As Time Goes By

by W. Royce Adams

AS TIME GOES BY Nearing the end, Old asks himself, "Does my life ultimately have any importance in any universal scheme? Am I just taking up space? Have I wasted the time given me? What effect have I had on others? Have I unknowingly, worse, knowingly, hurt others in some fashion? What's my worth? These are playful existential questions with no pertinent answers for me. So I'm putting down my cane and picking up my pen. I'm going to sift through the sands of my time to see what I can discover through remembrance. Don't expect any fancy writing. No playing with altered punctuation, or trying to be aesthetically clever, or poetic, or intellectual. Not here a Sedaris, or Saunders, or Atwood, or Yuknavich. Just me, squinting into some memorable windows in my life before they all fog." W. Royce Adams' fictional works include The Rairarubia Tales, The Computer's Nerd, Me & Jay, Jay, and Against the Current, a collection of short stories. He lives in Santa Barbara, California. www.wroyceadams.com

Genres: Philosophy, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

Published August 10, 2022

About the author

I'm an Emeritus Professor of English, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, California, where I taught for twenty-three years. Before that I taught for seven years at South High School, Torrance, California. Before that I spent three years, five months, and five days in the navy.

I earned degrees from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, and California State University, Long Beach. During my thirty-year teaching career, I published twenty-two college textbooks, primarily in the areas of developmental reading, writing and study skills.

I've published several adult short stories, several of which appear in my short story collection, Teacher, Teacher, I Declare! Several of my young adult novels have won awards. See http://www.rairarubiabooks.com.

I'm a past-president of the College Reading and Learning Association, a member of the Author's Guild, the International Reading Association, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, The Association of Booksellers for Children, and the Rockford Writers Guild.

I live in Santa Barbara, California, with my wife, Jane Brody.

Reviews

[IngramSpark]

This title was selected for IngramSpark's Indie Title Discovery Spotlight 2025!

[Adrien Weinhoffer]

This book was such a good read. I absolutely love the style in which this is written. If I were ever to write a book, it would be inspired by this author!
You really don't want to skip out on this one. I couldn't put it down. Each chapter is full of story and good quotes typically from music. It goes in order from younger years to more recent and only gets more interesting! You will find yourself laughing, crying and every emotion in between while reading this book. I can't praise it enough, you gotta read it for yourself!

[Steven Rosenstein]

“As Time Goes By” by W. Royce Adams is an exceptionally well-written work of fiction in the form of a memoir. In a usual fictional novel, we have a protagonist, whose name we know, whose current circumstances we know, and whose background we know as much as we need to, as it applies to the plot. Conversely, in a memoir of a fictional character, an author has to create an entire life story in great detail, which our author Mr. Adams has done very well. Yet, with all that needed to be created, we never know our protagonist’s name. The first line of the story is “Call me Old”. As I read it, I took it to mean that we were being informed that our protagonist is elderly. After the first few chapters I realized that I did not know his name, so I went back to the beginning thinking that I had missed it. I then noticed that Old was capitalized so I accepted that as his name.

The first two chapters are a philosophical look into Old’s thoughts on life and nicely set us up to read a memoir. Old’s family lives in St. Louis, chapter three contains some very early memories of a family road trip to his paternal grandfather in Mississippi. (I love typing Mississippi) From there we follow the childhood of a typical Midwestern boy born in the 1930s’. After high school as Old heads to college and the Navy, he has adventures and a career that are anything but typical. This memoir is so cleverly written that it’s easy to think the story is a non-fiction biography.

Every so often, I read a book I think about while I go about my day when not reading. This is one of those books. The characters and their lives are so well put together that they remained on my mind. I highly recommend this book, enjoy!

