real killer... and thus commences a very complicated, confusing explanation of time travel, the Library of Truth and other things, as Wells tries to prevent The Invisible Man from being published by the supposed murderer (who will also kill Bram Stoker and Henry James, stealing Dracula and The Turn of the Screw). This is the least comprehensible part of the book, with what appears to be three time travelers, including one claiming to be Wells-of-the-future, running around.

Had the book focused on Part Three, with less rushing around and more mystery, I would have enjoyed it far more. However, the jacket flap also says that this is an International Sensation, so what do I know?

ARC provided by publisher.(less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Чанко Попчев rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Тъжна и светла история, разказвана от ... разказвач. Превключването в стила на разказване подчертава силата на разказа.
Завързаното действие минава през проститутките на Уайтчапъл, Джак Изкормвача, влюбен английски богаташ, Лондон през 2000-та година и началото на писането и четенето на научната фантастика (или фантазия?) като стил в литературата. Да не забравяме и повея на Steam Punk-а, лъхащ от книгата.
Мекия изказ и натрапчиво описаните сцени засядат в мозъка и след минути оживяват самостоятелн...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Map of Time” by Felix J. Palma, published by Atria Books.

Category – Sci/Fi/Fantasy

In Victorian England one could go to Murray’s Time Travel and be transported to the year 2000. They could witness the climatic conclusion of a fight for world domination between Solomon, the King of the Automatons, and Captain Derek Shackleton, the last hope for the human race.

The story begins with Andrew Harrington, from a well to do family, contemplating taking his life because his new found love, a prostitut...more

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Jan 16, 2013 William Thomas rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Felix Palma is a fairly talented writer of prose, but not a talented storyteller. Not in the least. Although the writing is smooth and velvety, the book is actually a jumble of confused plot lines mixed up in a hundred different stories that do nothing to capture the imagination or tie up the frayed ends.

I'm not a fan of time-travel stories. I think they're terrifically lazy. They seem to me to be so popular because everyone fantasizes about traveling through time- mostly in some selfish way th...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Alicia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

There is so much going on in this book that I feel trying to explain it all without giving spoilers is a herculean task. Therefore I'm going to outline the aspects I enjoyed and disliked and be done with it.
One thing I will state now: if you have any intentions of reading H G Wells' "The Time Machine" read it before you read this book. Palma spoils the entire plot of this novel within the first few hundred pages, much to my horror and annoyance (seeing as I haven't read it yet.)
I liked the stor...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazon-vine

The Map of Time is a wonderful novel in three parts. In the first, H.G. Wells assists in traveling to the past to prevent a murder. In the second, H.G Wells bridges the gap between the future and the present. In the third, H.G. Wells must make a decision that will chart the course of the future. The fist two stories contain romantic elements while the third is a bit of a mystery. All of the stories overlap a bit bringing different characters together at different points in time. The end result i...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Mickey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, 4-star, books-read-2012, adult-fiction, books-that-should-become-movies, fantasy, favourites, historical-fiction, mystery, time-travel

Finally I can write my review, here it goes:

Plot:
Enter a world of wonder, intrigue and adventure …

London, 1896. Andrew Harrington’s beloved has been murdered by Jack the Ripper. Claire Haggerty longs to escape the constraints of Victorian society. For both, time is the problem: to escape it, to change it, might offer them the hope they need. As their lives become entangled with that of H.G. Wells — who is basking in the success of his novel The Time Machine — all three set off on a desperate fl...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Христо Блажев rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Феликс Палма разкрива загадките на “Картата на времето”
http://www.knigolandia.info/2011/11/b...

