What do you think?
Rate this book
Martin Harbottle's Appreciation of Time
Dan's got a new job. But he's moved out of town in order to start a family and had to start commuting into the city every day, leaving his young wife Beth and newborn daughter at home. After 14 months of the trains either making him late for work or late getting home, he's had enough. Tracking down the email address of the train company’s director, he starts to write him letters. Emails that take as long to write as the delay to his journey has been. If his time's been wasted, why shouldn't he waste the director's? And so begins a hilarious and extraordinary correspondence. When the director begins to write back, Dan finds himself with a dysfunctional father/confessor to talk to — one who he never imagined would care. In truth, he probably doesn't. But Dan finds solace in opening up to a stranger about the dramas of his day job at a scandal-hit newspaper, the challenges of his night job as the father of a baby who isn't sleeping, and about life as it is played out in the confines of Coach C, while world events pass by its odd mix of inhabitants.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2014
8 people are currently reading
841 people want to read
About the author
Dominic Utton
22 books9 followersDominic Utton is a novelist, non-fiction writer and journalist.
His latest novel, Dead End Close, is published by The Odyssey Press on the Kindle Store.
His debut novel, Martin Harbottle’s Appreciation of Time, was published by Oneworld in 2014 and described as “compellingly hilarious” by the Daily Express, “unexpected and amusing… very entertaining” by The Lady, with the Irish Times declaring: “the world’s commuters have finally got their own latter-day Updike”.
He has also written several non-fiction books, including The Real Football Factories, with Danny Dyer (John Blake, 2010) and the children's book How to Go Wild (Scholastic, 2012).
His journalism has appeared in the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the News of the World, the Sun, the Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Q, and many other newspapers and magazines.
He lives in Oxford with his wife and two children and is represented by Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown Literary Agency.
His latest novel, Dead End Close, is published by The Odyssey Press on the Kindle Store.
His debut novel, Martin Harbottle’s Appreciation of Time, was published by Oneworld in 2014 and described as “compellingly hilarious” by the Daily Express, “unexpected and amusing… very entertaining” by The Lady, with the Irish Times declaring: “the world’s commuters have finally got their own latter-day Updike”.
He has also written several non-fiction books, including The Real Football Factories, with Danny Dyer (John Blake, 2010) and the children's book How to Go Wild (Scholastic, 2012).
His journalism has appeared in the Guardian, the Sunday Times, the News of the World, the Sun, the Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Q, and many other newspapers and magazines.
He lives in Oxford with his wife and two children and is represented by Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown Literary Agency.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 27, 2014
Martin Harbottle's Appreciation of Time is a funny and engaging novel, written in epistolary format, consisting of emails between Dan, a frustrated commuter, and Martin Harbottle, Managing Director of Premier Westward Trains.
A tabloid journalist, with a wife and newborn daughter at home, Dan is fed up with the continual delays he experiences during his daily commute between London and Oxford and, after fourteen months, demands a explanation from Premier Westward Trains customer service. When he receives no reply to his repeated queries, Dan tracks down the private email address of Martin Harbottle, Managing Director, and decides he will send the man an email every time he experiences a delay, with the length of the email to be equal to that of the delay he experienced whether it by 5 minutes, 12 minutes, or 17 minutes - the idea being that he would waste the same amount of his time as the train service had wasted his.
At first, Dan's emails to Martin express his frustration at the poor service he endures, but soon Martin becomes Dan's (mostly) silent confessor, as he shares everything from his musings about his fellow commuters - Train Girl, Lego Head and Universal Grandfather, to the distress of his strained marriage, to the looming crisis at his workplace, The Globe, loosely based on the disgraced 'News of The World'.
Martin's replies are often officious and dispassionate, briefly providing Dan with explanations for the delays his experiences, variously vandalism, late employees, or faulty signal boxes. But every now and then he engages with Dan with response to a question or a word of solicited advice.
I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed Martin Harbottle's Appreciation of Time. Dan is eminently likeable, and his emails are full of keen observations, snarky wit and a just enough middle-class/ middle age angst to be both funny and poignant. I expect this novel would capture the imagination of many a commuter, no matter the mode of transport, it did mine.
**Note: For two years journalist Dominic Utton commuted between Oxford and London on First Great Western trains. In late June 2011, after 14 months of paying around £450 a month for utterly appalling service, he decided to speak up. Every time his train was delayed, he wrote to the Managing Director and Director of Communications for FGW trains - and the length of his email reflected the length of that day's delay. He shared these missives on his blog, Letters to First Great Western and they are the inspiration for the novel, Martin Harbottle's Appreciation of Time.
April 30, 2014
My attention was caught by the lovely jacket cover, and the blurb on the back made it sound like a bit of fun. As indicated by the star rating, 'it was OK'. The title is not really adequate as Martin Harbottle is the MD of the train company regularly used by Dan, a journalist for a Sunday tabloid paper, on his daily commute to and from work. Frustrated with the frequent delays on the train, Dan begins a correspondence via email to Martin every time the train runs late. By correspondence I mean Dan rants and raves about the daily grind, problems at home, problems at work and oddly a war in Africa. Martin responds with the reason for his delay, so quite a one sided conversation. There was a lot going on in Dan's life and I might have enjoyed it more if I could've grown to like Dan. Unfortunately I didn't, and to quote from the book itself he's 'a bit of a dick'. It was readable, but if you have other options I'd give it a miss.
June 25, 2025
Loved the concept (looking at you Nederlandse Spoorwegen*).
Main Character is a dick (as the people around him say), would probably like the book more if he wasn't.
*Eigenlijk best tevreden enzo maar soms is het fijn om te zeuren
Main Character is a dick (as the people around him say), would probably like the book more if he wasn't.
*Eigenlijk best tevreden enzo maar soms is het fijn om te zeuren
September 1, 2016
A clever concept that is as wonderfully snarky as it is heartwarming, Martin Harbottle's Appreciation of Time is definitely worth a read. Or perhaps a few perusals. I won this book in a Good Reads contest, and though I loved the cover, I wasn't entirely thrilled about the summary.
However, the book outstripped my hesitations. Our narrator Dan's e-mails are a complete joy to read, he's sarcastic, well-read, and intelligent (Though often much less than he believes). He's a man to both root for, and to shout at in frustration.
The greatest thing in this book, is truly the concept, and how well it's executed. This is an epistolary novel, written completely in corresponding e-mails. Every action that occurs is one that is accounted to the reader in small chunks, the length equivalent to the amount of time that the train Dan is riding on is late. If an author can pull off a half decent book out of that concept, than they're pretty damn good. And this book is more than half decent.