[Laura]

In Adams's "As Time Goes By" the protagonist, an elder man who calls himself Old, opens the book by pondering existential questions we have all asked ourselves about who we are, the importance or purpose of our existence on this earth, and whether our existence has truly impacted others. And so Old begins to recount and look through windows of certain points of his long life, in an attempt to seek the answers to these questions. Old describes his life growing up as a Midwestern boy with his family in Illinois during the 1930s. He briefly attends college, but his studies are interrupted due to the draft. Not keen on the idea of having to kill others, he decides to join the Navy. Old's anecdotes are interesting and entertaining as he tells of his experience in the Navy, his discovered love for fiction during his college years at UCLA post-service, and his life in his later adult years. The writing style is very straight forward with little fuss and "No playing with altered punctuation, or trying to be aesthetically clever, or poetic, or intellectual." as Old would describe it. An interesting aspect of the book is that the chapter titles are all song titles and at the end of the book there is a recommended playlist for the reader to listen to. I enjoyed this book overall and the interesting memoir style it was written in. Adams is a gifted storyteller and Old's narrative made me feel as though I was listening to a grandfather tell stories about his life, giving a sense of comfort.

[Grady]

‘No life is insignificant’ - a stroll through a life worth visiting!

California author W. Royce Adams is a prolific writer, both in articles in literary magazines, and in fiction books - The Rairarubia Tales, The Computer's Nerd, Me & Jay, Jay, and short story collections - Against the Current. Now he adds this ‘fictional memoir’ AS TIMEGOES BY and fully establishes himself as an important American author. The ring of his polished voice spills onto the opening page - ‘Call me Old. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having nothing to particularly interest me after retirement, I thought I would (Yes, I’m paraphrasing) set about taking a journey through a sea of words to help me drive off the damp, drizzly December time of my life…’ What follows is a volume rich in references to philosophy, concepts about the meaning of life of other famous authors, and much self-reflection about the ‘status’ of aging (brain fog, depleted memory, etc) and existential questions - all admixed with memorable moments from childhood through youth and beyond. The themes (or shared memories) are at all times fascinating, entertaining, at times humorous, and at times, tender. For senior readers this book is reassuring and relatable. For all readers, this book is a stand out for discovering the majesty of life. Highly recommended

[Meghan]

As Time Goes By is a story reflecting a complicated answer to one of life's most pressing questions; Who am I? As readers, we've all questioned our life choices in one way or another, and it was so comforting to read Adam's book to see that we are not alone in this world, boosting our confidence in the road we've taken in life. We get caught up in the perception and opinions of others, and that causes a loss of focus and unexpected obstacles. Adams does a stellar job in setting the tone, language use, and painting a picture in the reader's mind to look deep inside your soul and ask yourself the question; is this where I want to be in life? Is this the right road I'm taking? I could not help but enjoy the warmth in my heart, my calm mind, and my joyful attitude while reading As Time Goes By. Reading this book was like sitting down in my grandfather's parlor, and he is sharing his stories in life, giving me valuable advice to take with me and have for the rest of my life.

The book, As Time Goes By, is a valuable read filled with lifelong learning that is precious enough to hold on to forever. This book gets five stars.

[Hiren]

I liked that there is intermittent and deliberate use of humor spread throughout the book, although it is far from a "feel-good" or "entertaining" piece of work. Although the protagonist is said to have been suffering from memory-related issues, there is an incredible level of detail in describing many key events which have affected his life in one way or another.

The chapters are arranged well and in line with the title of the work, with no parallel storytelling or frequent episodes of flashback. Certain thoughts and emotions that many people will find relatable have been described in a very frank and direct manner. Some events have been narrated in the present tense so as to make the reader feel that they are happening right now before the reader's eyes.

Some readers might find the work to be getting too philosophical in certain cases but I feel that is what makes it a good memoir. The protagonist clearly shows his human side, acknowledging the shortcomings and blessings both in equal measure. A deep knowledge of music, especially in a classical/historical context, will help a lot in understanding the author's thoughts expressed in the book.

[Misty Knapp]

I enjoyed the character Old's inquiry into his life, asking questions we all ask at one point or another, in our lives- who am I? What have I done with my life? What legacy am I leaving behind? We see Old as a youngster, who learns what "sin" means when he hangs out with his grandfather. We see the character learns about music, especially jazz. We are along for the ride, as he studies literature and takes freelance writing jobs, eventually taking a travel position. Old describes his life, about falling in love with love and when he finally falls in love, for good. We are there when his wife goes through tragic events and then, himself. Royce Adams is a great writer, making you feel as if you're there, in the middle of the events, or standing in the corner.