Времето не е това, което беше, дори и за фен на филми като “Завръщане в бъдещето” в мое лице. Феликс Палма отваря двери към три рехаво свързани истории, които се преплитат нарядко една в друга, но пазят ревниво различните си тайни манипулации с времето и пространството. “Картата на времето” е роман, който спокойно можеше да бъде написан и в края на XIX век – тогава, когато главният герой Хърбърт Уелс п...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Donna marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-pile

DNF for only one reason: I couldn't keep dealing with the meandering plot. Everything else was fantastic. The writing was great, a beautiful translation (I've read some limp translations in my time). The voice sucked me right in as engaging and I couldn't wait to keep reading. The premise itself had me hooked and I wanted to know where it all went and ultimately ended up.

But damn it all if I had to deal with another multi-chapter aside that served as filler while the characters traveled or thoug...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Alesha Hubbell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, owned-books

I won this book as a Goodreads First Read. And I really enjoyed it. It was not what I expected, but I can't tell too much in what ways because it'll give too much away. The three parts are very different and mostly very seperate stories, yet they go together in a perfect way. One of the characters who ties the stories together is the author H. G. Wells. This inclusion seemed an odd choice to me until the character appeared in the novel and then it seemed perfect. He easily was my favorite charct...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Nadine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: time-travel-stories, favorites, fantasy, highlights

Andrew wünscht sich nichts sehnlicher, als die Zeit zurückdrehen zu können, um Jack the Ripper davon abzuhalten, seine geliebte Marie zu töten.
Claire wümscht sich eine Reise in die Zukunft, wo die Männer aufregender sind als im ausgehenden 19. Jahrhundert, wie der mutige Hauptmann Shackleton, der im Jahr 2000 als Anführer der Menschen gegen die Maschinen kämpft.
Glücklicherweise kann man Zeitreisen ja bei "Murrays Zeitreisen" buchen und dann wohnt ja auch noch H. G. Wells, der Autor von "Die Zeit...more

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Sep 20, 2010 Fábio Ventura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quando tomei conhecimento desta obra, fiquei bastante curioso. As histórias sobre viagens no tempo sempre me fascinaram pela sua complexidade e imaginação intrínseca. E com uma obra tão aclamada como é “O Mapa do Tempo”, de Félix J. Palma (vencedor o Prémio Ateneo de Sevilla 2008), o interesse neste livro intensificou-se. E felizmente as expectativas foram superadas.
A invenção de uma máquina do tempo por uma empresa, as Viagens Temporais Murray, lança o mote. Tendo como fio condutor as viagens...more Quando tomei conhecimento desta obra, fiquei bastante curioso. As histórias sobre viagens no tempo sempre me fascinaram pela sua complexidade e imaginação intrínseca. E com uma obra tão aclamada como é “O Mapa do Tempo”, de Félix J. Palma (vencedor o Prémio Ateneo de Sevilla 2008), o interesse neste livro intensificou-se. E felizmente as expectativas foram superadas.
A invenção de uma máquina do tempo por uma empresa, as Viagens Temporais Murray, lança o mote. Tendo como fio condutor as viagens no tempo, o livro apresenta-nos três histórias diferentes, mas que acabam por se entrelaçar de alguma forma. Em plena época vitoriana, seguimos a história de Andrew Harrington cuja trágica história de amor fá-lo regressar ao passado para salvar a amada das garras de Jack, O Estripador; o romance de Claire Haggerty cuja inaptidão com a sua sociedade levam-na a viajar até ao futuro e manter uma relação com um homem no ano 2000; e a fuga do próprio H. G. Wells por várias eras enquanto tenta escapar de assassinos que pretendem roubar-lhe o seu manuscrito.
Apesar de à primeira vista parecer um livro grande e denso, a verdade é que as páginas voam sem que demos conta. Félix J. Palma tem uma escrita bastante fluida e envolvente e, embora não possa ser considerada viciante, está muito bem estruturada e em momento nenhum se torna aborrecida. Para isso contribuiu bastante a tradução que está muito bem feita.
A par das descrições que colocam o leitor exactamente naqueles locais, as personagens são um dos grandes trunfos do livro. Diferentes entre si, mas com uma personalidade e passado vincados, facilmente o leitor se identifica de alguma forma com cada uma das personagens de “O Mapa do Tempo”. E a inclusão de figuras históricas, que à partida poderia ser considerado arriscado, foi maravilhosamente bem aproveitado pelo escritor. Descreve-as à sua maneira, adaptando-as ao universo imaginário da história, mas não descura um certo rigor histórico.
O elemento que mais me agradou em toda esta história de amor e aventuras acabou por ser os dilemas das personagens, transponíveis para o leitor. Num tema tão subjectivo como é o Tempo, facilmente damos por nós a pensar em várias questões: “será que conseguimos mudar o destino?”, “se pudesse viajar no tempo, o que mudaria?”. E juntamente a essas perguntas sem uma resposta coerente, Félix J. Palma aproveita para imprimir na sua história várias dicotomias, como o real e o imaginário, o possível e o impossível, a magia/fé e a ciência, que deixam o leitor interessado até ao final surpreendente.
Atribuir um género a “O Mapa do Tempo” não é fácil. Enquanto que muitos se referem ao livro como “fantasia vitoriana” ou “fantasia histórica”, os vários elementos de romance, ficção científica e até filosofia tornam-no mais especial que isso. Esta obra de Félix J. Palma é um marco importante da ficção espanhola, um livro sólido com todo o potencial para se tornar num clássico e que merece todo o sucesso e críticas positivas que tem recebido. Depois de ler este romance maravilhoso, não posso deixar de perguntar isto: E vocês, se tivessem a possibilidade de viajar no Tempo, o que fariam?

