Publication
Dutton Adult (2008), 416 pages
Description
A marvelous debut novel about love and basketball, time travel and rock'n'roll. Thirty years in the writing, Selden Edwards' dazzling first novel is an irresistible triumph of the imagination. Wheeler Burden-banking heir, philosopher, student of history, legend's son, rock idol, writer, lover, recluse, half-Jew, and Harvard baseball hero-one day finds himself wandering not in his hometown of San Francisco in 1988 but in a city and time he knows mysteriously well: Vienna, 1897. Before long, Wheeler acquires a mentor in Sigmund Freud, a bitter rival, a powerful crush on a luminous young woman, and encounters everyone from an eight-year-old Adolf Hitler to Mark Twain as well as the young members of his own family. Solving the riddle of Wheeler's dislocation in time will ultimately reveal nothing short of one eccentric family's unrivaled impact upon the course of human history. Edwards brilliantly weaves romance, art, sci-fi, history, and culture in this unforgettable debut novel. A great YA read for those looking for a true adventure!… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member nycbookgirl
In a nutshell...not too thrilled with it. I finished it, so that says something. Actually I was pretty annoyed that I couldn't just quit reading it...so I finished it. But not my favorite read of the year. And since I wanted to love it...man it was disappointing..but mainly since I had such high
Here's the synopsis:
Legendary musician, baseball player, and perfection embodied, Frank Standish Burden III, known as "Wheeler," is in his forties when he somehow gets transported back in time to Vienna, circa 1897. There he meets his father, whom he never knew since he died in WWII, and a slew of other characters of Vienna's elite including Freud, Mark Twain, and other intellectuals. He also meets his grandmother and old professor, the "Venerable Haze," who were in Vienna at the time. Oh and Hitler as a boy is somewhere in there. The books flashes between his time in Vienna in 1897 and detailing his life's accomplishments. And the book is supposedly written by Wheeler's mother.
Ok. First I'll say the good things.
1) The writing was pretty good. Definitely a lot of research. Selden Edwards was an English teacher and began writing this in 1974. So a lot of years went into this book. And it shows.
2) The history aspect of Vienna. I took Eastern European classes in college so not a lot of the information was new but still very interesting.
Ok. That's it. Here's why I was annoyed.
1) If I saw the word "legendary" or "venerable" or whatever again I was going to scream. I understand that Wheeler was a legend...the perfect game, the perfect pitch, his band became the epitome of 1960's music and he wrote the anthem for the age. AAAARRRGGG.
2) It was written by his mom. HIS MOM! Mom's are notorious about perhaps glorifying or hiding the negative.
3) His love affair. I'm not saying anything...but it was creepy. That's all I'm saying. You'll have to read it to judge for yourself.
But just because it wasn't my cup of tea, I can understand if people like it. And a lot of people really do.
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expectations. But I love the cover darn it all. See...I'm torn.Here's the synopsis:
Legendary musician, baseball player, and perfection embodied, Frank Standish Burden III, known as "Wheeler," is in his forties when he somehow gets transported back in time to Vienna, circa 1897. There he meets his father, whom he never knew since he died in WWII, and a slew of other characters of Vienna's elite including Freud, Mark Twain, and other intellectuals. He also meets his grandmother and old professor, the "Venerable Haze," who were in Vienna at the time. Oh and Hitler as a boy is somewhere in there. The books flashes between his time in Vienna in 1897 and detailing his life's accomplishments. And the book is supposedly written by Wheeler's mother.
Ok. First I'll say the good things.
1) The writing was pretty good. Definitely a lot of research. Selden Edwards was an English teacher and began writing this in 1974. So a lot of years went into this book. And it shows.
2) The history aspect of Vienna. I took Eastern European classes in college so not a lot of the information was new but still very interesting.
Ok. That's it. Here's why I was annoyed.
1) If I saw the word "legendary" or "venerable" or whatever again I was going to scream. I understand that Wheeler was a legend...the perfect game, the perfect pitch, his band became the epitome of 1960's music and he wrote the anthem for the age. AAAARRRGGG.
2) It was written by his mom. HIS MOM! Mom's are notorious about perhaps glorifying or hiding the negative.
3) His love affair. I'm not saying anything...but it was creepy. That's all I'm saying. You'll have to read it to judge for yourself.
