It made me wonder if they just missed each other in the chaos and confusion that they were both taking advantage of.

There were moments I was surprised by the starkness and bleakness of the mood, since I had expected just a humorous and fantastical tale of not much debt or substance.The lead time for publishing a book has traditionally been lengthy; hence, Lilian Bell may have written her novel before 1909. MirandaB mentioned that she was reading this book in May’s Whatcha Reading post, and being a big fan of Connie Willis’ time traveling historians books, I had to give this a try. Max talks with Mrs Partridge in a semiconscious state, realizing that she is actually Kleio, daughter of Zeus and Muse of History. The author criticized pleasure-seekers and asserted that they would tire of “one thing after another”. That night, Farrell apologizes for his behaviour and he and Max make up before descending onto her couch in a crying heap.

Max' is a easy likeable character and I can see this as a good series that could make it to film or TV easily. On at least two occasions the author dumps a load of information on the reader rather than feeding it bit by bit. A lady automobile tourist who had met with two accidents in one day, remarked that she had seen a post card inscribed, “ This world is just one damned thing after another. The story opens with a quote attributed to the great historian Arnold Toynbee, that “History is just one damned thing after another…” What I find more interesting after having finished the book is that when Toynbee made that famous statement, he was actually quoting someone else, another historian named Elbert Hubbard.Danger, romance, history, financial and academic politics, hidden agendas, dangerous assignments, characters you care about, and the feeling that more is going on than you’re actually reading about. Why waste 7 hours of your life with this poor relative, when you can lose yourself in the gripping drama, wit, fascinating history and genuine emotional rollercoaster of the original for 9 glorious hours? Mrs De Winter gives Max the two personal possessions her sister, Mrs Partridge, had managed to save from Barclay's wrath: a picture of her and Farrell, and the little wooden model of the Trojan horse that he made for her. I mean, that is the point, that things just roll downhill and there’s no stopping point until events have worked themselves to a plateau.