Science Fiction: The Doomsday Book By Connie Wilson

 (Drivebycuriosity) -  I like to read science fiction and also historical novels. "The Doomsday Book" by Connie Wilson is both. I had read the novel once in German translation, now I consumed the original version on my Kindle ( amazon). 

The plot: The University of Oxford has a history department. Their historians travel back in time to research a certain time period. A young woman is sent into the 14th century to a place close to Oxford. Unfortunately some things don´t work out as expected (this is a spoiler free blog). 

There are 2 parallel running story lines: Events in Oxford (in a near future, when people can travel in time) and the experiences of the time traveler in the 14th century. The book stretches about 600 pages. 

Unfortunately the Oxford parts are way too long and contain too many fillers. Some parts read like written for young adults. But the medieval part - the real Doomsday Book - is well researched. The blot gets very dark & emotional and turns into a bleak horror story. I got sucked into the 14th century events, but I was just browsing through the almost unreadable Oxford chapters. The book would have needed a good editor.