Time Present and Time Past

Time Present and Time Past follows Fintan Buckley, a middle-aged legal advisor living in Dublin in 2006, as he becomes fascinated with early color photography. His growing preoccupation with how the past is captured and remembered begins to affect his perception of time and reality. The novel moves between Fintan's internal experiences and the lives of his family members, including his controlled mother Joan, his sister Martina, and his two children. Their interconnected stories play out against the backdrop of Ireland's Celtic Tiger economic boom. The narrative shifts between past and present as Fintan's temporal disturbances increase, mirroring his interest in historical photographs and raising questions about memory, consciousness, and how we experience time. Through its exploration of personal and cultural memory, the book examines the ways people navigate between their past and present selves. The novel contemplates how photography and memory shape our understanding of both history and identity, suggesting that time is neither linear nor simple, but rather a complex interplay between what was, what is, and what might have been.

Readers describe this as a contemplative novel that moves at an unhurried pace. Multiple reviewers note the author's careful attention to small details and moments of daily life in Dublin. Reviewers appreciate: - The exploration of memory and photography themes - Rich descriptions of Dublin settings - Complex family dynamics - Clean, precise prose style Common criticisms: - Plot feels too slight for some readers - Pacing is slow, especially in first half - Some find the photography discussions repetitive Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (411 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (21 ratings) "Like watching paint dry but in the most mesmerizing way," notes one Goodreads reviewer. Another describes it as "subtle and intelligent but lacks emotional punch." The Irish Times praised its "keen observations of domestic life," while several Amazon reviewers mention struggling to stay engaged with the narrative despite admiring the writing quality.

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🕰️ The novel's title comes from T.S. Eliot's poem "Burnt Norton," which explores themes of time and memory similar to those in Madden's book. 📸 The protagonist's fascination with early color photography mirrors the author's own interest in the Autochrome Lumière process, one of the first color photography techniques developed in 1907. 🇮🇪 Deirdre Madden sets the story in 2006 Dublin, during the Celtic Tiger economic boom, a period that would soon be followed by Ireland's devastating financial crisis. 🎭 The author teaches at Trinity College Dublin and has won multiple literary awards, including the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and the Somerset Maugham Award. 🌳 The book's exploration of memory and perception reflects neuroscientific research showing that our brains process "now" with a 15-second delay, meaning we technically live slightly in the past.