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The Ministry of Time
July 2024: Debut
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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley - 3 stars (Steeplechase, BWF)
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Joy, I read your review with interest. Yours is the first mixed review that I've seen. My sister has been reading the novel, but she is considering abandoning it. And, fantasy/sci-fi is her preferred genre.I had placed a hold for the book, with some misgivings. I don't do well with time travel in books. And, I don't do well with thrillers and plot twists. I do like the premise of a man from the 1800's dealing with modern society.
Excellent review!
Thanks, Holly! You can tell your sister it doesn't get any better once it starts going downhill.I think readers of who enjoy a mix of romance and thriller will enjoy it more than I did.
I thought perhaps you would not enjoy this book.It does go a little wonky with the sci-fi thriller bit, but I really enjoyed the set up and the characters and then I liked the ending, so thought it brought that together nicely.
One of the other things that nagged at me was appropriating the life of a real person and making him do such outlandish things (who knows what he would think of those sex scenes!) It was like the author was playing out her own fantasies, which bothered me.
This book is a mix of science fiction, romance, alternate history, and historical fiction. It is based on Graham Gore, a real person who traveled with the doomed Franklin Expedition in 1845-1847. The Ministry of Time brings him (and other people from the past) into contemporary times. They assign him a “Bridge,” our unnamed female mixed-race protagonist. She must help him assimilate into today’s world. Other Bridges and “expats” (as the time travelers are called) interact with them. There is a mystery around why these people have been brought together.
The setup and the first half are compelling. I particularly enjoyed the fictional journal entries of the Franklin Expedition, which are inserted occasionally throughout the narrative. There are a few quite humorous situations in which a man of Victorian times is flabbergasted and embarrassed by modern society, especially regarding the roles of women and the changes in the process of “courtship.”
It then unravels into a romance (view spoiler)[with graphic descriptions of sexual exploits. (hide spoiler)] It contains the same pitfalls that occur in many time travel books,(view spoiler)[ with people confronting other versions of themselves that make little sense. (hide spoiler)] The author makes no attempt to establish internal logic within this future world. (view spoiler)[The time travel is explained away at the very beginning by asking the reader to just assume the British government has come up with a way to transport dead people from the past and bring them back to life. (hide spoiler)] It is too bad that this story went so far afield from the original premise, eventually turning into a thriller with plot twists that everyone but me seems to eagerly anticipate.
It had great potential to comment on modern society and the human desire to live a meaningful life, as highlighted by a person of integrity who lived a hard life mostly at sea in the 19th century. I’m sure many people will enjoy this book, but for me it is an interesting premise that ultimately falls short in the execution.
PBT Steeplechase - tagged "shopping list" x5:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...
PBT July BWF letter B (for team spelling) and tagged "debut" x24:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...