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Through The Gates
MARK TRAVELS BACK IN TIME IN SEARCH OF A BEAUTIFUL, BLACK-HAIRED WOMAN….AND GOLD BULLION….AND THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE…
A time-travel novel like no other time-travel novel you’ve ever read! Mark discovers secret upon secret in his mysterious garden, and finds himself slowly but surely drawn back into the days of the Second World War, with its life and death struggle and sense of constant danger and excitement. He is pulled further and further back into the folds and sleeves of time, and becomes intricately involved in the outcome of the war. Does it even fall on him to decide the course of history? Can he change the past? Can he obliterate, or save whole worlds? Is there buried gold bullion to be unearthed in his garden? What is the role of the ageing vamp, Emma, who enters his life? And Mary, his ex-wife, who re-enters his life at the same time? And, most poignantly of all, who is the beautiful, young woman he remembers meeting so many years ago at infant school who spoke to him of a time they would meet again? Mark has never been able to forget her, and sets out on a perilous voyage back in time to find her.
A time-travel novel like no other time-travel novel you’ve ever read! Mark discovers secret upon secret in his mysterious garden, and finds himself slowly but surely drawn back into the days of the Second World War, with its life and death struggle and sense of constant danger and excitement. He is pulled further and further back into the folds and sleeves of time, and becomes intricately involved in the outcome of the war. Does it even fall on him to decide the course of history? Can he change the past? Can he obliterate, or save whole worlds? Is there buried gold bullion to be unearthed in his garden? What is the role of the ageing vamp, Emma, who enters his life? And Mary, his ex-wife, who re-enters his life at the same time? And, most poignantly of all, who is the beautiful, young woman he remembers meeting so many years ago at infant school who spoke to him of a time they would meet again? Mark has never been able to forget her, and sets out on a perilous voyage back in time to find her.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2014
38 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Alan Hardy
39 books128 followersI'm a director of an English language school for foreign students. Married, with one daughter. Poetry pamphlets: Wasted Leaves, 1996; I Went With Her, 2007. I've had poems published in such magazines as Orbis, Iota, The Interpreter's House, Poetry Nottingham, Poetry Salzburg Review, Poetry Cornwall, and others. I have now written ten novels. I would describe them as surreal novels with plenty of comedy, satire, humor, romance, sex and adventure. They're shocking, original and respectful of nothing and nobody. You have been warned.
The nine published so far are THE CASE OF THE TATTOOED BUTTOCKS, THE CASE OF THE PINIONED BOSOMS, THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING CORPSES, THROUGH THE GATES, VAMPIRE HUNT, JULIA, GOOD QUEEN BETH, BRITT, and GABRIELLA.
THE CASE OF THE TATTOOED BUTTOCKS, subtitled AN INSPECTOR CULLOT MYSTERY, is a cheeky, exciting murder mystery, with plenty of thrills, surprises, witty repartee, suspense and sexy ladies, let alone a couple of gory murders. The story takes place in a country mansion, with an assembled array of suspects (a mixture of the rich, decadent, sophisticated and louche) who are all perhaps not quite what they seem and hiding God knows what secrets... Even the renowned Inspector Cullot, with his occasional fits of dark despair, and now working in a department store's lingerie section, is tormented by ghosts from his past... And does the bumbling, simple-minded PC Blunt, recording another Inspector Cullot case for posterity in an array of note-books, also have skeletons in his cupboard..? And do the unsolved Night-Club Hostess Murders committed two years earlier have a bearing on the case? And what about the strange tattoos on the buttocks of the gorgeous ladies assembled at the mansion? What does it all mean? You'll die laughing trying to find out.
Check out the two follow-up novels in the series, THE CASE OF THE PINIONED BOSOMS and THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING CORPSES.... let alone THE CASE OF THE TORN YELLOW SOCKS, soon to appear as the fourth book in this hilarious series...
