The Time Keeper

by Mitch Albom

Hardcover, 2012

Call number

FIC ALB

Collection

Publication

Hachette Books (2012), Edition: 1st, 240 pages

Description

After being punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift, Father Time returns to Earth along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.

Media reviews

Mitch Albom is an author of internationally bestselling books, including Tuesdays with Morrie, which topped the New York Times bestseller list in 2010. So he knew what he was doing when he sat down to write another novel about spirituality in a modern setting. In The Time Keeper, he sticks to his
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tried and tested literary recipe, which follows an elderly man on an existential journey to a grand realisation. This novel earns its place on the bookshelf for its compelling and original storyline; the man who first tried to measure time is punished by living an eternity. However, Albom fails to probe the full depths of this idea and is unable to write with enough style to carry it through into more than a clichéd censure on modern times.
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User reviews

LibraryThing member brainella
Don't buy this book. Get it from the library, and only if you have nothing better to read. It is pretty dull and exceedingly predictible. Summed up -- time is precious, don't waste a moment on foolish things. Now you don't need to read it.
LibraryThing member labdaddy4
A "gentle" read, easy to follow, and very enjoyable. I found many meaningful passages - thought provoking in relation to our current pace of life and priorities.
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom has been on my excitement list for a while now. Such a great cover, an author I really enjoy, and a story about Father Time - how could I not be excited!

What I expected and what I got were two different things, however. Instead of getting an interesting, complex story
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about a fantastical creature, I got instead chopped bits of a story, tossed together like a bit of a human salad, and mixed all up.

This story is part Dor, part Victor, and part Sarah, but does not spend enough time with any one of them to make me, as a reader, feel connected to them. I felt a bit of pity for Sarah, was highly annoyed by Victor, and just.. confused by Dor (Father Time). That lack of connection took this book from something that, I was hoping, I would connect to and feel inspired by, to simply a story that, frankly, wasn't really that good.

I think where this went wrong was the way the book was formatted, first of all (bold lettering making a statement before a paragraph about the character). This constantly jarred me and made me realize I was reading a book and kept the characters from fully forming in my imagination. Secondly, Victor and Sarah were just not very likable. Victor, an old, rich man who is dying after a full life, wants to find immortality, and Sarah, a teenager who has just been dumped by her first crush, is suicidal. It wasn't big enough for me, not real enough. Where are the people who have dealt with huge issues and struggling against depression - it's out there: the homeless, the abused. What about those who are working for good and want to continue to live to see that succeed?

I'm disappointed that The Time Keeper didn't work for me. I'm disappointed that I spent all that time (although maybe there's a lesson for me?) anticipating a story that did not live up to its promise. But most of all, I'm sad that I invested my precious time in a story that felt rushed, and unwilling to commit time back to me.
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LibraryThing member Namwan_
A powerful book, especially for someone who had thoughts of suicide in the past. I also liked it because it touched upon the philosophy of time. I couldn't stop reading this. Half a point taken off because of religious issues.
LibraryThing member BookDivasReads
Dor, a man from the time of the building of the Tower of Babel, is fascinated with measuring time. Unfortunately his fascination leads to his being banished to a cave. In this cave he is forced to spend eons listening to mankind's request for more time. After spending six thousand years in this
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cave, Dor is released for his final mission, teach two humans about time.

Needless to say, Dor's release into the twentieth century is somewhat of a shock. He must learn modern languages, man's history, and achieve an understanding of all modernity has to offer. While Dor is learning all he can about mankind and new ways to measure time, the reader is introduced to Victor Delamonte is an elderly business man who has received a death sentence. His cancer has metastasized and is no longer treatable; at best he has a few months to live. Victor decides to use his wealth and attempt to cheat death. Sarah Lemon is an introverted and academically gifted teenage girl. She has no close friends and latches onto the first person to show her any signs of friendship, a popular boy from her high school.

Mr. Albom has done an excellent job in portraying the lives and motivations for the actions of the man characters, Dor, Victor and Sarah. He has also deftly tied their stories together, in that the lessons that Victor and Sarah learn about time (wanting more and giving up on it) also impart a lesson to Dor. The Time Keeper is a modern and inspirational moral tale or fable about the precious value and sanctity of time. I found The Time Keeper to be a somewhat fast read, although it did go a little slow in the passages discussing Dor's life. However, the story would not have made as much sense without those passages as they were necessary in order to understand the overall message.
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LibraryThing member SignoraEdie
"When you are measuring life, you are not living it. I know."
LibraryThing member lynnepr
A short inspirational read about the meaning of life, love and suicide
LibraryThing member destinyisntfree
Well, I requested to review this book via Netgalley as I have heard so many people talking about it. I have to be honest and say that I have very mixed feelings, hence the 3 star rating. While I like the premise of the story, I found it a little hard to get into in the beginning. The book is
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shorter, only 240 pages, so it is a quick read if you want something that you will get through quickly. I cannot really comment as to format and editing, something I would normally comment on, as this was an uncorrected advanced reader's proof, so there is no guarantee that what I saw is what you will see.

