The Measure of Love

By Christopher Wilkins

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786707585
• ISBN13: 9780786707584
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.8" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

About Time

The title of this book is rather misleading. A title more descriptive of its content would have been that of Aldous Huxley's "Time Must Have a Stop." Actually, it is two books in one. The major book is a history of horology, "The science of the measurement of time or of the construction of timepieces." It covers over 2000 years, from the sand hourglass "clock" of the Egyptians to the atomic clocks of modern times. In between, for example, we learn about the advances in the design of mechanical clocks enabling the chronometers so vital to navigation in the 18th century. And, we are given a glimpse of time measurement based on the heavens beyond our solar system (sidereal time). It is a fascinating account of horology, though probably a bit too technical for the average reader. Meantime, in the counterpoint book we are treated to a Shakespearian tragedy in miniature of how the protagonist's wife's life ticks away -- not happy reading for anyone who has had to attend a member of his immediate family dying from Alzheimer's disease. The time (actually longitude) of her death is measured "precisely" -- almost. Perhaps ordinary solar time, as measured by the rotation of the earth on which we live, is good enough. Wilkins is a skillful writer. A master of the bawdy as well as of the beautiful in the prose (figures of speech in particular) in one book, and of clarity in the other. And, he has a philosophical message. Or does he? Maybe it's just a question -- beyond the mind of human beings to comprehend, not helped one whit by Einstein's contention that the time of even atomic clocks is altered by how fast the clock is moving. What IS time?

The Limits of Time

Robert (20) marries Elizabeth (36). Robert, master watch maker, searches for the perfect time and the perfect instrument to mark it. But time keeps changing. Only in the case of his wife, who slowly dies of Alzheimer, is time constant and measurable. Robert spends the next five years to build the perfect instrument to measure time. Even caesium and laser clocks do not satisfy him, because they do not compensate for the differences in the time of the earth's revolutions. His final instrument coordinates with the Greenwich meridian - that also touches his wife's grave. Now his clock is perfect - even if it does not show the "correct" time.A perfect book - even though strange.

Wonderful book

Beautifully written, thought provoking book, intellectual and poetic at the same time. I couldn't put it down, and as soon as I finished, I wanted to read it again. One of the best books I've read in years.

What is Time?

Having taken out The Measure of Love from my local library, I was so intriqued with Wilkins concept of time, that I now own a copy. In The Measure of Love Wilkins presents 3 themes which are skillfully interwoven. The love story; its flowering and the joy experienced by the couple is contrasted with the reality of her ultimate descent into dementia. This tale is handled sensitively but without sentimentality. Second is the building of the ultimate timepiece, and finally, or perhaps first, the nature of time itself. The last is explored through quotation, physics and the posing of the question can there be 'time' without 'now'.

thoroughly original and elegantly written

I loved this book! It's a real gem of a novel. In it, two stories are interwoven--one, the descent of the narrator's wife into dementia; the other, the narrator's efforts after his wife's death to create the perfect timepiece. Wilkins explores the concept of time and our attempts to characterize and measure it. In discussing time both scientifically and philosophically, he challenges the reader to think about the very nature of time. At the same time (and as I write this I now think about using that expression), his treatment of the devastating impact of Alzheimers disease on both patient and family is touching and true. Our helplessness in the face of such a debilitating disease parallels our inability to "conquer" or even accurately "measure" time. The book is thought-provoking and a wonderful read because Wilkin's prose is so elegant. Reading it is a totally satisfying experience.