[Lindsey Kate]

I really enjoyed this book, especially the opening sections where the author narrates experiences with his grandfather—a highlight of the book, in my opinion. The conclusion equally held its own, though some may not find it “satisfying.” There was a lull in the middle, causing my interest to wane and a temporary halt to my reading. However, upon resuming, the book regained its appeal, and I finished.
This book is written as a memoir; this style of writing appeals to my personal taste, though it may not resonate with everyone. Its tone straddles the line between being light-hearted and philosophical, giving it a unique depth that's neither too empty nor too ponderous.

[John Smith]

As Time Goes By poses the kind of questions most of us spend a lifetime avoiding — Does my life matter? Have I wasted my time? Did I unknowingly hurt the people around me? Adams asks them with disarming sincerity, and for that alone this book deserves attention. I found myself pausing often, not because of what Adams concluded, but because his questions sent me inward. The writing is plain and unpretentious, which suits the subject. My reservation is that the book sometimes drifts without giving those big questions enough room to breathe. Still, a worthwhile read for anyone willing to sit with uncertainty.

[John Hart]

Adams opens this memoir by picking up his pen instead of his cane, determined to sift through his life for whatever meaning remains. What he finds — and shares — is not comfort exactly, but something better: honest company in the dark. The existential questions he poses at the outset are ones I have never seen a writer hold so lightly and so seriously at the same time. Is my life important? Have I wasted my time? Did I hurt anyone? He doesn't answer them so much as illuminate them, and in doing so he made me feel less alone in asking my own. A deeply moving book. One of the most human things I've read in years.

[Robert Allison]

Not many writers are willing to ask, in print, whether their existence mattered — and mean it. Adams does, and the courage of that question gives this book a weight that lingers well past the final page. He doesn't wrap his reflections in false resolution or borrowed wisdom. He just keeps looking, honestly, at the windows of his life. I docked one star because the middle loses some momentum, but the core of this book — the restless, sincere wrestling with meaning — is something I won't forget easily. Recommended to anyone who has ever quietly wondered the same things.

[Benita Gold]

This work draws the reader in with quiet intensity and refuses to let go. Each reflection feels deeply lived rather than merely remembered. The writing moves with confidence, balancing vulnerability and insight. Difficult truths are approached with courage and clarity. The emotional weight builds naturally, without excess. There is a strong sense of moral awareness throughout. Every chapter adds resonance. A powerful and unforgettable reading experience.

[Juliana Princess]

From its opening pages, this book establishes a voice of clarity and depth. The prose is elegant without excess, emotionally rich without indulgence. Personal experiences are examined with honesty and composure. Each reflection builds upon the last with intention. Difficult moments are approached with restraint and insight. The emotional weight accumulates naturally. The writing invites contemplation rather than reaction. A striking and memorable literary work.

[Gold Rachel]

This is a book shaped by lived truth and thoughtful reflection. The narrative unfolds deliberately, allowing meaning to emerge on its own terms. The prose is steady, assured, and quietly compelling. Emotional moments are handled with care, making them resonate more deeply. Each chapter feels essential to the whole. There is wisdom in the restraint. The voice remains confident and humane throughout. A deeply affecting and sophisticated read.

[Anthony John]

This book advances with intention. Each section delivers a clear perspective shaped by experience rather than abstraction. The writing is sharp, economical, and confident. Ideas are presented decisively, without hesitation or filler. The narrative voice feels grounded in reality. There is a strong sense of direction throughout. Arguments are implied rather than explained. The effect is persuasive and lasting. A work that asserts its presence.

[Georgia Kentucky]

There is a particular kind of book that doesn't so much tell you things as remind you of things you already knew but had buried. As Time Goes By is that book for me. The existential questions at its centre — about worth, about time, about the quiet damage we may have done — are ones I carry too. Adams handles them with a plainness that cuts deeper than cleverness ever could. I finished it slowly, reluctantly, because I didn't want it to be over.

[Gold]

Adams opens this memoir determined to sift through his life for whatever meaning remains. What he finds is not comfort exactly, but something better — honest company in the dark. The existential questions he poses are ones I have never seen a writer hold so lightly and so seriously at the same time. He doesn't answer them so much as illuminate them, and in doing so made me feel less alone in asking my own. A deeply moving book that I will return to.

[Sandra]

The premise hooked me completely. An old man asking whether his life added up to anything, picking up his pen instead of his cane — that's a book I want to read. Unfortunately what follows never matches that energy. The reflections are too mild, too tidy. The existential questions vanish after the first few pages and are replaced by fond memories that don't carry enough weight to justify the setup. I wanted to be shaken. I was merely accompanied.

[Kyra]

Adams is clearly a thoughtful man asking real questions about meaning and regret. I respect that. But sincerity alone doesn't carry a book. The reflections here rarely go beyond what you might hear in a long conversation with a reflective elder — which can be lovely in person, but on the page needs more shape. The existential questions that open the book deserve harder pursuit. I finished it wishing Adams had trusted himself to go further into the dark.

[Sandra]

I don't doubt Adams means every word. The questions he poses in the opening pages are genuine and moving. But the book that follows them is too comfortable. Asking whether your life mattered and then offering warm anecdotes is a bit like opening a door to a storm and then describing the wallpaper inside. Two stars because the writing is clean and Adams is likable. But I wanted more risk from a book that promised exactly that.

[Mike Jonathan]

What stays with me from As Time Goes By isn't any particular passage — it's the opening questions Adams fires at himself. Does my life have importance? Have I wasted the time given me? Those rattled around in my head long after I set the book down, which may be the highest compliment I can pay it. The execution is uneven and the pacing loses me in places, but a book that sends you inward like this one did is doing something right. Three honest stars.

[Rita]

What stays with me from As Time Goes By isn't any particular passage — it's the opening questions Adams fires at himself. Does my life have importance? Have I wasted the time given me? Those rattled around in my head long after I set the book down, which may be the highest compliment I can pay it. The execution is uneven and the pacing loses me in places, but a book that sends you inward like this one did is doing something right. Three honest stars.

[Nella Rachel]

The writing here is immersive and reflective from beginning to end. Personal history is explored with insight and moral awareness. The prose remains composed even in moments of intensity. Each chapter feels essential. The emotional impact grows steadily. There is wisdom in the restraint. A captivating and deeply meaningful work.

[Rebecca Cole]

This book stands out for its emotional intelligence and ethical depth. Adams confronts personal and historical moments with courage and restraint. The writing is reflective without being indulgent. Each chapter feels carefully earned. As Time Goes By is both a personal reckoning and a wider human document.

[Christopher Hayes]

This book demonstrates clarity of thought and emotional intelligence. The prose is articulate and composed. Personal moments are examined honestly. Emotional depth is earned gradually. Each chapter adds perspective. The narrative remains balanced. The voice is confident. The insights last. A compelling read.

[Maxwell J.]

The voice is confident. The insights last. A compelling read.

The narrative carries quiet authority throughout. The writing is disciplined and engaging. Experiences are explored with sincerity. Emotional resonance builds subtly. Each chapter feels intentional. The prose avoids excess. The voice remains assured. Meaning accumulates steadily. A refined work.

[North Carolina]

A quiet masterpiece of honesty

Adams does something rare — he refuses to dress up his life in borrowed grandeur. Every page of this felt like sitting across from a very honest, very tired, very wise man. I finished it in two sittings and immediately wished I could send it to my late father. Five stars isn't enough.

[Goodluck Ben]

As Time Goes By is distinguished by its moral seriousness and literary discipline. Adams confronts difficult memories with honesty and grace. The writing is calm yet resonant. Each essay builds toward deeper understanding. A thoughtful and enduring contribution to reflective literature.

[James Walker]

Adams brings a rare combination of vulnerability and insight to his storytelling. The book moves fluidly between the personal and the historical. Each reflection is grounded in lived experience. The writing is clear, steady, and deeply considered. A quietly powerful reading experience.