The concept of the history of time was intriguing, and I found that I could easily relate with Sarah Lemon, having see quite a bit of myself in the character. I found the characters mostly believable, although Victor seemed a little...off. I really do not know how to quantify that, but something about the character bothered me.

The story is well written, of that I am sure. If you like looking at the history of things (whether real or fictional), this book is entertaining and intriguing and it does make you think about how you have lived your life and how you should be living.

The point of view/plotline were slightly disjointed, and this is probably why I had trouble with it. Admittedly, I have ADHD, and sometimes story lines that jump back and forth are difficult for me to follow along with, and that could be a big part of why this book just did not seem to grab me like I hoped it would.

If you are intrigued by the cover or the description, I would give it a shot. It was an interesting read, just was not my thing.
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LibraryThing member Twink
How often have you heard yourself say " I wish there was more time in the day. I just need more time. Where does the time go?"

Our days and lives are measured against time - calendars and clocks. But what about the first person to measure time?

Albom spins a fable about Dor - the first man to map
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the passage of the moon and sun, to track the minutes, hours, days and years. And how angry he made God with his measuring. For that, Dor is imprisoned in a cave for thousands of years. His chance at redemption lies with the fate of two very disparate people. Sarah - a teenager determined to end her time on earth. And Victor - a terminally ill senior who desperately wants to prolong his time.

I chose to listen to The Time Keeper. Dan Stevens was the reader. He has a British accent, but is easily understood. He has a very versatile voice, conjuring up three very different voices for the characters. Albom's prose are quite spare and Steven's interpretation of the book really suited. In retrospect, I was glad I chose to listen rather than read. Listening was more like being told a story.

The book is quite short and easily read in one sitting. Albom has written a book that is sure to make you stop and re-evaluate the passage of time in your own life. And to appreciate what we have and how precious it is.....
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LibraryThing member Lanetz
Read this book last week and loved loved loved it. In the vein of the Shack. Really makes you think about how you use your time and to live in the present. I also bought the audio book.
This is the same author as Tuesday's with Morrie. Only a 200 page book and reads fast. Fantasy play on Father
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Time and how God deals with him and two people who count their minutes and focus to much on "need more time" Loved it!!!!!!!!
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LibraryThing member susiesharp
I haven’t read Mitch Albom’s other books, they aren’t in a genre I usually read but after seeing the great write up this audiobook got in Audiofile magazine this one sounded like something I would like, and I wasn’t wrong!

This book is very relevant to the world we live in because it seems
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everyone is in a rush to get where they are going and wanting more time to get it done, but be careful what you wish for. As Dor found out the hard way, 100’s of centuries ago he designed the first clock but God (or some such person) is not happy with him for this and banishes him to a cave for centuries where he becomes Father Time. Now centuries later God (or some such person) has a deal for him if he can save 2 people he can have his freedom. The 2 people he chooses are a teenage girl, Sarah, who wants to give up her time because she has gotten her heart broken and an old man, Victor, in kidney failure who wants more time, can he save these two people and in turn save himself?

“When you are measuring time you are not living it.” So very true! A very well written cautionary tale about time and not taking it for granted or wasting it, loved the epilogue. Actually I just really liked this whole book. I have seen some reviews saying this book was choppy but I never got that feeling at all and that may be because I listened to it on audio. I thought the story was great and felt like any “choppiness” just made me feel more of what Dor was feeling being in this new world and to really explore it he had to slow time because our world moves so fast. I think this book will appeal to a different audience than Albom’s previous books, yes people who liked his past books will probably like this one but because of the fantasy element of Father Time I think this will appeal to people who read fantasy or enjoy fairytales re-told.

Dan Stevens narration of this book is fabulous! Every voice is spot on, you never question who is talking each voice has its own inflection and tone. I see why this performance has won a well-deserved earphones award and would not be at all surprised if this one wins big at the Audies too! I just can’t say enough about how great the narration of this book is. If you are thinking of reading this one I highly recommend it on audio! Dan Stevens will be a narrator to look for in the future!

4 ½ Stars
5+++ Stars for the narration
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LibraryThing member voracious
This is a Christian-based fable that tells the story of an old man with liver cancer and a teen girl with family problems who struggle with their desires for time. Dor, a man and husband from the time of the old testament, was the first to discover how to measure time. As a punishment for being the
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first scientist and acting in such a subversive manner (being curious about the world), God punishes him for his abhorrent sin by turning him into "Father Time" and forcing him to listen to the pleas of the people who are impacted by his discovery for 6,000 years. To escape his punishment, he must set things right with the old man and the girl.

Though there was at least one touching moment, I did not enjoy this transparent and contrived little novel. I felt like I was being forced to sit though a badly written sunday school lesson about the perils of placing value on science or time with the warning that one might be doomed to hell for 6,000 years for .... creating a crude clock? Placing value on time over relationships? It was like a bad after-school special, 1970'sTV (but with current technology). I know I will probably be the only one in my book club who did not enjoy this one, but it was a little too churchy and melodramatic for me. Fortunately, it was short and not a big time-waster ;)
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LibraryThing member indygo88
Whereas Mitch Albom's other book covers are rather plain & simple, there is something about clocks that never fails to intrigue me, so I wanted to read this one simply because the cover sucked me in. This book, simply, is about how man began measuring time and thus, how our obsession with time
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(wanting more time, wishing time would go by faster) ultimately changes our world.