(Opinião publicada no blog Bela Lugosi is Dead)(less)

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May 21, 2011 Oscar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ciencia-ficción, historia-ficción, míos, viajes-temporales, ucronía, acción-aventuras, steampunk

Este libro es todo un homenaje a los precursores de la ciencia ficción, y a H.G. Wells en particular. Mediante todo un collage de personajes reales y de ficción, de novelas y de películas clásicas pertenecientes al fantástico y la ciencia ficción, Félix J. Palma ha construido un nuevo producto que se vale por sí mismo.

Londres, 1896. La novela empieza con Andrew Harrington escogiendo una pistola con la que suicidarse. El porqué no se puede contar, ya que se va desvelando en el transcurso de los c...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is going to be a tough review to write.

I can tell you how The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma begins. I could possibly even tell you what the Map of Time is. But most everything else I would want to tell you, I can’t tell you. It would spoil something. And this is the sort of book where you really don’t want the plot twists spoiled.

First thing I loved about this novel: the Narrator. This is not just any omniscient narrator — this one has a charming voice and a lovely way to tell a story.

“Assu...more This is going to be a tough review to write.

I can tell you how The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma begins. I could possibly even tell you what the Map of Time is. But most everything else I would want to tell you, I can’t tell you. It would spoil something. And this is the sort of book where you really don’t want the plot twists spoiled.

First thing I loved about this novel: the Narrator. This is not just any omniscient narrator — this one has a charming voice and a lovely way to tell a story.

“Assuming you stay until the end of this tale, some of you will no doubt think that I chose the wrong thread with which to begin spinning my yarn, and that for accuracy’s sake I should have respected chronological order and begun with Miss Haggerty’s story. It is possible, but there are stories that cannot begin at their beginning, and perhaps this is one of them.”

Andrew Harrington is a troubled young man and he is about to do something profoundly stupid. Fate is going to intervene and push him in an entirely different direction and it is an amazing, complicated and surprising journey. Set in Victorian England, H.G. Wells has just published The Time Machine and a little store-front business called Murray’s Time Travel has opened in London. Andrew and his cousin, Charles, hope to use their services to avert a tragedy.

The story spirals and explodes from there. We go forward in time, back in time, and sometimes we move in a relatively straight line. We’ve got The Time Machine and Dracula. We’ve automatons, amateur assassins, star-crossed lovers, greed and betrayal. There is violence and mayhem and true love — even a little sex. It is full of famous characters — H.G. Wells, Joseph Merrick, Jack the Ripper and Bram Stoker — and they all play a part.

