Hello! I had a super busy week, but enjoyed some R&R on the weekend. It wasn’t fun, but I finally got around to some chores that I had been neglecting. Although I must admit, it does feel better to not have those tasks hanging over my head, and it didn’t take nearly as long as I was expecting. I hope that you were productive and got some things done too, as well as making time to relax.
In the past week, I read a few books and noticed that they all had dual timelines, and I figured that might be a good topic to discuss. I haven’t quite decided how I feel about them, since there are some books with dual timelines that I love, and some that I don’t. So I want to discuss it this week, and see what you guys think.
When a dual timeline is done well, I love seeing how a story comes together, providing little pieces of info that is relevant as it comes up. It manages to connect both timelines, and depending on how far apart they are, we can see individuals, families, and entire lives change. The best dual timelines have me equally invested in both stories and characters.
However, not every dual timeline is done well. Sometimes I’ll like one timeline a lot, but not feel invested at all in the other one. This can be because the character is more relatable to me in, the setting is one I prefer, or simply because one part is more enjoyable to me. These can also feel like the stories aren’t connected between the different timelines, and I find that to be a big disappointment when it happens.
What do you think about dual timelines? Love them, hate them, or don’t care either way, feel free to discuss!
Categories: Sunday Bookish Discussion
Leah's Books 
I generally really enjoy dual timelines, although I do occasionally have the same issues as you, i.e. not being as invested in the characters or setting of one of the timelines. I also don’t like it when the two timelines don’t flow well together, and you can sort of tell that the device is mostly a lazy way for the author to deliver information.
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Yes, you’ve hit the nail on the head. I have been struggling to phrase it, but when the timelines don’t flow together, it feels like a last ditch effort to make something work.
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Depends, I guess. Not only has do they have to work well with each other, but you also need to be loving the storylines too
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Exactly! There are so many factors involved in having two timelines that I often prefer one over another.
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I only enjoy dual timeline when it’s clearly defined what timeline you’re in. Preferably as a chapter heading. I’ve read some that jump around too much or the characters are so close in behavior in both timelines that you have no clue what’s going on.
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Yes! A mid-chapter switch or super similar character voices can ruin a dual timeline read for me.
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