THROUGH THE GATES is a time-travel novel, with the hero (or anti-hero) Mark travelling back to the days of World War Two. He lives in an old house with a big, mysterious garden where he keeps unearthing and discovering objects which draw him back into the past. He's also obsessed with a beautiful young woman he saw when very young, and his attraction towards the past, and journeys into it, are also an attempt to find her and discover who she was... Not to mention the gold bullion buried somewhere in Mark's garden...
VAMPIRE HUNT tells the story of Dr Joseph Aymon's return to Transylvania in search of Bella, his long-lost first love, and in search of vampires...to kill...
JULIA is a novel dealing with a young man's obsession with his first love, and his pursuit of her over seven years. Is he just a young man hopelessly and helplessly in love, or is it something more delusional...or even dangerous?
GABRIELLA is a cheeky, sexy portrayal of young love played out on the sports field. It's romantic, provocative, unabashed, and unapologetic.
BRITT is set in France during World War One, and is a comic, exciting tale of derring-do, spies, aerial dog-fights...and sexual shenanigans... In contrast to this world of sexual abandon and experience, we have Wriggles of the Royal Flying Corps and Britt, his childhood sweetheart. Both are innocents in a world they don't understand, and can't relate to. With a devilishly cunning German spy ring about to escape with top-secret information that might well bring about England's defeat, they are England's only hope. Will they be able to save England, and find true love...?
GOOD QUEEN BETH is a savage, no-holds-barred critique of the monarchy and present-day society, in a novel which is brutal and provocative, yet exhilarating and wide-ranging in events and relationships.
The nine published so far are THE CASE OF THE TATTOOED BUTTOCKS, THE CASE OF THE PINIONED BOSOMS, THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING CORPSES, THROUGH THE GATES, VAMPIRE HUNT, JULIA, GOOD QUEEN BETH, BRITT, and GABRIELLA.
THE CASE OF THE TATTOOED BUTTOCKS, subtitled AN INSPECTOR CULLOT MYSTERY, is a cheeky, exciting murder mystery, with plenty of thrills, surprises, witty repartee, suspense and sexy ladies, let alone a couple of gory murders. The story takes place in a country mansion, with an assembled array of suspects (a mixture of the rich, decadent, sophisticated and louche) who are all perhaps not quite what they seem and hiding God knows what secrets... Even the renowned Inspector Cullot, with his occasional fits of dark despair, and now working in a department store's lingerie section, is tormented by ghosts from his past... And does the bumbling, simple-minded PC Blunt, recording another Inspector Cullot case for posterity in an array of note-books, also have skeletons in his cupboard..? And do the unsolved Night-Club Hostess Murders committed two years earlier have a bearing on the case? And what about the strange tattoos on the buttocks of the gorgeous ladies assembled at the mansion? What does it all mean? You'll die laughing trying to find out.
Check out the two follow-up novels in the series, THE CASE OF THE PINIONED BOSOMS and THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING CORPSES.... let alone THE CASE OF THE TORN YELLOW SOCKS, soon to appear as the fourth book in this hilarious series...
THROUGH THE GATES is a time-travel novel, with the hero (or anti-hero) Mark travelling back to the days of World War Two. He lives in an old house with a big, mysterious garden where he keeps unearthing and discovering objects which draw him back into the past. He's also obsessed with a beautiful young woman he saw when very young, and his attraction towards the past, and journeys into it, are also an attempt to find her and discover who she was... Not to mention the gold bullion buried somewhere in Mark's garden...
VAMPIRE HUNT tells the story of Dr Joseph Aymon's return to Transylvania in search of Bella, his long-lost first love, and in search of vampires...to kill...
JULIA is a novel dealing with a young man's obsession with his first love, and his pursuit of her over seven years. Is he just a young man hopelessly and helplessly in love, or is it something more delusional...or even dangerous?
GABRIELLA is a cheeky, sexy portrayal of young love played out on the sports field. It's romantic, provocative, unabashed, and unapologetic.
