Worth Returning To Again and Again

Bid Time Return (the original title of this book) has been one of my favorite books for over 3 decades. I first read it when it was published in 1975 and I've read it many times since. In fact, I own 3 tattered paperback copies and treasure them all. Apparently after the lovely Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour movie, Somewhere In Time, was released it was decided to change the book title to match the movie for future editions. That's okay. If familiarity with the movie title will get more people to read this very moving, gentle story, it gets my vote.

It is the story of a young man, terminally ill, who takes one last road-trip. He has no real destination in mind. He's just driving. On a whim, he stops at the Hotel Del Coronado for the night. While there he explores the hotel. In 'The Hall of History," he falls in love/becomes obssessed with the photographic portrait of an actress, Elise McKenna, from the late 19th century...and there the tale truly begins.

I am always hesitant to listen to a book I already love in the print edition. Seldom do they meet my expectations of how the voices should sound or words be delivered. However, Scott Brick gets 5 stars all his own for his narration. Somewhere in Time is a first-person story. It is utterly dependent on the reader/listener believing the narrator *is* the speaker. Don't believe the narrator, the story, no matter how well written, will fail. So you can only imagine how stunned I was when I started listening and realized I was actually hearing Richard Collier's voice the way I had imagined it for over 30 years. It took my breath away. Mr. Brick isn't narrating the book, he *is* Richard Collier.

I know that I will listen to this book again and again, once I stop crying over the ending. According to Scott Brick, he had to re-record the last 3 pages because he was crying, too. What more can you ask of a beautiful, romantic story than to be carried away by the emotions it invokes.

58 people found this helpful

Timeless and Amazing

This has to be the most beautiful story I have ever read. I enjoyed every moment of it.

8 people found this helpful

Will not disappoint.

If you are looking for a book about time travel you must listen to this book. It is in my opinion one of the best along with Time And Again by Jack Finney. This book has it all, and the narration was outstanding. Scott Brick is one of the best.

6 people found this helpful

Worst narrator EVER!

Would you try another book from Richard Matheson and/or Scott Brick?

Author is fine....loved the movie of this book....Scott Brick kills the audio version of this book....monotone, boring...a good narrator to sleep thru.

Would you be willing to try another one of Scott Brick’s performances?

No more Scott brick books ever. He kills the Harlan Coben books and every other book he narrates. Why is this guy so highly thought of?! He is boring and mononone.

13 people found this helpful

Great story, wrong narrator

This is the first I've heard the story that one of my favorite movies was based on. I LOVE this story but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. The narrator read every sentence as if it was the end of the story- with a question mark at the end. It's rather difficult to explain but it soured my listening.

17 people found this helpful

Possibly Worst Narrator EVER, Bar None

What is this guy going for?

It's terrible.

I keep listening to his overly wrought narrative and can't imagine ANY woman ever being attracted to him, so it makes it hard to believe the female lead character would be. There's no charm, just overwrought histrionics in reading the simplest of sentences.

How does he get work in this field? This book was ruined. I had to stop and get a refund, even thought i was interested in the story.

This is one I will READ rather than listen to, and absolutely no more Scott Brick-narrated books for me.

8 people found this helpful

love in its most awesome form

Even though it is a work of fiction it is told with such dedication that one wishes it were real and that love could transcend time itself.

3 people found this helpful

Scott Brick makes my ears bleed!

Would you try another book from Richard Matheson and/or Scott Brick?

The book was good. The narration was hideous! I don't tend to care overmuch for Scott Brick but this was just syrupy misery.

Would you be willing to try another one of Scott Brick’s performances?

Sometimes I force myself to if. I really want the book.

11 people found this helpful

Another great one from Richard Matheson

I've never seen the movie that was spawned from this novel, but I remember my mother enjoying it when I was a child. I've always been a fan of Matheson's sci-fi and horror work, and given my mother's love of the film's version of this story decided to give this a try. I'm so glad that I did. Its not a page turner, its more of a slow boil that heats up gradually, and is a wonderful story of love at first sight. I'd recommend this for someone looking for a slow romance from the man's point of view, which is drastically different than the normal female perspective that we usually get in romance novels.

7 people found this helpful

Not a good listen. Shame for a Matheson novel.

Where does Somewhere in Time rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Writing was good. Narration bad. Probably falls in the middle to low. Strange because I've only gotten a couple bad reads.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I looked forward to listening to this novel for quite some time. Somewhere In Time was one of my favorite movies. I even pestered Audible for about a year to get it (under the novel's name of Bid Time Return). Why not, since they already had I am Legend, The Shrinking Man, Hell House, What Dreams May Come, and quite a few others. I had finally given up when I ran the author's name and saw the book listed as Somewhere in Time. I've listened to the whole book. Over all, I'd say I liked it. The only part I objected to was the way it was read. He was good at male and female voices, but the constant tremulous voice of the protagonist was really irritating. It came across as a small, fearful person. And maybe my recollection of Christopher Reeve in the roll made me think that this was not the way it should be. But I also don't think that a person portrayed in that manner could attract a strong, female character like Elise McKenna. I don't think you can talk like that for so many hours in real life. I understand that the protagonist was worried; but not to that degree.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I think they already did that. :)

Any additional comments?

Beyond the problem listed above, the writing was good so it was still a pleasurable listen.

5 people found this helpful