George Falls Through Time Review

Posted on January 19, 2026

George is overwhelmed by the stressors of his life, from his new part-time job walking dogs for the wealthy to dealing with an internet bill in his ex-boyfriend’s name. George begins to feel himself unravel. In a twist of fate, he falls back in time to the year 1300 with no way to travel back home. With the help of a servant named Simon, George trades in his millennial “woes” for medieval survival, until one fiery beast threatens to burn all of George and Simon’s dreams to ash.

When the summary compared this book to Less by Andrew Sean Greer (my favorite book), which made me want to read this, I expected the similarity to be the humorous travel mishaps. But it actually reflected George’s feeling of being lost and his sense of finding his purpose as he explored the new era.

While this book took a more gloomy approach to time travel and fantasy, I enjoyed it because of how George had to adapt to the medieval setting. From the way he spoke with the locals to his mention of how his body felt after being cut off from the luxuries and resources he had in 2026, it felt like a realistic transition to describe what it would have felt like for anyone who had time-traveled to 1300. Despite this, George enjoyed his new life. The overall message I took from this is that no matter how simplified our circumstances are, you’re still trying to find meaning in life.

If you enjoy reading fantasy novels with a modern protagonist who’s better at setting up an Excel spreadsheet rather than fighting dragons, this book is for you! And no one narrated the story better than Samuel Barnett, who gave each character a unique voice and will make you want to go on your own fantastical adventure.