However, the book outstripped my hesitations. Our narrator Dan's e-mails are a complete joy to read, he's sarcastic, well-read, and intelligent (Though often much less than he believes). He's a man to both root for, and to shout at in frustration.
The greatest thing in this book, is truly the concept, and how well it's executed. This is an epistolary novel, written completely in corresponding e-mails. Every action that occurs is one that is accounted to the reader in small chunks, the length equivalent to the amount of time that the train Dan is riding on is late. If an author can pull off a half decent book out of that concept, than they're pretty damn good. And this book is more than half decent.
November 4, 2014
I am drawn to epistolary novels and this tale, narrated via a series of emails between Daniel, a commuter on the Oxford-London trains and the Managing Director of the train company, did not disappoint. I loved this funny, tongue-in-cheek, warm story, liked the glimpse into Dan's struggling marriage, adored his wonderful descriptions of fellow commuters, especially Guilty New Mum and Lego Head( I think we've all met someone like them on our train journeys), and the travails of his job, the gossip and the mayhem. But best of all, I absolutely adored Martin's emails, the way he tried to maintain a professional distance at all times and yet gave advice and praise when Dan needed it. A wonderful, feel-good book.
September 9, 2016
Dan has a new job working for a tabloid newspaper in London. Having moved out of the city when he married his wife Beth, Dan now needs to commute to the city and his new job each day. After fourteen months of facing delays on more trains than he can count, making him late to work often, Dan decides that it’s time to do something about it.
After writing to the customer service department of the company that run his particular train and getting no response, Dan decides to go all the way to the top of the food chain. He tracks down the email of Martin Harbottle, Managing Director of Premier Westward trains and drops him a little line about the lack of punctuality. Dan decides that every time his train is late he’s going to write Martin a letter that will waste the same amount of time in Martin’s day that the late train wasted in his.
Dan finds that he has a lot to say and being able to air his grievances is somewhat therapeutic. He finds himself emailing Martin on all manner of topics, including his job at the tabloid newspaper, which has recently been caught up in allegations and lawsuits over ethics, the war in North Africa and even Dan’s relationship with his fellow commuters, his colleagues and even his wife Beth who is depressed after the birth of their daughter Sylvie. Before he knows it, Dan finds himself spilling his guts to Martin…and soon, Martin begins writing the odd reply back. Theirs becomes a unique correspondence and one Dan comes to rely on as all aspects of his life descend into turmoil.
I’m a sucker for a good epistolary novel. And this is a good epistolary novel.
Dan is funny, sarcastic and observant. I love the way he begins his emails to Martin, noting the time of the train he’s on, where it’s going/the line, how many minutes delayed if any and his “fellow sufferers”, whom he gives clever nicknames. There are the regular morning commuters such as Train Girl (hot), Universal Grandpa, Lego Man, Competitive Tech Heads and Guilty New Mum. Journeys home sometimes include Overenthusiastic Estate Agent or Corporate Dungeon Master. Dan shares his thoughts and guesses about their lives from his brief glimpses of them on the same trains as him – although he does, as time moves forward, begin to develop more than just a passing acquaintance with some of them.
At first I think Dan just rambles, about his job, his life, current affairs etc to fill up the email, which he wants to fill a certain amount of time. If he’s over 15m late, that equals a very long email. However, soon Dan begins to enjoy confiding in Martin, telling him things that he can’t really tell other people – the problems at his work, the problems that begin to develop at home. Martin’s replies start out quite matter of fact, dictating the reason that Dan’s particular train was late (and in fact he keeps that up throughout the book, always giving Dan the reason his train was delayed) but Martin shares tiny snippets of his life and occasionally offers advice to Dan or gives comment on an issue – he seems particularly interested in some of the trashy stories that Dan’s paper covers, even though he assures Dan he’s not a tabloid man, he’s much more of a broadsheet man.
But the book isn’t just about Dan being late. Through his emails, he touches on the morality of tabloid newspapers as the one Dan works for is brought down by allegations of phone hacking and nefarious doings. Dan took the job in order to earn money to get into the housing market and you can tell that even though he keeps going, day after day, it’s wearing him down, it’s preying on his mind. But yet a part of him still delights in writing those stories, in bringing down the people who preach one way and act in a totally different way. Dan also confides in Martin about the troubles he and his wife are having – Beth is depressed after the baby’s birth and Dan works long hours due to the commute (often longer due to the delays on the train) and Dan isn’t quite sure how to help her. Their situation goes from bad to worse and all through it Dan has someone he can pour his heart out too, someone who occasionally and gently provides him with a piece of advice.
In short, I adored this book but if I had a teensy little criticism it would be that….there was not enough Martin! We get pages and pages of Dan, who usually writes lengthy emails and then a little brief one from Martin. I understand that, because Martin is the MD who is probably busy and Dan is writing to him to complain every time one of his trains are late. Occasionally Dan would ask Martin something or mention something and Martin wouldn’t answer that in his next email which would frustrate me a little! Also there’s a little left open at the end, and I’m a girl who likes everything tied up in a neat little bow, as unrealistic as that can be! But those are just small quibbles, Dan is really quite interesting enough to carry most of the book, because he certainly has a lot going on in his life, both personally and professionally. I also liked the fact that Dan maintained his sense of self, that he didn’t fall off the wagon in certain areas.
After writing to the customer service department of the company that run his particular train and getting no response, Dan decides to go all the way to the top of the food chain. He tracks down the email of Martin Harbottle, Managing Director of Premier Westward trains and drops him a little line about the lack of punctuality. Dan decides that every time his train is late he’s going to write Martin a letter that will waste the same amount of time in Martin’s day that the late train wasted in his.
Dan finds that he has a lot to say and being able to air his grievances is somewhat therapeutic. He finds himself emailing Martin on all manner of topics, including his job at the tabloid newspaper, which has recently been caught up in allegations and lawsuits over ethics, the war in North Africa and even Dan’s relationship with his fellow commuters, his colleagues and even his wife Beth who is depressed after the birth of their daughter Sylvie. Before he knows it, Dan finds himself spilling his guts to Martin…and soon, Martin begins writing the odd reply back. Theirs becomes a unique correspondence and one Dan comes to rely on as all aspects of his life descend into turmoil.
I’m a sucker for a good epistolary novel. And this is a good epistolary novel.
