Would the real Tom Hazard please step forward ... he may currently be a 41-year-old history teacher in North London, but what about his stints in Tudor England, 1920s Paris, and 18th century Tahiti? Tom is not a time traveller, just very long-lived. Ageing a year for every fifteen chronological years means that yes, he has rubbed shoulders with Will Shakespeare, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and even Captain Cook. But it's not all fun and games and the one thing he cannot risk is falling in love, or falling out with the Albatross Society, a clandestine organisation supposedly there to support people like Tom, that is, if they conform.
Lively and highly imaginative, Tom's predicament offers the reader an entertaining tale and a unique reflection on the meaning of life.
CHCH 553
07-02-2024
Enjoyed by all - a good interesting read and lots of points for conversation.
NEWP 012
10-05-2023
Loved it!
CHCH 432
20-08-2022
We really enjoyed it, especially the comparisons with current day versus history.
DUNED 044
04-05-2022
Varying responses. We felt that the book "finished in a hurry".
CHCH 481
02-03-2022
Universally enjoyed. Fascinating glimpses of other times. Easy to read and incredibly well-written.
MATUA 001
17-11-2021
What a lovely gem of a book. Thoroughly enjoyed by all.
NIGHT 001
19-05-2021
Really enjoyed by everyone. Particularly enjoyed the cameo appearances by Shakespeare and Fitzgerald, and imagining these literary heroes as normal men! Felt the ending/conclusion was rushed.
FEILD 005
03-05-2021
Tonight we had our longest discussion about a book we have ever had. Everyone, except one member, really enjoyed it. Well-written and thought provoking.
FEILD 005
20-04-2021
Tonight we had our longest discussion ever about our book. Everyone, except one member, really enjoyed it. It was well written and thought provoking.
STRAT 001
31-03-2021
Very intriguing plot, and we had a great discussion. Very comprehensive set of questions. Looking forward to more of this author.
PUKEKO 001
08-03-2021
Some of us thought the book was well-written and compelling. We enjoyed the historical encounters. Others found it somewhat depressing, and more serious than expected from the comments on the cover.
WHANG 022
16-12-2020
2 of us skim read this book. All agreed it was a novel idea and most liked it, but some found it repetitive and slow.
TAKA 001
17-09-2020
Very enjoyable writing style and descriptions of the periods very engaging, so you could feel yourself in it. The end felt a bit 'twee' as if he didn't know how to end it.
WELL 219
17-09-2020
Thought provoking; a clever concept; refreshingly different.
DUNED 090
23-10-2019
There was animated discussion of the book with some liking the book a great deal, and others finding it implausible. One insight was that Tom was a coward by "choosing to live, only if it didn't hurt". How we relate to nature led to great discussion, questioning what is meant by nature. An important comment was that Alzheimer's sufferers are interesting in that they live in the moment, and that those of us spending time with them have to do that, which can be a good thing...
HAVE 012
18-10-2019
Everyone enjoyed the book more than they expected. Well-written - flowed well. Raised some important concepts ie. longevity, living in the present,rather than worrying a lot about the future and past. We'd be keen to read more of Matt Haig's books.
