A would-be producer's dream of making a movie about the dodo is complicated by lies, time-travel, murder and other people's expectations. Rick McCartney is a struggling, self-proclaimed “auteur of the future” in Hollywood who wants to make a movie about a dodo, set in seventeenth century England. As part of his research into the real-life London of that time, he visits a past-life therapist. Much to their mutual surprise, he is transported back to 1640's London and is witness to a terrible scene – a brutally tortured and murdered man. With a vague idea of setting his nightmare to rest, he flies to modern London.
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Here he is involved in a threesome with a couple from whom he steals a manuscript titled "The Restoration of the Dodo". The manuscript tells the story of William Draper, an ex-medical student in seventeenth century London who owns one of the last living dodos and is desperate to find another one to make a breeding pair. He was thrown out of medical college, because his incurable porphyria had become an embarrassment to his superiors. It is his life into which Rick has time-traveled. The murdered man was the dodo's previous owner.
On the plane back to Los Angeles Rick's life intersects with that of Henry Cadwallader, an English doctor and movie buff, who has brought his daughter Dorothy to seek her fortune as an actress in Hollywood. Henry becomes involved with an estate agent, Barbara Scott. Some more sex ensues, most of it in a mock-Tudor house belonging to one of Barbara's clients. While perusing a movie memorabilia shop owned by a porphyria sufferer, Henry comes across an animation celluloid of a dodo and a photo of Barbara as a young actress.
The writer uses a criss-cross of various intercepting story lines, scenes and characters to weave this tale of human dreams and drama.
Eventually circumstances converge to give Rick a chance to make his movie – in the mock-Tudor mansion. Henry, Dorothy, Rick and Barbara become fleetingly involved in the Hollywood porn-movie scene, but they are saved from further corruption by a brave and unexpected act from Henry.
Back in the past William Draper fails to find another dodo, but does find a brief romantic encounter with a physician's widow. When his own dodo dies, she stuffs it. Years later, as William himself is dying from the plague, he realizes that her taxidermy wasn't successful – the dead dodo is crawling with maggots.
Best part of story, including ending:
I liked the clever intersections and synchronicity of lives, characters and scenes.
Best scene in story:
When Rick's friend and landlord Tom brings him a robot dodo to use in his movie and it walks life-like around the room.
Opinion about the main character:
I liked the fact that Rick pursued his dream against all odds, even if he is not the bravest and cleverest of men.