BRITT is set in France during World War One, and is a comic, exciting tale of derring-do, spies, aerial dog-fights...and sexual shenanigans... In contrast to this world of sexual abandon and experience, we have Wriggles of the Royal Flying Corps and Britt, his childhood sweetheart. Both are innocents in a world they don't understand, and can't relate to. With a devilishly cunning German spy ring about to escape with top-secret information that might well bring about England's defeat, they are England's only hope. Will they be able to save England, and find true love...?
GOOD QUEEN BETH is a savage, no-holds-barred critique of the monarchy and present-day society, in a novel which is brutal and provocative, yet exhilarating and wide-ranging in events and relationships.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 17, 2014
If you are an Alan Hardy fan as I am, the first thing I can tell you is that although Through The Gates still has some of Hardy’s dry humor and hints of social rebellion, the language is a bit more poetic; a bit deeper in some ways than Hardy’s other books. It is a thinking person’s journey through time. Hardy’s entry into the time travel genre is fresh and original. Let me say it; it is much more imaginative than a time portal in the back of a diner (a bestseller by another fairly well known author).
As we read the story of the haunted main character Mark, you may find yourself asking the question, “Is he really traveling back in time or is he insane.” Well it may be a bit of both. The skilled hand of author Alan Hardy leaves it to the reader’s interpretation. You will have to decide for yourself. I think it is what you want it to be and that makes for fun, imaginative reading.
But the main thing is that it works wonderfully. In a sense, it is two stories in one. It is a time travel story where the adventurer travels back a little further in time, each time he travels back, where he sets events in motion that may alter history. His actions may actually alter his own existence. In fact, due to a unique chain reaction of events set off by the main character, the world may become a completely different and darker world.
Through The Gates is also a story that delves deep into the recesses of a disturbed mind. We can feel what it is like to be slipping away from reality. We can feel the confusion that Mark feels as he himself is not entirely sure if he is really traveling through time or if he is going insane.
Whether or not the main character is insane or if he is really traveling through time, it makes for a fascinating page turner. I highly recommend this exciting fantasy/journey back through the war years in Great Britain.
As we read the story of the haunted main character Mark, you may find yourself asking the question, “Is he really traveling back in time or is he insane.” Well it may be a bit of both. The skilled hand of author Alan Hardy leaves it to the reader’s interpretation. You will have to decide for yourself. I think it is what you want it to be and that makes for fun, imaginative reading.
But the main thing is that it works wonderfully. In a sense, it is two stories in one. It is a time travel story where the adventurer travels back a little further in time, each time he travels back, where he sets events in motion that may alter history. His actions may actually alter his own existence. In fact, due to a unique chain reaction of events set off by the main character, the world may become a completely different and darker world.
Through The Gates is also a story that delves deep into the recesses of a disturbed mind. We can feel what it is like to be slipping away from reality. We can feel the confusion that Mark feels as he himself is not entirely sure if he is really traveling through time or if he is going insane.
Whether or not the main character is insane or if he is really traveling through time, it makes for a fascinating page turner. I highly recommend this exciting fantasy/journey back through the war years in Great Britain.
September 27, 2014
'Through the Gates' is the story of one man's journey back and forth through time as he struggles with his own memories. Is Mark really capable of altering the time-line, and will he ever find out who the dark-haired woman from his childhood really is?
As with Hardy's other books, this is a truly unique and memorable read. From the opening chapter, it captivates and pulls the reader into the world of a dysfunctional man who has a fascination with older women and believes that he is time-travelling to the time of the second world war.
I found this story fascinating, with all it's different layers threading together as it moved along. The question of Mark's sanity added a very interesting layer and I thought this was the most intriguing element to the story. The main character Mark was just brilliantly written which made this book a page-turner I couldn't put down.
Overall this is a unique and fascinating story. Highly recommended!
As with Hardy's other books, this is a truly unique and memorable read. From the opening chapter, it captivates and pulls the reader into the world of a dysfunctional man who has a fascination with older women and believes that he is time-travelling to the time of the second world war.
I found this story fascinating, with all it's different layers threading together as it moved along. The question of Mark's sanity added a very interesting layer and I thought this was the most intriguing element to the story. The main character Mark was just brilliantly written which made this book a page-turner I couldn't put down.
