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Feb 10, 2017ryner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Simon Morley, an apathetic advertising man in New York City, is confronted one morning by a stranger with a mysterious and secretive proposal -- to participate in a fledgling time-travel experiment. The idea? By shutting himself off from the 20th century and fully immersing himself in action, thought and dress in an environment indistinguishable from that of 1882, Morley would be able to transport himself, purely by self-hypnosis, into the past. His advisors are adamant, however, that Morley make no attempt to alter any past events, as the ramifications are still uncertain. This 1970 novel holds up surprisingly well nearly 50 years later -- I was entertained throughout. The author must have spent a fair amount of time researching late 19th-century New York, the minutiae of which were as fascinating, if not more, than the plot itself. The inclusion of sketches and photos, reportedly created by Morley himself, lend a scrapbook-style charm.