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The Gideon Trilogy #2
Il Ladro Del Tempo
What happens when a seventeenth-century bad guy has twenty-first-century technology?
An accident with an antigravity machine catapulted Peter Schock and Kate Dyer back to 1763. A bungled rescue attempt leaves Peter stranded in the eighteenth century while a terrifying villain, the Tar Man, takes his place and explodes onto twenty-first-century London. Concerned about the potentially catastrophic effects of time travel, the NASA scientists responsible for the situation question whether it is right to rescue Peter. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands, but things don't go as planned. Soon the physical effects of time travel begin to have a disturbing effect on her. Meanwhile, in our century, the Tar Man wreaks havoc in a city whose police force is powerless to stop him.Set against a backdrop of contemporary London and revolutionary France, The Time Thief is the sequel to the acclaimed The Time Travelers.
An accident with an antigravity machine catapulted Peter Schock and Kate Dyer back to 1763. A bungled rescue attempt leaves Peter stranded in the eighteenth century while a terrifying villain, the Tar Man, takes his place and explodes onto twenty-first-century London. Concerned about the potentially catastrophic effects of time travel, the NASA scientists responsible for the situation question whether it is right to rescue Peter. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands, but things don't go as planned. Soon the physical effects of time travel begin to have a disturbing effect on her. Meanwhile, in our century, the Tar Man wreaks havoc in a city whose police force is powerless to stop him.Set against a backdrop of contemporary London and revolutionary France, The Time Thief is the sequel to the acclaimed The Time Travelers.
486 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
102 people are currently reading
2784 people want to read
About the author
Linda Buckley-Archer
14 books222 followers Linda Buckley-Archer is a London-based writer. Originally trained as a linguist and subsequently a scriptwriter, she became a novelist after writing a story for her son, who was a reluctant reader. That story became the first volume of the time-traveling GIDEON TRILOGY, which featured the dark side of 18th-century London as well as the French and American Revolutions. The trilogy was translated into ten languages. Her latest novel, THE MANY LIVES OF JOHN STONE, is published on 20th October, 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
May 6, 2008
The Time Thief is just what readers look for in the second book in a trilogy: more adventures with the same characters and settings but with enough plot twists and turns to keep them guessing; a chance to get to know their favorite characters better; and a building tension left to be resolved by the final book.
Buckley-Archer once again does a nice job of weaving all the plot lines together. The action takes place in modern day London, 18th century England, and revolutionary France but it never gets bogged down. She takes the time to build the character's relationships, and explore the history and setting the time travel device provides, but there are plenty of action sequences and plot twists to keep the reader pressing forward.
Sometimes the second book in a trilogy can end up a little slow, especially if it is a bridge between the excitement of the first book and the suspense of the conclusion, but Buckley-Archer has avoided this trap completley. If anything, The Time Thief is more exciting than the first book. Which means that she has once again ratcheted up the expectations for the third and final book.
I for one can't wait to read how she brings this great series to an end. If you have young readers who haven't yet read the first two books, or if like me you enjoy a good adventure no matter what the age level, I can highly recommend them.
Buckley-Archer once again does a nice job of weaving all the plot lines together. The action takes place in modern day London, 18th century England, and revolutionary France but it never gets bogged down. She takes the time to build the character's relationships, and explore the history and setting the time travel device provides, but there are plenty of action sequences and plot twists to keep the reader pressing forward.
Sometimes the second book in a trilogy can end up a little slow, especially if it is a bridge between the excitement of the first book and the suspense of the conclusion, but Buckley-Archer has avoided this trap completley. If anything, The Time Thief is more exciting than the first book. Which means that she has once again ratcheted up the expectations for the third and final book.
I for one can't wait to read how she brings this great series to an end. If you have young readers who haven't yet read the first two books, or if like me you enjoy a good adventure no matter what the age level, I can highly recommend them.
January 18, 2015
This was a nice read but I liked the first book better. Somehow I wished for something more, the characters stayed strangely flat.
June 1, 2008
Please don't hold it against the book that it took me forever and a day to read. I was feeling sick, and wasn't much in a reading mood, but this book was truly fantastic. I really liked the first book, and was looking forward to this one, a little worriedly. Imagine my surprise when I liked it better than the first book!
At the end of the first book, Kate has returned to the present, but Peter accidentally is left back in the 1700's when the villian of the book, the Tar Man, takes his place, and comes to the future.
In this book, the Tar Man quickly realizes that the present is ripe for thieving opportunities, and he becomes unstoppable when he discovers that time travelling has left him with a special talent that is every thief's dream.
Also, Kate and Peter's father secretly find where Kate's family has hidden the time machine, in the hopes that they can quickly go back to the 1700's, rescue Peter, and come back. But they quickly discover that, due to an incorrect setting, the Peter that they find is very different than the Peter that they left only a few days before, and now the time machine will not work, and the only man who has the knowledge to fix it for them is stuck on the wrong side of the french revolution.
As if that isn't bad enough, since Kate has time travelled numerous times, she seems to be becoming unglued from time, and there is no way to know how to help her.
The ending left me excited for the next book, the last in the trilogy, but I can't find any info about when it's coming out...shoot!
At the end of the first book, Kate has returned to the present, but Peter accidentally is left back in the 1700's when the villian of the book, the Tar Man, takes his place, and comes to the future.
In this book, the Tar Man quickly realizes that the present is ripe for thieving opportunities, and he becomes unstoppable when he discovers that time travelling has left him with a special talent that is every thief's dream.
Also, Kate and Peter's father secretly find where Kate's family has hidden the time machine, in the hopes that they can quickly go back to the 1700's, rescue Peter, and come back. But they quickly discover that, due to an incorrect setting, the Peter that they find is very different than the Peter that they left only a few days before, and now the time machine will not work, and the only man who has the knowledge to fix it for them is stuck on the wrong side of the french revolution.
As if that isn't bad enough, since Kate has time travelled numerous times, she seems to be becoming unglued from time, and there is no way to know how to help her.
The ending left me excited for the next book, the last in the trilogy, but I can't find any info about when it's coming out...shoot!
March 2, 2018
This was not one of my favorite reads. I’m not saying I hated it but I definitely did not love it. First of all the back of the book was very misleading. It said, “And the Tar Man, who was terrifying even in the eighteenth century, is loose and wreaking havoc in the twenty-first-century.” In all the parts that the Tar Man was in, he only did two things that I would consider “wreaking havoc.” For the rest of the parts, he was just learning about the twenty-first century and planning what he would do with opportunity that he had.
Other than that, I only had a problem with the parts of the book that bored me. Things like talking about the anti gravity machines and going into a gallery. I know that those were important parts of the story, but they were boring. Maybe it’s the fact that I didn’t read the first book, but those parts altered my opinion on this book.
Other than that, I only had a problem with the parts of the book that bored me. Things like talking about the anti gravity machines and going into a gallery. I know that those were important parts of the story, but they were boring. Maybe it’s the fact that I didn’t read the first book, but those parts altered my opinion on this book.
January 15, 2020
3.5 stars. This was such a clever story, but it was up and down for me. I didn't like the bad guy and his story line, but I enjoyed the tale set in history about a boy, his friend and his father figures.
Likes:
* Rescue attempt
* Historic people and events
Dislikes:
* Where's Gideon?
* Gideon Trilogy, but Gideon isn't in this book
With-reservations:
violence, murder, stealing
Likes:
* Rescue attempt
* Historic people and events
Dislikes:
* Where's Gideon?
* Gideon Trilogy, but Gideon isn't in this book
With-reservations:
violence, murder, stealing
December 19, 2010
"Apakah tidak ada penunggang kuda di kota ini?”serunya kepada seorang pria muda yang duduk di balik kemudi sebuah Mini Cooper Hitam.
"Mati aku!” dia berseru nyaring, ”Mesin itu telah membawaku ke masa depan! Bagaimana aku akan pulang?”
Banyak hal yang membuat Tar Man, sang penjahat tangguh abad 18 merasa akrab sekaligus asing berada di London! Bahkan Berkeley Square yang dulu sangat dikenalnya juga berubah. Padahal baru sebulan yang lalu ia mengawal Lord Luxon ke sana.