“Yes, I know that when I began this tale I promised there would be a fabulous time machine, and there will be, there will even be intrepid explorers and fierce native tribes — a must in any adventure story.”

I wish I could tell you more about it! Unfortunately, anything I might tell you is bound to spoil some surprise that’s waiting for you in the winding paths of these pages. It’s a story that held my attention for 600+ pages and that is no small feat. I loved the way the story unfolded and I found myself wondering as we meandered along just how Palma would bring the tendrils of this story all together in the end, and I was not disappointed. It’s a terrific read and one I highly recommend.(less)

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May 06, 2013 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book's title is particularly apt. Reading the story feels like playing around with Google Maps. You start with a pinpoint address and spend several leisurely chapters focused exclusively on one character and one particular storyline - to the point where you get a bit bored. Then, as the book progresses, you pan outward and outward, little by little revealing a vast, complex landscape. And because the pan-out is so gradual, you don't even notice how complicated the story's universe is until...more

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May 02, 2013 Life Between Coffee Spoons rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book so much that it has taken me nearly three months to even think about writing a review. I'm not a big sci-fi/fantasy reader and I tend to get discouraged when it takes me a month to read something, but this one broke all those previous notions.

Palma seamlessly weaves together three separate but ultimately related stories that cross London in the late 1800s. Into these he perfectly integrates real and fictional characters, with H.G. Wells featured most prominently. The writing is...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Jürgen Zeller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'"Ich bin ein Geschichtenerzähler, nicht mehr und nicht weniger. In früheren Zeiten hätte ich wahrscheinlich mit Gauklern und Barden auf dem Marktplatz gestanden und die Leute unterhalten."' Zitat von Ray Bradbury

Mit diesem Zitat möchte ich meine Rezension zu diesem höchst eigenartigen Buch beginnen, denn es passt vortrefflich zu diesem Roman. Es werden gleich mehrere Geschichten erzählt die eigentlich in sich abgeschlossen sind und vordergründig nichts miteinander zu schaffen haben. Ausser natü...more '"Ich bin ein Geschichtenerzähler, nicht mehr und nicht weniger. In früheren Zeiten hätte ich wahrscheinlich mit Gauklern und Barden auf dem Marktplatz gestanden und die Leute unterhalten."' Zitat von Ray Bradbury

Mit diesem Zitat möchte ich meine Rezension zu diesem höchst eigenartigen Buch beginnen, denn es passt vortrefflich zu diesem Roman. Es werden gleich mehrere Geschichten erzählt die eigentlich in sich abgeschlossen sind und vordergründig nichts miteinander zu schaffen haben. Ausser natürlich das sie sich im London ganz am Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts abspielen und die Thematik des Zeitreisens eine grosse Rolle spielt. Der todunglückliche Andrew der seine grosse Liebe durch die Hand des Mörders Jack the Ripper verliert und sie durch das Wunder des Zeitreisens retten kann, Claire die durch eine Zeitreise ihr Herz an einen Helden im Jahr 2000 verliert und Inspektor Garrett der einen Mörder sucht der seine Opfer mit einer Waffe tötet die es zu dieser Zeit eigentlich noch gar nicht geben sollte. Dies sind die drei unabhängigen und tragenden Erzählstränge des Buches. Natürlich gibt es noch viele kleine liebenswerte Episoden und Geschichten die sich in wiederum in Geschichten abspielen und die das Buch so unheimlich lesenswert machen. Im letzten Abschnitt begegnen wir Leser dann einem unheimlichen Bibliothekar der das Geheimnis der 'Landkarte der Zeit' kennt...

