He meets an Oxford undergrad, Terence, and takes a idyllic boat ride down the Thames with him, only to discover Terence is intent on meeting a new infatuation, Lady Schrapnell's great(s)-grandmother, Tossie. Ned is sent to 1888 with the dual purpose of recovering in the pastoral Victorian English countryside and returning an object to 1888 restore an incongruity and preserve the historical timeline. The story is told by temporal historian Ned Henry, who has most recently been in 1940, looking through the burned ruins of the Cathedral for the 'bishop's bird stump,' a hideous paragon to the lack of Victorian taste ( 'It did, however, have twining ivy and a bas-relief of either Noah's ark or the battle of Jericho.') His partner pulls him back to normal time when it is discovered he's suffering from time lag, evidenced by 'one of the first symptoms of time-lag is a tendency to maudlin sentimentality, like an Irishman in his cups or a Victorian poet cold-sober.' His interview in the Infirmary always makes me laugh ( 'Infirmary nurses usually resemble something out of the Spanish Inquisition, but this one had an almost kindly face, the sort an assistant torturer. In her zeal, she's determined to make every detail perfect ( 'God is in the details') and has enlisted the Temporal Physics department of the University to make it happen. The almost-impossible summary: in the year 2057, Lady Schrapnell (is there a more perfectly named character?) has come to England, determined to rebuild Coventry Cathedral, where her exponentially-great grandmother experienced a life-changing event. And, to be completely honest, like a symphony, one needs to be in the mood and willing to pay attention, otherwise it just becomes so much soporific background noise. There are serious undertones, and a sense of urgency the characters need to achieve their personal mission, but are also extremely concerned about their detrimental impact on history.

Particular favorites include Ned's bemusement at hearing anarchoristic words ( 'poppycock' and 'drat'), unfortunate couples that end in disaster, Ned's inability to read a Roman numeral pocket watch ( 'I dozed off again at half past V') and the fickleness of cats. Like a flute soaring above the rest of the orchestra, there are playful little giggles throughout, largely due to reoccurring motifs. Then there's the writing: amazingly developed and interwoven, it takes a number of disparate themes and juxtaposes them.

In many books, there might be a chapter that stands out, whether due to brilliance or failure this is largely a harmonious, excellently written whole, with only one or two incongruous passages near the end. Like a symphony, To Say Nothing is a wonderful composite that is almost impossible to deconstruct. Then there's the writing: amazingly developed and interwoven, it takes a number of disparate themes and juxtaposes If ever there was a symphony as book (Beethoven's 8th?), it would be this one. If ever there was a symphony as book (Beethoven's 8th?), it would be this one. But complexities like recalcitrant rowboats, missing cats, and love at first sight make Ned's holiday anything but restful - to say nothing of the way hideous pieces of Victorian art can jeopardize the entire course of history.more When too many jumps back to 1940 leave 21st century Oxford history student Ned Henry exhausted, a relaxing trip to Victorian England seems the perfect solution. In this Hugo-winning companion to that novel, she offers a completely different kind of time travel adventure: a delightful romantic comedy that pays hilarious homage to Jerome K. When too many jumps back to 1940 Connie Willis' Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Doomsday Book uses time travel for a serious look at how people connect with each other. Connie Willis' Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Doomsday Book uses time travel for a serious look at how people connect with each other.

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