Pada awalnya, banyak hal-hal baru yang membuatnya terheran-heran sekaligus kagum! Misalnya melihat wanita menggunakan celana panjang dan berambut pendek, gadis-gadis memamerkan mata kaki, sensasi minum bir dingin. Atau bahkan kebingungannya saat harus menyantap spageti
Diabad 21 , Tar Man bertemu dengan seorang gadis, Anjali yang dianggapnya berbakat dan bisa menjadi penuntunnya. Sepak terjangnya di dunia hitam di abad baru itu berkembang kian pesat! Apalagi setelah ia tanpa sengaja juga mengetahui teknik memudar yang sering digunakan oleh Kate.
Saat ia ditangkap dan berada dalam mobil polisi, ia berhasil menghilang dan kembali di tempat lain. Tar Man yang merampok bank dan menghilang, membuat kehebohan baru, mendapat julukan Houdini baru, Belakang agar bisa masuk ke lingkungan tertentu, Tar Man yang dikenal dengan nama Mr. Vega Rianza, bahkan menunjukkan kebolehannya dengan berada di balkon Buckingham Palace, kemudian menghilang, padahal disaat yang bersamaan, keluarga kerjaan juga berada disana
Sementara Tar Man asyik melebarkan sayapnya di abad baru. Dr Dyer dan Dr. Pirretti masih berdebat mengenai upaya membawa Peter kembali ”Jika kau tahu secara pasti, bahwa perjalanan menembus waktu memiliki potensi untuk menghancurkan alam semesta dalam cara yang tidak terbayangkan, apakah menempatkan seluruh umat manusia dalam bahaya demi menyelamatkan seorang anak laki-laki yang tidak bersalah merupakan langkah yang tepat? Itu adalah pertanyaan yang terus meneus menggangguku-dan aku tidak tahu jawabannya” Kata dr. Piretti. Namun sudah bisa ditebak akhirnya semua pihak setuju untuk membawa Peter kembali.
Kedatangan Kate dan Mr Schock, ayah Peter diabad 18 seperti mengundang perhatian masayrakat umum. Mereka tidak ingin kehadirannya dirahasiakan, malah membiarkannya untuk dipublikasikan secara luas. Peter yang membaca kehadiran Kate dan ayahnya terkejut sekaligus senang.
Peter yang mereka cari segera bergegas menuju ke Middle Harpenden, tempat mesin waktu tersebut berada. Peter merasa perlu melihat Kate dan ayahnya, Masalahnya yang mereka cari adalah Peter yang berusia 12 tahun, bukan dirinya. Namun kenyataan Peter yang ada dijaman itu telah tumbuh manjadi seorang pria dewasa! Rupanya Kate tidak melihat dengan benar waktu yang dikatakan ayahnya saat melakukan perjalanan waktu!
Saat bertemu dengan Kate dan ayahnya yang sama sekali tidak berubah, Peter mengaku bernama Joshua Seymour, adik tiri Gideon Seymour. Tanpa ada maksud tertentu, Peter mencuri salah satu Coca-cola milik Kate.
Guna memperbaiki mesin waktu yang rusak, Kate dan Peter yang menyamar harus menyeberangi lautan hingga ke Perncis saat revolusi sedang berlangsung. Mereka bertujuan memohon bantuan Marquis de Montfaron, seorang ilmuan terkenal untuk memperbaiki mesin waktu tersebut. Tentunya dengan imbalan mengajak ia mendatangi abad 21!
Buku ini seusai dengan judulnya memang sebagian besar isinya bercerita mengenai Tar Man yang terbawa ke abad 21.
Hanya makin kebelakang kok saya merasakan ketegangannya mulai menghilang, semua seakan-akan menjadi hambar, sudah bisa dipastikan. Misalnya mesin waktu yang membawa Dr Dyer diceritakan dengan sendirinya berhasil membawa pulang Peter. Lalu dengan begitu saja, Kate dan Peter bertemu lagi di perkebunan! Walau adegan Tar Men yang menggoda Lord Luxon dengan trik menghilangnya sempat membuat saya penasaran kemana alur cerita akan dibawa.
Namun ternyata saya salah! Ada adegan seru saat Tar Man membawa kembali Peter dan Kate ke abad 18. Untung saja Peter berhasil membawa Kate menuju ke rumah Gideon.
Tapi, yang paling menyejutkan dari seluruh isi buku ini adalah pengakuan dari seorang pawang anak buah Lord Luxon, bahwa Tar Man dan Gideon adalah saudara! Bayangkan kedua kepribadian yang berbeda jauh adalah sepsang saudara, kejutan yang hebat!
Ia mengatakan ayahnya, pernah mengenal seorang pria yang mengetahui bahwa Seymour menikahi seorang janda dari Somerset. Wanita itu baru saja meninggalkan desa bersama anak-anaknya setelah putra tertua, yang masih berusia remaja dihukum gantung gara-gara mencuri. Desas-desus yang beredar mengatakan, bahwa anak itu diturunkan terlalu cepat dari tiang gantungan, berhasil lolos!
Ada satu kalimat yang membuat saya menasaran, Pada hal 244 , Kate berkata, “ Tapi, Joshua. Aku harus menemui Joshua.” Bukan seharusnya Aku harus menemui Gideon.
Selesai membaca buku ini, saya jadi berpikir , diluar cerita sebenarnya. Beberapa bulan belakangan ini. sudah ada 2 buku yang menyinggung Coca Cola, Brand minuman ringan. Pertama di The Road, sekarang di Tar Man. Kayaknya kedepan siapa tahu penulis bisa minta sponsor untuk menerbitkan bukunya dengan imbalan dalam alur cerita menyebutkan brand. Seperti salah satu film yang produksi Ari Sihasale, dimana pemeran utama terlihat sedang menyikat gigi dengan menggunakan pasta gigi salah satu brand, lalu mandi dengan menggunakan brand lainnya...
Jangan diambil hati yah..., namanya juga ide iseng!terutama setelah membaca curhat beberapa penulis yang kesusahan mencari penerbit!
"Mati aku!” dia berseru nyaring, ”Mesin itu telah membawaku ke masa depan! Bagaimana aku akan pulang?”
Banyak hal yang membuat Tar Man, sang penjahat tangguh abad 18 merasa akrab sekaligus asing berada di London! Bahkan Berkeley Square yang dulu sangat dikenalnya juga berubah. Padahal baru sebulan yang lalu ia mengawal Lord Luxon ke sana.
Pada awalnya, banyak hal-hal baru yang membuatnya terheran-heran sekaligus kagum! Misalnya melihat wanita menggunakan celana panjang dan berambut pendek, gadis-gadis memamerkan mata kaki, sensasi minum bir dingin. Atau bahkan kebingungannya saat harus menyantap spageti
Diabad 21 , Tar Man bertemu dengan seorang gadis, Anjali yang dianggapnya berbakat dan bisa menjadi penuntunnya. Sepak terjangnya di dunia hitam di abad baru itu berkembang kian pesat! Apalagi setelah ia tanpa sengaja juga mengetahui teknik memudar yang sering digunakan oleh Kate.
Saat ia ditangkap dan berada dalam mobil polisi, ia berhasil menghilang dan kembali di tempat lain. Tar Man yang merampok bank dan menghilang, membuat kehebohan baru, mendapat julukan Houdini baru, Belakang agar bisa masuk ke lingkungan tertentu, Tar Man yang dikenal dengan nama Mr. Vega Rianza, bahkan menunjukkan kebolehannya dengan berada di balkon Buckingham Palace, kemudian menghilang, padahal disaat yang bersamaan, keluarga kerjaan juga berada disana
Sementara Tar Man asyik melebarkan sayapnya di abad baru. Dr Dyer dan Dr. Pirretti masih berdebat mengenai upaya membawa Peter kembali ”Jika kau tahu secara pasti, bahwa perjalanan menembus waktu memiliki potensi untuk menghancurkan alam semesta dalam cara yang tidak terbayangkan, apakah menempatkan seluruh umat manusia dalam bahaya demi menyelamatkan seorang anak laki-laki yang tidak bersalah merupakan langkah yang tepat? Itu adalah pertanyaan yang terus meneus menggangguku-dan aku tidak tahu jawabannya” Kata dr. Piretti. Namun sudah bisa ditebak akhirnya semua pihak setuju untuk membawa Peter kembali.
