On the back of the success of her bestseller novel The Power, BBC Books has re-released Borrowed Time – the Doctor Who novel from the pen of Naomi A. Alderman. Featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory and first published in 2011, it sees the TARDIS team investigate some bizarre time anomalies surrounding a London bank.
It seems the overworked employees of Lexington International Bank are doing everything at once – and the key is a special watch given to them by the enigmatic, eerie salesmen Mr Symington and Mr Blenkinsop. A watch that somehow allows them to borrow time – literally, they get to rewind as much time as they want, so long as they pay it back later on… Plus compound interest, of course.
Readers fooled by the deliberately similar cover design who are hoping for another feminist masterwork from Alderman might be disappointed, but Borrowed Time is a terrific read on its own terms. Clearly a fan – particularly, it would seem, of the Douglas Adams school of Doctor Who – Alderman weaves a smart, imaginative tale that pokes fun at high-pressured city life.
The core premise of the book is a fascinating and original one – who wouldn’t want a watch that lets them have that extra five minutes sleep or ability to reverse a mistake? Even readers well-versed in Steven Moffat’s complex storytelling might get lost, though, as Alderman really runs with the idea of time as a commodity managed by bankers so there’s a lot of timey-wimey concepts mixed with legalese.
As for the characters, Alderman has a strong hold on the Eleventh Doctor, as his quirky personality sits well with the whimsical prose style. Amy and Rory are perhaps more sketchily drawn and often fill the typical companion role of asking questions and getting in trouble. That said, the author does a good job of getting inside Amy’s head at some points. In terms of the villains, the novel features the irresistible idea of loan sharks that are actually sharks.
A fun, high-concept adventure with a unique central idea, it’s definitely worth the time it takes to read it. And if you do want that time back, you can always ask Symington and Blenkinsop for help with that.
DOCTOR WHO – BORROWED TIME / AUTHOR: NAOMI A. ALDERMAN / PUBLISHER: BBC BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: JULY 19TH
