How to Stop Time: Matt Haig

I've previously read a few books by this author - love some of them and really like the others. This one had passed by me though and I picked it up now having recently read The Midnight Library (not my favourite but loved the premise). This book was first published in 2017.The book is 325 pages in 5 parts, each containing multiple chapters which jump about in time, always going back from the present day.I've read several books that have time travel at their core and structure/rules are always the key to their success. Matt Haig manages these impossibilities very strongly and I quickly forgot that this was not a reality.On starting the book, I did get the feeling that I had read it before although definitely hadn't which was very strange. I decided that, as I had had a recommendation, the details of the description from my friend had stuck in my head.The structure is really clear and I was swept along with the fantasy, never questioning the many difficult practical details.Extreme longevity is a very clever way to explore loneliness and that is a recurring theme that runs through all of the book. Tom, the main character and narrator, looks into his own soul, considering how to best live his life. The limits on his existence are constraining and he struggles to deal with their effects, meaning he continually analyses his actions in his attempts to "stop time".I was absorbed into Tom's world easily and completely believed the dilemmas that he faced, understanding how he tried to solve them.Various periods in past are visited and they are addressed in a way that is very natural. The detail is subtle with the descriptions never threatening to take away focus from the characters and the plot.Whilst the narrative jumps around in time frequently, we are always in Tom's head and the book is written in such a smooth style that is never jarring.Amongst all the life lessons that Tom considers there is plenty to be considered by those reading the book as well.This book is entertaining, emotional and thought provoking. I felt that I had learnt a lot about Tom by the end and thoroughly enjoyed sharing his journey of realisation.

This is my second book by Matt Haig, after The Midnight Library. He has an enjoyable style of storytelling which is quite ambitious in its scope. The chapters are short and travel back and forward in time along with the protagonist of the tale. Haig really paints scenes and settings that happened hundreds of years ago with deft skill. Never has Shakespeare seemed so three dimensional and real to me. The story always felt fresh because there was so much flux, to and fro, between the past and present. If I had a small complaint it's just that the ending felt a little rushed and, hence, unsatisfying. Almost as if the tale just toppled over the edge of a cliff. Could have been five stars bar the way Haig wrapped it up.

Great book, could not stop reading. Fascinating insight of the human mind and the barriers we ourselves are building in our lives

Good book, well pleased.

I generally like history and sci-fi stories, and started this book with enthusiasm, The style writing suited me and the story line is well laid out, though hardly original, 1986's Highlander film probably being the most obvious.Half or even two thirds of the book are taken laying out the context and aspects of the tale, which creates many interesting leads and opportunities for a long and complex story. But it then seems to converge quickly back to a fairly simple issue, which is quickly addressed, giving what I thought a disappointing end. Hope that's a fair representation (should anyone read this :-) ).

A romp across time with literary figures from the past dropped in for good measure. Matt Haig writes fluidly, particularly in the first quarter of the story. As an update or retelling of the story of Count de Saint-Germain its an enjoyable read, but could be so much better if the author had more of a penchant for plotting. Unfortunately once a quarter way through you can tell that unfolding of the story is a voyage of discovery for both you and the author. As a result the twist at the end is rather clumsy in its abruptness. The theme in this story of someone having a longevity mutation is far more convincingly and compellingly handled in CL Hyde's Eyes Shout Secrets.

I'm very late to the Matt Haig party. I've seen bloggers, reviewers and fellow novelists raving about his writing for years, but never got round to reading any - until now.How to Stop Time is quite simply a fabulous read. Tom Hazard is cursed to live his life slowly, aging fifteen times slower than normal people. Born in 1581, but looking like a man in his early forties, we first meet him in the present day on the first day of his new job as a history teacher at a secondary school in London.In the intervening years he has lived many lives, having learnt early on to move on every few years to avoid arousing suspicion. He has met some incredible people, has loved and subsequently lost many years to grief, detached and unwilling to connect, but now he just wants to lead a normal life.Such entrancing storytelling hides its deep roots. The pages keep turning while we learn about Tom's past, snapshots of England's history told from a very personal perspective. But ultimately this book is about what it is to be human, to live a life, albeit from the viewpoint of an unnaturally long one.

One of my favourite books.

Este autor es maravilloso! Le forma de describir diferentes escenarios y momentos, es increíble. Gran historia! Difícil de predecir. Muy recomendable

I've told my daughter, who gifted me this book, that as a tale of time travel it's pretty good – almost excellent actually – although I still have Shwab’s “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ahead on points.But onward: Tom Hazard serves as principal narrator of his story, from birth in late-16th Century France to discovering he has a “condition” that dramatically (okay, very dramatically) alters the ageing process; to the roller coaster ride that is his existence from then till now. And if you’re maybe thinking that living for several centuries is all fun and giggles, well ….Now I’ve never thought a book review should come across as anything like a book report (you’ll remember those fondly I’m sure from your school years), so I’ll avoid going down that path.It is suffice that you should know his 439 years have been pretty jam-packed with a lot of stuff. There’s a once in a life-time lost love, interactions with some pretty well-known people, a lot of travels (which I’ve kind of already alluded to), all wrapped in a seemingly constant struggle to escape detection while really wishing he could just have an “ordinary” life.They story moves along quite nicely and although I wouldn’t describe as a “couldn’t put it down” type of read, it certainly held my attention. It was with anticipation and enthusiasm that I resumed my reading each time.Oh, in case you’d like to know up front, the secret of how to stop time is: To stop being ruled by it! Pretty simple, eh?I gave it 5-stars so that should be indicative of my recommendation level. I really do think you'll enjoy it!

A page-turner that questions the influence an extraordinarily long-life would have on our perception of time, identity and human connection touching on love, loss and grief. Loved it!

If you have ever been curious about real life decades and centuries ago - but not as an observer but living and experiencing it and relating it to the present - then this is for you.But be careful, this is not a sightseeing tour … and, therefore, worth reading.It‘s just about life!

Es un buen libro, muy bien escrito y como siempre con este autor, te hace reflexionar sobre el ser humano. Al final tiene unas conclusiones muy buenas, pero a mi se me hizo un pelín más largo que otros del autor. Además yo no se mucho de historia y me costaba imaginar algunos escenarios (pero es cosa mía).