Making History

Stephen Fry
1996
0099464810

I picked this book up because I am a huge fan of Blackadder, and Stephen Fry was one of the main character in the final series. He's a brilliant actor and comedian, and it turns out his humour translates just as well when he writes.

We start with Michael Young, who, together with a reclusive physics professor, hatch a plan to divert history - to make sure Hitler was never born, never mind what else he got up to.

The plan is executed - and Michael find himself in a strange country, with a strange history and a strange culture surrounding him. Armed with the dubious trust of a fellow student, he learns that Hitler may not have been the worst possibility, and that the path history has taken instead is all his fault.

There is a humour and passion in this book, and, combined with a sense of urgency that builds, manages to hide the real point of the story until the closing pages. I re-read the final dozen pages, just to savour the moment - this is a story with the best kind of ending. Unexpected, and it totally melts your heart.

This was a hugely entertaining read, and I'm definitely adding Fry as an author to collect.

Date Finished: 10/09/07
Year Total:28