Dan is funny, sarcastic and observant. I love the way he begins his emails to Martin, noting the time of the train he’s on, where it’s going/the line, how many minutes delayed if any and his “fellow sufferers”, whom he gives clever nicknames. There are the regular morning commuters such as Train Girl (hot), Universal Grandpa, Lego Man, Competitive Tech Heads and Guilty New Mum. Journeys home sometimes include Overenthusiastic Estate Agent or Corporate Dungeon Master. Dan shares his thoughts and guesses about their lives from his brief glimpses of them on the same trains as him – although he does, as time moves forward, begin to develop more than just a passing acquaintance with some of them.
At first I think Dan just rambles, about his job, his life, current affairs etc to fill up the email, which he wants to fill a certain amount of time. If he’s over 15m late, that equals a very long email. However, soon Dan begins to enjoy confiding in Martin, telling him things that he can’t really tell other people – the problems at his work, the problems that begin to develop at home. Martin’s replies start out quite matter of fact, dictating the reason that Dan’s particular train was late (and in fact he keeps that up throughout the book, always giving Dan the reason his train was delayed) but Martin shares tiny snippets of his life and occasionally offers advice to Dan or gives comment on an issue – he seems particularly interested in some of the trashy stories that Dan’s paper covers, even though he assures Dan he’s not a tabloid man, he’s much more of a broadsheet man.
But the book isn’t just about Dan being late. Through his emails, he touches on the morality of tabloid newspapers as the one Dan works for is brought down by allegations of phone hacking and nefarious doings. Dan took the job in order to earn money to get into the housing market and you can tell that even though he keeps going, day after day, it’s wearing him down, it’s preying on his mind. But yet a part of him still delights in writing those stories, in bringing down the people who preach one way and act in a totally different way. Dan also confides in Martin about the troubles he and his wife are having – Beth is depressed after the baby’s birth and Dan works long hours due to the commute (often longer due to the delays on the train) and Dan isn’t quite sure how to help her. Their situation goes from bad to worse and all through it Dan has someone he can pour his heart out too, someone who occasionally and gently provides him with a piece of advice.
In short, I adored this book but if I had a teensy little criticism it would be that….there was not enough Martin! We get pages and pages of Dan, who usually writes lengthy emails and then a little brief one from Martin. I understand that, because Martin is the MD who is probably busy and Dan is writing to him to complain every time one of his trains are late. Occasionally Dan would ask Martin something or mention something and Martin wouldn’t answer that in his next email which would frustrate me a little! Also there’s a little left open at the end, and I’m a girl who likes everything tied up in a neat little bow, as unrealistic as that can be! But those are just small quibbles, Dan is really quite interesting enough to carry most of the book, because he certainly has a lot going on in his life, both personally and professionally. I also liked the fact that Dan maintained his sense of self, that he didn’t fall off the wagon in certain areas.
March 30, 2017
Martin Harbottle's Appreciation of Time is a novel based on a true story - Dominic Utton got fed up of the poor service he experienced on First Great Western trains, so he started writing to the CEO, Mark Hopwood, every time he was delayed. After publishing these letters on a blog that gained unexpected success, he was offered a book deal; and so Dom became Dan, Mark Hopwood became Martin Harbottle, and First Great Western became Premier Westwood - see what he did there? ;)
Having been a customer of First Great Western (and sister company Great Northern), I can relate - their service is crap. Genuine crap, and it is maddening how they believe it's okay to have trains so frequently delayed but if it's under 10 minutes it's not considered to be a delay, and they still cite 93% reliability - rubbish. So, in that sense, I was totally on board.
However, that's where my engagement ends. As a blog and a news story, it's interesting and kind of funny. As a novel, I found it lacking.
Firstly, it's far too long. As Utton is staying true to his source material of 98 emails, of lengths that reflected the amount of time he was delayed, it means the reader has to suffer through that same amount of time. It was obvious where Utton/"Dan" is trying to fill time (he even says that's what he's doing) but the result is filler-rambling which was just not remotely interesting.
While Utton does add more of a story arc into the novel that presumably wasn't there in real life (the slow implosion of both the newspaper he works for - a la News of the World - and his marriage following the birth of his first child), it was just not enough to fill that amount of text. Moreover, "Dan" is a douche. Proper douche. Cocky, self-satisfied and incredibly irritating towards the end. He even realises that towards the end. Which is some small kind of redemption I suppose, but ideally he would have got there quicker than 300 pages.
I also found it difficult to suspend my disbelief about the things that "Dan" is telling Martin. Again, presumably Utton didn't really tell Mark Hopwood intimate details of his personal and professional life (maybe he did, I don't know, I'm not inclined to consult his real letters on his blog after finally making it through the fictional versions), but "Dan" really went to town with it. I can understand the personal element, writing to Martin had become like a journal (I'm sure we've all been there) and when he and his wife were having such a tough time, I could believe that he would end up trying to deal with those feelings by writing it down.
What I cannot understand is the lengths to which he described how the "Globe" (aka News of the World) destroyed evidence of anything it had ever done in order to avoid further litigation, and how stupid it is that people don't realise writing something down in an email can't be deleted - and yet he tells so much confidential information to Martin, it blew my mind! Sure he used plenty of ambiguous language when referring to people, but he openly talked about destroying evidence that could have been used for live court cases, not only to a person he'd never technically met, but one he'd been basically harassing for nine months so who could viably forward his emails on to the police! Basically, it was just too far to be believable, or for me to even try and suspend my disbelief, so then the foundation of the novel lost any credibility.
I'm giving two stars rather than one because I did make it to the end, so it wasn't so terrible that I abandoned it. It also did have funny moments (particularly Martin's replies with excuses that became more and more outlandish) and the concept is certainly innovative. However, it was too long and the main character was too annoying to warrant anything higher.
Having been a customer of First Great Western (and sister company Great Northern), I can relate - their service is crap. Genuine crap, and it is maddening how they believe it's okay to have trains so frequently delayed but if it's under 10 minutes it's not considered to be a delay, and they still cite 93% reliability - rubbish. So, in that sense, I was totally on board.
However, that's where my engagement ends. As a blog and a news story, it's interesting and kind of funny. As a novel, I found it lacking.
Firstly, it's far too long. As Utton is staying true to his source material of 98 emails, of lengths that reflected the amount of time he was delayed, it means the reader has to suffer through that same amount of time. It was obvious where Utton/"Dan" is trying to fill time (he even says that's what he's doing) but the result is filler-rambling which was just not remotely interesting.
