Summer Of Love: A Time Travel (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
I loved this book almost all the way through- I've been meaning to read it during a summer for like 2 summers now, and I'm glad I finally did. The prose at the beginning was reminiscent of Tom Wolfe's Electric Kool-aid, and it reminded me of another book, Move Underground, which combined Beatnik prose with H.P. Lovecraft. Summer of Love combined hippie prose with science fiction, but I thought it was better because it didn't rely on demystifying or making protagonists out of historical people. Sure, there was a dig at the Morningstar Ranch, and Janis Joplin and some others made appearances, but I liked how Summer of Love took the reality of the 60's yet still kept some of the heightened sense of nostalgia or optimism or fantasy that era has taken in american folklore. It wasn't cynical, it rang true.But nearing the end of the book I came to realize everyone but the three main characters had been slowly transformed into caricatures and ignorant people. I didn't like that. And while the book had a freewheeling tendency throughout (sometimes confusing, never boring), at the end way too much was explained in rather dull backstories- there was too much world-building of the future, which turns out to be a progressive liberal's wet dream. But it was still shown to have faults, which I liked.Ultimately, the promise of the first half was lost with all the back-story and explanation crap in the second half. Quite a lot could have been cut out of this book, and I sometimes felt myself wishing there wasn't any science fiction aspect to it at all. It took on a smugly superior (and feminist) tone that I found disdainful and preachy. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading it very much, and it has opened my eyes to the sort of books I should try reading again- I love psychedelic and science fiction crap!
The classic time travel to 1967. Summer of Love is up as The Summer of Love Serials in seven affordable installments for all readers worldwide! Start at Summer of Love, Serial 1: Celebration of the Summer Solstice.A Philip K. Dick Award Finalist. A San Francisco Chronicle Recommended Book. Nineteen Five-star Amazon reviews. From the author of The Gilded Age, A Time Travel (a New York Times Notable Book and New York Public Library Recommended Book), The Garden of Abracadabra, Volume 1 of the Abracadabra Series, and Celestial Girl (A Lily Modjeska Mystery) Books 1—4.On US Kindle http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AA85YN0On Canada Kindle http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00AA85YN0On UK Kindle http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AA85YN0On Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summe...On all other readers http://smashwords.com/b/327561
What do You think about Summer Of Love: A Time Travel (2013)?
This is one of my favorite books, a "comfort-food" read. I first read it probably 10 years ago, and re-read it often. It's one of my default books, for when I really need to read something but don't want to start anything brand new and want something soothing and familiar. I love the way Lisa Mason wrote this book; her writing style, her choice of tense and words. Everthing about this book works for me; the concept, the story, the characters. And every time I read it, I come away with something new.
—Rachael
“Captures the moment perfectly and offers a tantalizing glimpse of its wonderful and terrible consequences.” San Francisco Chronicle“A fine novel packed with vivid detail, colorful characters, and genuine insight.” Washington Post Book World “Remarkable. . . .the intellect on display within these psychedelically packaged pages is clear-sighted, witty, and wise.” Locus“Mason has an astonishing gift. Her chief characters almost walk off the page. And the story is as significant as anyone could wish. This book will surely be on the prize ballots.” Analog“A priority purchase.” Library Journal"Brilliantly crafted. . . .An engrossing tale spun round a very clever concept." Katharine KerrA dazzling wild ride into a time when nothing was impossible.
—Lisa Mason
