To Say Nothing of the Dog

and I am understating matters.

Anyway, for those who have read the book more times than I have, can you please tell me what the point is of the mysterious stranger on the train who engages Ned briefly in conversation?

Everything else in the book is intricately woven into a web of cause and effect, yet this little part sticks out, and I have not been able to figure it out for years.

Can anyone assist?

I view with suspiscion any book, play, or movie that labels itself "hilarious"; they are often at best only mildly humorous. A mystery fan, I bought this book for the quirky title, not realizing it was categorized as sci-fi, but I was pleased to find that it deals with one of my favorite genres, time travel. The writing is so relentlessly amusing that the humor ceased to have an impact on me after a while, but the story is well plotted, the characters are appealing, and I really loved the dog (to say nothing of the cat).

This is my favorite time travel books of all times! It is imaginative, humorous, and intelligent. I just love the creativity of the author in contriving a reality where time travel is proven practically useless, except to dusty historians! Everyone in my family, male and female, from the age of 12-50, loves this book. I highly recommend it!

Simply, absolutely, fantastically wonderful. It's been a long time since I've read straight through a book, only stopping for necessities.

Now I have to buy it in print, so I can re-read it, thumbing back through the pages finding important quotes and details I might have missed... so I can fall in love with it again.

One of my favorite authors, Willis had me hooked since I read a book of her short stories two decades ago. I don't know how I missed this one. And because of the dedication, I read Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K. Jerome, which is also very funny, albeit a bit dated. Thank you, Ms. Willis, for this madcap misadventure with a modern theme.

Sometimes a book comes along that is completely different, a refreshing change. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The humor and the situations caused by time travel were delightful. The characters were well thought out and helped to anchor the plot. I recommend this book to anyone looking to widen their reading genre.

Parts of the book are wonderful, but there are times where the nearly unfathomable amount of historic detail tends to slow down the pace. Overall a rewarding read—it just takes a while to make one's way to the finish.

I enjoyed this book. I've read several of Connie Willis' books on time travel and this one fills in a number of gaps and explains more about how the net works. I especially enjoyed the characters and how they interacted with characters from the past. Since I also enjoy mysteries, I had fun seeing the references to Lord Peter, Poirot and other 30s mysteries references.

It's time travel and romance and wonderful writing, and you really must read it. I had never read anything by Connie Willis before, and am so delighted to have an author with a considerable back list I can enjoy. After reading this I started on her short stories, and I am enjoying her writing so much.

This is a rollicking ride through time as the hero and heroine chase after the elusive Bishop's bird stump. What, you ask, is that? Read this book and find out. Also discover what a penwiper is and many other esoteric items sold at jumble sales. Entertaining and a fun read. Sorry to see it end.

I had never bought a Connie Willis book before and I regret that mistake. I loved this book, and honestly can't think of one that I have ever read that was even remotely like it. The story itself borrows heavily from a few others but it is presented in a way I have not seen before. And it was just a fun read.

witty, imaginative and basically a fun read. It combines several genres: time travel, adventure, murder-mystery as well as comedy. I enjoy Connie Willis' imagination. " Lincoln's Dreams " was one of my all-time favorite reads. I have already recommended this book to several of my friends.

This book is well written and the time travel aspect is an interesting concept.
However, I had a hard time staying engaged in the story, as it seemed to ramble on and on, ad infinitum. This could be a really great book, minus a few thousand unnecessary words!!

This is one of Connie Willis' better time travel tales - a humorous take on the Victorian era combined with references to literature of that period, while at the same time creating an engaging mystery that needs to be resolved before the can be brought to a close. It's a fast read but the story will stay with you.

Incredibly entertaining! Though Willis' time-traveling world is complex she slides you into it easily. Plot is great, sci-fi elements are great, characters are great - and she convinced me to read "Three Men In A Boat!" The world in this book is the same as the worlds in several other books of hers, most notably the amazing modern classic "Doomsday Book" - another must-read.

Write a mystery novel in the style of Agatha Christy, with a Monty Python story line and set it in the future with time travel and a pretty good history lesson, mix in some spiritual and spirit mediums and Willis is a brilliant writter.

