A TIME TO CHOOSE

by Richard Parker ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 1974

In the beginning Stephen and Mary's visions intrude awkwardly, appearing only through the car windshield or the viewer of a microfilm reader. But the insulation between two parallel time tracks is wearing increasingly thin and soon Stephen finds himself thrust into the agricultural utopia inhabited by his double, Curwen -- a fish hatchery employee recently separated from his ""sike"" student girlfriend Bitta and soon to fall in love with Mary, who also has a counterpart in Stephen's ""real"" world. The point at which Curwen fades out and Stephen begins to have an existence of his own in this new tropical Eden is hazy, and the time warp utopia's superior concept of progress -- cooperating with rather than conquering nature -- is tossed off so quickly that we never have much time to ponder its ramifications. However, Stephen and Mary share a kind of matter-of-fact coolness that's equally convincing whether they are back in their gray English village or exploring another dimension, and their eventual decision to return there together is made both logical and courageous. They will surely have a following among similarly independent readers who will accept the convoluted circumstances and embryonic social commentary as a challenge.

Pub Date: March 27, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1974

Categories: FICTION