The Mask of Time: An Indonesian Discovery

by James Murray

222 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight up, the best thing about The Mask of Time: An Indonesian Discovery is how it ends, quietly, without a big speech or a tidy bow. James Murray lets one small gesture, a character finally picking up a phone, carry the whole emotional payoff, and it landed harder than I expected. The middle sags, and there's a subplot about a job interview that goes nowhere. For patient readers who like subtle endings. Pass if you need closure spelled out.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished The Mask of Time and honestly didn't know whether to laugh or groan. James Murray has a voice that grabbed me by page three and never really let go, especially in the stretch where everything starts quietly falling apart. The ending felt rushed, like somebody yelled "wrap it up" from the next room. Great for readers who like a character-driven story, skip it if you need a tidy bow on everything.