End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov

Book: The End of Eternity

Author: Isaac Asimov

Why I Read It: Because I am hard core addicted to anything Asimov writes.

First Line: Andrew Harlan stepped into the kettle.

First Impression: Huh. Seems a bit slower than most of Asimov's books.

Last Impression: Kinda bummed they gave the book this title. I knew the ending from about the halfway point.

 

Ratings

Overall – 3 Resting Heart Rate

Characters – 3 I love Asimov, but writing female characters has never been his strong suit, and it is certainly the case with the female love interest, Noys, in this novel. The main character Harlan is rather one dimensional and more of a plot device than a person you grow to care about.

Story – 3 Asimov created a unique story about time travel; Harlan exists in Eternity, which is outside of Time and allows people to travel parallel through Time. He falls into a love affair with Noys which makes him question the existence of Eternity and his purpose. The ending was given away by the title, but it was enjoyable to get there.

Narration – 3 The narration doesn't really pull you into the story, but the plot and the characters suffice to accomplish that instead.

Read Again? Perhaps. But I will read his sci-fi short story collections first when the itch for Asimov strikes. I am always glad to read his work but this isn't one of my favorites.

Tell Others to Read? If they are an Asimov fan and they haven't happened across this book, then yes. If they are just being introduced to Asimov, then no. I would steer them towards some of his more impactful works.

Excerpt: It was his hands acting by themselves that brought the kettle to the proper halt at the proper Century.

     Strange that a Technician should feel tense or nervous about anything. What was it that Educator Yarrow had once said:

     "Above all a Technician must be dispassionate. The Reality Change he initiates may affect the lives of as many as fifty billion people. A million or more of these may be so drastically affected as to be considered new individuals. Under these conditions, an emotional make-up is a distinct handicap."

     Harlan put the memory of his teacher's dry voice out of his mind with an almost savage shake of his head. In those days he never imagined that he himself would have the peculiar talent for that very position. But emotion had come upon him after all. Not for fifty billion people. What in Time did he care for fifty billion people? There was just one. One person.