Overall this is a unique and fascinating story. Highly recommended!
January 15, 2015
OK, so mainly I found this book confusing. But I think that's probably the point. I was dragged through scene upon scene of here and then, without really knowing which direction I was going in.
The sex in this book is used as a weapon, and gets grotesque. Sorry.
The book is well written though. And I did feel compelled to keep reading to the end.
I half expected him to wake up in an asylum and discover it had all been some warped figment of his imagination.
The sex in this book is used as a weapon, and gets grotesque. Sorry.
The book is well written though. And I did feel compelled to keep reading to the end.
I half expected him to wake up in an asylum and discover it had all been some warped figment of his imagination.
December 24, 2016
I loved the timeline of it since it is very close to home for me. But the jumping back and forth over time was confusing at times.
March 10, 2019
A Unique Time Travel Tale
Through the Gates is a fascinating time travel story with a unique intertwining of history, romance, mystery, and fantasy. It begins in Mark’s garden where he journeys back to World War II filled with all the perils and turbulence that existed during that time in history. After that adventure, he travels further back. During his journeys he encounters romance with a beautiful woman and sets events in motion that could play a role in the outcome of the war.
This is an exciting, suspenseful novel with well-developed characters, especially Mark. I found the story to be vastly entertaining, and I highly recommend it!
Through the Gates is a fascinating time travel story with a unique intertwining of history, romance, mystery, and fantasy. It begins in Mark’s garden where he journeys back to World War II filled with all the perils and turbulence that existed during that time in history. After that adventure, he travels further back. During his journeys he encounters romance with a beautiful woman and sets events in motion that could play a role in the outcome of the war.
This is an exciting, suspenseful novel with well-developed characters, especially Mark. I found the story to be vastly entertaining, and I highly recommend it!
March 17, 2017
Sorry but not for me
I got bored with this book, all the back and forth confusion it was just hard going. Not an easy read. Intrigue soon became eh? Just not for me.
I got bored with this book, all the back and forth confusion it was just hard going. Not an easy read. Intrigue soon became eh? Just not for me.
November 10, 2014
I am a big fan of Alan Hardy and his witty sense of humor that is reflected in all his books. I look forward to the quirkiness. But this book took me completely by surprise. The only thing that this book has in common with the earlier ones that I’ve read is the connections with a World war torn England.
When I say that the book caught me by surprise, I mean a delightful and unexpected surprise. Time travel is a particularly favorite concept of mine and the author has written a delightful, suspenseful story on time travel that keeps you riveted.
Mark finds himself being drawn into the past and here is where the author has skillfully addressed a big question in my head about time travel. What happens when you come back? Mark keeps returning to a world that keeps shifting ever so slightly in the beginning and faster the further he travels back in time. Each character is interesting and believable and as the book unravels, the plot thickens.
This is one head spinner, which you will find difficult to put down. I did! An absolutely fantastic read Mr. Hardy!
When I say that the book caught me by surprise, I mean a delightful and unexpected surprise. Time travel is a particularly favorite concept of mine and the author has written a delightful, suspenseful story on time travel that keeps you riveted.
Mark finds himself being drawn into the past and here is where the author has skillfully addressed a big question in my head about time travel. What happens when you come back? Mark keeps returning to a world that keeps shifting ever so slightly in the beginning and faster the further he travels back in time. Each character is interesting and believable and as the book unravels, the plot thickens.
This is one head spinner, which you will find difficult to put down. I did! An absolutely fantastic read Mr. Hardy!
December 11, 2015
Through The Gates by Alan Hardy is a testament to the ingenious imagination of this great author. This time travel fantasy reminded me of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court only this novel has so much more going for it. This is a mind-bending masterpiece of literary brilliance.
Mark is a troubled man. His life seems to be in limbo and it is. He has strong memories of an intriguing woman from long ago and years to find her. His home has its own secret past life during WWII and then there's the stash of gold his parents told him was buried in the garden by Dick Turpin. He digs into his past and travels back to WWII where he has all manner of adventures. Here the author expertly blends humor with more dark overtones to create a satisfyingly bizarre read.