But just because it wasn't my cup of tea, I can understand if people like it. And a lot of people really do.
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LibraryThing member vcg610
The last male of the Bostonian Burdens, Frank Standish Burden III finds himself walking the broad highway surrounding the culturally rich and beautiful city of Vienna in 1897. The perplexing dilemma he faces is that his last memory is of San Francisco in 1988. He vaguely remembers a traumatic event
His connection to this time and place comes from a favorite teacher from his prep school days in Boston. Arnauld Esterhazy had a profound influence on Wheeler Burden as well as a couple of generations of St. Gregory Prep School boys, including Wheeler's dad, Frank Standish Burden II, also known as Dilly.
Arnauld Esterhazy (The Haze) was a favorite history teacher, impressing on his students the prevailing attitudes of the intellectual and artistic Vienna youth as the Austrian Empire confidently but naively faced the turn of the 19th century. He had been one of those youths himself in 1897. Dilly Burden grew up in Boston and was an outstanding student and athlete at both St. Greg's and Harvard. He was a war hero in WWII, serving with the French Resistance and was killed by the Gestapo as the War wound down. Wheeler had been a toddler when his father died.
Wheeler is now in his late 40s, but has made a name for himself in athletics at both St. Greg's and Harvard before becoming a musical sensation as part of a rock band, leaving that world behind to edit and publish the accumulated notes of The Haze himself. Because of that immersion in Esterhazy's written thoughts and musings over the last 10 years, he is well prepared to make his way in this world. He realizes he must be very careful not to reveal the future to anyone, but at the same time, try to figure out a purpose and a plan for what to do now that he is here.
Wheeler keeps a detailed journal of his thoughts and conversations with the people he meets. In fact one of the first people he thinks to look up is Sigmund Freud, who he knows will come to meet both his grandmother and his mother in the years to come. He believes his story will intrigue Dr. Freud and perhaps convince him to provide some money and a place to stay in exchange for the fantastic but true story he is prepared to share with the famous psychologist.
Wheeler's resolve to keep a distance between himself and others he might unduly influence is challenged when he meets a beautiful young American woman who also seems attracted to him. Against his better judgement, he begins to spend more and more time with her, even after discovering her true identity. In spite of the age difference, he has met the love of his life.
He also begins to challenge Dr. Freud's theories of psychology, perhaps suggesting some ideas that may affect his developing theories of human behavior.
But perhaps the most shocking meeting occurs when he realizes that a young American man he has met in the coffee shop is actually his father, Dilly Burden himself! The last thing Dilly remembers before arriving in Vienna is the elaborate vision he had constructed for himself to avoid the pain of Nazi torture. But it wasn't a plan to meet the Haze in his native land; Dill's plan now that he is in Vienna is to find the 8 year old child who will become Adolph Hitler and kill him before he has a chance to grow up.
Wheeler's story is ostensibly told by his 90 year old mother, who is writing it in 2005, based on the journal that Wheeler kept while he was in Vienna. This plot is amazing in it's intricacy. It involves historical characters interacting with the fictional characters in plausible ways, and is a fascinating take on time travel and how it could affect the future (and/or the past) in untold ways. The author Selden Edwards is a gifted writer, creating characters with depth and charisma that will keep the reader thinking about them long after the book is finished.
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associated with San Francisco, but realizes he must take steps quickly to fit in and find his way in Vienna, a city he knows much about, but has never visited.His connection to this time and place comes from a favorite teacher from his prep school days in Boston. Arnauld Esterhazy had a profound influence on Wheeler Burden as well as a couple of generations of St. Gregory Prep School boys, including Wheeler's dad, Frank Standish Burden II, also known as Dilly.
Arnauld Esterhazy (The Haze) was a favorite history teacher, impressing on his students the prevailing attitudes of the intellectual and artistic Vienna youth as the Austrian Empire confidently but naively faced the turn of the 19th century. He had been one of those youths himself in 1897. Dilly Burden grew up in Boston and was an outstanding student and athlete at both St. Greg's and Harvard. He was a war hero in WWII, serving with the French Resistance and was killed by the Gestapo as the War wound down. Wheeler had been a toddler when his father died.
