Official Review: A Day in Eternity

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AA1495
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Official Review: A Day in Eternity

Post by AA1495 »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Day in Eternity" by Kathryn Gabriel Loving.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Review: A Day in Eternity by Kathryn Gabriel Loving

When British pilot Anson Roe regains consciousness after crashing his airplane, he is in extreme pain and can’t seem to remember the events leading to his present state. Spitfire pilot John Magee comes to his rescue. With much in common, Anson Roe and John Magee discuss their experiences with flying, travelling and falling in love. In the process, Anson Roe recollects the events that he had forgotten.

Anson Roe has a relatively stable life, with his job (spraying crops from his airplane) and his relationship with Vivianne (who writes about crops and agriculture for a living). However, he's frustrated due to issues with his immigration status, among other things. Certain events and circumstances lead to Anson and Vivianne leaving America to proceed to England. This change in place of residence does little to help Anson with his frustration. This time, he is frustrated with Vivianne, since he thinks that she is doing very little to get a stable job and fit into his life. How will this frustration affect their relationship? What happens when Anson receives major shocks, both personally and professionally?

John Magee is spellbound with Elinor, his high school sweetheart. To impress her, he begins writing poetry. While the poetry impresses her father (the master of the school), it does little to change Elinor's views about him. Soon, Elinor leaves the country and the only connection that remains between them is their mutual love for poetry. John Magee, who is passionate about fighting for his country, joins the airforce during war. While he is known to have brilliant skills, he often finds himself in tricky situations, at times due to his own carelessness. What happens when John and Elinor reunite after years? More importantly, will John survive the war?

As Anson Roe regains his memory, he makes a shocking discovery. What the discovery is and how he deals with it forms the most interesting part of the plot. This twist came at a point when I least expected it and changed my entire impression about the book. While the author had given a few clues in the previous chapters, the revelation surprised me and made the plot more interesting for me.

The book has elements of romance, mystery and philosophy. Being a fan of the romance genre, I was happy that the romantic relationships of Anson-Vivianne and John-Elinor were described in detail. The stories of the couples were realistic and had apt endings. Overall, I was happy with the romance angle of the book.

The mystery element of the book made the plot interesting. The strange situation of the protagonist creates curiousness in the reader. The mystery begins at the beginning of the book, with the protagonist's memory loss, and lasts almost throughout the book.

What I wasn't expecting in the book was the significant amount of philosophical content. There were certain quotes that made me think and reflect. This philosophy affects the plot and takes the book to a whole new level. In my opinion, it made the book inspirational.

While I liked the plot and the romance, mystery and philosophical aspects in it, I had two major concerns with the book. Firstly, I couldn't connect with the main characters. Anson is highly ambitious, but takes his personal relationships for granted. I did not like the way he treated Vivianne, and I wanted her to leave him (which is unusual considering I'm a fan of romance stories). While I understand that this character trait was important for the plot, not being able to understand and connect with the protagonist spoilt the reading experience a little for me.

Secondly, I thought that the descriptions were excessive. There were elaborate descriptions of planes and flying experiences. For people who aren't interested in (or know much about) planes, it could be a deal breaker. These excessive descriptions made me lose my flow of reading numerous times. Shorter descriptions would have worked better and wouldn't have affected the plot.

In terms of language, the book was easy to read and follow. The book seemed to be professionally edited and I found no obvious grammatical mistakes. The story is told from Anson and John’s perspectives, which help the reader gain insight into their thoughts. There are certain transitions in the narrative (John’s story, Anson’s current state and his memory), which the author has handled well. The pace of the plot is affected by the elaborate descriptions. However, overall, I thought the book was easy to understand.

Lastly, I thought that the author had given the book considerable time and effort. Many historical events, physics theories and philosophical concepts have been referred to in the book. It is evident from the descriptions provided in the book that the author has researched extensively over these subjects. Proper citations and acknowledgements have also been provided. Further, I liked the fact that small incidents and observations that are described in the first few chapters play a major role towards the end of the book. This tells me that the plot and narrative were properly planned.

What I liked best about the book was the philosophical element it had. The philosophical element added significantly to the plot, while also making the book inspiring. What I liked least about the book was its protagonist. I thought he was selfish and simply blamed others for his own frustrations. I found myself rooting for Vivianne, rather than for Anson. I would have liked the book more with a slightly kinder protagonist.

I would rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I thought the book had a unique and interesting plot. Further, it is evident that the author has put in considerable effort into the book. However, I would have liked a kinder protagonist and shorter descriptions. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery with a little bit of philosophy and romance.

