Matheson's classic novel tells the moving, romantic story of a modern man whose love for a woman he has never met draws him back in time to a luxury hotel in San Diego in 1896, where he finds his soul mate in the form of a celebrated actress of the previous century. Somewhere in Time won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1979 movie version, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, remains a cult classic.
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I'm a little late posting my write up for this book. I picked it up this past November as a nod to my mom's birthday month. I don't think she's ever read this one, but the movie adaptation is one of her all time favorite films. Plus, I am slowly working my way through all of Matheson's books so I can eventually read the compilation book He Is Legend, honoring Matheson's writing style. This is book 2 down for me, the first one being What Dreams May Come.
In 1971, Richard Collier, after getting the news that he is dying, decides to spend the remaining months of his life embarking on a roadtrip. A coin flip (as to what direction to start) has him beginning his journey by heading to San Diego, California (my hometown!). Once arriving in San Diego, he gets a little turned around in the city, ends up at Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island. As a born and raised San Diegan, I can tell you that's kind of a feat because in order to even get onto Coronado Island, you have to drive into the city of San Diego and then over the big ass Coronado Bridge that connects the little island to the rest of the city, so it's not exactly like one of those casual "oops I took a left instead of a right" kind of moments but anyway...
Coronado Bridge that connects Coronado Island to the city of San Diego... this thing is loooong.
Hotel Del Coronado (built in 1887)
Richard decides to stay a few days at the historic hotel, take in the sights & history. While touring the exhibit of the hotel's history in the basement, he comes across a photo of late 1800s actress Elise McKenna, who did a play performance in the hotel's theater area in 1896. Richard instantly falls in love with her photo, and believes that means he's in love with the woman herself, though he realizes they have a century or so between them. Not to be romantically thwarted though, timelines be damned, he gathers up anything and everything biographical he can find on Elise at the local library, pouring over the few details recorded about her. He then concocts the plan to clear his mind to such a deep state that he could actually time travel back to Elise's time to be with her. Richard tries everything -- eats her favorite foods, listens to her favorite composer, rents a period-appropriate suit, clears the room of anything not of 1896. And after a few stumbles, he finds success! He makes it to 1896 but soon realizes it won't be so simple as to just find Elise and be with her. It dawns on him that his speech patterns are different, the pace of life, even the way he carries himself when he walks -- it's all a potential giveaway that he's not of the time. Because of this, he gets himself into some social scrapes and faux pas trying to get close to Elise once he finds her.
I was all excited for this story in the beginning. I mean.. time travel, set in my hometown, historical fiction... it has all the things that make my bookish side giddy! And while I did enjoy this story, alas, I did not love it as much as What Dreams May Come. This was a case of me expecting there to be just a little bit more to the whole thing. I actually wasn't a big fan of Richard. I admired his tenacity, bending science to get to his love, but the thing was... Richard struck me as a bit of a whackadoodle. He was just so creepily clingy with Elise. Rather than being chill about things, easing into an acquaintance that wouldn't freak her out, nope he just bulldozes into hunting her down, and then once he finds her he whines and nearly cries whenever she tries to have a moment to herself. Red flag, girl! But he somehow manages to wear Elise down enough to where she believes she loves him too, though for a large part of the story she's pretty vocal about the fact that his behavior disturbs her. I just didn't buy them as the kind of couple whose love would know no time boundaries. Nope, Richard was just flashing stalker vibe to me. I, as the reader, was not sufficiently wooed.
I did like Elise though, even if I didn't understand her 180 degree change of heart the way it went down. I liked her strong nature, her being able to be a young, single actress not afraid to speak her mind. She doesn't seem to fear telling people off when the need arises. Rare for the 1890s!
For only being just over 300 pages long, the pace of the plot had a fair bit of drag in it, in my opinion. There were times I was really curious about the things going on and other times where I was dragging myself through to get to the next chapter. Even with the draggy bits though, it's always fun to read a story that takes place in areas I grew up in -- being able to picture those locations perfectly in my mind.
Glad I read it, but I don't see this being a favorite of Matheson reads. I think, in this case, I prefer the movie adaptation.
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