Lieber zukünftiger Leser dieses Buches, bevor Sie überhaupt mit der Lektüre beginnen müssen SIE als erstes eine Zeitreise vollziehen. Ja genau Sie, seien Sie bereit ins Jahr 1896 zu reisen und erleben Sie, wie es sich anfühlt im viktorianischen London zu Leben. Nutzen Sie als erstes mal die Macht des Internets und sehen sie sich Bilder dieses Zeitalters an und informieren sie sich kurz über diese Zeit. (suchen sie nach den Schlagworten Jack the Ripper, bedeutende Schriftsteller dieser Epoche, Varieté und Kuriositätenshows usw.) Nun stellen Sie sich vor, sie seien unsichtbar und schlendern als aufmerksamer Beobachter durch das vergangene London. Die Kutschen die durch die Strassen fahren, die Menschen die ihnen unterwegs begegnen. Wie sind die Leute gekleidet was wird auf den Märkten feilgeboten, wie sieht es im Hafen aus und was spielt sich dort ab, was geschieht in den Schankhäusern... Atmen Sie die Luft dieser Zeit, fühlen Sie den Zeitgeist, die Industrialisierung, der ungebrochen Glaube an den Fortschritt... allein durch die Kraft ihrer Vorstellung wird diese Zeit plötzliche real und jetzt, nachdem Sie eine Zeitreise unternommen haben, sind Sie in der richtigen Stimmung um mit dem lesen dieses Buches zu beginnen.

Getragen durch diese Zeit werden Sie durch eine unglaublich schöne und sinnliche Sprache die mir unheimlich gut gefallen hat. Ausladend und üppig aber stets mit Charme und liebe zum Detail wird das Geschehen beschrieben. Der Autor verfügt über ein grosses Vokabular und die Sprachgewandtheit mit der er alles erzählt liess mich alles nur noch stimmungsvoller erleben und zog mich immer tiefer in die Geschichte hinein. Apropos Erzähler - hier sind wir bei einem ganz zentralen Thema angelangt. Da gibts den allwissenden Erzähler der sich immer wieder einschaltet und mich als Leser ganz direkt anspricht. Dieser Erzähler macht manchmal Andeutungen zu Vorgängen die noch passieren werden, weil er ja alles was folgt bereits kennt, und manchmal hilft er mir unklare Sachen zu verstehen. Ausserdem verfügt er über einen feinen Humor der mir über gewisse Textstellen hinweghilft die mir nicht so gefallen haben. Das Fingerspitzengefühl und sein Timing immer dann zu erscheinen wenn es gerade von Nöten ist ist überaus bemerkenswert. Aber wer ist eigentlich dieser Erzähler...?

Nun komme ich langsam zum Schluss meiner Rezi und zum Schluss des Buches. Hier ist es meiner Meinung nach sehr wichtig nicht in Hektik zu verfallen und sich die Zeit zu nehmen alles in Ruhe zu lesen. Hier ist Konzentration und genaues Lesen gefragt. Oder wie der Erzähler sagt: "'Wenn Sie es herausfinden wollen, lesen Sie bitte aufmerksam jede Seite, denn darin werden Sie nach Lust und Laune durch die Zeit reisen können, in die Vergangenheit und auch in die Zukunft!"' Na wenn das kein Versprechen ist was dann? Der Schluss ist speziell und ungewöhnlich aber wenn man ihn verstanden hat genial und er setzt der wichtigsten Figur in diesem Roman ein Denkmal. Ein Hommage an einen aussergewöhnlichen... Na das verrate ich hier natürlich nicht, das müssen Sie schon selbst herausfinden.

