The Outcasts of Time

"In this new century, people are all divided and unsatisfied, hoping that God will smile on them personally." If you had only days to live and the choice between spending them with your loved ones and subsequently condemn them or leave the world as you know it behind to travel to the future, what would you do? John and William decide to spend the remainder of their days exploring the future, but find it hard to cope with the constant changes of fashion, architecture and the way of speaking. Of course, technological innovations also make for quite a culture shock. The only constant through the ages seems to be war. When I picked up "The Outcasts of Time" I expected it to be more fast-paced than it turned out to be. Plot-wise, there isn't happening a lot regarding the two main characters. They almost exlusively serve as observers through whose eyes the reader is able to explore the centuries they end up travelling to. Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting concept and every history buff will greatly appreciate this novel. It's just not what I was expecting or hoping for. I do appreciate the effort Mortimer put into his research, though, and also highly enjoyed the social commentary. I recommend this to fans of historical fiction, especially those who are interested in the history of England.