The movie was delightful, it was the book that had problems. SEX plays a major role in this mystery novel. It was not enough that Jack the Ripper used brutal murder and mutilation to fulfill his sexual fantasies, but having H.G. Wells undergo a sexual experience just by being in a speeding taxi was pushing things a bit. The author used sex a lot in describing the experiences of the leading characters for the first half of the book, then mercifully toned it down for the remainder.
I did enjoy the book, especially H.G.'s 'intellectual encounters' with 1979 people, their culture, plastic tables, Big Macs, and more. But once read, it went on my Bookshelf here, where it was quickly scooped up. No regrets. I still have the movie.
I always enjoy time travel novels and this one was better than most. Of course, this was made into a movie shortly after it was written in 1979 and it remains one of my favorite films from that time period. The movie pretty much follows the book where H.G. Wells must follow Jack the Ripper to 1979 San Francisco to try to prevent him from continuing his evil crime spree. However, when Wells makes it to 1979, he falls in love with Amy Robbins and must protect her from the diabolical ripper. And 1979 is far from the perceived Utopia that Wells predicted for the future. Overall, very enjoyable. I would recommend both the movie and the book. Alexander also wrote a sequel to this, Jaclyn the Ripper which I also have and plan to read next. Looking forward to it!
