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Early on, Magnus makes mention of DNA - seeming to suggest, perhaps, that the drug allowed them to explore genetic memories. But if that were the case the only way they would see the same places and people is to have the same ancestors. And we might ask why the trips are sequential, since there would seem no reason why that should be. And now I've started, I want to ask what part location plays. It seemed as if Dick always "went" to a time when Roger was wherever it was Dick was when he took the drug, so if someone without ancestors in this location took the drug what would happen? Perhaps just the toxic effects without any memories?
It really doesn't bear thinking about ... and until we started talking about the book here I was doing a good job of not thinking about all that. This is one of the books that, I felt, worked well enough on a superficial level to keep me happy*, but it's not really one that stands up to scrutiny later. So in this case the irresolution does the book a disservice because it's better if you don't think about such details too much.
I didn't have that trouble with Never Let Me Go. I've not read My Cousin Rachel, so can't make the comparison; it's on our bookshelf, has been for years, but I've never gotten around to reading it.
* Happy-ish. I only gave it a 3/5. I liked it, but - as noted in my earlier post - more for the idea than the execution.
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