Kedatangan Kate dan Mr Schock, ayah Peter diabad 18 seperti mengundang perhatian masayrakat umum. Mereka tidak ingin kehadirannya dirahasiakan, malah membiarkannya untuk dipublikasikan secara luas. Peter yang membaca kehadiran Kate dan ayahnya terkejut sekaligus senang.
Peter yang mereka cari segera bergegas menuju ke Middle Harpenden, tempat mesin waktu tersebut berada. Peter merasa perlu melihat Kate dan ayahnya, Masalahnya yang mereka cari adalah Peter yang berusia 12 tahun, bukan dirinya. Namun kenyataan Peter yang ada dijaman itu telah tumbuh manjadi seorang pria dewasa! Rupanya Kate tidak melihat dengan benar waktu yang dikatakan ayahnya saat melakukan perjalanan waktu!
Saat bertemu dengan Kate dan ayahnya yang sama sekali tidak berubah, Peter mengaku bernama Joshua Seymour, adik tiri Gideon Seymour. Tanpa ada maksud tertentu, Peter mencuri salah satu Coca-cola milik Kate.
Guna memperbaiki mesin waktu yang rusak, Kate dan Peter yang menyamar harus menyeberangi lautan hingga ke Perncis saat revolusi sedang berlangsung. Mereka bertujuan memohon bantuan Marquis de Montfaron, seorang ilmuan terkenal untuk memperbaiki mesin waktu tersebut. Tentunya dengan imbalan mengajak ia mendatangi abad 21!
Buku ini seusai dengan judulnya memang sebagian besar isinya bercerita mengenai Tar Man yang terbawa ke abad 21.
Hanya makin kebelakang kok saya merasakan ketegangannya mulai menghilang, semua seakan-akan menjadi hambar, sudah bisa dipastikan. Misalnya mesin waktu yang membawa Dr Dyer diceritakan dengan sendirinya berhasil membawa pulang Peter. Lalu dengan begitu saja, Kate dan Peter bertemu lagi di perkebunan! Walau adegan Tar Men yang menggoda Lord Luxon dengan trik menghilangnya sempat membuat saya penasaran kemana alur cerita akan dibawa.
Namun ternyata saya salah! Ada adegan seru saat Tar Man membawa kembali Peter dan Kate ke abad 18. Untung saja Peter berhasil membawa Kate menuju ke rumah Gideon.
Tapi, yang paling menyejutkan dari seluruh isi buku ini adalah pengakuan dari seorang pawang anak buah Lord Luxon, bahwa Tar Man dan Gideon adalah saudara! Bayangkan kedua kepribadian yang berbeda jauh adalah sepsang saudara, kejutan yang hebat!
Ia mengatakan ayahnya, pernah mengenal seorang pria yang mengetahui bahwa Seymour menikahi seorang janda dari Somerset. Wanita itu baru saja meninggalkan desa bersama anak-anaknya setelah putra tertua, yang masih berusia remaja dihukum gantung gara-gara mencuri. Desas-desus yang beredar mengatakan, bahwa anak itu diturunkan terlalu cepat dari tiang gantungan, berhasil lolos!
Ada satu kalimat yang membuat saya menasaran, Pada hal 244 , Kate berkata, “ Tapi, Joshua. Aku harus menemui Joshua.” Bukan seharusnya Aku harus menemui Gideon.
Selesai membaca buku ini, saya jadi berpikir , diluar cerita sebenarnya. Beberapa bulan belakangan ini. sudah ada 2 buku yang menyinggung Coca Cola, Brand minuman ringan. Pertama di The Road, sekarang di Tar Man. Kayaknya kedepan siapa tahu penulis bisa minta sponsor untuk menerbitkan bukunya dengan imbalan dalam alur cerita menyebutkan brand. Seperti salah satu film yang produksi Ari Sihasale, dimana pemeran utama terlihat sedang menyikat gigi dengan menggunakan pasta gigi salah satu brand, lalu mandi dengan menggunakan brand lainnya...
Jangan diambil hati yah..., namanya juga ide iseng!terutama setelah membaca curhat beberapa penulis yang kesusahan mencari penerbit!
November 17, 2018
Saya tidak terlalu suka dengan seri kedua. Alur cerita masih datar, penyebabnya terlalu banyak narasi untuk menggambarkan kejadian, akibatnya emosi tokoh tidak terlalu mengena. Selain itu, ada kebingungan panggilan saat Kate dan Mr. Schock salah lintas waktu. Pada masa itu ternyata Peter sudah berumur 41 th, dan menyamarkan diri sebagai Joshua, adik Gideon.
Masalahnya adalah penulis kadang keliru melafalkan sosok Peter dari sudut pandang tokoh lain. Saat penulis menceritakan Peter dari sosok Kate atau Mr. Schock, sering menggunakan Peter padahal yang mereka kenal saat itu adalah 'Joshua'. Dan juga sebaliknya saat bercerita tentang Hannah yang mengetahui penyamaran Peter. Pelafalan Joshua atau Peter ini agak mengganggu, lebih baik menggunakan satu panggilan untuk semua tokoh.
Bagian yang juga membingungkan adalah efek samping dari tokoh yang mengalami perpindahan waktu. Apakah umur berpengaruh? Karena efek samping memudar Kate dan Tar Man berbeda, begitu juga pada Peter yang sepertinya malah tidak berefek. Kate mengalami penurunan kesehatan akibat memudar, sedangkan Tar Man malah sehat-sehat saja dan bisa mondar mandir masa lalu-masa depan sambil bawa-bawa lukisan/benda seni abad ke 18 untuk dijual di masa depan.
Bagian proses Tar Man menguasai masa depan juga tidak terlalu digambarkan dalam cerita. Jadi, saat tiba-tiba Tar Man, 'ngambek' karena cemooh sang bangsawan seperti tidak menggambarkan karakter Tar Man yang sebelumnya 'tahan banting'. Proses menurunnya kesenangan Tar Man di masa depan tidak digambarkan dengan mulus.
Saya meneruskan membaca novel ini, semata-mata penasaran berhasil-tidaknya para pelintas waktu kembali ke masa. Tapiiiii... akhir cerita bikin mata berputar-putar sebal karena Kate dan Peter kembali ke masa lampau, jadi mikir apa penulisnya kehabisan ide?
Seri ketiga sepertinya akan tetap dibaca, tapi tidak memastikan kapan akan menengok #TimeQuake
Masalahnya adalah penulis kadang keliru melafalkan sosok Peter dari sudut pandang tokoh lain. Saat penulis menceritakan Peter dari sosok Kate atau Mr. Schock, sering menggunakan Peter padahal yang mereka kenal saat itu adalah 'Joshua'. Dan juga sebaliknya saat bercerita tentang Hannah yang mengetahui penyamaran Peter. Pelafalan Joshua atau Peter ini agak mengganggu, lebih baik menggunakan satu panggilan untuk semua tokoh.
Bagian yang juga membingungkan adalah efek samping dari tokoh yang mengalami perpindahan waktu. Apakah umur berpengaruh? Karena efek samping memudar Kate dan Tar Man berbeda, begitu juga pada Peter yang sepertinya malah tidak berefek. Kate mengalami penurunan kesehatan akibat memudar, sedangkan Tar Man malah sehat-sehat saja dan bisa mondar mandir masa lalu-masa depan sambil bawa-bawa lukisan/benda seni abad ke 18 untuk dijual di masa depan.
Bagian proses Tar Man menguasai masa depan juga tidak terlalu digambarkan dalam cerita. Jadi, saat tiba-tiba Tar Man, 'ngambek' karena cemooh sang bangsawan seperti tidak menggambarkan karakter Tar Man yang sebelumnya 'tahan banting'. Proses menurunnya kesenangan Tar Man di masa depan tidak digambarkan dengan mulus.
Saya meneruskan membaca novel ini, semata-mata penasaran berhasil-tidaknya para pelintas waktu kembali ke masa. Tapiiiii... akhir cerita bikin mata berputar-putar sebal karena Kate dan Peter kembali ke masa lampau, jadi mikir apa penulisnya kehabisan ide?
