A fun but disposable time-travel adventure from an author whose pen has been better deployed elsewhere. Richard Matheson has delivered thought-provoking modern fables in I Am Legend and in episodes of The Twilight Zone, but Somewhere in Time is rather frivolous.

Originally published as Bid Time Return, the novel tells the story of a modern man (or 1971 – around the time Matheson wrote the book) who becomes infatuated with a photograph of a beautiful actress from the 1890s, to such an extent that he decides to travel back in time to be with her. The book is more romantic fantasy than science-fiction: the method of time-travel is not a machine or a rift in spacetime but the rather flimsy concept of self-hypnosis. When the protagonist, Richard Collier, actually achieves this, there begins a sickly sentimental romance between him and the actress, Elise McKenna. It's romantic in a Mills-and-Boon-ish sort of way, with all the obvious limitations that implies.

It's a decent concept (star-crossed lovers; even time can't keep them apart) but the execution is cloying and overblown. The characters begin to test our patience and the prose style is like wading through mush: every thought, act and setting is explained in detail, forcing the reader to scan and self-edit to avoid becoming drained. It is in these flaws that the film adaptation from 1980 proves itself superior. Christopher Reeve gives a clean and innocent charm to Richard where the book version is needy and borderline-creepy, and Jane Seymour gives a vivacity to Elise, who in the book is a perfect doll, the female wish-fulfilment of Richard (Collier or Matheson?) The film also recognises it's a piece of light entertainment, and can be considered a hidden gem, whereas the book is overburdened by the needless prose weight and romantic syrup that Matheson ladles on top. The story is one to enjoy, but – on this occasion – not in book but film. ( )

The book starts out rather rough and the time-travel aspect is half-laughable and absolutely necessary for the ambiguity inherent in the novel, but DAMN...

THIS IS ONE HELL OF HEA ROMANCE.

Love and first sight, straining against social customs, heaving bosoms, torn hearts....

Sigh.

I admit I kinda fell for this. I'm not a huge romance reader, but it was soooooo damn sweet and predictable and full of satisfaction.

But I also really appreciated the twist. :) I should probably re-watch the 1980 movie and see if it really does the book justice. ( )

Uuuuugh, another book with SO much boring blah blah blah in the middle of it I could barely get through it....! *sigh* Matheson, what is you doin....?
NO WHERE near as good as the movie, and somewhat changed from it as well, which I didn’t enjoy this time. And I’d never understood one point the movie made: WHY didn’t the author try and go back? Why did he just give up? At least in the movie, the same character tried desperately to do so, which may have messed things up for him.
Anyway, I’m tired of being disappointed and bored by Matheson, so idk if I will continue to read his novels in the future. We will see.
This review is another fantastic take on how this novel made me feel:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2192006387

2.5 stars, and not recommended at all. Go see the movie. At least it has Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour in it...... ( )

Not for me. Wanted to like it. Couldn't, with the time travel boner and general creepiness ( )

There are few times when I find a movie better than a book....but this is one of them. I have vivid memories of watching this movie with my sister and mom when I was a kid and LOVING it - but as I listened to the audio version of the book I was underwhelmed at best. I enjoyed the way it was written as far as the documentation of the journey so-to-speak but more often than not, Richard was just horribly whiny. The book, obviously, gave more depth and detail than the movie and the basis of the story is still incredibly romantic but for me, I'd rather keep the image of Christopher Reeve in my mind as Richard and not the image that the audio recording rendered! ( )