What do you think?
Rate this book
To Read or Not to Read
'The Hour of the Time' is a short story by Vincent Hobbes. It was first published in 'The Endlands' (Jan. 2011) Gunter von Strauss owns a small bookstore. He carries something for everyone’s taste. He also carefully inspects each book, making sure they are safe to read. Who knew that choosing the wrong book could carry such a consequence.
16 pages, ebook
First published August 17, 2011
28 people are currently reading
557 people want to read
About the author
Vincent Hobbes
19 books108 followersWebsite/Blog
http://www.VincentHobbes.com
Facebook
http://www.Facebook.com/vincenthobbes
The Endlands
http://www.TheEndlands.com
Legends in Time
http://www.LegendsInTimeBook.com
Publisher
http://www.HobbesEndPublishing.com
http://www.VincentHobbes.com
http://www.Facebook.com/vincenthobbes
The Endlands
http://www.TheEndlands.com
Legends in Time
http://www.LegendsInTimeBook.com
Publisher
http://www.HobbesEndPublishing.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
June 24, 2020
"To Read or Not To Read" is a short horror story. Now here's the thing, I'm not usually attracted to short stories, and the same can be said for horror. So why the devil did I enjoy this? Well for starters the characters were good, they were given personality traits that were instantly familiar. The storyline was intriguing, with just the right amount of creepiness. An old bookshop was the setting, but of course this being a horror story, it was no ordinary bookshop. I mean, I've never walked into Waterstones ( other bookshops are available ) and experienced anything like this! The horror part when it came, WAS shocking, a nice little twist, but not the sort of shocking that had me turning on all the lights and checking under the bed! Which for this wimp was a bonus. To Read or Not To Read? Definitely read!
July 4, 2020
Highly enjoyable short read about a small, quaint, dimly lit bookshop. Meet Gunter von Strauss, the bookshop owner who has something for everyone… except, the books can’t leave the shop. You rent time to read them, and be careful what you choose!
A fast and fun horror story!
A fast and fun horror story!
April 17, 2021
An odd little tale about a most unusual bookstore. This was a very enjoyable short horror story that provided a good atmosphere. Different and interesting.
July 1, 2020
HA! GOT ME!
A dark, quaint magical bookstore. The proprietor (with long, pointy black nails) is very accommodating. Nothing is for sale, no books leave the store, but you can rent time to read anything in one of the dark rooms.
Just be cautious of your choice! Hehehe.......
December 17, 2019
“I rent time for people to read, Frau McClain. Time for people who have no time to spare.” Strauss’ eyes twinkled. (Loc. 192-193)
I picked up To Read or Not to Read by Vincent Hobbes a few years ago and I rated it pretty low because I didn’t know at the time that I was reading a short story belonging to the horror genre. However, now I thought that I needed to reread it and re-evaluate the story because I grew up as a reader and I’ve read a more diverse range of books than I used to four years ago.
This story revolves around a quaint little bookstore named Strauss Books after its German owner, Mr Günter von Strauss, a secret place known only by a few people. Despite the fact that Strauss is a mysterious and eccentric old man who rips out pages from the books he stacks to keep his clients safe, he is very polite and friendly to the people who enter his bookstore, including Shelby McClain, the woman whom we follow throughout the entire story. Should she follow her instinct and leave this odd place, or give in, pick a book and see what happens? Are Mr Strauss’ books magical as the customers claim? Read and you will find out!
I love the concept of a magic bookstore, where you can buy time to read and experience the book of your choice for a few minutes. It’s a bit like in Eliade’s novella, where time flows differently after you close the door behind you and the rules of the outside world just vanish away. The story has a steady pace, it’s suspenseful, the writing is simple but it suits the narrative well and the characters have distinguishable voices. I personally wanted to learn more about the German librarian, who seems to be a kind of link between two very different worlds.
I hope that this review sparked your interest in reading this short and enjoyable book. Personally, I’m glad that I finally gave it a second chance, it was definitely worth it. Happy reading everyone!
http://elitere.ro/to-read-or-not-to-r...
I picked up To Read or Not to Read by Vincent Hobbes a few years ago and I rated it pretty low because I didn’t know at the time that I was reading a short story belonging to the horror genre. However, now I thought that I needed to reread it and re-evaluate the story because I grew up as a reader and I’ve read a more diverse range of books than I used to four years ago.
