it seems that most modern novels I read, use the device of jumping back-and-forth between characters and times. I find this not only annoying, but evidence of a lack of skill in weaving the stories.
Meh, linear is just one way to tell a story, and it's probably not even how you live actual life. I mean how often have you been doing something that reminded you of a prior experiece, and that whole mini-past-experience played out in your own head.
Beyond that, shifts in perpective from character to character can tell a fuller tale if the telling seems genuine and honest, and all of these devices can be useful creating suspense or a sense of epiphany.
@Lulz4l1f3 Yes, these devices can be useful, but now overused. I am not necessarily looking for linear story telling, but a more artful blending, a weave, ha, ha. This is why I generally stick to classics. When I read modern fiction, it is for my book club.
@gemswinc The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is pretty linear.