Fazit

Ein Buch das ganz bestimmt nicht jedermann gefallen wird und gefallen kann. Auf Geschichten in Geschichten, Zeitreisen und Paralleluniversen muss man sich einlassen können. Utopische Fiktion und Phantastisches gepaart mit Realismus können ganz schön verrückt klingen und den Leser fordern. Meine Empfehlung: Lassen Sie sich beim lesen fallen und der Phantasie freien Lauf, hinterfragen sie nicht mit Logik wenn Menschen wie Lianesen oder Maschinenmenschen erscheinen, geniessen Sie diese Geschichten aber lesen Sie stets aufmerksam und genau Sie könnten etwas Wichtiges überlesen...(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 John Wolter rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Palma's tale of time travel in Victorian England has its moments, but there are a number of things that I found spoiled the story for me. To begin, the narrative of the story is frequently interrupted by the narrator, who makes a point to explain to us how he is going to narrate the next section, or to remind us that he is an omniscient observer of the events of the book. I kept expecting that by the end of the tale the author might reveal why this is important to the story, but he never did. I...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Ricki Treleaven rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This week, I read The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma. I did not accomplish much of anything else this week because the book is over 600 pages, and I could not put it down!

This is a very difficult post for me to write because I do not want to give away any spoilers. If you choose to read this book, try not to read any reviews because you do not want a single plot point in advance of reading this amazing book. I would like to give you a very loose idea of what the book is about so you will at least...more This week, I read The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma. I did not accomplish much of anything else this week because the book is over 600 pages, and I could not put it down!

This is a very difficult post for me to write because I do not want to give away any spoilers. If you choose to read this book, try not to read any reviews because you do not want a single plot point in advance of reading this amazing book. I would like to give you a very loose idea of what the book is about so you will at least be interested in it. The setting is Victorian London during the fall of 1888 where: Jack the Ripper is killing prostitutes in Whitechapel, a maniac is trying to steal unpublished manuscripts written by H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker, and Henry James, and London's wealthy are obsessed with the possibility of time travel. With his obvious "knowledge" on the subject based on his popular novel, The Time Machine, H.G. Wells is the apparent go-to guy as the time travel expert. Can his expertise alter history and perhaps even save lives?

The Map of Time is broken down into three books, and each of the three stories are intertwined. The way that Palma weaves these three stories together is genius, and there are so many twists and turns in the plot it exhausted me. There are elements of steampunk, romance, literary history (H.G. Wells is a main character), suspense, and science fiction. There is also an omniscient narrator who interrupts the narration from time to time to interject his point of view (which he claims to be infallible), and to move the plot forward so the reader won't get bored during a long, exhausting carriage ride, as an example. I like him, and his role is a little deeper than that of narrator, too {pay attention}.

I do want to warn you that the beginning of the book focuses on Jack the Ripper, and it is a bit graphic. I almost stopped reading the book because I found the plot sensational and completely improbable. I am happy I continued reading because it was so worth it. The ending is a bit tedious, but it made sense, and it is so creative and unique. Now that I have finished the book, I want to read what critics think about it. I think it is a brilliant book, and it will probably make my Best Three Books of 2011 list.
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Jan 08, 2013 Jonathan Scobie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My wife gave me this book as a Xmas present because she knows I'm a fan of Steampunk. But a fair way into the novel I bagan asking myself it really was 'Steampunk'. Having finished the novel, I feel that while Steampunk is a fairly broad church, Palma's novel is really a Don Quixotesque parody of Science Fiction, and our culture's idolatry of Science itself, in the same way that Cerventes was satirising the values of chivlary which had all but died out by his 17th Century. The novel's best featu...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At the opening of this novel, I thought it was a little precious. The narrator is entirely omniscient (it sees the minds of the characters . . . and as it turns out everything in the world) and also directly addresses the reader. . . a little annoying at first. And the description on the back of the book bears almost no resemblance at all to what the book is about. . .

That being said, I loved this. I think to love it, there's a chance that the reader needs to be a fan of science fiction--and no...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is baffling. It is a historical novel (yay) with a time travel angle (yay) and famous Victorians as characters (double yay). Jack the Ripper appears, as does Bram Stoker and Henry James. Plus, the author captures the sublime of Victorian fiction: exquisite beauty and horrific terrors, spoken in descriptive language that feels authentic.