This story revolves around a quaint little bookstore named Strauss Books after its German owner, Mr Günter von Strauss, a secret place known only by a few people. Despite the fact that Strauss is a mysterious and eccentric old man who rips out pages from the books he stacks to keep his clients safe, he is very polite and friendly to the people who enter his bookstore, including Shelby McClain, the woman whom we follow throughout the entire story. Should she follow her instinct and leave this odd place, or give in, pick a book and see what happens? Are Mr Strauss’ books magical as the customers claim? Read and you will find out!
I love the concept of a magic bookstore, where you can buy time to read and experience the book of your choice for a few minutes. It’s a bit like in Eliade’s novella, where time flows differently after you close the door behind you and the rules of the outside world just vanish away. The story has a steady pace, it’s suspenseful, the writing is simple but it suits the narrative well and the characters have distinguishable voices. I personally wanted to learn more about the German librarian, who seems to be a kind of link between two very different worlds.
I hope that this review sparked your interest in reading this short and enjoyable book. Personally, I’m glad that I finally gave it a second chance, it was definitely worth it. Happy reading everyone!
http://elitere.ro/to-read-or-not-to-r...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2012
An intriguing short story involving a very different type of bookstore, where care must be taken in choosing a book.
When care is not taken, who knows what may be in store?
A fast paced short that packs a punch.
When care is not taken, who knows what may be in store?
A fast paced short that packs a punch.
September 16, 2011
A rather simple, straightforward story with no surprises. It's very difficult to build up and maintain a sufficiently disquieting mood for a short piece of twist horror, and requires a much more precise tooling of the details of the story.
However, in this story, the dialogue is often repetitive and cut up, serving the immediate needs of keeping things moving, but not looking forward to the climax. It reminds me of the advice everyone gets in Creative Writing class about how they are supposed to 'write naturalistically' and 'listen to how real people talk'. This is really terrible, novice advice. Real speech--full of pauses and 'um's and repetitions--is painful to read, often bordering on the nonsensical.
Speech which seems to read naturally is actually highly contrived, using breaks and repetitions sparingly, since they will always stand out to a reader, much more than they would if spoken aloud. It is important to tailor the specific cadence and use of speech to give personality to the characters, but not to the point that the speech becomes conspicuous or distracting. It's difficult to cut up speech without losing the flow of the story.
Instead of the mood being developed through incongruities between the characters, descriptions of scenes, or unexpected quirks, we tend to just be told how the characters feel, even if it isn't always clear why. If the reader isn't able to share the view of one or another character, it will be difficult for them to eschew disbelief in the face of a reaction which seems inexplicable.
A particular difficulty in horror is writing a skeptical, wary character when it is very clear to the reader that something unnatural is going on, especially if it is clear to the reader exactly what that thing is. Unless the character's disbelief is delivered in an idiomatic way which reveals something about the character, it will just end up sounding repetitive and will not ring true.
Even if it makes sense for the character not believe, it can still be annoying to depict them as resistant, because we, as genre savvy readers, already know what is going to happen, so such delays just end up feeling like the story is stalling out for no good reason.
Likewise, reminding the reader of the state of things through numerous clues and hints grows quickly tedious if there is no mystery left to be revealed to the audience. Sometimes, tension can be built by letting the audience know something the character does not, but only if there is some specific climax that character is inexorably moving toward. If the reader thinks they know what is going on and no other reveal has been foreshadowed, then no further tension will be created by delaying.
All in all, the story has little dynamic. The bookstore owner has no specific role, nor can we quickly identify his character. He is not menacing, nor is he mysterious, because he has no motives, nor any no apparent agenda. This means his discourse with the protagonist, who also has no particular agenda, comes off rather flat.
The conflict she has with another woman, later in the story, has a great deal of conflict, but to no end. They banter uneasily at length, but not toward any outcome or climax. The story lacks focus. It is not all building to the twist climax, and has many redundant or periphery parts which lead nowhere in particular and add nothing to the mood, meaning, or climax, especially in such a short work.
PS: one of the characters is also described as a 'circus ringleader', which is not a thing. A ringleader is the head of a gang of criminals, a ringmaster is the Master of Ceremonies in a circus.
However, in this story, the dialogue is often repetitive and cut up, serving the immediate needs of keeping things moving, but not looking forward to the climax. It reminds me of the advice everyone gets in Creative Writing class about how they are supposed to 'write naturalistically' and 'listen to how real people talk'. This is really terrible, novice advice. Real speech--full of pauses and 'um's and repetitions--is painful to read, often bordering on the nonsensical.