Seri ketiga sepertinya akan tetap dibaca, tapi tidak memastikan kapan akan menengok #TimeQuake
February 1, 2016
*Sudah terbiasa dengan kekuatan super efek perjalanan waktu ala trilogi ini, aku menganggap buku kedua ini lebih baik. Ini tentang Peter dan pergolakan emosinya, yang mampu diolah oleh penulisnya dengan cukup sukses, sehingga membuatku baper*
Terjawab sudah kelanjutan ending buku sebelumnya, dan menghasilkan dua hal dalam buku ini.
Pertama Tar Man, yang menikmati petualangan di masa depan, masa kita... terbuai dengan teknologi modern namun masih dibayangi oleh suasana abad dari mana dia berasal.. Lalu, yah, namanya juga kriminal, pasti ga jauh dari aksi-aksi kriminallah. sedikit lucu sih saat bagian novel ini menceritakan proses adaptasinya dengan hal-hal apartemen,
Yang kedua Peter.
Ini yang paling aku kasih jempol dari novel ini, gejolak emosinya kuat banget yang berkaitan dengan ayahnya, aku ikut ngrasain rasa kangennya, dilematisnya serta rasa yang kusebut sebagai, 'bisa menggapai tapi tak tergapai' hasilnya bisa ditebak, nangis-nagis bombay gitu, ngrasain homesicknya Peter sekaligus bagian menggapai tadi.
Petualangannya lebih oke di sini, tidak terasa alur lambatnya, dan masih seotentik buku sebelumnya, tentu. Hanya saja endingnya... memang gayanya Linda seperti ini ya, bab terakhir memberi sentuhan buku berikutnya, tujuannya biar penasaran... seperti buku pertama dulu, namun untuk buku ke dua ini aku ga merasakan penasaran sama sekali, karena ada rasa kurang sreg dengan konsep perjalanan waktu yang terjadi di akhir buku ini, tapi siapa tahu apa yang terjadi di buku selanjutnya...
Terjawab sudah kelanjutan ending buku sebelumnya, dan menghasilkan dua hal dalam buku ini.
Pertama Tar Man, yang menikmati petualangan di masa depan, masa kita... terbuai dengan teknologi modern namun masih dibayangi oleh suasana abad dari mana dia berasal.. Lalu, yah, namanya juga kriminal, pasti ga jauh dari aksi-aksi kriminallah. sedikit lucu sih saat bagian novel ini menceritakan proses adaptasinya dengan hal-hal apartemen,
Yang kedua Peter.
Ini yang paling aku kasih jempol dari novel ini, gejolak emosinya kuat banget yang berkaitan dengan ayahnya, aku ikut ngrasain rasa kangennya, dilematisnya serta rasa yang kusebut sebagai, 'bisa menggapai tapi tak tergapai' hasilnya bisa ditebak, nangis-nagis bombay gitu, ngrasain homesicknya Peter sekaligus bagian menggapai tadi.
Petualangannya lebih oke di sini, tidak terasa alur lambatnya, dan masih seotentik buku sebelumnya, tentu. Hanya saja endingnya... memang gayanya Linda seperti ini ya, bab terakhir memberi sentuhan buku berikutnya, tujuannya biar penasaran... seperti buku pertama dulu, namun untuk buku ke dua ini aku ga merasakan penasaran sama sekali, karena ada rasa kurang sreg dengan konsep perjalanan waktu yang terjadi di akhir buku ini, tapi siapa tahu apa yang terjadi di buku selanjutnya...
July 20, 2009
I did not read the first one. I picked this up in a hurry as a CD rental on a long drive remembering I wanted to read "The Book Thief" and oops. Got this one. That being said, I wasn't up to speed with what happened in the first book, didn't know the build up of the characters and thought that it was unnecessarily following 4 different story lines in a single book. Had I grown fond of the characters in the first book, I probably would have been more invested and interested in learning the outcomes.
I hope to pick up the first and fill in the story. I have to say though, I felt like nothing was resolved at the end of this particular story. It was as though things needed to go awry all over again to form a very contrived plot for a 3rd book. Had the characters become endeared to me, I may be in suspense, but I found myself saying, "You have got to be kidding me" at the end of this one.
I hope to pick up the first and fill in the story. I have to say though, I felt like nothing was resolved at the end of this particular story. It was as though things needed to go awry all over again to form a very contrived plot for a 3rd book. Had the characters become endeared to me, I may be in suspense, but I found myself saying, "You have got to be kidding me" at the end of this one.
June 2, 2025
Also called "The Tar Man."
At the end of the first book, Kate returns to her time, The Tar Man hitches a ride with her, and Peter gets accidentally left behind in 1763. When Kate and Dr. Dyer return to rescue Peter, a wrong button on the machine was pushed and they end up in 1793. Meanwhile, the Tar Man is having lots of fun wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting twenty first century.
Fan Mix
1. Slow Me Down (Emmy Rossum) - Kate’s Theme
2. Pale (Within Temptation) - Kate
3. Broken (Lifehouse) - Peter (esp. in The Time Thief)
4. Collide (Howie Day) - Kate & Peter
5. The Way It Ends (Landon Pigg) - The Friends
6. Iridescent (Linkin Park) - Peter & Kate
7. Hold (Superchick) - Kate
8. Blink (Revive) - Peter’s Theme
9. Dare You to Move (Switchfoot) - the Friends
10. Crystallized Beauty (Philip Glass?) - Kate’s Theme 2
11. Wait it Out(Imogen Heap) - Kate's POV
At the end of the first book, Kate returns to her time, The Tar Man hitches a ride with her, and Peter gets accidentally left behind in 1763. When Kate and Dr. Dyer return to rescue Peter, a wrong button on the machine was pushed and they end up in 1793. Meanwhile, the Tar Man is having lots of fun wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting twenty first century.
Fan Mix
1. Slow Me Down (Emmy Rossum) - Kate’s Theme
2. Pale (Within Temptation) - Kate
3. Broken (Lifehouse) - Peter (esp. in The Time Thief)
4. Collide (Howie Day) - Kate & Peter
5. The Way It Ends (Landon Pigg) - The Friends
6. Iridescent (Linkin Park) - Peter & Kate
7. Hold (Superchick) - Kate
8. Blink (Revive) - Peter’s Theme
9. Dare You to Move (Switchfoot) - the Friends
10. Crystallized Beauty (Philip Glass?) - Kate’s Theme 2
11. Wait it Out(Imogen Heap) - Kate's POV
March 13, 2024
Things are getting complicated.
December 11, 2016
Ho letto questo romanzo in tutta fretta. O meglio ci ho messo troppi giorni per i miei gusti, ma è un periodo pesante ed ho cercato di accellerarne la lettura per mettermelo alle spalle entro oggi.
Adoro i viaggi nel tempo e tutti i sottintesi che possono esserci e cercando una serie con questa caratteristica ho scoperto una trilogia promettente che non conoscevo.
Peccato che questo sia il secondo volume, ma per questioni personali l'ho letto lo stesso.
La storia inizia dal ritorno dal 1763 di Kate Dyer nel presente. Purtroppo il suo amico Peter, con cui aveva erroneamente attivato questa macchina del tempo, è rimasto indietro e nell'operazione di recupero si è sostituito l'Uomo Pece/Blueskin, temibile criminale della Londra del XVIII secolo!
Non c'è questione per Kate: andrà a recuperare l'amico, ma deve architettare un piano. La macchina antigravità è stata nascosta in un garage da parte di Tom Williamson al fine di distruggerla, con buona complicità della dottoressa Pirretti, entrambi colleghi del padre. La motivazione è nobile perchè la scoperta dei viaggi nel tempo è pericolosa e può essere usata per scopi malvagi con esiti nefasti. Ma Kate non vuole abbandonare il suo amico, avevano giurato di tornare assieme. Allora coinvolge il padre del ragazzo, Nicholas Schock, confessandogli tutto.
