The plot of Wilkins' The Horizontal Instrument entertained a great premise, but I found the novella only so-so enjoyable.
Robert Garrett, an intelligent, mathematical genius decended from a long-line of watch-makers discovers his wife Elizabeth will suffer from Alzheimer's. The book's chapters alternate between telling of Robert and Elizabeth's relationship and the events leading up to her death; whereas every other chapter is a mathematical and factual retreat into the
history of time and watch-making. The book started out as extremely intriguing, but the excitement died down for me about halfway through. While I found some of the mathematical fun facts interesting, some of the intricacies involved with the histories and explanations wore my brain out somewhat. I was emotionally impacted by Elizabeth's deterioration, yet I found every other chapter on watch-making and time tiring and drawn-out. Perhaps I would have found the storytelling more intense had those parts been simplified and shorter. All in all, I found this book easily forgettable, and may not recommend it to any other reader.