I tend to pick up random books in charity shops, and this was one of them. The Time Keeper is a very engrossing book and ergo I read through it quite quickly, and the concept is quite unique.
A man begins to track time, he is the first to do so. Those who control the world are not happy, humanity now obsesses over time unlike any other species. A deer does not worry about being late, a human runs their life to the tick of a clock. A timepiece as it’s heartbeat.
As a punishment for his crime, the man who began to track time is trapped for all time. Left to listen to the desires of the human race for one more second, one more moment. Thousands of years pass, and the man is taken from his prison and placed back on the surface of the Earth to assist two humans with two very different aims. He must observe their lives, and change their hearts.
This concept of why on earth we track time is something that I’ve thought about before, so it was really interesting to see it written out in a novel format and to see how Mitch Albom dealt with it. I loved the section that was at the very start, with a “prehistoric” man beginning to track time and the world around him. It was also interesting to then see this applied to the modern world and see it in a more easily relatable context.
If you’re interested in this infrequently discussed topic, this will be a book you enjoy. I didn’t give it 5*, but it’s still a great book and one I’m glad I’ve read.
Abi of Pellinor 