(Drivebycuriosity) - How would you feel if you would age extremely slowly? I am fascinated by the issue of longevity. Therefore I enjoyed the novel "How to stop Time" by Matt Haig ( amazon).
The plot is told in first person. Tom Hazard, the narrator, is born in the the late 16th century, but he is still alive, looking like 40 something. Tom tells episodes of his life and reveals the challenges & dangers his peculiar condition brings with it. Being so different causes a lot of conflicts which makes the plot a bit dramatic (this is a spoiler free blog).
I enjoyed Haig`s style. The author can write brisk and delivers precise observations about being alive over centuries and to witnes so many epochs. The highlights of the book are the fascinating descriptions of his dangerous life in Shakespeares`s London. Haig sprinkles his novel with a lot of philosophical musings.
But I disliked Haig`s pessimism. He claims that not much had changed since the 16th century but even his novel shows how the vast differences between the 16th century and today, so he is contradicting himself. It seems he ignores the explosive advances in life expectancy, child mortality, maternal mortality, infectious diseases, food availability, wealth, extreme poverty, war, violence, homicides, battle deaths, famine deaths, pedestrian deaths, plane crash deaths, occupational accident deaths, natural disaster deaths, , human rights, state executions, child labor, literacy, education, hours worked, years in retirement, disposable spending, leisure time, travel, tourism.
But the book is a very entertaining and thought provoking anyway.
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