I cannot recommend this extraordinary novel enough but I'll try my best. If you had a few hours left to live read this book, who knows you might beat death and travel back in time.
Mark is a troubled man. His life seems to be in limbo and it is. He has strong memories of an intriguing woman from long ago and years to find her. His home has its own secret past life during WWII and then there's the stash of gold his parents told him was buried in the garden by Dick Turpin. He digs into his past and travels back to WWII where he has all manner of adventures. Here the author expertly blends humor with more dark overtones to create a satisfyingly bizarre read.
I cannot recommend this extraordinary novel enough but I'll try my best. If you had a few hours left to live read this book, who knows you might beat death and travel back in time.
January 15, 2015
This is a wonderfully imaginative book that explores one of my favorite themes--is the protagonist's extraordinary experience reality or delusion? Mark imagines he's traveling back in time to war torn England. Is he? Or is this strangely detached man coming unglued, slipping into a fantasy world all his own? His narrative is filled with sexual encounters, adventure, maybe even history-altering situations, but real or not--that's for the reader to decide.The lovely cover alludes to the sometimes lyrical quality of the writing, although it is jarringly graphic at times, too. Fascinating and so well-written, the story is an intriguing mix of scifi type speculation about the nature and effects of time travel.Taken less literally, the concept also serves as an interesting metaphor for a man struggling to make sense of his own life and his place in history. A five star read!
January 24, 2015
This Has It All!
Time travel? A Secret Garden? Britain? World War II? Romance? Yes, these are all components of this original, and engaging book. The adventure begins when the main character Mark finds a Secret Garden, then time travels to World War II. Or does he? It’s up to the reader to decide.
Author Alan Hardy, is known for his imaginative writing style. I confess I am a fan, and have high expectations for whatever he writes. He exceeded my wishes by delivering another amazing book.
A quote from the beginning of this book shows the author’s talent for description, “ She was a strange mix of youth and impressive maturity, with her tall, slim shape and clear features, and mysterious words and faraway gaze.” Don’t you want to meet her?
Time travel? A Secret Garden? Britain? World War II? Romance? Yes, these are all components of this original, and engaging book. The adventure begins when the main character Mark finds a Secret Garden, then time travels to World War II. Or does he? It’s up to the reader to decide.
Author Alan Hardy, is known for his imaginative writing style. I confess I am a fan, and have high expectations for whatever he writes. He exceeded my wishes by delivering another amazing book.
A quote from the beginning of this book shows the author’s talent for description, “ She was a strange mix of youth and impressive maturity, with her tall, slim shape and clear features, and mysterious words and faraway gaze.” Don’t you want to meet her?
March 11, 2015
I’ve never read a book like this about time-travel. Mark digs up various artefacts in his garden which lead him to obsess about World War Two and, eventually, travel back in time. Or does he? Is he perhaps undergoing a mental breakdown? He travels back in search of his identity and place in history. He begins to unearth gold coins, becomes embroiled with some unsavoury characters, and searches for a beautiful, black-haired woman he once saw as a child and can’t forget. Who is this woman? Does he begin to discover powers which could alter the course of history and the very fabric of time? This is a book that looks at questions of memory, identity, sex, even madness. A very original novel on the theme of time-travel. Really different.
May 8, 2015
This is a very interesting sci-fi/historical mix with an unreliable narrator as its protagonist, Mark. My introduction to Hardy's work was in the mystery genre, so I had initially thought that this book was some kind of mystery-thriller. However, this turned out to be a page-turning read in which Mark travels back in time to hunt down coins and change bits of history (including that which affects Mark). As the story progresses, Mark's journey calls into question what is exactly real and what is actually fiction and how Mark will evolve as a character by the end of the book. A pleasurable read, this book definitely kept me guessing and rereading the descriptive details in an attempt to figure things out.
