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The Time Keeper

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2012

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Book Brief

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Mitch Albom

The Time Keeper

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2012
Book Details
Pages

240

Format

Novel • Fiction

Theme
Publication Year

2012

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14-18 years

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Super Short Summary

In The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom, Dor, the inventor of the world's first clock, is punished by the gods for attempting to measure time and is banished to a cave where he becomes the ageless Father Time. To earn his freedom, he must teach two modern-day individuals—the despairing teenager Sarah Lemon and the terminally ill businessman Victor Delamonte—the true meaning of time, using a magical hourglass and his own experiences. The novel includes depictions of suicide, suicidal ideation, and sexual assault.

Contemplative

Inspirational

Mysterious

Emotional

Bittersweet

Reviews & Readership

4.2

126,392 ratings

69%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Mitch Albom's The Time Keeper blends fantasy with a poignant reflection on humanity's obsession with time. Readers praise its engaging narrative and thought-provoking themes, but some criticize its predictability and simplistic characters. Overall, the novel offers a touching, albeit straightforward, meditation on life's temporal nature.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Time Keeper?

Readers who enjoy introspective and philosophical narratives exploring the concept of time will appreciate Mitch Albom's The Time Keeper. Fans of Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist and Albom's own The Five People You Meet in Heaven will find its thought-provoking and spiritually uplifting themes compelling.

4.2

126,392 ratings

69%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

Character List

Dor/Father Time

The protagonist who transitions from a mortal man to an immortal being and then back, learning about the value and nature of time along the way. He is tasked with teaching two modern-day individuals important life lessons.

A mysterious supernatural figure who guides Dor, provides prophecies, and symbolizes a higher moral truth. He appears at key moments to direct Dor's journey and challenges.

Dor's loving childhood friend and wife who values relationships over intellectual pursuits and inadvertently teaches Dor the importance of treasuring time and moments.

A powerful and ambitious contemporary of Dor who values strength and conquest, serving as both a foil and antagonist to Dor due to his material and power-driven pursuits.

A modern teenager struggling with self-worth and interpersonal relationships, who learns important life lessons about the value of living through her interactions with Dor.

Sarah's mother who shares a strained relationship with her daughter but ultimately seeks to better understand and support her as they navigate their familial challenges.

The popular boy whom Sarah has a romantic interest in, whose indifference and behavior towards her highlight her struggles with self-awareness and self-worth.

A wealthy businessman facing terminal illness who learns to appreciate life and mend his strained relationships, particularly with his wife, through Dor's intervention.

Victor's wife who remembers happier times in their marriage and yearns for closeness, eventually experiencing an improved relationship with Victor as he learns to value the present.

Book Details
Pages

240

Format

Novel • Fiction

Theme
Publication Year

2012

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14-18 years

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