Elrod Stanton's Review of The Long-Timers by G. M. Lupo

The Long-Timers by G. M. Lupo

Historical Fiction/Paranormal Romance

Publish America, 2007

Trade Paperback, 646 pages

ISBN 1-4241-8826-1

*** An Interesting Romp Through History

Review by Elrod Stanton, Author of Hunting Ground, etal.

The Long Timers is a high-spirited, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, self-indulgent romp through history, with interesting and entertaining characters and settings.

G. M. Lupo bills this book as science fiction. This seems to be a mistake in marketing for what this book really is, is a work of historical fiction with paranormal romantic overtones. Another marketing mistake may have been producing this 646 page novel in one volume which, as a print-on-demand book, is pricy. Offering it as two shorter novels would have been easier to market, at least cover price-wise.

The long-timers are people who live hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The primary focus is on two couples: Charles and Renee and Bergeron and Victoria. While Charles and Renee have a long term romantic connection as husband and wife, Victoria is more of a "project" for Bergeron, a psychopath and sadist who may or may not be Jack The Ripper.

It took me a while to get used to reading the story in the third person present tense, but once I got into the rhythm and pacing that ceased to be an issue. The characters are interesting and entertaining and the way Lupo flows back and forth in history actually worked for me. The historical aspects of the novel are more like a sideshow for the Long-Timers, who use the world as their personal playground. While Lupo's writing style is smooth and entertaining, sometimes I felt as if I had slipped into the world of Mel Brook's History of the World or Larry Gonick's The Cartoon History of the Universe series. Not a problem for me, as I enjoy that brand of humor.

What didn't work so much for me was the plot. Or lack thereof. While there were minor conflicts and tension, dealt with for the most part with tongue-in-cheek humor, it wasn't until near the end of the book when Bergeron finally tires of Victoria, and her flings with "normal" people, and takes on a new "project" named Miranda that a semblance of a plot emerges.

Why Bergeron takes on these projects was never really clear to me. Something else that didn't work for me was, with some exceptions, the casual way the Long-Timers divulged their circumstance willy-nilly to "normal" people. It was hard for me to suspend disbelief that governmental authorities wouldn't be coming after them to learn the secret of their longevity to use for "national security" purposes.

All that said, Lupo is a very good writer and I did find The Long-Timers an entertaining read. I really liked the cover art, too. Overall, an interesting romp through history.