******
A Day in Eternity
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Kdonegan91
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Post by Kdonegan91 »

Great thorough review! I think the long details would be a deal breaker for me since it interrupts the flow of the story. Glad you enjoyed it though!
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Post by AA1495 »

Kdonegan91 wrote:Great thorough review! I think the long details would be a deal breaker for me since it interrupts the flow of the story. Glad you enjoyed it though!
I did enjoy reading about his experiences. Thank You so much!
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Post by Kourtney Bradley »

Very thorough review! I don't think this one's for me, but I'm glad to see you enjoyed it!
I agree with @Kdonegan91 in that the long details would probably be the main deal breaker for me.
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AA1495
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Post by AA1495 »

klbradley wrote:Very thorough review! I don't think this one's for me, but I'm glad to see you enjoyed it!
I agree with @Kdonegan91 in that the long details would probably be the main deal breaker for me.
I can understand. I did enjoy reading the book. Thank You so much!
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

Sounds like one great read. I am so intrigued about the 'shocking discovery' :) Though I'm not much of a romance fan, this book seems like something I would enjoy, especially the romance between John and Elinor. Good job on the review.
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Post by AA1495 »

kimmyschemy06 wrote:Sounds like one great read. I am so intrigued about the 'shocking discovery' :) Though I'm not much of a romance fan, this book seems like something I would enjoy, especially the romance between John and Elinor. Good job on the review.
I liked reading the book. I hope you give it a chance. Thank You so much!
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Post by gali »

A historical fantasy revolving around the experiences of British Pilot sounds good. Combining elements of romance, mystery and philosophy should make it a good read for fans of the genre. A pity about the excessive descriptions and that you couldn't connect with the main characters. At least it was inspiring, well edited, and well researched. I don't care for philosophical content or poetry, but I am glad you enjoyed the book. Thank you for the review!
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Post by FilmStar »

I think I'm going to pass this one. I don't like books that have excessive descriptions or ones where you have trouble rooting for the main character. Plus, I'm not one for war stories.
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Post by Ruba Abu Ali »

The amalgamation of mystery, philosophy, and romance is a winning combination. Poetry interspersed within the text is a definite plus. Thanks for the thorough review.
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Post by LaurenHaupt »

From the way you described, I didn't like how he treated Vivianne either. I like that there is a lot of mystery involved. I am curious what happens to all the characters. Thank you for the review.
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Post by Sahani Nimandra »

The excess detail elaboration is what kills a good read. I have seen enough books like that and they frustrate me. A romance including many events is eventful. I'm not a reader who appreciates a chick lit so I'm glad that I found this read an exceptional. Thank you for your review!
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Post by Mishmuma1 »

I like a good wartime story and this review is thorough enough to make me interested in reading it
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Post by a9436 »

I enjoy philosophy and historical fiction, but I'm not a fan of glorifying war. This book sounds like it ads a human face to the consequences of battle, so I think it will appeal to me, although the details might be a bit offputting.
Thanks anyway for your interesting review :)
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Post by FictionLover »

The book has elements of romance, mystery and philosophy. Being a fan of the romance genre, I was happy that the romantic relationships of Anson-Vivianne and John-Elinor were described in detail. The stories of the couples were realistic and had apt endings. Overall, I was happy with the romance angle of the book....

...The mystery element of the book made the plot interesting. The strange situation of the protagonist creates curiousness in the reader. The mystery begins at the beginning of the book, with the protagonist's memory loss, and lasts almost throughout the book. ...


...While I liked the plot and the romance, mystery and philosophical aspects in it, I had two major concerns with the book. Firstly, I couldn't connect with the main characters. Anson is highly ambitious, but takes his personal relationships for granted. I did not like the way he treated Vivianne, and I wanted her to leave him (which is unusual considering I'm a fan of romance stories). While I understand that this character trait was important for the plot, not being able to understand and connect with the protagonist spoilt the reading experience a little for me.

Secondly, I thought that the descriptions were excessive. There were elaborate descriptions of planes and flying experiences. For people who aren't interested in (or know much about) planes, it could be a deal breaker. These excessive descriptions made me lose my flow of reading numerous times. Shorter descriptions would have worked better and wouldn't have affected the plot.
Thanks for your review.

I am not a fan of romance and the beginning of this book read like a romance to me, with not enough mystery to keep me interested. I also noticed the excessive descriptions and they are not for me either.

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