The story starts out somewhat slow & picks up momentum about halfway through the book. It is rather fable-like, and deals primarily with the man who first began measuring time (who ultimately becomes Father Time) and two other main characters, a teenage girl and an old dying man. There is a mild biblical undertone with references to the Tower of Babel and a being one would assume is God, and I enjoyed the way these elements were blended into the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It's a quick read and in similar Mitch Albom style, it makes the reader think and re-evaluate what's important in life. It's simply written but is able to convey a deeper meaning, and could be enjoyed by multiple age groups.
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LibraryThing member MarkMeg
Very powerful in many ways, but hard to define. Dor, Victor and Sarah all share the novel. Sarah is a teenager, Dor's age is greater than....and Victor is an old man dying of cancer. Sarah goes thru the travail of being rejected and attempts suicide--only to save herself and become the doctor who
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discovers a cure for cancer. Victor attempts cryonics, changes his mind and finally helps Sarah to become a great scientist, and Dor goes back to his love, Alli and his children. Very touching.
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LibraryThing member Judiex
The story begins six thousand years ago when Dor places two stones on the ground to measure (though he doesn’t call it that) a shadow. Later on, he realized the shadow no longer is the same length. The next day he sees the shadow return in the same dimension. He has discovered time and soon
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develops the world’s first clock, measuring the passage of time through the speed of water drops.
In THE TIME KEEPER Mitch Albom calls time “God’s greatest gift.” It is something for which everyone asks for more. For some people, it moves too quickly; for others, too slowly.
As a punishment for measuring time–in future generations it can control people’s lives– he is banished to a cave where he must hear every request for more time. He cannot leave until he can teach two people the real meaning of time.
He returns in the present time to complete his task with an eighty-five year old man who wants to live forever and a seventeen-year-old girl who has given up on her life. It ends a few hundred years from now when the world is a very different place.
The book is written in very short chapters, following the three main characters as the reader learns how they arrive at their current situations and how Dor shows them the role time should play in their lives. As he states, “When you are measuring time, you are not living it.”
I gave the book four stars because he raises an interesting concept but the book lacks serious depth (which is probably fine for his audience which isn’t looking for deep philosophy).
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LibraryThing member lyn369
A story of time through the years. Was a little confusing here and there, but in the end it all made perfect sense. I am waiting for another book from Mitch.
LibraryThing member Bookish59
Contrived but sweet fable about Father Time.
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
As Einstein once showed, time is relative. For most people, there is never enough, for a few, there is too much, but it is the rare soul who feels they have the right amount. In this newest book by Mitch Albom, he explores our relationship to time and, in his usual beautiful sparse prose, he shows
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us that it isn't the amount of time we each are allotted but what we do with it that matters.
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LibraryThing member eembooks
Wonderful story about time made especially enjoyable as the audio version is read by Dan Stevens.
LibraryThing member jwood652
This book is an interesting fable about time. We learn about the inventor of the concept of time (Father Time himself), a teenage girl (supposedly with a lot of time left) and an old man (at the end of his life). Mitch Albom explores the concept of time by spinning a fantasy involving the three
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characters using suspension of time, time travel and other devices. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed reading his writing. I have been a long time fan of his sports columns and have been thrilled by his books whether they are fiction or nonfiction.
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LibraryThing member blush48
oh the pitfalls of measuring time and the tasks we keep adding to keep every minute of our day filled. So it is with the man who first devised the methods of tracking every day, hour, second. Father Time.

Interesting story ---- really quick read.
LibraryThing member haubie
This book really makes you think. The timing was perfect for me and makes me wish everyone would read it.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
What would the world be like if we had not tried to measure it, quantify it with time? This book doesn't try to depict that vision, more to tell us the fate of the poor sucker who first marked the days and hours, the fellow who lost his own timeline to become Father Time. Billed as a fable, but I
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prefer the moral I try to live by rather than the one Albom comes up with. Mine is to try to live more and more in the present, which is ever beautiful, and stretches beyond the bonds of present and past.
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LibraryThing member NickVellis
After a slow start this book , though predictable, this book was thoroughly satisfying.
LibraryThing member CasaBooks
Interesting that this one just "happened" to be on my reader on the last days of the year.
Wasn't going to read it til Sis mentioned she had, so it was available, I started it.
TIME - such an interesting subject . . . not enough and how do you choose all that you can use it for . . . but yet how to
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be able to simply relax also.
This year has proven that I can make better use of my "down-time" moments (waiting for water to boil, computer to boot, food to be served, washer to fill,etc)by reading a page or two in ereader in my pocket.
Books are finished much sooner - don't lose my place, etc !

Who ever thought about how the keeping of time started ? ? ?

Always good to think of our relationship with TIME and this was a good read.
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Pages

240

ISBN

1401322786 / 9781401322786
Page: 0.8373 seconds