Il recupero della macchina è rocambolesco, vengono raggiunti da Williamson, dalla Pirretti e perfino dal padre di Kate e quando la macchina viene azionata non possono immaginare che sia stata manomessa dai curiosi proprietari del garage e finiscono nel 1792. I due ci mettono un pò a capire che non è l'anno giusto e sperano che ventinove anni dopo Peter sia ancora vivo. Per loro (s)fortuna si imbattono in Joshua Seymour, fratello di quel Gideon che aiutò Kate e Peter nel 1763 che li informa della scomparsa di Peter e che li aiuterà a riparare la macchina ani gravità, rottasi con l'arrivo nel 1792, per permettere loro di tornare a recuperare Peter nel 1763, salvandolo.
Kate e Mr Schock non immaginano che si tratti di Peter, il quale vuole semplicemente fare il bene di tutti. SI troverebbe spaesato a tornare nel suo tempo alla sua età e in fin dei conti KAte e suo padre cercano un bambino, non lui stesso ormai alle soglie della mezza età.
Ma non c'è tempo da perdere. Kate inizia a subire nefasti e duraturi effetti negativi della sua presenza nel passato, scomparendo in una dimensione a metà dove lei è troppo veloce e gli altri immobili e agli occhi di tutti è bloccata o scomparsa. E anche la sua forma fisica sfiorisce.
Nel frattempo nei nostri giorni l'Uomo Pece ne combina di ogni tipo per approriarsi di questa miniera di possibilità che è il nostro secolo. Ovviamente ne combinerà di eclatanti e capisce subito che è tutto molto diverso dal suo secolo. Le cose andranno meglio quando troverà una guida per questo secolo, la giovane Anjali che rimarrà sempre scettica sui modi dell'uomo Pece e che aiuterà per tornaconto personale.
Il libro è pieno di avvenimenti e colpi di scena, un pò troppi a volte.
L'unica cosa che mi è piaciuta poco è la profondità dei personaggi. La avverto poco. Ad esempio ci vengono presentati rabbia, rammarico, gioia, ma vengono "presentati". Almeno io li percepisco così, ma non li provo. Per altre vicende e descrizioni invece l'autrice è più prodiga e minuziosa che si tratti di usi e costumi o architetture ed arredamenti.
Ad esempio alcuni comportamenti storici sono all'acqua di rose, altri truculenti, manca di equilibrio. E' preparata, ma sembra che non abbia chiara la linea di condotta.
E' un libro per ragazzi, però strano. Troppo prolisso e complesso per un dodicenne di oggi e troppo semplicistico, almeno nei sentimenti, per un lettore più grande.
Per il resto ho apprezzato molto gli intrecci temporali, e lo sviluppo delle vicende.
KAte e il padre di Peter sono fenomenali quando bisticciano. La ragazza inizia a capire i sentimenti contrastanti di Peter verso il genitore.
Il finale costringe a proseguire col terzo volume (nel mio caso anche al recupero del primo!).
Una saga appasionante, non priva di difetti, ma senz'altro costruttiva che ci invita a non giocare col fuoco ed a pensare bene prima di agire.
Adoro i viaggi nel tempo e tutti i sottintesi che possono esserci e cercando una serie con questa caratteristica ho scoperto una trilogia promettente che non conoscevo.
Peccato che questo sia il secondo volume, ma per questioni personali l'ho letto lo stesso.
La storia inizia dal ritorno dal 1763 di Kate Dyer nel presente. Purtroppo il suo amico Peter, con cui aveva erroneamente attivato questa macchina del tempo, è rimasto indietro e nell'operazione di recupero si è sostituito l'Uomo Pece/Blueskin, temibile criminale della Londra del XVIII secolo!
Non c'è questione per Kate: andrà a recuperare l'amico, ma deve architettare un piano. La macchina antigravità è stata nascosta in un garage da parte di Tom Williamson al fine di distruggerla, con buona complicità della dottoressa Pirretti, entrambi colleghi del padre. La motivazione è nobile perchè la scoperta dei viaggi nel tempo è pericolosa e può essere usata per scopi malvagi con esiti nefasti. Ma Kate non vuole abbandonare il suo amico, avevano giurato di tornare assieme. Allora coinvolge il padre del ragazzo, Nicholas Schock, confessandogli tutto.
Il recupero della macchina è rocambolesco, vengono raggiunti da Williamson, dalla Pirretti e perfino dal padre di Kate e quando la macchina viene azionata non possono immaginare che sia stata manomessa dai curiosi proprietari del garage e finiscono nel 1792. I due ci mettono un pò a capire che non è l'anno giusto e sperano che ventinove anni dopo Peter sia ancora vivo. Per loro (s)fortuna si imbattono in Joshua Seymour, fratello di quel Gideon che aiutò Kate e Peter nel 1763 che li informa della scomparsa di Peter e che li aiuterà a riparare la macchina ani gravità, rottasi con l'arrivo nel 1792, per permettere loro di tornare a recuperare Peter nel 1763, salvandolo.
Kate e Mr Schock non immaginano che si tratti di Peter, il quale vuole semplicemente fare il bene di tutti. SI troverebbe spaesato a tornare nel suo tempo alla sua età e in fin dei conti KAte e suo padre cercano un bambino, non lui stesso ormai alle soglie della mezza età.
Ma non c'è tempo da perdere. Kate inizia a subire nefasti e duraturi effetti negativi della sua presenza nel passato, scomparendo in una dimensione a metà dove lei è troppo veloce e gli altri immobili e agli occhi di tutti è bloccata o scomparsa. E anche la sua forma fisica sfiorisce.
Nel frattempo nei nostri giorni l'Uomo Pece ne combina di ogni tipo per approriarsi di questa miniera di possibilità che è il nostro secolo. Ovviamente ne combinerà di eclatanti e capisce subito che è tutto molto diverso dal suo secolo. Le cose andranno meglio quando troverà una guida per questo secolo, la giovane Anjali che rimarrà sempre scettica sui modi dell'uomo Pece e che aiuterà per tornaconto personale.
Il libro è pieno di avvenimenti e colpi di scena, un pò troppi a volte.
L'unica cosa che mi è piaciuta poco è la profondità dei personaggi. La avverto poco. Ad esempio ci vengono presentati rabbia, rammarico, gioia, ma vengono "presentati". Almeno io li percepisco così, ma non li provo. Per altre vicende e descrizioni invece l'autrice è più prodiga e minuziosa che si tratti di usi e costumi o architetture ed arredamenti.
Ad esempio alcuni comportamenti storici sono all'acqua di rose, altri truculenti, manca di equilibrio. E' preparata, ma sembra che non abbia chiara la linea di condotta.
E' un libro per ragazzi, però strano. Troppo prolisso e complesso per un dodicenne di oggi e troppo semplicistico, almeno nei sentimenti, per un lettore più grande.
Per il resto ho apprezzato molto gli intrecci temporali, e lo sviluppo delle vicende.
KAte e il padre di Peter sono fenomenali quando bisticciano. La ragazza inizia a capire i sentimenti contrastanti di Peter verso il genitore.
Il finale costringe a proseguire col terzo volume (nel mio caso anche al recupero del primo!).
Una saga appasionante, non priva di difetti, ma senz'altro costruttiva che ci invita a non giocare col fuoco ed a pensare bene prima di agire.
February 22, 2009
The Tar Man (a.k.a. The Time Thief) by Linda Buckley-Archer
An excellent sequel that has its own important tale to tell and is not simply a hold over until the denouement. Kate has to go back in time to find Peter when the NASA scientists, and even her own parents, believe that it would be too dangerous to try and rescue him, fearing the effects of further tampering with the linear progression of time. Unable to live with that decision, Kate enlists the help of Peter’s father and together they set off through time to rescue him. Due to some tampering with the machine, Kate and Mr. Schock end up in 1792, rather than 1763. Now they need to find a way back to their own time. To further complicate matters, Peter appears, now an adult, having grown up an orphan in another century. He tries to conceal his identity from Kate and his father, hoping to spare them pain as he knows he must send them on to find Peter in 1763. All the while, Kate is starting to exhibit dangerous symptoms from her continued travels through time. Her determination to rescue her friend is beginning to take a drastic toll on her health.
In modern-day London, the Tar Man is loose and wreaking havoc. I honestly found those sections of the story quite boring. Too much about the bad guys and their lifestyle. The sections with the highwaymen in Gideon were far better by comparision. This section would be for slightly older readers. Aged 13/14+, though the rest of the story is still age 10/11+.