September 24, 2014
What a unique and creative story! Mark, the main character, loses track of time and finds himself immersed in the world of the 1940’s England. The author leaves it up to the readers to decide whether Mark is time-traveling or just traveling in his mind. His desire to go back in time is enhanced by his long-lost love. Mark is an interesting character, well-developed and sympathetic. His journey away from reality and into the depths of his haunted mind is compelling and, at times, frightening. The author’s dry humor is a welcome addition to the deep and somewhat dark subject matter. Highly recommended!
April 11, 2015
Another great and thrilling story by Alan Hardy
Through the Gates is written in a more serious literary style than some of the humorous novels that I've read previously by one of my favorite authors, Alan Hardy. Many interesting twist occurs and interesting questions are posed.
The main character in this novel, Mark, has a lifetime obsession with the past, and his history, trying to discover who he really is. On the borderline between two different time - zones, Mark could only time travel between the parameters of the house and its garden, through the gates.
Another great and thrilling story by Hardy, which I certainly recommend reading.
Through the Gates is written in a more serious literary style than some of the humorous novels that I've read previously by one of my favorite authors, Alan Hardy. Many interesting twist occurs and interesting questions are posed.
The main character in this novel, Mark, has a lifetime obsession with the past, and his history, trying to discover who he really is. On the borderline between two different time - zones, Mark could only time travel between the parameters of the house and its garden, through the gates.
Another great and thrilling story by Hardy, which I certainly recommend reading.
January 11, 2015
Great variation on time-travel genre. Is Mark really travelling back to World War Two, and changing the course of history, or is his world just falling apart? And what’s the role of his ex-wife, and of the ageing vamp who enters his life at this time? And is there gold buried in his mysterious garden? Why is Mark so obsessed with the past? And who is the beautiful black-haired woman he saw once when he was a child, and just can’t forget? Will he be able to travel back in time to find her? A book that explores memory, the past, death, sex and personal identity…
January 17, 2015
Clever and intelligently written
Through The Gates
by Alan Hardy
A superb piece of work from Hardy in this fantastic journey, which is left open to interpretation as the main character Mark engaged in possible time travel.
The book is very well written and engages the reader in an exceptional manner, taking one along an amazing journey though wartime and sexual connections with Emma.
The novel is clever and intelligently written as one would expect from other Hardy novels.
Extremely creative 5*****
Through The Gates
by Alan Hardy
A superb piece of work from Hardy in this fantastic journey, which is left open to interpretation as the main character Mark engaged in possible time travel.
The book is very well written and engages the reader in an exceptional manner, taking one along an amazing journey though wartime and sexual connections with Emma.
The novel is clever and intelligently written as one would expect from other Hardy novels.
Extremely creative 5*****
January 24, 2015
This is the third book I have read by this author, and with every book he gets better and better. Alan Hardy has a sense of humor that is evident throughout his writing. In this book, Hardy shows that he can be serious and deviates from the satirical nature of his writing by taking the reader into the land of fantasy in the form of time travel through the mind of the main character, Mark. The author juxtaposes fantasy and reality using this young man’s mind as the vehicle, taking the reader into his world. This is a creative, imaginative read. Enjoy!
September 26, 2014
I just started getting into fiction stories with some history. this will go down as one of my favorite books to read because it has a lot of visual descriptive writing. The author definitely did a good job grabbing my attention throughout the entire story which not many authors can do that.
if these are the type of books you enjoy reading and then you will definitely find love with this one. personally, the book had me thinking quite a lot about time travel.
if these are the type of books you enjoy reading and then you will definitely find love with this one. personally, the book had me thinking quite a lot about time travel.
October 31, 2014
"Through the Gates" by Alan Hardy is an amazing achievement. It is the story of a man who appears to be seeking refuge in memories when his present life is becoming less exciting and satisfactory. War memories, history, school memories and sexual fantasies blend together into a narrative that challenges the protagonist's and our sense of reality.
Fascinating and intriguing this book had me utterly hooked with its accomplished and creative style. Excellent.
Fascinating and intriguing this book had me utterly hooked with its accomplished and creative style. Excellent.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews