Summary by Goodreads:
Tom Hazard has just moved back to London, his old home, to settle down and become a high school history teacher. And on his first day at school, he meets a captivating French teacher at his school who seems fascinated by him. But Tom has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he’s been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history–performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.
Unfortunately for Tom, the Albatross Society, the secretive group which protects people like Tom, has one rule: Never fall in love. As painful memories of his past and the erratic behavior of the Society’s watchful leader threaten to derail his new life and romance, the one thing he can’t have just happens to be the one thing that might save him. Tom will have to decide once and for all whether to remain stuck in the past, or finally begin living in the present.
How to Stop Time tells a love story across the ages–and for the ages–about a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live. It is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
“Love is pain. It’s easier not to.”
My Thoughts:
I have nothing but praise for this extraordinary book. When I read I’m looking for a lesson written between the lines; or something to relate to so I don’t feel so alone; or even a deeper understanding of life. How to Stop Time gave me all three in a quick, fun, captivating 325 pages. This novel is written beautifully without using excessive descriptions or flamboyant word choices. With its eloquent writing you are immediately drawn in no matter your age or reading level and with its unique, engaging story you can’t help but love it no matter which book genre you prefer.
Amidst the beautiful writing we are taken on the journey of a man named Tom who has lived for centuries. He’s met all of the famous people in history we can only read about, such as Shakespeare and Fitzgerald, and has seen and done things in his many lives that has caused him permanent pain. It’s interesting to see how each event in Tom’s history has shaped him into who he is and how he overcomes it. Which is something we all strive to do.
Tom is constantly struggling with his past, so much so that he forgets to live in the present and feel excited for the future. This is something I too struggle with. Granted I haven’t lived for centuries, but I find myself letting the past affect me far too much while allowing the beauty of the current moment to pass me by. Reading this novel has really opened my eyes to the beauty of the world around me and the present time: the Now.
“There comes a moment in every life when we realize there is no land beyond the ice. There is just more ice…. The time ahead of you is like the land beyond the ice. You can guess what it could be like but you can never know. All you now is the moment you are in.”
I could go on for hours with quotes from this beautiful book. Quotes on the beauty of history and how history is alive, history is everywhere. Quotes on being faithful to our memories, not letting our sorrows drag us down, how you can’t choose much in life but you can choose your own decisions, and so on.
Through Tom we get to dive into the past and also learn how to heal. We also get to see romantic relationships evolve, but it isn’t in the form of a romance novel. This novel takes every aspect of a person’s life and shows the impact each experience has. The romantic storyline is beautiful, but it shows more than just romance; it shoes the beauty of each memory made.
Matt Haig doesn’t teach us how to stop time, but how life’s precious moments are what defines time. He shows us how to not get so caught up in our past or the daunting future, but to live in our precious moment, to love, and to breathe.
“That’s the thing with time, isn’t it? It’s not all the same. Some days – some years – some decades – are empty. There is nothing to them…. And then you come across a year, or even a day, or an afternoon. And it is everything. It’s the whole thing.”
I recommend this book too…
…everybody. I wish everybody could read this book. This book felt more like a self-help book, a book that helps you peer into the world and how to create your happiness by looking at Tom’s life. This book would be a great gift for anybody above the age of 18, male or female, and I definitely recommend for you to read it yourself, in a book club, or, as I did, in the bath with a glass of Chardonnay.
Comfort Guide:
Multiple swear words used. ‘F’ word more than 10 times. Two uses of the ‘C’ word. No sexual content. Very little violence with little to no explicit details.
Info:
Author – Matt Haig
Published – 2017
Page Count – 325