(Tar Man’s excerpts contains a romantic relationship for one character. Kate’s section has no romance. Action/ Adventure is pretty consistent throughout. Another cliff-hanger ending.)
What was it that "accelerated" the anti-gravity machine in the first place, resulting in time travel? Anita says that she feels a crack open in the universe. Why the 3rd trip? Why not the first? Or the second with Mr. Dyer? Why didn't Peter ever blur again? Did he need Kate to do it? How could Peter and Gideon have come to Middle Harpenden searching for Kate and Mr. Schock in the parallel world when it was that same world that Peter grew up in and that he was never taken away to the 21st century in as a child?!! The locals are the same and have encountered both groups. And do we ever get to see Kate give Peter his older self's letter and three pieces of advice, i.e. "And the third?"
"That he should never let go of you."
"That's a strange thing to say!"
"Yes, I suppose it is - yet it is how the words formed in my head."
An excellent sequel that has its own important tale to tell and is not simply a hold over until the denouement. Kate has to go back in time to find Peter when the NASA scientists, and even her own parents, believe that it would be too dangerous to try and rescue him, fearing the effects of further tampering with the linear progression of time. Unable to live with that decision, Kate enlists the help of Peter’s father and together they set off through time to rescue him. Due to some tampering with the machine, Kate and Mr. Schock end up in 1792, rather than 1763. Now they need to find a way back to their own time. To further complicate matters, Peter appears, now an adult, having grown up an orphan in another century. He tries to conceal his identity from Kate and his father, hoping to spare them pain as he knows he must send them on to find Peter in 1763. All the while, Kate is starting to exhibit dangerous symptoms from her continued travels through time. Her determination to rescue her friend is beginning to take a drastic toll on her health.
In modern-day London, the Tar Man is loose and wreaking havoc. I honestly found those sections of the story quite boring. Too much about the bad guys and their lifestyle. The sections with the highwaymen in Gideon were far better by comparision. This section would be for slightly older readers. Aged 13/14+, though the rest of the story is still age 10/11+.
(Tar Man’s excerpts contains a romantic relationship for one character. Kate’s section has no romance. Action/ Adventure is pretty consistent throughout. Another cliff-hanger ending.)
What was it that "accelerated" the anti-gravity machine in the first place, resulting in time travel? Anita says that she feels a crack open in the universe. Why the 3rd trip? Why not the first? Or the second with Mr. Dyer? Why didn't Peter ever blur again? Did he need Kate to do it? How could Peter and Gideon have come to Middle Harpenden searching for Kate and Mr. Schock in the parallel world when it was that same world that Peter grew up in and that he was never taken away to the 21st century in as a child?!! The locals are the same and have encountered both groups. And do we ever get to see Kate give Peter his older self's letter and three pieces of advice, i.e. "And the third?"
"That he should never let go of you."
"That's a strange thing to say!"
"Yes, I suppose it is - yet it is how the words formed in my head."
May 25, 2023
what was even going on here tbh. this absolutely didn't need to be 500 pages. the parts with kate and peter were entertaining but I didn't care one iota about the tar man plotline which was basically half the book. they massacred my boy tom's character and then . there was a very real pro-nobility anti-common people vein running throughout which was SO bizarre. on top of all this we have the WEIRD love triangle jealousy thing that I thought I MADE UP because I couldn't believe it would be real. that was at least really funny so whatever. peter is annoying in book 1 and I think I remember the same in book 3 so that means adult!peter is the only valid incarnation. this is the only reason the love triangle thing even works so wtf are they gonna do next book?? this review doesn't make sense but neither does the book
September 4, 2014
The Time Thief is a sequel worthy its name.
I think that the plot of this book is more involving than that of the previous one, even though the descriptions of the XVIII century are still realistic I really liked observing a grown-up Peter, whose thoughts, behavior and belief are different but also similar to the young one.
Even the part with the Tar Man were interesting, and I suffered when .
The only one thing that disappointed me was the complete absence of news about Jack and Sidney's future, as well as Gideon's. I would have really liked more informations about them
I think that the plot of this book is more involving than that of the previous one, even though the descriptions of the XVIII century are still realistic I really liked observing a grown-up Peter, whose thoughts, behavior and belief are different but also similar to the young one.
Even the part with the Tar Man were interesting, and I suffered when .
The only one thing that disappointed me was the complete absence of news about Jack and Sidney's future, as well as Gideon's. I would have really liked more informations about them
May 18, 2008
As I wrote in my review for the first of this series, I like it a lot. Some complained to me that the second wasn't as good as the first, but I don't agree. I liked what was going on with characters (good and bad) coming to the present. Some interesting and original stuff going on. I will be interested to see where this trilogy ends up.
January 27, 2008
An excellent sequel to _The Time Travelers_ (formerly titled _Gideon the Cutpurse_). This fantasy is about time traveling (duh), and features a very quick-moving plot, but it really examines the moral and philosophical implications of time travel. (Who knew?) I can't wait for the third one.
October 9, 2014
I am quite impressed with Linda Buckley-Archer's ability to not only write a decent time travel story, but to do it in a completely believable way; she manages to come up with an intriguing plot device that explains the lack of paradoxes. I can't wait 'til the next entry into thise series!
June 18, 2010
My only complaint about this sequel is that there is almost too much conflict. There are so many different things goin on, the reader feels unsettled for much of the book. But the action and story are still good. I look forward to the third.
January 10, 2019
This was a great second book in the series. Only a few things caused me to give it 3 stars instead of four. First, it has a couple of swear words, which are not okay for a kids book. Also some of the content was a little mature for my 10 and 11 year olds that are also listening to this book.
January 28, 2010
I can't wait to read to read the next one! What an exciting and fun story!
July 8, 2010
I ABSOLUTLY LOOOOOVE THESE BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 15, 2024
'Il ladro del tempo' è il secondo volume della trilogia 'L’Illuminazione di Peter Schock'. Rispetto al primo romanzo l’ho trovato molto, ma molto più bello.
La narrazione è assai più veloce e i personaggi hanno assunto una loro personalità specifica, come se finalmente agissero da soli, senza rimanere impastoiati dalla narrativa della scrittrice.
La trama è incalzante e in alcuni punti originale. Merito dell’autrice, improvvisamente cresciuta e migliorata, o della traduzione, che ha cambiato mano passando da Valentina Daniele a Roldano Romanelli? Non lo so, ma di certo questo romanzo è molto, ma molto più avvincente, mentre il primo era di difficile lettura.
La descrizione della Rivoluzione Francese mi ha assai incuriosito, perché stavo leggendo contemporaneamente 'La grande impresa della Primula Rossa' che si svolge praticamente negli stessi anni e rivedermi qui la locanda di Dover, il traghettamento per Calais e la coccarda dei ‘cittadini’ francesi, mi ha fatto quasi scorgere tra le righe l’altezza camuffata di Sir Percy Blakeney.
Ancora una volta il romanzo è raccontato con due filoni: 1793 e giorni nostri, ma a differenza del primo libro in questo caso i due filoni sono divisi per capitoli (in un capitolo gli eventi del passato e nell’altro quelli del presenti, a loro volta suddivisi tra Uomo Pece e Mr Dyer e la Nasa), ed è così di più facile comprensione.
Vorrei al proposito a sottolineare un concetto. Non sono contraria al ping pong, come lo chiamo io, tra scene diverse. Al contrario lo trovo assai affascinante (e lo utilizzo spesso nei miei romanzi) ma se lo si vuole fare è necessario che tutto questo venga fatto con accortezza: regola numero 1, il soggetto della frase deve essere subito messo in primo piano così che quando si legge il paragrafo si sa subito a chi si riferisce; regola numero 2) se cambia scenografia, per favore mettimi immediatamente un riferimento chiaro e preciso di dove ci troviamo.
Concludo questa disanima generale segnalando che l’Uomo Pece (il Tar Man del titolo originale dell’opera), personaggio amatissimo dall’autrice, è per me viceversa assai poco interessante. Tutta la sua storia a Londra moderna era se non inutile (servirà per la conclusione), sicuramente un po’ pedante e poco stimolante.