Speech which seems to read naturally is actually highly contrived, using breaks and repetitions sparingly, since they will always stand out to a reader, much more than they would if spoken aloud. It is important to tailor the specific cadence and use of speech to give personality to the characters, but not to the point that the speech becomes conspicuous or distracting. It's difficult to cut up speech without losing the flow of the story.
Instead of the mood being developed through incongruities between the characters, descriptions of scenes, or unexpected quirks, we tend to just be told how the characters feel, even if it isn't always clear why. If the reader isn't able to share the view of one or another character, it will be difficult for them to eschew disbelief in the face of a reaction which seems inexplicable.
A particular difficulty in horror is writing a skeptical, wary character when it is very clear to the reader that something unnatural is going on, especially if it is clear to the reader exactly what that thing is. Unless the character's disbelief is delivered in an idiomatic way which reveals something about the character, it will just end up sounding repetitive and will not ring true.
Even if it makes sense for the character not believe, it can still be annoying to depict them as resistant, because we, as genre savvy readers, already know what is going to happen, so such delays just end up feeling like the story is stalling out for no good reason.
Likewise, reminding the reader of the state of things through numerous clues and hints grows quickly tedious if there is no mystery left to be revealed to the audience. Sometimes, tension can be built by letting the audience know something the character does not, but only if there is some specific climax that character is inexorably moving toward. If the reader thinks they know what is going on and no other reveal has been foreshadowed, then no further tension will be created by delaying.
All in all, the story has little dynamic. The bookstore owner has no specific role, nor can we quickly identify his character. He is not menacing, nor is he mysterious, because he has no motives, nor any no apparent agenda. This means his discourse with the protagonist, who also has no particular agenda, comes off rather flat.
The conflict she has with another woman, later in the story, has a great deal of conflict, but to no end. They banter uneasily at length, but not toward any outcome or climax. The story lacks focus. It is not all building to the twist climax, and has many redundant or periphery parts which lead nowhere in particular and add nothing to the mood, meaning, or climax, especially in such a short work.
PS: one of the characters is also described as a 'circus ringleader', which is not a thing. A ringleader is the head of a gang of criminals, a ringmaster is the Master of Ceremonies in a circus.
October 6, 2014
Quick read, fifteen minutes tops. This one reminded me of a story that would fit in well as a twilight zone episode or maybe something out of Stephen King's Creepshow. Just like those, there's a shocking twist at the end.
I've only read a couple of short stories by Vincent Hobbes, but he's quickly becoming one of my favorite short story writers.
I've only read a couple of short stories by Vincent Hobbes, but he's quickly becoming one of my favorite short story writers.
November 24, 2011
I enjoyed this story very much. It had a great atmosphere and the characters came across as very realistic. I also thought the concept was marvelous. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that there were some spots where the point of view was confusing. But overall the story more than made up for that. If you liked this story, you should check out The Endlands (vol 1), which includes this story and 4 more by the same author as well as 11 other authors. I will be checking it out for sure.
September 9, 2011
This is a very interesting story: A small bookstore with a kind, elderly, mysterous "keeper" and you come to find out there maybe something different/magical about the bookstore.
September 14, 2011
A most interesting short story - a young mother, waiting on her children, who are at a skating party, enters a most ... unusual bookstore. The proprietor doesn't sell the books, he sells the time to read them.
Like all the stories in "The Endlands," this is a really eerie piece and one I found particularly to my liking, being a reader. I would love this sort of bookstore, personally - although one does need to be aware of the dangers! Check it out!
Like all the stories in "The Endlands," this is a really eerie piece and one I found particularly to my liking, being a reader. I would love this sort of bookstore, personally - although one does need to be aware of the dangers! Check it out!
September 25, 2011
A place who looks like a little bookstore, an old German man with a cup of tea to offer to anyone that comes in. He doesn't sell books, he said, he offers a service.
«"You're allowed to take the books home at a library, but not here. I rent time for people to read, Frau McClain. Time for people who have no time to spare." Strauss'eyes twinkled.»
Shelby McClain is quite skeptic about all this. But she takes a Michael Crichton's book, pays her 5 bucks and starts reading. And then...
«"You're allowed to take the books home at a library, but not here. I rent time for people to read, Frau McClain. Time for people who have no time to spare." Strauss'eyes twinkled.»
Shelby McClain is quite skeptic about all this. But she takes a Michael Crichton's book, pays her 5 bucks and starts reading. And then...