And yet, this book is strange. The plot is a crazy mishmash of ideas, with characters picked up and dropped, and picked up again. The author sets param...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Whatchyareading added it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, christine, grown-up-thursday, series, science-fiction

Victorian. Time Travel.

Intrigued yet? Well, you should be because not only is it awesome, but also that’s essentially what Map of Time is about. It just toes the line at steampunk, though some might argue it easily falls into that category. And H.G. Wells is a main character! More literary authors should be written about in novels. It’s almost like bringing literature around full circle.

In a way, this book could be called three novellas starring H.G. Wells because it kind of felt that way. Even...more Victorian. Time Travel.

Intrigued yet? Well, you should be because not only is it awesome, but also that’s essentially what Map of Time is about. It just toes the line at steampunk, though some might argue it easily falls into that category. And H.G. Wells is a main character! More literary authors should be written about in novels. It’s almost like bringing literature around full circle.

In a way, this book could be called three novellas starring H.G. Wells because it kind of felt that way. Even though the stories do intermingle with the same characters and time travel is a common theme in all of them, they each follow a different POV. In the first act, we meet Andrew Harrington, who is trying to figure out which gun to use to kill himself. (You read that right.) In the second act, Tom Blunt tells us his story, and in the third, it finally comes to H.G. Wells.

I realized after the fact that the three-part book was necessary to wrap everything up that needed to still be wrapped up, plot-wise, but when it came down to it, I really enjoyed the third part and found the first two parts only so-so as I was reading them. In its entirety, I thought it to be an interesting storyline and once events started coinciding and picking up speed, it became quite good.

Now, I don’t know much about H.G. Wells, the man. I, of course, know his body of work, but the man himself, not so much. So, I don’t know if Palma’s depiction of him was accurate, but it certainly was entertaining so there are no complaints on my part. I’d recommend you don’t look up a lot about H.G. Wells until after, just in case Palma did change things around to fit his timeline. (Hah. Timeline. Get it? … Because it’s a time travel book. … Where’s the Doctor when you need him to laugh at your silly time travel jokes?)

Map of Time is only the first book in the Victorian Trilogy. The next one is called The Map of the Sky and comes out September 12th from Atria Books, which I’m very much looking forward to.

This book was reviewed at WhatchYAreading.net on July 5, 2012.(less)

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Dec 06, 2012 Gena rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I kept wondering what the author was thinking, doing and smoking when he wrote this. It is the most bizarre book I've read in a while. I think I kept reading because I couldn't believe it was so - so - odd. It's like 3 books put together, none of which make much sense. In the first part a guy wants to go back in time and stop Jack the Ripper from killing the woman he loves. The middle of the book deals with a guy who works for the company that provides Victorians with the touristy opportunity to...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Kacey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In many ways, this was a wonderful novel that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. In others, it was an exhausting read that I'm glad is behind me.

I enjoyed each of the three stories as individual pieces. I enjoyed the clever way the author wove H. G. Wells into it. I couldn't say which of the stories was my favorite because they each had moments I enjoyed. I admit I can be a bit of a sucker for romance, so I enjoyed Tom and Claire's story a lot. Unfortunately all three stories had moment...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Timothy Lewis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tim: I just finished this book and I have to say it has one of the biggest jaw dropping reveals that I've seen or read. This is what M. Night Shyamalan could only wish he could do with every story he tells. Map of Time by Felix J. Palma has me wanting to read it all over again, just so I can find the clues that were there for the taking. There are three stories, told by a third party narrator, that interweave in and out of each other like a well choreographed tango. Each player knows the part th...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Meredith Buchanan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Surprisingly, I had some trouble getting into the novel in the beginning (I think the fact that I’ve gotten accustomed to reading books for children might be part of the problem). Also, the book is told from several different perspectives, but that isn’t apparent at first. I don’t know if it was a wise choice to start out with Andrew Harrington, because quite frankly, I find him very whiny and unlikeable.

Andrew is one of those poor little rich boys, who is miserable until he falls in love with...more Surprisingly, I had some trouble getting into the novel in the beginning (I think the fact that I’ve gotten accustomed to reading books for children might be part of the problem). Also, the book is told from several different perspectives, but that isn’t apparent at first. I don’t know if it was a wise choice to start out with Andrew Harrington, because quite frankly, I find him very whiny and unlikeable.

Andrew is one of those poor little rich boys, who is miserable until he falls in love with a prostitute who lives down by the docks in the scary part of London. Unfortunately, said prostitute gets murdered by Jack the Ripper, and Andrew blames himself for her death (let’s be honest, it’s kind of his fault, since all her prostitute friends are getting dismembered, and he has the money to move her somewhere safer). Anyway, Andrew’s friend and cousin, Charles, is tired of his moping around (not so much that he is worried about his mental health, but more so that he misses his gambling buddy/wingman), and convinces him that he could solve his problems by going back in time and preventing her death.

Luckily for them, Gilliam Murray has just opened up shop for Murray’s Time Travel, which will transport you back in time for an enjoyable romp through the year 2000, and back again in time for tea. Gilliam tells the pair a fantastical story about how he discovered time travel, it’s intricacies and idiosyncrasies, and why, though he’d love to help them, he is currently only able to travel to the future, not the past. However, he is sure H.G. Wells (yes, the author) would be glad to step in.

Wells agrees to loan out the use of his time machine, but when Andrew returns from his mission, he is surprised to find that nothing has changed in his own time. Wells explains that his actions caused the creation of a parallel universe, where his lover and himself are probably happily married at the moment. Oddly enough, this seems to be enough for Andrew, and he genially returns to his life of debauchery and throwing his money around.

Then we are introduced to Lucy, who has an overactive imagination and has read entirely too many romance novels. She decides to buy a ticket to the future from Murray, and intentionally stay behind. To her disappointment, her plan is thwarted by the vigilant tour guide, but not before she meets the leader of the human resistance (against the robots, natch) and falls in love with him. This leads to all sorts of complicated maneuvers, letters, and H. G. Wells’ involvement again, to facilitate their romance.

I will have to stop my summary here, because if I continue, I’m afraid I’ll spoil the plot twists, and that is really the best part of the novel. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say the author is very good at convincing you of one thing, then surprising you with another, before tricking you into believing something else. Things kind of got mad crazy at the end, but the story is very imaginative, and I enjoyed seeing how the characters plotlines ended up overlapping and influencing one another.

Warning: things might not be what they seem.

(read the whole review at rampantreads.wordpress.com)(less)

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About Félix J. Palma

Félix J. Palma was born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain on June 16, 1968. He attended Francisco Pacheco High School and studied Publicity at the University at Sevilla.

His first volume of stories, El Vigilante de la Salamandra (The Lizard's Keeper) showed his ability to introduce fantasy into the every day. He is also author of the storybooks: Métodos de Supervivencia (Methods of Survival), Las Int...more

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The Map of the Sky (Trilogía Victoriana, #2)

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Quotes from The Map of Time

“(...) ¿qué era el tiempo si nadie podía medirlo, si nada podía acusar su paso? El tiempo solo se mostraba en las hojas secas, en las heridas que cicatrizaban, en la carcoma que devoraba, en el óxido que se extendía, y en los corazones que se cansaban. Si nadie estaba allí para señalarlo, el tiempo no era nada, absolutamente nada.” — 12 people liked it

“He had learned from experience that what he succeeded in putting down on paper was only ever a pale reflection of what he had imagined, and so he had come to accept that this would only be half as good as the original, half as acceptable as the flawless, unachievable novel that had acted as a guide, and which he imagined pulsating mockingly behind each book like some ghostly presence.” — 9 people liked it

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The Map of Time (Trilogía Victoriana #1)

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