Only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles, #1) in Only Time Will Tell Read-a-Long!

Jun 08, 2011 Rose Ann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2011, first-reads

I won this as a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway!
How lucky was I?
This is the first novel by Jeffrey Archer I have read.
What an amazing storyteller!
Sections were divided and told by different characters....the transitions were so smooth as the story was told from one character to the next.....leaving little twists.
I loved the time periods and watching Harry grow.
I am sad that I have to wait now, for the next in the series!

I cannot wait to see where the story goes next!!
I just really connected wit ...more

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Jan 21, 2014 Vonette rated it liked it

Let me start by mentioning that I received this book free through a Goodreads give-away. This is the second Jeffrey Archer novel I have read and the first one that is part of a series. If you read this, be prepared to commit yourself to the entire series, because this book ends on something of a cliffhanger!

This book is an entertaining read. It is not the kind of book you pick up for deep thought or carefully crafted prose, but if you are looking for something light and enjoyable, this is a goo Let me start by mentioning that I received this book free through a Goodreads give-away. This is the second Jeffrey Archer novel I have read and the first one that is part of a series. If you read this, be prepared to commit yourself to the entire series, because this book ends on something of a cliffhanger!

This book is an entertaining read. It is not the kind of book you pick up for deep thought or carefully crafted prose, but if you are looking for something light and enjoyable, this is a good choice. I liked the unusual style the author uses of retelling certain sections from the perspective of different characters. For me, each retelling added new depth to the picture he was painting for us. That was one of my favorite aspects of the book. The first section reminded me (pleasantly) of the first Harry Potter book. We have a main character (coincidentally named Harry) who gets lifted out of an underprivileged existence and sent to boarding school where he has to learn to mix with a whole new class of people. He gets picked on but also immediately makes two friends -- one who comes from a similar background but is there because of his brilliance and one who struggles academically but is able to teach Harry how to survive amongst this new class of people. There is even a somewhat mysterious and wise mentor to help Harry along, and a mystery surrounding the death of Harry's father. However, once you get past the first section of the book, all resemblance to Harry Potter ends, and this becomes entirely it's own story.

The story has some interesting twists and turns--some predictable and some unexpected. My one complaint about the book is that there are a few times the author makes a character do something that does not feel like something that character would do. He forces his characters to do these things in order to move the story along in the way he wants. This is particularly true of Harry's mother Maisie and Harry's mentor, Old Jack. There are also some questions that were not satisfactorily answered in this book which I hope will be picked up in the next one (such as whether the fire was REALLY set by the man accused of setting it), but since the story has taken a very different direction at the end, I am not certain they ever will be. I guess I will have to read the next book and find out! ...more

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Jan 21, 2014 John rated it really liked it

Full disclosure...I just love everything the Jeffrey Archer writes!

That said, this first novel of the "Clifton Chronicles" is a departure from the norm for Archer in the sense that he uses a very unusual writing technique during the first half of this first book in the series. I hate spoilers so you will have to find out for yourself what this technique is. All I WILL tell you is that it's a little disconcerting when you first realize what he is doing. However, keep reading, I promise you it all ...more

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Jan 21, 2014 Linda rated it really liked it

I received this book through a Goodreads promotion. It is the first of a trilogy that begins in England in 1919 and follows two families to the beginning of WWII. Maisie Clifton and her son Harry are the primary members of the Clifton family that we follow. They are very poor but through the intervention of fate and some very well meaning friends, Harry is able to get an education and become great friends with Giles Barrington, a son of nobility. The web between the two families twists and turns ...more

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Jan 21, 2014 Diane rated it really liked it

A swift fun read that definitely gained momentum and captured my interest as it went on. Initially it seemed that solutions to problems appeared too easily, obstacles to Harry's education resolved miraculously, kind hearted people abound. But it got more real as it went on. I think a deeper development of some of the characters, like Old Jack would have enhanced the story - why did he withdraw from society, etc. But then at 400+ pages and 3 more books to the saga, it may have been too much. Over ...more

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Jan 21, 2014 Sandra Knapp rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Great story, extremely well told and well written. Will definitely be wanting to finish this series.

The tale of a young man, raised in poverty, but who defies the odds with a lot of help from his Mother and good friends, to better himself. As this is the first book of 4, how well he succeeds is yet to be learned, but I am hopeful I will discover that things continue to improve, because he had amazing role models in whose footsteps my should strongly endeavor to follow.

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Jan 22, 2014 M Kat rated it really liked it

I couldn't put it down. Even though I didn't find the characters true-to-life I wanted to know what would happen next. Going over the same events from the perspective of different characters really sucked me in. I also enjoyed the glimpse of English education, so different from the American variety. Can't wait to read the next two volumes! ...more

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Jan 21, 2014 Theresa rated it really liked it

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I hadn't read a Jeffrey Archer book since Kane and Abel many years ago. I really enjoyed the story and the characters and found I couldn't put it down near the end. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series as soon as I can--I want to know what happens to each of the characters, especially after the way the book ended. ...more

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Jan 22, 2014 Sonya rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, mystery, historical-fiction, first-reads, 2014

How far would you go for love? What a great read!

This story skillfully comes together as the various voices of different characters share their own perspective of certain events, often overlapping and adding to the thrill of answers to questions and painting a bigger picture.

I can hardly wait to read the next book in the series.

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Jan 21, 2014 Joy rated it really liked it

I received this free book from Good Reads 5 days ago and I'm already very into it. Archer is a good story teller and I like the two main characters so far. Can't wait to read more. ...more

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