The novel centers around a disenchanted and lonely playwright who, while staying at a historic hotel, becomes captivated by a photograph of a beautiful stage actress from the late 19th century. Obsessively drawn to her, he discovers a way to time travel and meets the actress in the past, where they embark on a deeply passionate and bittersweet romance. As he navigates the complexities of time and love, he must confront the heart-wrenching reality that their time together may be fleeting and that their love, while timeless, faces insurmountable obstacles.
The 10506th greatest book of all time
Born in Allendale, New Jersey to Norwegian immigrant parents, Matheson was raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1943. He then entered the military and spent World War II as an infantry soldier. In 1949 he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and moved to California in 1951. He married in 1952 and has four children, three of whom (Chris, Richard Christian, and Ali Matheson) are writers of fiction and screenplays.