While Utton does add more of a story arc into the novel that presumably wasn't there in real life (the slow implosion of both the newspaper he works for - a la News of the World - and his marriage following the birth of his first child), it was just not enough to fill that amount of text. Moreover, "Dan" is a douche. Proper douche. Cocky, self-satisfied and incredibly irritating towards the end. He even realises that towards the end. Which is some small kind of redemption I suppose, but ideally he would have got there quicker than 300 pages.
I also found it difficult to suspend my disbelief about the things that "Dan" is telling Martin. Again, presumably Utton didn't really tell Mark Hopwood intimate details of his personal and professional life (maybe he did, I don't know, I'm not inclined to consult his real letters on his blog after finally making it through the fictional versions), but "Dan" really went to town with it. I can understand the personal element, writing to Martin had become like a journal (I'm sure we've all been there) and when he and his wife were having such a tough time, I could believe that he would end up trying to deal with those feelings by writing it down.
What I cannot understand is the lengths to which he described how the "Globe" (aka News of the World) destroyed evidence of anything it had ever done in order to avoid further litigation, and how stupid it is that people don't realise writing something down in an email can't be deleted - and yet he tells so much confidential information to Martin, it blew my mind! Sure he used plenty of ambiguous language when referring to people, but he openly talked about destroying evidence that could have been used for live court cases, not only to a person he'd never technically met, but one he'd been basically harassing for nine months so who could viably forward his emails on to the police! Basically, it was just too far to be believable, or for me to even try and suspend my disbelief, so then the foundation of the novel lost any credibility.
I'm giving two stars rather than one because I did make it to the end, so it wasn't so terrible that I abandoned it. It also did have funny moments (particularly Martin's replies with excuses that became more and more outlandish) and the concept is certainly innovative. However, it was too long and the main character was too annoying to warrant anything higher.
December 30, 2013
Funny But Oh So True
Dominic Utton has hit on a winning novel with Martin Harbottle’s Appreciation of Time, this novel is based up on the email of Daniel who has to commute in from Oxford to London on a “premier-westward” service and decides to email the Chief Executive every time his service is late.
This is the novel that all commuters want to write about their terrible, and unfortunately it is often commute in to work on our great train network. How often have we spoken to customer services and just wanted to cry in despair at their lack of service or care. This is a novel for those who have often heard the train announcer come out with the “Such and Such rail would like to apologise for the .... (late/cancelation) of the service to/from ... I have heard that announcement that often that I now have loyalty cards for a large number of coffee shops to pass the time as I wait – in hope – for the next service.
Dan our protagonist emails Martin Harbottle with a well written email equating to the length of time that the delay or cancelation has taken out of his day. Those minutes that we will never get back, he makes sure his email is the length of the delay. These musings are often funny incisive and speaking for all of us.
At the same time Dan who works as a tabloid journalist on a Sunday red top that is in trouble with the courts and the police for some of their underhand methods. He and his wife a nurse who has just given birth are living in the commuter belt so that they can make their way on to the housing chain. The only chink in his armour is the commute the train is either late or cancelled and never is a customer told the reason. Using his journalist tactics he finds the MD’s email and hence begins a long email correspondence bring all manor of subjects for discussion.
This is a funny book if read on your daily commute will mean there will be quite a few train company CEOs awaiting your email for your late arrival in our capital and elsewhere. Oh train company bosses you should read this it might even make you smile instead of just taking our cash and giving us poor service. Great book, great read for the commuter!
Dominic Utton has hit on a winning novel with Martin Harbottle’s Appreciation of Time, this novel is based up on the email of Daniel who has to commute in from Oxford to London on a “premier-westward” service and decides to email the Chief Executive every time his service is late.
This is the novel that all commuters want to write about their terrible, and unfortunately it is often commute in to work on our great train network. How often have we spoken to customer services and just wanted to cry in despair at their lack of service or care. This is a novel for those who have often heard the train announcer come out with the “Such and Such rail would like to apologise for the .... (late/cancelation) of the service to/from ... I have heard that announcement that often that I now have loyalty cards for a large number of coffee shops to pass the time as I wait – in hope – for the next service.
Dan our protagonist emails Martin Harbottle with a well written email equating to the length of time that the delay or cancelation has taken out of his day. Those minutes that we will never get back, he makes sure his email is the length of the delay. These musings are often funny incisive and speaking for all of us.
At the same time Dan who works as a tabloid journalist on a Sunday red top that is in trouble with the courts and the police for some of their underhand methods. He and his wife a nurse who has just given birth are living in the commuter belt so that they can make their way on to the housing chain. The only chink in his armour is the commute the train is either late or cancelled and never is a customer told the reason. Using his journalist tactics he finds the MD’s email and hence begins a long email correspondence bring all manor of subjects for discussion.
This is a funny book if read on your daily commute will mean there will be quite a few train company CEOs awaiting your email for your late arrival in our capital and elsewhere. Oh train company bosses you should read this it might even make you smile instead of just taking our cash and giving us poor service. Great book, great read for the commuter!
April 14, 2014
Dan takes the train to work. That the train is frequently delayed inspires choler and bile in Dan. He begins writing emails of complaint to Westward Trains’ Managing Director (the Martin Harbottle namechecked in the title).
Though Dan imagines he is carping into the void, Martin responds. He simply apologizes for the poor quality of service, but his acknowledgement serves to encourage Dan. Soon, Dan is holding forth on various subjects unrelated to train delays: his faltering marriage, his insomniac new child, his uncertain job at tabloid newspaper The Globe (loosely based on the defunct News of The World), his attractive friend who wants benefits, world problems, etc. Dan reveals himself, through his missives, as droll, literate, and upstanding. Martin reveals very little about himself. We piece him together slowly, using the tiny scraps of information that he offers.
The little ad on the front cover says, “Don’t get mad. Get even”. Supposedly Dan is delivering justice when he contacts Martin; his stated intent is to waste as much of Martin’s time as the delayed train has wasted his. But Martin doesn’t have to read the emails if he doesn’t want to. Getting even isn’t really Dan’s motive.
So then, why does Dan continue to write to Martin, when Martin’s replies are infrequent, vague and impersonal? Why does Dan look to Martin for moral guidance and reassurance?
Dan is lonely and all at sea. Martin is a stand-in for God, and the emails are prayers, confessions. Or maybe Martin is a substitute for Dan’s dead father. Either way, Dan’s need is poignant. You’ll find yourself anxiously waiting for Martin’s next reply and disappointed when it’s another dispassionate form letter.
I’m trying to think who wouldn’t like this book…and I’ve got nothing. You’ll like it no matter who you are. It’s got universal appeal. Thanks, Goodreads, for giving it.
Though Dan imagines he is carping into the void, Martin responds. He simply apologizes for the poor quality of service, but his acknowledgement serves to encourage Dan. Soon, Dan is holding forth on various subjects unrelated to train delays: his faltering marriage, his insomniac new child, his uncertain job at tabloid newspaper The Globe (loosely based on the defunct News of The World), his attractive friend who wants benefits, world problems, etc. Dan reveals himself, through his missives, as droll, literate, and upstanding. Martin reveals very little about himself. We piece him together slowly, using the tiny scraps of information that he offers.
The little ad on the front cover says, “Don’t get mad. Get even”. Supposedly Dan is delivering justice when he contacts Martin; his stated intent is to waste as much of Martin’s time as the delayed train has wasted his. But Martin doesn’t have to read the emails if he doesn’t want to. Getting even isn’t really Dan’s motive.
So then, why does Dan continue to write to Martin, when Martin’s replies are infrequent, vague and impersonal? Why does Dan look to Martin for moral guidance and reassurance?
Dan is lonely and all at sea. Martin is a stand-in for God, and the emails are prayers, confessions. Or maybe Martin is a substitute for Dan’s dead father. Either way, Dan’s need is poignant. You’ll find yourself anxiously waiting for Martin’s next reply and disappointed when it’s another dispassionate form letter.
I’m trying to think who wouldn’t like this book…and I’ve got nothing. You’ll like it no matter who you are. It’s got universal appeal. Thanks, Goodreads, for giving it.
May 11, 2017
I really wanted to like this book. As an avid commuter, it was a fun idea to read a book about train delays on a frequently delayed train. Though reading these letters back and forth to the head of the train department from a disgruntled passenger just wasn't enough. That was mostly all it was about. Sure-we learned a bit about his life, you could imagine the British country-side and his new paper job...Though, 300 plus pages in it didn't amount to too much. There was a proper arc of his story and a bit of drama thrown in - but I wanted more... I wanted more than a mostly one sided conversation and an average's man journey literally/figuratively/metaphorically/symbolically/etc/maybe this would appeal to someone, but I wanted to escape...not be reminded of the mundane disappointment that is sometimes life (and commuting). I guess it was too meta, to read a book on a train with delays about a man on a train with delays.
April 30, 2014
Dan is fed up with delays on the commuter train, so he decides that every time he is delayed, he will write to the managing director of the train company and waste a little of his time, as well. These e-mails turn into a lopsided correspondence, with Dan telling Martin all about his life: his wife Beth, their new baby daughter, his work at the scandal-ridden tabloid newspaper the Sunday Globe, and an ongoing crisis in North Africa. Martin Harbottle's replies to Dan are much briefer than Dan's missives to him: they usually include the reason for the delay, but occasionally they contain a bit of advice or encouragement as well.
An excellent choice for any frustrated commuters and/or fans of epistolary novels.
An excellent choice for any frustrated commuters and/or fans of epistolary novels.
January 2, 2014
Brilliant concept which I'm sure many readers can relate to! This book really takes you on a journey which, I feel, made the reader feel as if they knew the main character and his true thoughts and feelings. I also really enjoyed the ending and how it was left open (but in a good way!).
August 12, 2016
Won this book as a First Reads book. Different. Snarky.
January 29, 2018
The Goodreads description of this book says, "When the director begins to write back, Dan finds himself with a dysfunctional father/confessor to talk to..." The back of the book that I read actually says something more like "When the director begins to write back, a hilarious correspondence ensues...."
So I was reading this book, expecting for the story to pick up when the director begins to write back. "Okay, here's an email from the director," I would say to myself. "Things are about to get better." But the response from the director would be a very short note explaining why the train had been delayed, and maybe a sentence or two in response to more personal questions that Dan had asked. So I would think, "Okay, maybe the director hasn't really connected with Dan yet. The next response will be where it starts to get funny." Only it never did.
Overall this was a book about Dan, who (by self-admission) was a dick, ranting and raving about the train being late, about the problems with his job, about the trials with his life, and most of it was irritating and pathetic. On top of that, Dan really seemed to be on a trajectory to self-destruct. He was continually taking the train home drunk, and taunting the director with that fact. He harped on about how Train Girl was attractive "but of course I'm not looking, because I'm married" but it was very obvious from the beginning where that whole story arc was headed. And considering how bad things were at work, I really don't see any reason why he stuck around at a job that required him to make a miserable commute every day and was playing havoc with his marriage.
Honestly, there are plenty of epistolary books out there that are very good. This one just wasn't.
So I was reading this book, expecting for the story to pick up when the director begins to write back. "Okay, here's an email from the director," I would say to myself. "Things are about to get better." But the response from the director would be a very short note explaining why the train had been delayed, and maybe a sentence or two in response to more personal questions that Dan had asked. So I would think, "Okay, maybe the director hasn't really connected with Dan yet. The next response will be where it starts to get funny." Only it never did.
Overall this was a book about Dan, who (by self-admission) was a dick, ranting and raving about the train being late, about the problems with his job, about the trials with his life, and most of it was irritating and pathetic. On top of that, Dan really seemed to be on a trajectory to self-destruct. He was continually taking the train home drunk, and taunting the director with that fact. He harped on about how Train Girl was attractive "but of course I'm not looking, because I'm married" but it was very obvious from the beginning where that whole story arc was headed. And considering how bad things were at work, I really don't see any reason why he stuck around at a job that required him to make a miserable commute every day and was playing havoc with his marriage.
Honestly, there are plenty of epistolary books out there that are very good. This one just wasn't.
June 12, 2022
The first book I've read that's written as correspondence between 2 people, and as far as that convention is concerned- bring me more!
There's a wittyness and highbrow to our protagonist, which manages to make him likeable enough to want to keep reading, but at arms length, so whenever something bad happens to him you can't help but feel he deserves it.
Being written by somebody who's worked in the journalism industry really shows, and all the exaggeration and superlatives feel real and surprisingly grounded.
Overall a soft comedy, with a fantastic cover, and a heartfelt journey. Lessons are learnt by the end of this one.
There's a wittyness and highbrow to our protagonist, which manages to make him likeable enough to want to keep reading, but at arms length, so whenever something bad happens to him you can't help but feel he deserves it.
Being written by somebody who's worked in the journalism industry really shows, and all the exaggeration and superlatives feel real and surprisingly grounded.
Overall a soft comedy, with a fantastic cover, and a heartfelt journey. Lessons are learnt by the end of this one.
March 20, 2018
A really enjoyable adventure that held my interest almost to the end. Although it was easy to believe in Dan the Man it was more difficult to imagine Martin Harbottle. There were so many hints and suggestions about his character but he still remained a mystery.
It had a fun cover that must have encouraged readers and the story made one remember what it was like when these sort of activities actually took place.
There was a genuine flavour of what it was like to be a journalist when papers were being shut down.
It had a fun cover that must have encouraged readers and the story made one remember what it was like when these sort of activities actually took place.
There was a genuine flavour of what it was like to be a journalist when papers were being shut down.
July 26, 2018
The book is hilarious and I particularly like the epistolary format of the book, but it was too long. 200 pages into the 327 page book I was beginning to wait for the book to end. Not only did Dan waste Martin's time for every delayed train, he wasted mine too. Had the book been shorter it would have earned one more star from me.
I have completely read only 2 books this year. So reading and finishing this one is quite a milestone for me.
I have completely read only 2 books this year. So reading and finishing this one is quite a milestone for me.
March 30, 2020
Fun little book written entirely in emails between a guy riding the train to the managing director of the train. What starts as complaints about train delays, evolves into an almost therapeutic confessional. Even though Dan is a bit of a dick, you can tell he has a good moral compass.
Reading challenge 2020-a book related to time
Reading challenge 2020-a book related to time
September 1, 2024
nothing really happened and the ending was slightly unsatisfying but i still enjoyed it. i wish we learnt more about martin cuz like he was a broken record the whole book. i do like the cover, very nice
February 27, 2022
Good book, went on a little longer than required.
April 17, 2016
Dan has a problem with time:
Seven minutes…is 420 seconds. It’s over one tenth of an hour. It’s a cigarette. It’s the first glass of wine after another long day. A lot can happen in seven minutes.
In all honesty, in Dan’s situation, you’d probably have a problem with time too. With a daily commute from Oxford to London that rarely runs to time, a depressed wife and a psychotic boss who both take a chunk out of you for being late, who wouldn’t resent every additional second spent on a dirty train? And wouldn’t you spend that unnecessary additional time pissed off with a company’s whose outlook on customer service is simply apathy?
Martin Harbottle’s Appreciation of Time is a novel about train travel, but according to author Dominic Utton it also addresses “tabloid journalism, love, life, and the importance of good pop music.” It is an epistolary novel told entirely through emails between Dan, a harassed new dad but also a reporter at a scandal-hit Sunday newspaper and Martin Harbottle, managing director of the train company that takes Dan to and from work every day.
It’s not a true story, but is based on author Dominic Utton’s life experiences. Whilst writing, Dominic was a respected journalist at the News of the World and he was a train commuter. For two years Utton took a First Great Western train from Oxford to London and back again. The commute was meant to take an hour, but it quickly became apparent that arriving either at work on time or at home on time was the exception rather than the rule. He found himself apologising every day, either to his wife or his boss, usually both. After 14 months of putting up with the situation, Utton apparently snapped. In an article for The Daily Beast, Utton writes:
On June 28, 2011, after a 35-minute delay, I tracked down the personal email of Mark Hopwood, the managing director of First Great Western (it doesn’t appear on the company Web site, funnily enough) and sent him a long, passive-aggressive rant in which I vented all the frustration of my previous year-and-a-bit’s commuting nightmares. And then I told him that I would be writing back to him—every time, in fact, I was delayed—and that the length of my emails would reflect the length of those delays.
The idea, I informed Mr. Hopwood, was that I would waste as much of his time as he was wasting of mine—at the rate of about 100 words per minute. So a short, five-minute delay would mean a pithy 500-word email … but a half-hour hold-up would necessarily entail an equally soul-sapping 3,000-word epic for him to trawl through.
And that, I thought, was that. The chances of Mr. Hopwood bothering to actually read it were slim—I did it more for the cathartic threat of action, rather than in expectation of any result.
Except … extraordinarily, brilliantly, he wrote back. He promised he would read any complaints. So I felt I had to carry my threat through—and we began corresponding. And that’s when things began to get interesting.
The novel is incredible; both witty and touching. As a reader we get to see the human side of the daily commute, not only through Dan’s fellow travellers, who he chooses to offer Martin Harbottle daily reports on, but through Dan’s life as well. We watch as things at his scandal-hit newspaper worsen, as the war in Africa that Dan reports on escalates quickly out of control, and as his home life falls apart, all at ferocious speed. This contextual backdrop brings the emails to life and makes you feel for Dan, even though at times he can sound like a bit of a twat. Utton’s writing is extremely accomplished and doesn’t falter once. I also enjoyed Martin’s less frequent, concise replies which gently poke fun at the railway red tape.
More than a rant, Martin Harbottle’s Appreciation of Time is a compelling, hilarious, and heartfelt tale of a man trying to stay on the right tracks. Every carriage of every train should have a copy.
Seven minutes…is 420 seconds. It’s over one tenth of an hour. It’s a cigarette. It’s the first glass of wine after another long day. A lot can happen in seven minutes.
In all honesty, in Dan’s situation, you’d probably have a problem with time too. With a daily commute from Oxford to London that rarely runs to time, a depressed wife and a psychotic boss who both take a chunk out of you for being late, who wouldn’t resent every additional second spent on a dirty train? And wouldn’t you spend that unnecessary additional time pissed off with a company’s whose outlook on customer service is simply apathy?
Martin Harbottle’s Appreciation of Time is a novel about train travel, but according to author Dominic Utton it also addresses “tabloid journalism, love, life, and the importance of good pop music.” It is an epistolary novel told entirely through emails between Dan, a harassed new dad but also a reporter at a scandal-hit Sunday newspaper and Martin Harbottle, managing director of the train company that takes Dan to and from work every day.
It’s not a true story, but is based on author Dominic Utton’s life experiences. Whilst writing, Dominic was a respected journalist at the News of the World and he was a train commuter. For two years Utton took a First Great Western train from Oxford to London and back again. The commute was meant to take an hour, but it quickly became apparent that arriving either at work on time or at home on time was the exception rather than the rule. He found himself apologising every day, either to his wife or his boss, usually both. After 14 months of putting up with the situation, Utton apparently snapped. In an article for The Daily Beast, Utton writes:
On June 28, 2011, after a 35-minute delay, I tracked down the personal email of Mark Hopwood, the managing director of First Great Western (it doesn’t appear on the company Web site, funnily enough) and sent him a long, passive-aggressive rant in which I vented all the frustration of my previous year-and-a-bit’s commuting nightmares. And then I told him that I would be writing back to him—every time, in fact, I was delayed—and that the length of my emails would reflect the length of those delays.
The idea, I informed Mr. Hopwood, was that I would waste as much of his time as he was wasting of mine—at the rate of about 100 words per minute. So a short, five-minute delay would mean a pithy 500-word email … but a half-hour hold-up would necessarily entail an equally soul-sapping 3,000-word epic for him to trawl through.
And that, I thought, was that. The chances of Mr. Hopwood bothering to actually read it were slim—I did it more for the cathartic threat of action, rather than in expectation of any result.
Except … extraordinarily, brilliantly, he wrote back. He promised he would read any complaints. So I felt I had to carry my threat through—and we began corresponding. And that’s when things began to get interesting.
The novel is incredible; both witty and touching. As a reader we get to see the human side of the daily commute, not only through Dan’s fellow travellers, who he chooses to offer Martin Harbottle daily reports on, but through Dan’s life as well. We watch as things at his scandal-hit newspaper worsen, as the war in Africa that Dan reports on escalates quickly out of control, and as his home life falls apart, all at ferocious speed. This contextual backdrop brings the emails to life and makes you feel for Dan, even though at times he can sound like a bit of a twat. Utton’s writing is extremely accomplished and doesn’t falter once. I also enjoyed Martin’s less frequent, concise replies which gently poke fun at the railway red tape.
More than a rant, Martin Harbottle’s Appreciation of Time is a compelling, hilarious, and heartfelt tale of a man trying to stay on the right tracks. Every carriage of every train should have a copy.
September 25, 2015
Thoughtful, witty and rewarding - in the end
I struggled with the beginning of this book but in the end I found it involving, with an interesting take on the behaviour of the tabloid press and some good things to say about life's priorities and relationships.
The book is a fictionalised version of Dominic Utton's blog in which he wrote to the CEO of First Great Western with the idea of annoying him in proportion to the annoyance caused by the late running of Utton's train each day. It's a good, amusing idea for a blog but runs the risk in novel form of annoying the reader, too, if it's too flip for too long. For the first 50 pages or more I did find the style repetitive and gratingly, relentlessly ironic, so the humour wore thin very quickly. For example, "Do you remember when Princess Diana died? Of course you do. Tall, blonde lass, liked a holiday, married that odd feller with the big ears, unfortunate business with bulimia, three of us in this marriage, Queen of Hearts, landmines, Paris underpass, all that stuff. That's the one!" is OK as a one-off, perhaps, but I really did wonder whether I could manage to wade through 300-odd pages of this sort of thing, and I went in for a bit of judicious skimming.
However, things began to pick up considerably around page 100 because interesting things began to happen and it started to become genuinely insightful. The narrator, Dan, is a journalist on the showbiz desk of a thinly disguised News Of The World (well, hardly disguised at all, really), and we get his take on things coming apart there as the hacking scandal unfolds against a background of fictionalised versions of real events. He makes some interesting and penetrating points about the way in which disgraceful press behaviour is seized upon by unscrupulously sleazy people to cover up genuine wrongdoing and hypocrisy, as well as about the attitudes within the newspaper, the sense of priorities in the world and in his own, troubled marriage. I came to care about him and be interested in what he had to say and in what became of him, and the style became far less intrusive and more appropriate somehow.
So, overall I did enjoy this book and am glad I persevered. You may, like me, struggle at the start but once the book shows where it is going it develops real purpose, insight and some genuine wit, too. I can recommend it.
I struggled with the beginning of this book but in the end I found it involving, with an interesting take on the behaviour of the tabloid press and some good things to say about life's priorities and relationships.
The book is a fictionalised version of Dominic Utton's blog in which he wrote to the CEO of First Great Western with the idea of annoying him in proportion to the annoyance caused by the late running of Utton's train each day. It's a good, amusing idea for a blog but runs the risk in novel form of annoying the reader, too, if it's too flip for too long. For the first 50 pages or more I did find the style repetitive and gratingly, relentlessly ironic, so the humour wore thin very quickly. For example, "Do you remember when Princess Diana died? Of course you do. Tall, blonde lass, liked a holiday, married that odd feller with the big ears, unfortunate business with bulimia, three of us in this marriage, Queen of Hearts, landmines, Paris underpass, all that stuff. That's the one!" is OK as a one-off, perhaps, but I really did wonder whether I could manage to wade through 300-odd pages of this sort of thing, and I went in for a bit of judicious skimming.
However, things began to pick up considerably around page 100 because interesting things began to happen and it started to become genuinely insightful. The narrator, Dan, is a journalist on the showbiz desk of a thinly disguised News Of The World (well, hardly disguised at all, really), and we get his take on things coming apart there as the hacking scandal unfolds against a background of fictionalised versions of real events. He makes some interesting and penetrating points about the way in which disgraceful press behaviour is seized upon by unscrupulously sleazy people to cover up genuine wrongdoing and hypocrisy, as well as about the attitudes within the newspaper, the sense of priorities in the world and in his own, troubled marriage. I came to care about him and be interested in what he had to say and in what became of him, and the style became far less intrusive and more appropriate somehow.
So, overall I did enjoy this book and am glad I persevered. You may, like me, struggle at the start but once the book shows where it is going it develops real purpose, insight and some genuine wit, too. I can recommend it.
January 25, 2014
Ten Second Synopsis:
Scruffy tabloid journalist attempts to redress the imbalance of time-wasting betwixt himself and Premier Westward trains by writing to the managing director every time his train is delayed. Meanwhile his life takes a downward spiral.
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I even pre-ordered it. That's how much I wanted to get my hands on it. Now that I've read it, I feel I probably could have just borrowed it from the library and been just as happy.
There's a lot right with this book, but at the same time, on finishing it I feel dissatisfied and generally frustrated with the ending. There were lots of humorous moments (those featuring Sauron Flesh Harrower being my particular favourites) and plenty of exploration of Dan's character and situation. I suppose, in the end, I wanted more Martin and less Dan. I usually love a book written as a correspondence, but with the uneven proportion of Dan letters to Martin letters, I often felt overwhelmed by great swathes of what essentially amounted to deeply introspective and detailed monologues by the main character.
After getting to the end and seeing that the book was developed out of a blog, I thought perhaps I'd like this idea as a blog better than in this format.
Still, give it a go if the blurb takes your fancy - while I could have enjoyed this more, I'm pretty sure that there will be many (especially hardened commuters) who will get a kick out of this.
Scruffy tabloid journalist attempts to redress the imbalance of time-wasting betwixt himself and Premier Westward trains by writing to the managing director every time his train is delayed. Meanwhile his life takes a downward spiral.
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I even pre-ordered it. That's how much I wanted to get my hands on it. Now that I've read it, I feel I probably could have just borrowed it from the library and been just as happy.
There's a lot right with this book, but at the same time, on finishing it I feel dissatisfied and generally frustrated with the ending. There were lots of humorous moments (those featuring Sauron Flesh Harrower being my particular favourites) and plenty of exploration of Dan's character and situation. I suppose, in the end, I wanted more Martin and less Dan. I usually love a book written as a correspondence, but with the uneven proportion of Dan letters to Martin letters, I often felt overwhelmed by great swathes of what essentially amounted to deeply introspective and detailed monologues by the main character.
After getting to the end and seeing that the book was developed out of a blog, I thought perhaps I'd like this idea as a blog better than in this format.
Still, give it a go if the blurb takes your fancy - while I could have enjoyed this more, I'm pretty sure that there will be many (especially hardened commuters) who will get a kick out of this.
February 26, 2014
Dan lives in Oxford and works for a tabloid newspaper in London. He commutes daily on trains run by Premier Westward. Unfortunately the trains are frequently late or cancelled and Dan decides to e-mail the managing director – Martin Harbottle – every time the train is late. The e-mails are designed to take as long to read as he was delayed.
What starts off as a way of voicing a complaint soon turns into Dan’s thoughts on world current affairs, celebrity gossip and his own troubled marriage to Beth. Martin gradually starts to respond on a personal level and an interesting and wide ranging correspondence ensues.
I think you either love or hate novels written as e-mails or letters and if you don’t like the form you will probably dislike this example. I found it interesting reading and at times a poignant insight into the lives of two men who have never met and are never likely to.
What starts off as a way of voicing a complaint soon turns into Dan’s thoughts on world current affairs, celebrity gossip and his own troubled marriage to Beth. Martin gradually starts to respond on a personal level and an interesting and wide ranging correspondence ensues.
I think you either love or hate novels written as e-mails or letters and if you don’t like the form you will probably dislike this example. I found it interesting reading and at times a poignant insight into the lives of two men who have never met and are never likely to.
December 29, 2015
Originally a blog - and it shows - of letters from an unhappy commuter to the MD of the train company. The luckless traveller happens to work for a thinly disguised version of the NoW and the story unfolds against the backdrop of the investigations and ultimate closure of the paper, with side references to other contemporary events, particularly unrest in North Africa. So far so good, some opportunities for witty writing and an attempt to show the human side of those who are involved in the muck-raking. However the images did not coalesce well for me, the structure didn't make it easy to make the points. Ultimately I felt that the story of the hack's marriage was trying to be the core of the story be we don't get inside that very well at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2014
Having spent plenty of time delayed on UK commuter trains I really liked the idea of writing to the Managing Director of the rail company to waste as much of his time as you lost of yours. The author actually did this and wrote a blog at the time. The blog was so popular that he fictionalised it, added a few more scandals and more excitement and this is the result.
Given that it's written as a series of letters one each time the train is delayed it has the feeling of reading someone's diary. It has its moments and it's certainly worth picking up the next time your train or flight is delayed.
Given that it's written as a series of letters one each time the train is delayed it has the feeling of reading someone's diary. It has its moments and it's certainly worth picking up the next time your train or flight is delayed.
February 2, 2016
This was such a clever idea for a book. then I realised that it had started out as a blog, before it got published as a book. It really struck a chord with me coz I had taken precisely this particular train company, though from another start-point to London some 10+ years ago. Thankfully, not on a daily commute, but still painful enough. My worst delay was four hours! I never got to know any of my fellow commuters (coz my hours were not quite regular), and my job wasn't quite so exciting, but I totally understand the frustration of having to deal with frequent train delays, where NO information is provided, virtually. I wish I had thought of writing emails to the GM then.. ;)
December 9, 2020
This is a book of gentle humour describing how a commuter on the trains loses it because of their poor service. He gets browned off and decides to tackle the management via emails (mainly). His irate correspondence come to the attention of the chief bottle washer, Martin Harbottle. Then begins the cut and thrust between the two main characters as they correspond.
I found it a pleasant book - not hard on the reader. A great idea and reasonably well told. He manages to weave the life stories of the 2 protagonists nicely into the emails. It didn't leave any lasting impact on me but I certainly didn't hate the book.
An enjoyable and light read for the holidays.
I found it a pleasant book - not hard on the reader. A great idea and reasonably well told. He manages to weave the life stories of the 2 protagonists nicely into the emails. It didn't leave any lasting impact on me but I certainly didn't hate the book.
An enjoyable and light read for the holidays.
December 27, 2014
A fabulous read "Dan the man" fed up with late and delayed trains takes matters into his own hands by writing to the MD of the train company every time he arrives late. The length of the letters corresponds to the length of time he was delayed. Through the course of the correspondence he recounts the way his life is going as husband, father and journalist on a newspaper which should surprisingly like a one-time Sunday Tabloid.
The whole is eminently readable, with some humour and a little of the moral fable about it It is also surprisingly different from the mass novel.
The whole is eminently readable, with some humour and a little of the moral fable about it It is also surprisingly different from the mass novel.
January 3, 2017
I think I loved the concept of the book more than the content of the book itself. With that said, it was still enjoyable between now and then. It had a good start and ending, but slowed painfully in the middle 100 pages or so.
I guess I lost interest in some parts of Dan’s life.
Overall, I enjoyed the emails, the creative reasons for train delays, Dan’s wit sometimes, and his stupidity in others. I would’ve loved if Martin wrote more emails (which happened towards the end), his replies is what I looked forward to every time I was reading Dan’s emails.
I guess I lost interest in some parts of Dan’s life.
Overall, I enjoyed the emails, the creative reasons for train delays, Dan’s wit sometimes, and his stupidity in others. I would’ve loved if Martin wrote more emails (which happened towards the end), his replies is what I looked forward to every time I was reading Dan’s emails.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews