This solidifies Matt Haig as an insta-read author for me. (Others include John Green, Mary Kubica, and Liane Moriarty). To me, an insta-read author doesn't always write the perfect book, but they're always entertaining and/or impactful for me. How To Stop Time is no different. I'd classify it as more time travel than science fiction, because despite the wild sounding premise, things were strangely believable. We have Tom Hazard (his current name), who is over 400 years old. He was born with a rare condition that causes him to age at 1/19th of the speed of regular humans (or 'mayflies. Ouch.) He aged a little slower than normal until he was about 13 years old. After that, things all but stopped. Quickly, the townspeople started to notice that he never aged and he learned the hard way how important is to survival. The story flashes back and forth between his present day and his past life. Haig plays with time and at first, it was off-putting that things flashed so quickly between the two. But then as the story went on, I came to realize he was leading up to something greater. I know there's a love story mentioned in the synopsis, but I really didn't feel overwhelmed by the love story in any way. That's a good thing. This isn't The Notebook. A lot of Tom's actions are driven by his love for his first love, but there was much more to his story. Imagine being a part of a society whose only rule is that you can't fall in love, can't get close to anyone, and that you have to move every eight years. What's life without the relationships within it? Tom doesn't travel through time so much as he just ages and describes his experiences as he's had them. He runs into the likes of Shakespeare, Charlie Chaplain, and F. Scott Fitzgerald- just fun encounters that helped move the story along. There's also a little bit of action, especially toward the end. But I will say this story is way more character driven than plot driven, if you're into that. It raises a bunch of questions about mortality, morality, medicine, and philosophy. Haig's ability to take himself out of the human experience continues to impress. If you read and enjoyed The Humans, you'll like this. If you haven't read either, you need to. Plus there's sweet dogs in both of them, which is always a plus in my book.

This novel is the definition of an incredible work of art. It is so powerful and incredibly intense, in a good way. I don’t think I have read a book in 2018 that made me read in such a short period of time, and I loved every minute and hour spent on it. I don’t regret skipping my homework and skipping work to read this novel. With its incredible themes, Matt Haig has taught me to view life in a different way. Teaching me that one of my wishes is a wish that I probably don’t want to have any more because it can be so hurtful to my soul just like it was so hurtful to Tom Hazard, the main character who’s soul was broken into many pieces throughout his life and past. Haig has written this novel in a way that is so moving that I felt like Tom was a family member or a close friend of mine that I have knew for so long. Truthfully, this book is full of emotions, sadness, happiness, and hatred; and readers will feel all of these feelings while reading this novel. It kept me at the edge of my seat from the beginning of the novel to the end, the ending gave me a sense of relief that I won’t forget in a long “time.” Truthfully, I have laugh with Tom and also cried along with him. I recommend buying this book when it comes out because it will clear up somethings that might seem transparent before in your life, also this is a book that has critical points that make the novel even more great, like family love, the power of friendship, and of course romance. All in all, this novel is so entertaining because it takes readers on a ride through the past that makes it meaningful and it is really impossible to put down when started. I finally want to say that my favorite character in the novel was shockingly not Tom but Marion because I could relate to her feelings and tough road to her findings with her roots again. She was my home girl at the end, and I loved how it ended.
P.S I hated that nine-hundred year old bastard SO MUCH!
5/5

Do you ever wish you could live forever? In HOW TO STOP TIME, Tom Hazard has been born with a rare condition that slows down his aging process almost to a crawl. Having already survived through four and a half centuries, this man -- now appearing only to be forty -- has experienced those time span historical events firsthand but not without a price.

Is he a product of witchcraft, a deal with the Devil, or another type of sordid explanation that would cause others to fear his differences?

As a result of trying to avoid being ostracised, he lives in fear and relative isolation along with the warning of "never to fall in love". Yet what is life without love?

The first half of this novel --filled with a great deal of backstory -- felt slow, plodding, and depressingly redundant. And, then, Tom began to try to live rather than merely exist. This is not a time travel novel but it is a travel through time tale.

Life is a journey, not a destination and only by controlling your life choices can the present and subsequent future be enjoyed. Indeed, a good moral lesson.

Tom Hazard was born in the time of Shakespeare so it makes perfect sense that he is now a high school history teacher in a suburb of London. He can give a perfect first hand account of so many events, but tends to mentally wander off with nostalgic trips down memory lane. Trips that frequently include the love of his long, long life, Rose. This love, which produced a child, Marion, is what has kept Tom from getting too close to anyone, and entangled him in a group of others who age very slowly. He needs their help to look for his daughter Rose, who suffers from the same "disease." Did that jumble make sense? Thankfully Mr. Haig is the author, not me, and he does make beautiful poetic sense as he ties the past to the present. As I read the book, I felt a bit timeless myself as I recognized references to other historical points like The Dakota, a famous apartment building in New York, tulip fever in Amsterdam, and the real meaning behind the song "Greensleeves." I expect even without these touch points, any reader will find themselves with a warm cozy familiar feeling and a kinship with Tom as he navigates living his life.

Have you ever thought how nice it would be to have a longer life or maybe even to live forever?  In How to Stop Time by Matt Haig this is exactly the situation Tom Hazard is facing.  By all appearances Tom is a normal 40 year old man, but in reality he is over 400 years old having been born in 1581.  At a young age his aging slowed to that of one year for every fifteen due to a rare condition only unofficially known as anageria.
As the years went by people began to notice that he was not aging and became suspicious.  He learned of The Albatoss Society, a secret society designed to help protect those with the condition stay safe and in hiding.  Every eight years the society provides members with a new life and identity so they can start fresh.  However everything comes with a price and over the years this has taken a toll on Tom.
Tom decided he wanted to return home to London for his newest re-location to become a history teacher since he had seen and experienced so much in his life.  I really enjoyed this part of the story because there are a few parts where he slips up and almost blows his cover.  He is teaching a class of modern day students with more interest in their phones than in history, but he is able to bring so much life and detail into the class that they fall in love with the subject.
This story is told from Tom's point of view in the present day looking back into his past.  He slowly reveals the story of his life and we get to know him little by little.  The novel has sad, humorous, and historical aspects all rolled into one and I really enjoyed the read.

I love this book.  Tom has a rare condition that makes him age very slowly.  Although he looks like he is in his 40's, he is actually centuries old.  What do you do with unlimited time? I love that the story doesn't glamorize long life but, portrays it as simultaneously poignant and beautiful. Tom is moving through life mourning the loss of his true love who died hundreds of years ago. The story follows Tom back and forth between the present as he searches to find his purpose.  However, the book isn't "heavy"-  I couldn't put it down! It's an historical fiction but fantastical twist.  Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of this book.  It is being released on February 6th and was on our list of upcoming releases not the be missed!

There's so much wisdom in this beautifully written book that I can't wait to recommend it to all my friends.

I loved Matt Haig's The Humans, so I was quite excited to get this book -- I had high expectations.

A format I enjoy -- two time lines.

Highly original and inventive. But.

3.5 but not rounding up though wavering ( because of books recently rated 3).

Tom has anageria (and is an "alba"--normal humans are mayflys) which makes him age very slowly -- he was born in 1581. The book of goes back and forth between the present -- and with story lines advancing from the past.

Tom has to change his identity every 8 years. He is weary of this plus he is still searching for his daughter, Marion, from his past. His handler/ controller, Hendrich, head of the secretive Albatross Society, calls the shots -- where he should go next, who he should be, etc. And reminds him -- never fall in love-- which of course sets up some of the story lines. An interesting premise.

Presently in London as a history teacher, Tom has to separate the past (he knew many of the characters in his curriculum) from the present.

I found it the book a page turner but it just didn't match up to The Humans.

Two great phrases:
"teenagers staring at their phones as devoutly as old priests with prayer books"

" truth is a straight line you sometimes need to curve "
And I loved how he found/ bonded with Abraham, a dog (reminded me of the humans)

Well written and engaging but a bit of a disappointment and too neat and ending (no spoilers from me).

"Time and tide wait for no man," says common wisdom but in Matt Haig's new book he weaves a story that refutes that ancient adage. Time has certainly slowed for Tom Hazard and others like him with the condition that comes to be labelled 'anageria' which begins to appear around puberty. Tom tells us he is 439 years old and ages at the ratio of 1:15 compared to normal lifespans--and he could live to be nearly 1000, barring any random acts of violence. But does he want to? "Forever – is composed of Nows –" says Emily Dickinson in one of her poems. Would every 'now' still be precious if you were living your life alone?

For Tom has joined an organization called The Albatross Society formed supposedly as a means of uniting and protecting 'albas.' But there are rules--the first rule being that you don't fall in love. EVER. Another is that you only spend eight years in one place; after that, things get too tricky. The Society helps you create a new life of your choosing and only occasionally assigns a mission you must fulfill.