Complessivamente si tratta di un romanzo assai interessante, soprattutto per i sentimenti che vengono descritti e per vedere come Peter Schock adulto si sia trasformato in un uomo profondo e appassionato e come il legame fortissimo che lo lega a Kate continui nel corso dei secoli.
Consigliato.
Per leggere la recensione completa visita il mio blog:
https://dilettanicastro.blogspot.com/...
La narrazione è assai più veloce e i personaggi hanno assunto una loro personalità specifica, come se finalmente agissero da soli, senza rimanere impastoiati dalla narrativa della scrittrice.
La trama è incalzante e in alcuni punti originale. Merito dell’autrice, improvvisamente cresciuta e migliorata, o della traduzione, che ha cambiato mano passando da Valentina Daniele a Roldano Romanelli? Non lo so, ma di certo questo romanzo è molto, ma molto più avvincente, mentre il primo era di difficile lettura.
La descrizione della Rivoluzione Francese mi ha assai incuriosito, perché stavo leggendo contemporaneamente 'La grande impresa della Primula Rossa' che si svolge praticamente negli stessi anni e rivedermi qui la locanda di Dover, il traghettamento per Calais e la coccarda dei ‘cittadini’ francesi, mi ha fatto quasi scorgere tra le righe l’altezza camuffata di Sir Percy Blakeney.
Ancora una volta il romanzo è raccontato con due filoni: 1793 e giorni nostri, ma a differenza del primo libro in questo caso i due filoni sono divisi per capitoli (in un capitolo gli eventi del passato e nell’altro quelli del presenti, a loro volta suddivisi tra Uomo Pece e Mr Dyer e la Nasa), ed è così di più facile comprensione.
Vorrei al proposito a sottolineare un concetto. Non sono contraria al ping pong, come lo chiamo io, tra scene diverse. Al contrario lo trovo assai affascinante (e lo utilizzo spesso nei miei romanzi) ma se lo si vuole fare è necessario che tutto questo venga fatto con accortezza: regola numero 1, il soggetto della frase deve essere subito messo in primo piano così che quando si legge il paragrafo si sa subito a chi si riferisce; regola numero 2) se cambia scenografia, per favore mettimi immediatamente un riferimento chiaro e preciso di dove ci troviamo.
Concludo questa disanima generale segnalando che l’Uomo Pece (il Tar Man del titolo originale dell’opera), personaggio amatissimo dall’autrice, è per me viceversa assai poco interessante. Tutta la sua storia a Londra moderna era se non inutile (servirà per la conclusione), sicuramente un po’ pedante e poco stimolante.
Complessivamente si tratta di un romanzo assai interessante, soprattutto per i sentimenti che vengono descritti e per vedere come Peter Schock adulto si sia trasformato in un uomo profondo e appassionato e come il legame fortissimo che lo lega a Kate continui nel corso dei secoli.
Consigliato.
Per leggere la recensione completa visita il mio blog:
https://dilettanicastro.blogspot.com/...
August 29, 2010
Before I start my review I would like to address the quote from School Library Journal on the cover of this book that claims, “Buckley-Archer may very well give J. K. Rowling a run for her money. This wonderfully rich and complex novel, written in lyrical and vivid language, is destined to be a classic...” I’m not entirely certain that this trilogy deserves this much praise, and putting J.K. Rowling’s name on the cover of these books gives the impression to potential readers that they are dealing with a similar kind of story. The Gideon Trilogy is intended for a slightly younger audience and is, at three books, far less involved and developed than the Harry Potter series. Although Buckley-Archers The Time Thief is well written, these authors clearly have different styles, and all the books really share in common is location.
I will begin my review by saying that if the theme of the first book in this trilogy was, “Thou shalt not steal,” then the theme of this book was, “Actions have consequences.” At the end of the first book in the series Kate returned to the present with her father but, as a result of the interference from the Tar Man, Peter was left behind in 1763. Kate remembers how scared she was that Peter would manage the leave the past without her, and the blood oath she made him swear that they would never abandon each other, and she just can’t accept that he has been left behind. There’s a problem, however: Dr. Perretti (NASA) has decided that the trips to the past and back, by the kids and then Dr. Dyer in a second machine, have disrupted the existing timeline too much to risk a rescue trip for Peter. All this time travel has serious and potentially devastating consequences for the world, and it has to stop—permanently—before the price becomes too high to pay. Kate can’t accept this decision and enlists Nicholas Schock, Peter’s father, in her rescue scheme; she knows where the anti-gravity machine is being stored and hopes he will help her break into the storage facility and travel back to retrieve Peter. Nick is up for the challenge because he feels responsible for Peter’s predicament: He chose to put his work before his son, with the consequence that Peter was taken to the country and exposed to the anti-gravity machine. Further, his decision to cancel on a promised outing with his son for the third time in the first book broke his son’s trust, and Nick wants to prove to Peter that he loves him and can be a good father.
The major glitch in their plan is the result of where the machine has been stored: A public storage facility. The manager saw the machine when it was brought in, but didn’t know what it was and wanted to see it work; he pushes some buttons, but is disappointed when the machine does nothing. Fortunately for everyone involved, he didn’t realize that the machine can’t work if it isn’t level. Unfortunately for Kate and Nick, his blind curiosity has the consequence of changing the settings on the machine and sending the pair to 1792 by mistake. Worse, the machine arrives broken, and there is no one with the expertise to repair it. Further, Peter is now a grown man in his forties, and he understands too much time has passed. All he can do is help Nick and Kate find the help they need to get the machine operational so that they can return to the present and possibly attempt a future rescue of his 12 year-old self from 1763.
The theme of consequences keeps repeating in the remainder of the book: The Tar Man is in London, and he is attempting to rebuild his former sphere of influence, but on a much larger scale. He likes this new London and the comforts he has access to; he lives in a luxury apartment, has fixed his teeth, wears nicer clothes, can even afford a chiropractor to repair his damaged neck. But he quickly begins to learn that the twenty-first century has its own problems, and as much as he wants to become a crime lord in modern day England, the price he will have to pay is even more than he can bear. As the story develops he realizes that what he really wants is to start over, to correct his past so that he can lead a better life. He becomes determined to steal one of the anti-gravity machines so that he can go back to 1763 and prevent himself from travelling down the wrong path. Although the book is entitled The Time Thief, there are so many parallel storylines in this novel that he is as much a character as Gideon was in the first book. In other words, he’s a main character, but he shares equal time with other characters in the story.
Meanwhile, Nick and Peter struggle in 1792 to resolve their strained relationship. Peter hides his identity from his dad because he knows that he will not be returning to the present and doesn’t want his father to suffer more guilt. Nick, oblivious to the fact that he has found his son, spills his heart to the man he has befriended, and expresses his feelings of inadequacy and regret. Both men are able to see their history from a different perspective, and each learns a greater respect for the other as a result. Their separation towards the end of the book is surprisingly bittersweet and emotional, and I feel like Peter and Nick’s relationship provides much of the heart in the book.
Like many other reviewers, I liked this book more than the first in the series, which is why I have decided to give it four stars. Author Linda Buckley-Archer spent a great deal of time world building in the first installment, and this made the first book very slow to get started and it struggled with pacing problems throughout. The Time Thief, by comparison, has a great deal of action right from the start, and the scenes were more fluid and vivid. I appreciated the glimpses into the French Revolution and the difficulties with travel that an eighteenth century individual would have faced. Once again the author includes a note at the end of this book warning the reader that her focus is on storytelling and not historical accuracy, but I felt like she gave the reader as much information as they needed to develop context without making her story excessively bulky.
Another element I appreciated about this book was the greater degree of difficulty in language and concepts. The first book in the series used vocabulary and storytelling techniques that are simplistic and l think this cost the book a level of gravitas that the second book embraces. The Time Thief seems to say to the reader, “Yes, you’re a young adult, but you can handle these emotions and scientific concepts, and I don’t have to dumb them down for you.” There is a lot of discussion about the ethics of time travel and how it could be damaging to society as a whole; as one character points out, humans can only live their lives forward. There is also a discussion about how time travel has consequences, unlike the way that time travel has been portrayed in movies and other books. Every time a character travels in time damage is done, and this damage is beginning to manifest itself, setting up the last book in the series nicely.
