Books › To Say Nothing of the Dog
Hugo Award for Best Novel 1999
To Say Nothing of the Dog
First published 2003 · 851 pages
A frantic, time-traveling comedy of manners where saving the space-time continuum takes a backseat to boating down the Thames and finding a hideous Victorian vase.
What it feels like
A delightful, chaotic romp through time that feels like a classic British comedy of manners wrapped in a sci-fi mystery. The narrative moves at a brisk, farcical pace, driven by a protagonist suffering from severe time-lag and a desperate need for a nap. You are plunged into a sun-dappled, whimsical Victorian England filled with boating trips, seances, and absurdly complicated social rules. The prose is sharp, witty, and endlessly affectionate toward its literary inspirations, packed with rapid-fire dialogue and hilarious misunderstandings. It is a cozy yet frantic experience, perfect for readers who love the absurdity of P.G. Wodehouse mixed with temporal shenanigans, culminating in a deeply satisfying, romantic, and triumphant conclusion.
- Mood
- cozy
- chaotic
- sun-dappled
- nostalgic
- Tone
- wry
- farcical
- affectionate
- frantic
- witty
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the butterfly effect · absurdity of history · romantic serendipity · restorative power of leisure
- The writing
- Witty, dialogue-heavy, and packed with historical pastiche and literary allusions.
- The arc
- From exhausted, time-lagged confusion to delightful romantic clarity and triumphant resolution.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love British comedy of manners, time-travel shenanigans, and cozy historical mysteries with a dash of romance.
Content notes
- mild peril
- WWII bombing references
About the book
Connie Willis' entertaining comedy inspired by Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog).
Robert A. Heinlein mentioned the earlier work in Have Spacesuit will Travel as Kip's father's favorite.
Description from Open Library.
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