Time and Again

Time and Again chronicles the story of Si Morley, a 1970s advertising artist recruited for a classified government time travel experiment. The project aims to transport people to the past through self-hypnosis, with New York City serving as the focal point of these temporal journeys. The narrative centers on Si's mission to travel back to 1882 New York to investigate a mysterious letter connected to his girlfriend Kate's past. The letter, addressed to Andrew Carmody, contains an enigmatic partially-burned note suggesting a connection to a devastating fire. Through detailed period illustrations and photographs, the book creates an immersive experience of both 1970s and 1880s New York City. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a meticulously reconstructed Victorian-era Manhattan, complete with horse-drawn carriages, gaslit streets, and the early construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. The novel explores themes of time, memory, and the ways in which the past continues to influence the present, while questioning whether changing historical events would lead to better outcomes.

Readers call this a nostalgic love letter to 1880s New York City, with detailed descriptions that transport them into that era. Many appreciate the historical photographs and illustrations integrated throughout the text. Readers liked: - The meticulous recreation of old New York - The blend of romance, mystery, and time travel - The scientific approach to time travel - The immersive writing style Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the first third - Too much architectural detail - Passive main character - Anticlimactic ending Reader quotes: "Like taking a time machine vacation to old Manhattan" - Goodreads "The descriptions go on forever when you just want the plot to move" - Amazon Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (41,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (2,800+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.1/5 (2,300+ ratings) The book has developed a dedicated following among NYC history buffs and time travel fiction fans.

11/22/63 by Stephen King A man travels through a time portal to prevent JFK's assassination while grappling with the consequences of changing historical events.

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland A linguist joins a government organization that merges magic and technology to enable time travel missions throughout history.

Replay by Ken Grimwood A man who dies in 1988 keeps returning to his younger self in 1963 to live his life over, making different choices each time.

The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser A woman switches bodies with her grandmother through an antique mirror, forcing her to live in 1900s Colorado while learning her family's secrets.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis A time-traveling historian visits Victorian England on an assignment to preserve the timeline while searching for a missing artifact.

🕰️ The novel was published in 1970 but has never gone out of print, attesting to its enduring popularity and influence on the time travel genre. 📸 Jack Finney conducted extensive research at the New York Historical Society to source authentic period photographs that were incorporated into the book. 🏛️ The Dakota Building, where the protagonist lives in the story, is a real Manhattan landmark built in 1884 and was famously home to John Lennon. ✍️ Stephen King cited "Time and Again" as "THE great time-travel story" and named it as one of his favorite books in his memoir "On Writing." 🎬 Robert Redford attempted to adapt the novel into a film multiple times since the 1970s, but the project never materialized despite his longtime passion for the story.