The concept is good, and I was reasonably captivated for the first half of the novel. Got a bit hung up in the second half, and a little long winded. Like a house guest that stuck around a bit too long. + for some original ideas though

'To Say Nothing of the Dog' had me (please forgive me) howling with laughter before the first chapter was over. Her description of time-lag had me rolling (haven't we all felt bit like poor Ned after a rough week?) One of my favorites by Connie Willis.

And I really have a soft spot for dogs :)

I found this book very interesting and made me think a lot, which I really like. It was a bit long and seemed dragged out though, but maybe it was because of the language used in it for me reading as an American. I liked the characters and the whole concept as a whole though.

Connie Willis always has the ability to weave an interesting story, often with quirky bits that intrigue and delight. This is a best-ever, high on the quirky scale but deeply engrossing. The Willis imagination is in top gear in this story, which involves the time-travel theme and some of the great characters who appear in other novels.

I like time travel stories, and I picked this book up after seeing it in a "Best Time Travel Books" list. I was not disappointed. This is the kind of book in which you have a nice love story, mixed with a lot of funny parts that sometimes make you laugh out loud, and some interesting ideas about time travel paradoxes (a must for a good time travel book). All in all, I really loved it.

This story starts out a train wreck that coalesces into a marvelous web of adventure. A joy to read - The intelligence and humor and characters that come to life... The first I've read of Ms. Willis, but I'll be looking for more once I've posted this.

This book had an amazing combination of time travel and romantic comedy. This is only the 3rd real page turner book that I have ever read, and it could very well be the second best book that I have ever read.
Willis created just the right number of highly in depth characters who's interaction is hilarious cover to cover.

I really love Connie Willis' writing. I first read Dooms Day Book and was completely hooked on the characters and the witty and humorous writing style. This book is equally great for the same reasons. I initially worried that the plot might seem repetitive, but that was completely not the case.

This story starts out a train wreck that coalesces into a marvelous web of adventure. A joy to read - The intelligence and humor and characters that come to life... The first I've read of Ms. Willis, but I'll be looking for more once I've posted this.

This book had an amazing combination of time travel and romantic comedy. This is only the 3rd real page turner book that I have ever read, and it could very well be the second best book that I have ever read.
Willis created just the right number of highly in depth characters who's interaction is hilarious cover to cover.

I really love Connie Willis' writing. I first read Dooms Day Book and was completely hooked on the characters and the witty and humorous writing style. This book is equally great for the same reasons. I initially worried that the plot might seem repetitive, but that was completely not the case.

I highly recommend this book. Willis totally captures the reader in her time travel world. Some mystery and some high adventure and plenty of humor. I fell in love with the characters. And only regret that the book is finished.

Clever, well-written romp through time, enhanced by a little bit of romance and mystery. Everything I want in a time travel fantasy, plus some interesting information about the Victorian era. If I had a complaint, it would be that there are a few too many heavy-handed references to Three Men in a Boat, but I can forgive that!

I enjoyed the time travel angle that was presented as a special research tool for specific purposes and utilized by specifically trained people. The interaction with people from different time periods was good and the interwoven humor and characters were fun. . . not to mention the mysteries to be solved. Smile.

The book was a hoot. Funny and engaging. Good language and witty dialogue. The characters were interesting- to say nothing of the dog! This is the second book that I have read by Connie Willis. Loved the captions at the beginning of each chapter. I did enjoy the many historical and literary references throughout the book although I did have to look up some of them in my Kindle. Will read more of her books.

At first i thought to give this book three stars.then i realize i had read it ,if not straight thru then at least at every available moment till i finished.so i went t o four stars .then i thought about stars.the grand design.stars rocketing thru space.no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.even this little story about something as trivial as the bishops bird stump means something and says something.no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.that is what it said to me .perhaps the most important message art can have. Five stars.

If you are interested in the possibility of time travel, alternate history, romance and cats you will enjoy reading this light hearted and funny novel. An easy read with many laughs and interesting characters along with serious ideas.