Time, of course, is the big focus of this novel. How often people say they'd like to stop time, usually in moments of great happiness. The story is split between Tom's fascinating memories of his past and his present day life as a history teacher in London. And what a name dropper he is! Tom meets so many famous people in his long lifetime, I was reminded of Forrest Gump!

If you are as drawn to stories about time as I am, I predict you will enjoy this read. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting me the opportunity to read an arc of this 'timely' new book.

“How to Stop Time” has an intriguing conceit. Its hero has already lived for over four centuries, and he isn’t slowing down any. Most of the people around him, his colleagues, his boss, have normal life spans, but he is a freak of nature, and knows only a handful of other people like him. With remarkable fidelity, he has loved only once, and the experience of watching his wife age, while he didn’t, was terrifying and ultimately dangerous for them, as the people around them began to notice.

There are interesting lessons here about the value of life, time and love, but best of all, its a fun read!

I wanted to like this one SO MUCH but despite repeated (seriously - like seven or eight) attempts, I simply couldn't keep reading... I usually really like Matt Haig's style, and the topic was interesting to me too. I love history, historical fiction, time travel, immortal/supernatural elements, magical realism - all of which were at least somewhat present here, but I just found myself faced with the same ennui as many of the characters. As I slogged through past experiences, obligatory famous people anecdotes (much in the way that everyone is someone famous in a past life, I guess everyone meets famous people in past lives), and teasers that never seemed to move into truly compelling promises of things to come, I just felt like I was forcing myself to turn pages, waiting for the drama to kick in. It felt like every other "immortality/super-longevity is SO overrated" novel I've read before, and even Haig's style and characterization just couldn't move me past that... If I hadn't read a string of similar-themed books over the years, I would possibly have had no problems with this one - Haig knows how to tell a story and his writing is generally quite engaging - but it just didn't work for me at this time.

An interesting book, but I couldn't really get into it.

Not too deep into reading Matt Haig’s How To Stop Time I figured it all out. This is Highlander, man. I mean, without the swords, and the Quickening, and the Prize, and the Kurgan. And in this instance, the story is not dealing with immortals from Zeist (Right? What? Oh nevermind…) but long-lived humans who age at about a ratio of one year for every fifteen, and where Ramirez is really an old, by close to a thousand years, geezer named Hendrich who doesn’t look to train, instead unionize and hide. But yeah, Highlander. And in missing the sword-play and haggis recipes, man, this is rather dull.

Haig, perhaps, might not take offense at that last sentence as he deliberately shows, through the life of 439-year-old Tom Hazard, that life without end can be dull and slow and repetitive. Fortunately, the book is a fast, entertaining read. Haig gives life and passion to Hazard, who is slowly realizing that he can perhaps fall in love again, which goes against the rules of the Albatross Society, of which he and other long-lived ones survive under the always-watching Hendrich.

Using a tried-and-true Highlander technique, the narrative within How To Stop Time flashes between periods of Tom’s long life in his more-interesting past with what is happening in present-day London, where not much happens other than internal, and sometime eternal, debate, and the narrative suffers as a result.

The issue with How To Stop Time is that there is no prize to be won, only self-fulfillment, and even that comes by way of a simply-obtained climax making the novel ironically run out of time and leaving plenty of unanswered questions, particularly regarding the future of the Albatross. Hazard, through Haig, seems content in focusing on the personal nature of the future. Haig’s words save the day as he truly brings forth meaning and life through well-constructed illustrations and thoughtful character play building Hazard into a likeable, relatable chap who steps up in answering the who wants to live forever question in a quiet, surrendering way. Admittedly, adding in a few sword fights could have been fun.


There shall only be one NetGalley, who provided this ARC in return for a silly review. Thanks as well to Viking for the timeless read.

5 truly wonderful stars

Your life is a gift. We are all given a certain amount of time to make the most of it. In some cases the years spread out before us while for others their time here is cut short. “Life isn’t meant to be lived perfectly…but merely to be LIVED. Boldly, wildly, beautifully, uncertainly, imperfectly, magically LIVED.”

Tom Hazard has time. In fact he has loads of time. You see Tom has a special condition which allows him to be a semi immortal. He ages slowly, ever so slowly, and by the time we meet him, he is over four hundred years old. In the fifteen hundreds, Tom falls in love with a fruit seller in Shakespearean London and of course she ages, while Tom doesn't. They have a daughter born like Tom. However, the fact of Tom's inability to age, raises the specter of witchcraft and deals made with the devil. Tom is desperate and realizes he must leave, leave the woman and child he adores for their safety and hide, never to see his beloved Rose or his daughter.

This was a sad but telling tale of the idea of what is life. There was so many wonderful concepts and ideas that Mr Haig brings forth in this novel. The hurt we feel for Tom who is eventually pursued by a nine hundred year old bad guy, (who incidentally just wants what is best for the Albatrosses as they call themselves). He ultimately convinces Tom to go to "work" for him. Tom is guaranteed anonymity and is required to move every eight years. The society will always provide for him. Tom is not alone, there are other albatrosses who must be convinced they need the society's protection. Secrecy is the key. Most of all Tom and the albatrosses must never fall in love and they need to keep their secret or people will die, those people being us, the Mayflies.

Tom and Mr Haig take us on a historical adventure meeting and seeing some notables throughout the centuries that Tom has lived. They both makes us believe, with the ability to feel with your heart the struggles, (what many might feel is idyllic) to live while others around you die. It was a book that I could hardly put aside, one that filled me with a case of wonder and delight even as I read of Tom's hardships. Finding and fulfilling the life you are given is a gift. It is one that we all should search for. For Tom, he found that wondrous ability to be just as life has always wanted him to be, alive, free to love, and enjoy the moments of just plain being.

Thank you to Matt Haig, PENGUIN GROUP Viking and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this beautiful novel.

What if you discovered that you were going to live to be 900 and that you could love everything except for another human being? Would you want that life? Estienne Thomas Ambroise Christophe Hazard known in the current century as Tom Hazard has lived a very long time. He is in the mid-point of his life and struggling with living in the “now”. He is struggling with all the ghosts and the previous nows. He has been many different people and played many roles. He thinks of himself as a “crowd in one body”. He has met and quotes Shakespeare and actually lives one of those quotes –you know the one “All the world’s a stage……And one man in his time plays many parts.”
This was an engaging story, with interesting characters and circumstances. This book posed so many meaningful questions that resonated and ultimately requires you to question if you found yourself in the identical situation “How would I Live?”

Thank you NetGalley and Viking for an ARC.

Enjoyable and unique novel about a man born in the 1500s who somehow ages very slowly, so in the present day he is 439, and longing to live a normal life but constrained in doing so by a secret society of other people who age slowly as he does. Interesting story and some fun cameos from famous figures along the way, a little slow in spots but a great ending.

What a wonderful book, really a masterpiece, love, loss, history, the future and most of all time. Tom Hazard is 439 years old, there is a small group of people that don't age like us and he is one of them.
With different identities and locations he has survived by not having attachments or falling in love but
now that is all about to change. A brilliant, thought provoking, heartwarming book. Not to be missed.

What if you could live for a 1,000 years? How would you choose to live? What will be your threats? Joys? These are the questions this book attempts to answer, all from the point of view of Tom Hazard.

Tom, our main character in this journey, has lived for over 400 years. He was born around Shakespeare times and has lived through some of the most important events in history. He is a member of the Albatross society, a society of men and women like him whose main rule is to live in anonymity and to not fall in love.

Then he meets someone at work and Tom starts to question the rules he has lived by for so long.

The story is told from the point of view of Tom and alternates between the present and the past. The author of this book (Matt Haig) wrote one of my top favorite books (The Humans), I mean, top five all-time-favorite book, and because of it I read all the books he publishes.

Overall, I liked the book but did not love it as much as The Humans. I recommend it to all readers of sci-fi and contemporary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

How To Stop Time was an interesting read to say the least. The main character Tom goes through so much lose that you feel his pain through out the whole story. He has a mentor if that's what you want to call him who try's to sway his every move. Tom first suffers the lose of his mother and then his one true love. However he does find his happy ever after at the end but not before he has to lose more and suffer more. This is a great book and will keep you wanting more till the end.

This is a beautiful story about love. The protagonist (Tom) is a man that is aging at a much slower rate than most people do; currently, he is more than four hundred years old. For this reason, he (and others who also suffer the same condition) try to live their long lives maintaining a low profile by moving constantly geographically and avoiding long-term relationships. So, their long lives are often lonely and sad. Tom is at a juncture in his life where he is trying to answer some difficult questions such as what value his long life has if he is not actually living and enjoying it. This book is a great choice for book clubs as every reader will have a different point of view according to their personal experiences.