Thursday 30 January 2014

Review ~ Once Upon a Timepiece by Starr Wood

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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1 comment:

  1. 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.

    ReplyDelete

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