Drawing its inspiration from Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, To Say Nothing of the Dog" the novel is a mix of time traveling fiction, mystery, and romance. Its comedic nature drawn from Jerome’s account offer an inventive touch that transforms it from a mere time-traveling narrative with a convoluted science fiction element. Furthermore, akin to Three Men in a Boat the novel recreates the boat journey on River Thames to Oxford as an homage to the author. The narrative being about time-traveling possesses the mishaps of the space-time continuum. Thus, the crux of the story resonates more with Jerome’s work as these mishaps are met with humorous elements similar to the work.
The plot of the tale is about historians from the 21st century with the technology to travel back in time hence conflict ensues. The ability of time travel is utilized with the potential of retrieving irreplaceable artworks and restore extinct animals as history cannot be changed. Therefore, the ability of history to self-correct in case of interference offers a unique take. However, it does not spare the time travelers from facing problems and mishaps in their journey to the past. Beyond the time lags and lack of enough preparation, the protagonists and his company have to adjust to the Victorian era as they solve a mystery while romance also blossoms. As they navigate the unfamiliar territory the narrative becomes more than the job at hand but about personal nature and self-reflection. Thrown into the chaos of time travel how the characters adjust and adapt while learning about themselves becomes the heart of the story.
Furthermore, the tale is narrated from a first-person perspective hence the mystery, suspense, and humor are accentuated for the reader. Accordingly, the protagonist’s experience of his surroundings is as unfamiliar to the reader as it is for Ned hence enriching the story. Therefore the limited perspective introduces the reader to the culture shock and the confusion of time traveling as the character.