October 25, 2011
My favorite story from The Endlands Anthology. It's as if the author channeled the spirit of Rod Serling to write this. Very imaginative, but most importantly fun. I won't give the plot away. But you owe it to yourself to check it out. Did I mention that it's free? What more can you ask for?
5 stars for scaring the bejeebers out of me!
5 stars for scaring the bejeebers out of me!
December 16, 2011
Clever idea about a bookstore where you rent time for a $1/minute to be in parts of books. Erotica books are a hit, naturally, as are neutered adventure and classics books. The shopkeeper tries to keep it all safe by ripping out pages where violence and extreme danger occurs. The ending was a bit predictable, but this was a fun story otherwise that I enjoyed and recommend to short story readers. Has a bit of a Twilight Zone feel to it.
November 19, 2011
A bookstore with an odd, vaguely supernatural owner who doesn't like to sell books, but rents out reading rooms for a dollar a minute ... and only for brief periods of time? Hmm. Anyone else see the twist coming? I surely did. Well written, but a trifle disappointing in its predictability.
April 17, 2012
I wish I could find a bookstore like that...
March 21, 2012
I gave this story 4 stars for a clever concept and good atmosphere. Add a bit of creepiness factor and you have a good horror short. It made me look for more stories by Hobbes. If you liked this one I would also try "The Hour of the Time" which is even better.
September 8, 2011
this is a great story. it is part of mr. hobbes anthology and its probably my favorite and its free on ebook. i would suggest for everyone to read it asap!
April 23, 2012
On of my all-time favorite Hobbes' short stories
March 15, 2021
A short read that's currently free on Amazon for Kindle readers.
We all love bookstores, don't we? Well, this one offers escapes with a capital "E". EEEEE!
We all love bookstores, don't we? Well, this one offers escapes with a capital "E". EEEEE!
May 9, 2014
Sometimes, not always, but sometimes horror is simple. It can revolve around one character, one location or one simple set up. A good horror doesn't need to be lavish and complicated, it can be as simple as ABC.
TRONTR is one of those books. A simple location (a bookstore), a simple character (the bookstore owner), and a bored woman with time to kill. She comes into the shop, has a browse, chats a little with the owner and that's when she realises all is a little...iffy.
Hobbes doesn't make this complicated. His genius is in the simplicity. Tension builds from books and shelves and the owner of the shop. Can't be scary, right? Wrong. The interactions between the two main characters generates enough animosity and suspense to make this a horror with brains. You know something is off...but what is it? You don't find out until the finale (and by then, any horror aficionado will know where this is headed) but you keep reading just to ensure your suspicions. It's not really a surprise but boy, what a story.
We all love books. Imagine going into your local independent book store and being spooked. We've all gone into a shop to kill time and felt awkward doing so. This book takes that idea and runs with it. Sure, it's short but this is a rare case of a short tale being just the right length. Any longer and it would have ruined the punch line.
5*. Totally. Any book that can build suspense from the simplest of things is a winner in my book. Who needs fancy setups and long, detailed novels when these amazing twenty-odd pages will do just fine. The best ten minutes I've had with my Kindle in a long time.
TRONTR is one of those books. A simple location (a bookstore), a simple character (the bookstore owner), and a bored woman with time to kill. She comes into the shop, has a browse, chats a little with the owner and that's when she realises all is a little...iffy.
Hobbes doesn't make this complicated. His genius is in the simplicity. Tension builds from books and shelves and the owner of the shop. Can't be scary, right? Wrong. The interactions between the two main characters generates enough animosity and suspense to make this a horror with brains. You know something is off...but what is it? You don't find out until the finale (and by then, any horror aficionado will know where this is headed) but you keep reading just to ensure your suspicions. It's not really a surprise but boy, what a story.
We all love books. Imagine going into your local independent book store and being spooked. We've all gone into a shop to kill time and felt awkward doing so. This book takes that idea and runs with it. Sure, it's short but this is a rare case of a short tale being just the right length. Any longer and it would have ruined the punch line.
5*. Totally. Any book that can build suspense from the simplest of things is a winner in my book. Who needs fancy setups and long, detailed novels when these amazing twenty-odd pages will do just fine. The best ten minutes I've had with my Kindle in a long time.
January 7, 2013
★MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS★
Shelby - while waiting for her daughter to finish up at a skating party, stops by a book store in the area to kill some time. What she finds there is very strange - the store does not sell books, it sells time. Time to sit in a reading room. As strange as it sounds, two other customers just love it, one coming in every week and the other visits three times a week! I kind of had a feeling around now, that I knew where the book was headed - but, even so... it did not disappoint.
