January 2014
The twelve short stories which
appear in Once upon a Timepiece each represent
a month of the year, which on the surface should have absolutely nothing in common,
and yet as you approach the month of February, you realise that there is indeed
a very clever link, and the connection is a rather expensive 1946 Breitling
Chronomat wristwatch.
Using the wristwatch as its
focus, each of the stories demonstrates both the very best and the very worst
of society; there’s greed, corruption, lust and deceit, and even as the worst
sins of society are illustrated, you start to realise that when faced with a moral
dilemma, each of us, almost without thinking, reverts to a lowest common denominator,
namely self-preservation.
Beautifully crafted and with great
skill the author manipulates each of the stories with a subtle hand, and although
it may take you a little while to put together the connection, when the ‘penny
dropping’ moment arrives, there is no mistaking the bond which links the story
to its predecessor.
I'm really excited about this
book. I am sure that it is one of those that will succeed by word of mouth , as
once the book is finished there is an overwhelming need to pass the book onto
someone else, so that the continuity of
time passing remains a link to be cherished.
Highly Recommended.
Starr Wood is a British journalist, writer and economist. He
was born in England in 1970, but grew up in Nigeria, Ras Al Khaimah, South
Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan. In 1992, Starr graduated from the London
School of Economics and began his career as a journalist working for a variety
of news media in London and the Middle East. Since 1999, he has worked at The
Economist Group, first in London, and then in Asia. Today, he lives in
Singapore with his wife and three children.
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Interesting. I've just been asked if I want to read this book and it seems to be just commencing it's journey. Sounds intriguing. That the writer has lived and experienced so many different cultures is also unique and makes me wonder if that gives him a different perspective.
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