I will begin my review by saying that if the theme of the first book in this trilogy was, “Thou shalt not steal,” then the theme of this book was, “Actions have consequences.” At the end of the first book in the series Kate returned to the present with her father but, as a result of the interference from the Tar Man, Peter was left behind in 1763. Kate remembers how scared she was that Peter would manage the leave the past without her, and the blood oath she made him swear that they would never abandon each other, and she just can’t accept that he has been left behind. There’s a problem, however: Dr. Perretti (NASA) has decided that the trips to the past and back, by the kids and then Dr. Dyer in a second machine, have disrupted the existing timeline too much to risk a rescue trip for Peter. All this time travel has serious and potentially devastating consequences for the world, and it has to stop—permanently—before the price becomes too high to pay. Kate can’t accept this decision and enlists Nicholas Schock, Peter’s father, in her rescue scheme; she knows where the anti-gravity machine is being stored and hopes he will help her break into the storage facility and travel back to retrieve Peter. Nick is up for the challenge because he feels responsible for Peter’s predicament: He chose to put his work before his son, with the consequence that Peter was taken to the country and exposed to the anti-gravity machine. Further, his decision to cancel on a promised outing with his son for the third time in the first book broke his son’s trust, and Nick wants to prove to Peter that he loves him and can be a good father.
The major glitch in their plan is the result of where the machine has been stored: A public storage facility. The manager saw the machine when it was brought in, but didn’t know what it was and wanted to see it work; he pushes some buttons, but is disappointed when the machine does nothing. Fortunately for everyone involved, he didn’t realize that the machine can’t work if it isn’t level. Unfortunately for Kate and Nick, his blind curiosity has the consequence of changing the settings on the machine and sending the pair to 1792 by mistake. Worse, the machine arrives broken, and there is no one with the expertise to repair it. Further, Peter is now a grown man in his forties, and he understands too much time has passed. All he can do is help Nick and Kate find the help they need to get the machine operational so that they can return to the present and possibly attempt a future rescue of his 12 year-old self from 1763.
The theme of consequences keeps repeating in the remainder of the book: The Tar Man is in London, and he is attempting to rebuild his former sphere of influence, but on a much larger scale. He likes this new London and the comforts he has access to; he lives in a luxury apartment, has fixed his teeth, wears nicer clothes, can even afford a chiropractor to repair his damaged neck. But he quickly begins to learn that the twenty-first century has its own problems, and as much as he wants to become a crime lord in modern day England, the price he will have to pay is even more than he can bear. As the story develops he realizes that what he really wants is to start over, to correct his past so that he can lead a better life. He becomes determined to steal one of the anti-gravity machines so that he can go back to 1763 and prevent himself from travelling down the wrong path. Although the book is entitled The Time Thief, there are so many parallel storylines in this novel that he is as much a character as Gideon was in the first book. In other words, he’s a main character, but he shares equal time with other characters in the story.
Meanwhile, Nick and Peter struggle in 1792 to resolve their strained relationship. Peter hides his identity from his dad because he knows that he will not be returning to the present and doesn’t want his father to suffer more guilt. Nick, oblivious to the fact that he has found his son, spills his heart to the man he has befriended, and expresses his feelings of inadequacy and regret. Both men are able to see their history from a different perspective, and each learns a greater respect for the other as a result. Their separation towards the end of the book is surprisingly bittersweet and emotional, and I feel like Peter and Nick’s relationship provides much of the heart in the book.
Like many other reviewers, I liked this book more than the first in the series, which is why I have decided to give it four stars. Author Linda Buckley-Archer spent a great deal of time world building in the first installment, and this made the first book very slow to get started and it struggled with pacing problems throughout. The Time Thief, by comparison, has a great deal of action right from the start, and the scenes were more fluid and vivid. I appreciated the glimpses into the French Revolution and the difficulties with travel that an eighteenth century individual would have faced. Once again the author includes a note at the end of this book warning the reader that her focus is on storytelling and not historical accuracy, but I felt like she gave the reader as much information as they needed to develop context without making her story excessively bulky.
Another element I appreciated about this book was the greater degree of difficulty in language and concepts. The first book in the series used vocabulary and storytelling techniques that are simplistic and l think this cost the book a level of gravitas that the second book embraces. The Time Thief seems to say to the reader, “Yes, you’re a young adult, but you can handle these emotions and scientific concepts, and I don’t have to dumb them down for you.” There is a lot of discussion about the ethics of time travel and how it could be damaging to society as a whole; as one character points out, humans can only live their lives forward. There is also a discussion about how time travel has consequences, unlike the way that time travel has been portrayed in movies and other books. Every time a character travels in time damage is done, and this damage is beginning to manifest itself, setting up the last book in the series nicely.
October 28, 2024
Un po' meglio del primo, ma ancora non ci siamo per definirlo bello.
Dal 1763 l' Uomo Pece arriva nel XXI secolo e il suo adattamento mi è sembrato un po' troppo rapido, anche se stringe amicizie che di sicuro lo aiutano molto.
Ma Kate e il padre di Peter pensano bene di andare a riprendersi il ragazzino, solo che un errore di trasporto li porterà nell'epoca della Rivoluzione Francese (questa parte è quella che mi è piaciuta un po' di più, diciamo un pochino più adrenalinica).
C'è una morte di un personaggio nel nostro secolo che mi è dispiaciuta molto perché, nonostante il primo libro, iniziava a starmi simpatico.
Dopo, ammetto di essermi persa, soprattutto sul finale...c'è anche il personaggio della scienziata della Nasa che non ho ancora ben inquadrato.
Speriamo che il terzo volume mi piaccia di più.
Dal 1763 l' Uomo Pece arriva nel XXI secolo e il suo adattamento mi è sembrato un po' troppo rapido, anche se stringe amicizie che di sicuro lo aiutano molto.
Ma Kate e il padre di Peter pensano bene di andare a riprendersi il ragazzino, solo che un errore di trasporto li porterà nell'epoca della Rivoluzione Francese (questa parte è quella che mi è piaciuta un po' di più, diciamo un pochino più adrenalinica).
C'è una morte di un personaggio nel nostro secolo che mi è dispiaciuta molto perché, nonostante il primo libro, iniziava a starmi simpatico.
Dopo, ammetto di essermi persa, soprattutto sul finale...c'è anche il personaggio della scienziata della Nasa che non ho ancora ben inquadrato.
Speriamo che il terzo volume mi piaccia di più.
August 18, 2023
This book, at times, is slow to the punch and seems to drag on with unnecessary detail, but is certainly smart and enjoyable even when reading it as an adult. The characters are funny but could be a bit more charming and memorable, but I really loved how the author pushes the time travel concept. It really creates a reading experience full of “what ifs” that are then answered by the characters’ own questions.
The creativity is certainly not lacking.
There is surprising violence in this for a kids book, but I’m sure as a middle schooler I would have found it just as fun a read as I do now. It is a series I would definitely recommend so far despite its slow pace. Looking forward to reading the final part!
The creativity is certainly not lacking.
There is surprising violence in this for a kids book, but I’m sure as a middle schooler I would have found it just as fun a read as I do now. It is a series I would definitely recommend so far despite its slow pace. Looking forward to reading the final part!
August 20, 2025
I liked this book considerably more than the first book. The first book was not very well paced. There were really slow spots, and then the pace picked up quite a bit. This second book was more consistent: The pace was steady, the characters were mostly in the first book, with only a couple added characters. There were some interesting points--bc they arrive so much later that Peter is older. So I enjoyed this book much more. 3.5 stars.
August 23, 2025
The second book of the Gideon Trilogy picks up where The Cutpurse left off. We now have a criminal from 1763 that is in modern day and a child from modern day in 1763. The is still a policeman investigating the missing children, and a battle about what to do about the antigravity machine. It is interesting and kind of fun to see the developments. I can't wait to start the 3rd book.
April 30, 2024
Not as good as the first one, but still really really enjoyed! Didn’t love the character Tom continuing into this book, Anjali wasn’t believable to me. Other than that, loved it! Did not expect Lord Luxom’s role in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2023
fun series and some fun history in there too! Good read for young and old
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