Wheeler is now in his late 40s, but has made a name for himself in athletics at both St. Greg's and Harvard before becoming a musical sensation as part of a rock band, leaving that world behind to edit and publish the accumulated notes of The Haze himself. Because of that immersion in Esterhazy's written thoughts and musings over the last 10 years, he is well prepared to make his way in this world. He realizes he must be very careful not to reveal the future to anyone, but at the same time, try to figure out a purpose and a plan for what to do now that he is here.
Wheeler keeps a detailed journal of his thoughts and conversations with the people he meets. In fact one of the first people he thinks to look up is Sigmund Freud, who he knows will come to meet both his grandmother and his mother in the years to come. He believes his story will intrigue Dr. Freud and perhaps convince him to provide some money and a place to stay in exchange for the fantastic but true story he is prepared to share with the famous psychologist.
Wheeler's resolve to keep a distance between himself and others he might unduly influence is challenged when he meets a beautiful young American woman who also seems attracted to him. Against his better judgement, he begins to spend more and more time with her, even after discovering her true identity. In spite of the age difference, he has met the love of his life.
He also begins to challenge Dr. Freud's theories of psychology, perhaps suggesting some ideas that may affect his developing theories of human behavior.
But perhaps the most shocking meeting occurs when he realizes that a young American man he has met in the coffee shop is actually his father, Dilly Burden himself! The last thing Dilly remembers before arriving in Vienna is the elaborate vision he had constructed for himself to avoid the pain of Nazi torture. But it wasn't a plan to meet the Haze in his native land; Dill's plan now that he is in Vienna is to find the 8 year old child who will become Adolph Hitler and kill him before he has a chance to grow up.
Wheeler's story is ostensibly told by his 90 year old mother, who is writing it in 2005, based on the journal that Wheeler kept while he was in Vienna. This plot is amazing in it's intricacy. It involves historical characters interacting with the fictional characters in plausible ways, and is a fascinating take on time travel and how it could affect the future (and/or the past) in untold ways. The author Selden Edwards is a gifted writer, creating characters with depth and charisma that will keep the reader thinking about them long after the book is finished.
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LibraryThing member lkernagh
I do like to dip into time travel novels as a fun bit of escapism so I downloaded an audiobook copy of this book from my local library system to listen to during my daily walking commute. The concept of a modern Renaissance man - if I can label Wheeler Burden as such - finding himself in turn of
Edwards admits that this book was a 30-year process of writing, editing and further refinements before it was finally published. The historical content - the political, cultural, architectural and intellectual bones of this book - are built on solid research, as are the historical figures. His fictional characters fit well in their 'normal' time periods and exhibit the usual wonderment/ dilemma in the time period they find themselves transported to. I really loved the early chapters in the book that focus on young Wheeler Burden's growing years, first in small town California, then in a stuffy Boston boys prep school and after that on to the hallowed halls of Harvard. Those are actually my favorite parts of the story and I can recommend those section to anyone that enjoys stories around community/ school baseball.
The Vienna story - this book really is a bunch of different stories contained in one book - is heady with its sweeping artistic and intellectual components. This book, in particular the Vienna bits, can be described as "intellectual escapism" for philosophy, cultural and psychology enthusiasts. The details Edwards includes in the story - like Freud's development of his psychoanalytical theory - and the shifting timelines to explain parts of the story, started to wear on me after a while. With the focus on the details I started to think I was back in school receiving an education and the shifting timelines started to come across as an easier writer's mechanism to make the pieces of the story fit together. Not all that easy for the listener of an audiobook to follow, just sayin'!
The love story angle is different, I will say that, and it makes me wonder if Edwards included it because of Freud's presence in the story. I also had some difficulty accepting our main character as being 47 years old when he travels back in time. He come across as a much younger man in his mid 20's, or as a kid that just never truly grows up.
To enjoy this book a reader has to suspend belief that it is perfectly okay to spill the beans of one's time travel to one or two individuals in the past and assume that it won't have an impact. Lastly, I felt that the story seems to continue on beyond a couple of logical ending points. Yes, it would have meant one or two minor points might not have been tidied up but given that Edwards does finally end this one with a very faint whisper of more to come makes me think this story could have been condensed somewhat.
After putting so much negativity into this review, I have to say that this was never a disappointing story to listen to... it was rather enjoyable on the whole, and one I looked forward to listening to over the week but I think it might be more suited for reading as opposed to listening to given the wealth of information the story contains. I was rather surprised to realize that this audiobook didn't allow me to utilize the 30 second rewind feature I am rather used to having built into my audiobooks. Something to possibly discuss with Penguin audio......
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the century Vienna during that city's amazing historical-cultural nexus of intellectual and artistic impulses that have shaped much of the "Modernist" movement is a great idea for a time travel novel. Edwards admits that this book was a 30-year process of writing, editing and further refinements before it was finally published. The historical content - the political, cultural, architectural and intellectual bones of this book - are built on solid research, as are the historical figures. His fictional characters fit well in their 'normal' time periods and exhibit the usual wonderment/ dilemma in the time period they find themselves transported to. I really loved the early chapters in the book that focus on young Wheeler Burden's growing years, first in small town California, then in a stuffy Boston boys prep school and after that on to the hallowed halls of Harvard. Those are actually my favorite parts of the story and I can recommend those section to anyone that enjoys stories around community/ school baseball.
The Vienna story - this book really is a bunch of different stories contained in one book - is heady with its sweeping artistic and intellectual components. This book, in particular the Vienna bits, can be described as "intellectual escapism" for philosophy, cultural and psychology enthusiasts. The details Edwards includes in the story - like Freud's development of his psychoanalytical theory - and the shifting timelines to explain parts of the story, started to wear on me after a while. With the focus on the details I started to think I was back in school receiving an education and the shifting timelines started to come across as an easier writer's mechanism to make the pieces of the story fit together. Not all that easy for the listener of an audiobook to follow, just sayin'!
The love story angle is different, I will say that, and it makes me wonder if Edwards included it because of Freud's presence in the story. I also had some difficulty accepting our main character as being 47 years old when he travels back in time. He come across as a much younger man in his mid 20's, or as a kid that just never truly grows up.
To enjoy this book a reader has to suspend belief that it is perfectly okay to spill the beans of one's time travel to one or two individuals in the past and assume that it won't have an impact. Lastly, I felt that the story seems to continue on beyond a couple of logical ending points. Yes, it would have meant one or two minor points might not have been tidied up but given that Edwards does finally end this one with a very faint whisper of more to come makes me think this story could have been condensed somewhat.
After putting so much negativity into this review, I have to say that this was never a disappointing story to listen to... it was rather enjoyable on the whole, and one I looked forward to listening to over the week but I think it might be more suited for reading as opposed to listening to given the wealth of information the story contains. I was rather surprised to realize that this audiobook didn't allow me to utilize the 30 second rewind feature I am rather used to having built into my audiobooks. Something to possibly discuss with Penguin audio......
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LibraryThing member SaraPoole
I’m a sucker for time travel novels going all the way back to Jack Finney’s classic “Time and Again”. They’re tricky to do but when they work, wow! Selden Edward’s debut historical works. Wheeler Burden, resident in San Francisco in 1988, suddenly finds himself strolling Vienna’s
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Ringstrasse in 1897. Why and how he has come to be there is the crux of a fascinating story beautifully conceived and executed. Without getting into spoilers, I’ll say only that Wheeler’s relationship with his late father is particularly moving. Edwards worked on this story for thirty years; I’m hoping selfishly that his next book will be here sooner and be every bit as good. Show Less
LibraryThing member fidchivers
Well written and cleverly plotted, this book will keep you reading and guessing throughout. Wheeler Burden, the main character, a rock star, intellectual, and celebrity of the 1980's, finds himself in Vienna in 1897 - a place he is familiar with through various family stories and connections
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through the ages. That these connections all start to play out around him is an understatement. Intricately plotted, the book often seems in danger of collapsing under its own weight - but it does not. And in that tension is much of its charm. If you like historical fiction with a smidgen of fantasy thrown in, this is an enjoyable read, to be sure. Show Less
LibraryThing member zina
Unusual, remarkable, fast and fascinating. Historical, varied.
LibraryThing member kageeh
This was either a masterful example of interrelated time-traveling people and events or a very contrived exercise in complexity. I am glad I read it but it was not easy-going. Even after discussing this in book club, I cannot say it all makes sense.
LibraryThing member bibliojim
I didn't like this book very much, though I wanted to. The language is fine, really very nice, but the characters did not capture me, and the plot did not intrigue me. I wouldn't say the plot was predictable, but I began to get the feeling that there was some sort of circular time loop going on and
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just didn't care about where that was going. I read the first 40% of the book and finally decided it wasn't interesting enough to finish. I bet it would have gained some added interest later, but if there isn't enough in the first 40% to read the rest, then it's lost out. Others may appreciate that first 40% more than I. I just kept waiting for something especially interesting to me to happen, and finally I decided to move to a book I liked more. Show Less
LibraryThing member mostlyliterary
My family started listening to this audio book on our car ride to and from Bear Valley in late December. We only got to the 4th disc, but it was enough to hook me. (My partner went out and bought a copy of the book, to continue the story.) Very entertaining -- I've continued with the audio book for
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my work commute. I heard the author on a panel at the Book Group Expo in San Jose, in October, which got me interested in the book. He worked on this book for 30 years, writing and revising until it was finally published. It involves time traveling back to 1897 Vienna, Austria -- the principal character meets up with Sigmund Freud and other luminaries (who haven't yet reached the pinnacle of their fame). Lots of fun so far. Show Less
LibraryThing member ironinklings
The Little Book is not really little, but it’s about the making of a “little book” about Vienna and the focal point of this circuitous tale about family, psychology and history. Edwards upends our notions about all three. He creates and recreates a cast of interesting characters - the
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domineering father, the heroic son and the rebellious grandson. Cameos by historical figures like Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler and a young Adolf Hitler provide interesting but neccessary diversions. Time itself is almost a character in the novel and Edwards moves back and forth between time periods with ease. This is a fascinating story not to be raced through, but contemplated. It’s not your average time-travel book and that’s part of the joy of this novel. Edwards like his character, Wheeler Burden, never does what you might expect him to do. Show Less
LibraryThing member majorbabs
I'd call this a must-read, it's so well-done. It's got just a bit of everything -- time travel, romance, history, military strategy, music, sports and, oh yes, Vienna. Not a beach book, unless you're considered an intellectual, but definitely worth the read.
LibraryThing member pierthinker
Although set almost entirely in Vienna in 1897, this is definitely an American novel. It deals with those two most important themes: the American as hero; and, the American heritage – where did I come from? Every character in this book appears to be the very best at whatever they do, feted,
The two heroic loners in the book are presented almost as caricatures; so heroic, so lonesome. When they find that they are both not the sons of their illustrious fathers is the message that heroes are made not born? Or those legends are made from the flimsiest of materials? Frankly, I was too busy with my plot scorecards and family tree to think too deeply about this.
Time travel stories involving incest (technical, if not actual), closed repeating loops in time and the prospect of never-ending reincarnation in various gardens of delight I find hard to swallow. The narrator, a character we want to learn more about, but never do, is the one who never enters this relativistic maelstrom.
Selden Edwards has spent a lifetime writing this book and from his included notes looks like he may never write another. I am unsure whether this warms me or not. On balance, this is a good first novel, although in need of editing (repeated descriptions of events and characters, mainly. Oh, and thanks for telling me Mick Jagger is the lead singer with a rock group called The Rolling Stones).
If you believe America won the Second World War single-handed, this book is for you. Even if you don’t, it is an interesting and complexly plotted read.
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praised and honoured almost beyond measure. Every character in this book presents himself or herself as someone they are not and many discover themselves to be someone other than they thought they were.The two heroic loners in the book are presented almost as caricatures; so heroic, so lonesome. When they find that they are both not the sons of their illustrious fathers is the message that heroes are made not born? Or those legends are made from the flimsiest of materials? Frankly, I was too busy with my plot scorecards and family tree to think too deeply about this.
Time travel stories involving incest (technical, if not actual), closed repeating loops in time and the prospect of never-ending reincarnation in various gardens of delight I find hard to swallow. The narrator, a character we want to learn more about, but never do, is the one who never enters this relativistic maelstrom.
Selden Edwards has spent a lifetime writing this book and from his included notes looks like he may never write another. I am unsure whether this warms me or not. On balance, this is a good first novel, although in need of editing (repeated descriptions of events and characters, mainly. Oh, and thanks for telling me Mick Jagger is the lead singer with a rock group called The Rolling Stones).
If you believe America won the Second World War single-handed, this book is for you. Even if you don’t, it is an interesting and complexly plotted read.
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LibraryThing member tiffwick
Who would think that time travel, pre-Nazi occupation Vienna and the arts would come together in one novel to create such a captivating and mind boggling story? I remained puzzling to the end... is it time travel or something else? Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member freddlerabbit
I liked this book somewhat in spite of myself - the main character is a character thoroughly convinced of his own rightness, who never engages in introspection or suffers doubt about his ability to do something the way he wants - and that kind of character always drives me crazy. So I kept wanting
But I just couldn't. Edwards' clever plot was engaging and surprising - even for someone who's read a bunch of time travel stories. And the prose, though it reflected some of the protagonist's character, could be unexpectedly charming. It's an engaging read, and a clever story - you won't be sorry you picked it up.
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to be able to roll my eyes and say, "ugh."But I just couldn't. Edwards' clever plot was engaging and surprising - even for someone who's read a bunch of time travel stories. And the prose, though it reflected some of the protagonist's character, could be unexpectedly charming. It's an engaging read, and a clever story - you won't be sorry you picked it up.
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LibraryThing member SignoraEdie
I loved this book! The story plot continued to delight me and hold me captive...even when I had some premonition about what might happen. I also enjoyed reading about the culture and times of Vienna at the end of the 19th century. It is written that this book is the author's life work...he can be
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proud! Show Less
LibraryThing member Oregonreader
This novel, involving time travel by three generations of the Burden family, begins in 1898 Vienna, then touches on every major event of the first half of the 20th Century. The story is told by the mother of Wheeler Burden. He is a bit of a cardboard character, as are the others: scholar,
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incredible athlete, rock star, a perfect character following in the footsteps of his perfect father, who was also a war hero who died at the hands of the Gestapo. Wheeler leaves 1969 San Francisco and suddenly finds himself in 1898 Vienna. The concept, that the Burden family affected almost every historical event of the time, is interesting but at times a bit strained. I found it hard to follow the debates between Wheeler and Freud. I don't want to be a spoiler but Wheeler Burden's love affair was very disturbing, even creepy. But in spite of all that, I really enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down. The author's description of fin de siecle Vienna is fascinating. The plot is very clever and I thought he dealt with the details of time travel, how it can affect the past and the future, very well. Show Less
LibraryThing member markflanagan
I'm not sure I even have it in me to review this one. It seemed promising at first, but perhaps that was partially wrapped up in Pam's recommendation - she loved it. Me, not so much.
LibraryThing member craso
Wheeler Burden is an eccentric individual from a long line of exceptional ancestors. His grandfather was an athlete in the first modern olympic games, his father was an athlete and war hero and his mother and grandmother were strong willed women. Wheeler is a chip of the old block, he is a hero on
This novel was written as an historical fiction about a modern man traveling through time to 1897 Vienna, but the time travel aspect lends the novel a spiritual element. All of our lives are inter-connected and we meet one another many times.
I enjoyed reading this novel. I learned a lot about Vienna and how the political and social conditions influences europe during World War I and II. The only problem I had with the story was the excessive use of foreshadowing. I always saw the twists and turns coming from a mile away.
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the pitching mound, a rock idol in concert halls and the editor of an influential book. He also time travels to Vienna and meets all the artists and great thinkers in the city at that time. The most important person Wheeler meets is the beautiful Emily James, the love of his life. He tells himself that he can not interact to much with these people, especially Sigmund Freud, but he can't help himself.This novel was written as an historical fiction about a modern man traveling through time to 1897 Vienna, but the time travel aspect lends the novel a spiritual element. All of our lives are inter-connected and we meet one another many times.
I enjoyed reading this novel. I learned a lot about Vienna and how the political and social conditions influences europe during World War I and II. The only problem I had with the story was the excessive use of foreshadowing. I always saw the twists and turns coming from a mile away.
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LibraryThing member pescatello
The beginning of this book is amazing. Learning about Wheeler and Dilly is just great storytelling. However, half way through the book starts to get a bit out there and, some might say, ridiculous. It never gets off the rails but it wobbles. The first part i give a 5 out of 5 and the second half a
It is a good book about time travel and Vienna and the turn of the century. I really enjoyed almost all of the book and would recommend it to others.
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3 out of 5. It is a good book about time travel and Vienna and the turn of the century. I really enjoyed almost all of the book and would recommend it to others.
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LibraryThing member casanders2015
The Little Book is a popular recommendation for Jack Finney's classic "Time and Again", however, this novel falls short in its strength of characters and cohesive plot. The protagonist of the story is Wheeler Burton, a talented young man from the 1980's who awakens in Vienne of the late 1800s. The
Loose ends of various characters together with revelations of shallow developed subplots keep this story from being the great one it could have been!
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author, Selden Edwards, wrote this book over the course of 34 years. He states in the Author's note "...as I expanded, refined, and embellished the story, finishing a draft every five years or so, real historical events began weaving their way into the plot I was inventing as I went." This must be why the central storyline is disjointed and does not flow well. New information seems to suddenly pop up and then taper off, such as the search for the 8-year old Adolf Hitler. With great historical figures such as Hitler, Gustav Mahler, and Sigmond Freud in one story, the reader EXPECTS more but the author never accomplishes greatness.Loose ends of various characters together with revelations of shallow developed subplots keep this story from being the great one it could have been!
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LibraryThing member szferris
ok....so...there were a few nice twists and turns....nothing shocking.....BUT.....what a great movie it would make.....probably something along the lines of a two night mini-series....but something you would have a lot of fun with.....for sure.....
LibraryThing member njmom3
I am giving up on this book after about 100 pages. Even 100 pages in, I am still trying to figure out who is who. Main new characters are still being introduced. The primary character is referred to by multiple names (a given name, full family name, nickname) making it more confusing. The writing
I picked up this book based on a recommendation and because the "blurb" was interesting. Perhaps, it still might have been if I had kept going. I don't like to give up on a book, but when I find myself not reading for a few days, it's an indication that the book is not for me. So, unfortunately an abandoned book.
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is also very verbose and unnecessarily ornate. Here is a one sentence example..."Vienna was, and had long been, as the Haze described it, a community of contrasts in which the privations and squalor of the proletarian mass contradicted the splendors of an affluent minority."I picked up this book based on a recommendation and because the "blurb" was interesting. Perhaps, it still might have been if I had kept going. I don't like to give up on a book, but when I find myself not reading for a few days, it's an indication that the book is not for me. So, unfortunately an abandoned book.
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LibraryThing member bookheaven
This is an intricately plotted time travel book that is complex and satisfying. The author obviously put a lot of research into it since it took him 30 years to write the book. I enjoyed the real life people woven into the story, including Sigmund Freud, Mahler, Winston Churchill and Samuel
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Clemens. A must read for time travel enthusiasts. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tanya-dogearedcopy
The Little Book
by Selden Edwards
Published 08/14/2008 by Dutton/Penguin Group (USA)
WHO: Frank Standish Burden, III a.k.a. “Wheeler” Burden a.k.a. Harry Truman: Student at St. Gregory’s prep school, Harvard drop-out, Noted athlete, rock star, author/editor…
WHAT: Finds himself having traveled
WHERE: From an entryway at an apartment building in San Francisco to the Ringstrasse in Vienna where he meets luminaries of Fin de Siecle thought and practice as well as certain ancestors…
WHEN: From 1988 to 1897…
WHY: “We’ve had a chance to see what each of us is like”… "We… thought we could change the world around us"… "We thought we were omnipotent."
HOW: Speculatively, the shift in time/space was a matter of strong self-will; perhaps one of pre-determination; perhaps no more than a sub-conscious impulse made manifest as a coping mechanism or to make sense of things.
+ Tightly constructed novel on both a basic narrative level and on an allegorical level: The story is well crafted to tether moments, relationships and things from the past with those in the future; The psychological allegory along Freudian lines is masterful.
+ Descriptive passages are rich with detail that tantalize the reader into wishing s/he were there (interesting sort of uber meta experience in itself)
- Impossible to describe and do the novel justice
OTHER: Purchased hardback edition from Elliot Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA. I receive no monies, goods or services in exchange for reviewing the product and/or mentioning any of the persons or companies that are or may be implied in this post.
by Selden Edwards
Published 08/14/2008 by Dutton/Penguin Group (USA)
WHO: Frank Standish Burden, III a.k.a. “Wheeler” Burden a.k.a. Harry Truman: Student at St. Gregory’s prep school, Harvard drop-out, Noted athlete, rock star, author/editor…
WHAT: Finds himself having traveled
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back in time…WHERE: From an entryway at an apartment building in San Francisco to the Ringstrasse in Vienna where he meets luminaries of Fin de Siecle thought and practice as well as certain ancestors…
WHEN: From 1988 to 1897…
WHY: “We’ve had a chance to see what each of us is like”… "We… thought we could change the world around us"… "We thought we were omnipotent."
HOW: Speculatively, the shift in time/space was a matter of strong self-will; perhaps one of pre-determination; perhaps no more than a sub-conscious impulse made manifest as a coping mechanism or to make sense of things.
+ Tightly constructed novel on both a basic narrative level and on an allegorical level: The story is well crafted to tether moments, relationships and things from the past with those in the future; The psychological allegory along Freudian lines is masterful.
+ Descriptive passages are rich with detail that tantalize the reader into wishing s/he were there (interesting sort of uber meta experience in itself)
- Impossible to describe and do the novel justice
OTHER: Purchased hardback edition from Elliot Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA. I receive no monies, goods or services in exchange for reviewing the product and/or mentioning any of the persons or companies that are or may be implied in this post.
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LibraryThing member thetometraveller
Dilly Burden was a legend and a hero. He excelled at his Boston boys' school and at Harvard, was a star baseball player and gave his life in World War II when he was tortured and killed by the Gestapo in France. His only son, Wheeler, has no memory of his Dad but has spent his life living up to the
Where Dilly was an icon, Wheeler is more eccentric. He followed in his father's footsteps to the Boston boys' school and despite guidance from a much beloved teacher, the Haze, (who had also taught his father), he was an average student. He did show talent in baseball but his real love was music. He found great success in his life and was quite a music star in the late 1980s but never stuck to anything, or anyone, for any great length of time. He was always looking for something he couldn't put his finger on.
But that's not where the story begins...
Suddenly one day Wheeler is walking along and begins to realize that he is somewhere he does not recognize. He soon discovers that he is in 1897 Vienna, in his modern clothes and with all of his memories intact. He doesn't know how he got there or how long this visit will last. But as one day stretches to two, he realizes that he is going to need some help. Thanks to the Haze, Wheeler speaks German well and knows a bit about this part of European history. After much consideration he approaches Sigmund Freud, a little known figure at the time, for help. Their discussions and the journal Wheeler starts to keep help him to begin to understand this amazing thing that has happened to him.
During his stay in Vienna, Wheeler discovers his past in a way that is entirely surprising and leaves you hoping that Selden Edwards has somehow really figured out the way the universe works.
There are many well developed characters that appear in the story. The reader gets to know them all and will realize that this book isn't just about Wheeler or even most importantly about Wheeler but about his loved ones and the patterns that life weaves.
This is an absolutely wonderful book. It has layers of meaning and an interconnectedness that make it a breath-taking read. It's a history lesson and a love story, a mystery and a psychology lesson. I can't recommend it highly enough.
The Little Book will be published in August, 2008 by Dutton.
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legend. Where Dilly was an icon, Wheeler is more eccentric. He followed in his father's footsteps to the Boston boys' school and despite guidance from a much beloved teacher, the Haze, (who had also taught his father), he was an average student. He did show talent in baseball but his real love was music. He found great success in his life and was quite a music star in the late 1980s but never stuck to anything, or anyone, for any great length of time. He was always looking for something he couldn't put his finger on.
But that's not where the story begins...
Suddenly one day Wheeler is walking along and begins to realize that he is somewhere he does not recognize. He soon discovers that he is in 1897 Vienna, in his modern clothes and with all of his memories intact. He doesn't know how he got there or how long this visit will last. But as one day stretches to two, he realizes that he is going to need some help. Thanks to the Haze, Wheeler speaks German well and knows a bit about this part of European history. After much consideration he approaches Sigmund Freud, a little known figure at the time, for help. Their discussions and the journal Wheeler starts to keep help him to begin to understand this amazing thing that has happened to him.
During his stay in Vienna, Wheeler discovers his past in a way that is entirely surprising and leaves you hoping that Selden Edwards has somehow really figured out the way the universe works.
There are many well developed characters that appear in the story. The reader gets to know them all and will realize that this book isn't just about Wheeler or even most importantly about Wheeler but about his loved ones and the patterns that life weaves.
This is an absolutely wonderful book. It has layers of meaning and an interconnectedness that make it a breath-taking read. It's a history lesson and a love story, a mystery and a psychology lesson. I can't recommend it highly enough.
The Little Book will be published in August, 2008 by Dutton.
Show Less
ISBN
0525950613 / 9780525950615