~~~~~~~MAY BE SPOILERS~~~~~~~
The books - or the rooms - or the owner... are magical. You open the book to a part you are interested in, and as you begin to read - you go into the story. Live it. You can ride down the river with Tom Sawyer, or stand and watch Tara burn while Rhett doesn't give a damn. The store owner cares about his patrons. He cares enough to read everything before putting it on the shelf, so he can remove any parts of a book that may put his customers in peril. But, there are so many books. Can he be sure he checked them all?
Great story, and a quick read on a cold & dreary day like this. Also - free download on Amazon right now. Hurry & catch the sale while it lasts. If you don't, it's still a steal at 99¢. I grabbed 3 titles from this author, Vincent Hobbes, and I'm finishing this review now so I can go read the next one!
Shelby - while waiting for her daughter to finish up at a skating party, stops by a book store in the area to kill some time. What she finds there is very strange - the store does not sell books, it sells time. Time to sit in a reading room. As strange as it sounds, two other customers just love it, one coming in every week and the other visits three times a week! I kind of had a feeling around now, that I knew where the book was headed - but, even so... it did not disappoint.
~~~~~~~MAY BE SPOILERS~~~~~~~
The books - or the rooms - or the owner... are magical. You open the book to a part you are interested in, and as you begin to read - you go into the story. Live it. You can ride down the river with Tom Sawyer, or stand and watch Tara burn while Rhett doesn't give a damn. The store owner cares about his patrons. He cares enough to read everything before putting it on the shelf, so he can remove any parts of a book that may put his customers in peril. But, there are so many books. Can he be sure he checked them all?
Great story, and a quick read on a cold & dreary day like this. Also - free download on Amazon right now. Hurry & catch the sale while it lasts. If you don't, it's still a steal at 99¢. I grabbed 3 titles from this author, Vincent Hobbes, and I'm finishing this review now so I can go read the next one!
August 30, 2012
This was a very surprising free short story. I love the way this author writes. He hooks you right onto his words.
Shelby is a woman with time to kill. She decides to walk into a book store and look around. Gunter von Strauss shows up and tells her that none of her books are for sale. Shelby is confused and wonders what kind of book store that truly is if they don’t sell any books.
She gets told by one of the patrons that if you go into one of the rooms with a book, you live through what is happening first hand like you are actually there. Shelby doesn’t really believe this to be true but tries it anyway. Don’t want to ruin the ending, but read to find out what happens when Shelby enters the world of the book!
Shelby is a woman with time to kill. She decides to walk into a book store and look around. Gunter von Strauss shows up and tells her that none of her books are for sale. Shelby is confused and wonders what kind of book store that truly is if they don’t sell any books.
She gets told by one of the patrons that if you go into one of the rooms with a book, you live through what is happening first hand like you are actually there. Shelby doesn’t really believe this to be true but tries it anyway. Don’t want to ruin the ending, but read to find out what happens when Shelby enters the world of the book!
February 10, 2012
This short story had a very unique and interesting premise - I was a bit surpised at the end, though I did know something bad was coming. It had a good creep - out factor, but the creepiness did not permeate the story completely - otherwise it would have gotten a 5 star rating. Definitely worth the read!
September 19, 2011
This was such a well written story and I must say that I absolutely loved the ending. I have one negative comment to make however, I feel that the current title does not fit well with the story. Perhaps just the name of the bookstore would have been a better fitting title.
October 25, 2011
Ok, go read this.
I am not going to say anything, just that I am glad a friend point me in the direction of this short story.
It left me with my mouth hanging open.
Don't go looking for spoilers, just read it!
You can find it free on Amazon.
I am not going to say anything, just that I am glad a friend point me in the direction of this short story.
It left me with my mouth hanging open.
Don't go looking for spoilers, just read it!
You can find it free on Amazon.
February 11, 2013
nice read. enjoyable, but predictable. wouldn't take too much of your time though.
read it for free here.
read it for free here.
September 13, 2011
Great story! Didn't expect the ending, though I knew something was going to happen! Well written and worth reading!
October 24, 2011
A very enjoyable short story that surprises you in the end. Or if not, at least it won't bore you to death. Herr Straus, ten minutes please!
October 27, 2011
Very short story about a book shop that doesn't sells books. It sells you time to be in the book. Ahh.. If only. It sounds like such a great idea. Until you read the ending. lol
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews