The Time Traveler's Wife

Rating:
Summary: Hard to get into, but well worth sticking with it!
Review: The sequencing of this book is slighty hard to grasp throughout the first few chapters. It bounces from past to present to future and also many chapters contain the same people existing doubly (with varying ages) among one time period.

The love story between Clare and Henry is very touching and it is very easy to become wrapped up in it's drama. I don't think that anyone would be hard-pressed to find some element of the story to identify with.

I am not going to discuss the plot here because not only have many other reviewers already done this, but I think that the book holds so many more treasures when you don't already know what it is going to be about.

This is the author's first novel and in that respect, I think it is very well written and conceived. I truly enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: A great BIG IDEA, but...
Review: The Time Traveler's Wife is an interesting premise. Basically, a man has a genetic disease that causes him to time travel involuntarily. It's like having a seizure but instead of convulsions, he travels to another time in his life, often meeting up with himself at various ages. However, more importantly is that fact that he travels as a 30-40 year old to his wife's past. Clare, his wife, actually meets him when she is six. Essentially, she falls in love with him from childhood. I will give great credit to the author for an interesting premise that makes you think. Having said that, however, even though the book is 500+ pages of interesting time travel, I agree with other reviews that state too much emphasis on sex and punk music, and not enough depth to the supporting characters. All in all though, a GOOD read, that left me wanting to know more about the characters, which is a good thing when you think about it.

My bigger criticism is that there are two distinict "Henry's" in the book. There is the Henry who is immoral, extremely violent and cares for no one but himself. The other Henry is very intelligent, mild mannered, extremely caring, romantic and cultured. Time travel or not, I don't believe a person is two polar opposites at the same time without addressing that Henry has bi-polar disorder on top of a time traveling disorder.

Though the book is not perfect, I think it is a great premise that by itself makes you want to read of Henry's adventures. For a first novel, Audrey Niffenedder shows great promise.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but misses something
Review: I bought this book on the basis of the high reviews, and I found it entertaining enough, but in the end I must say that I feel that the story lacked something critical. And that critical gap is the entire story in itself.

This may seem a strange thing to say, as it is quite a hefty tome, but essentially very little happens in this book. It is a love story indeed, but I feel that the elements of the main characters' love for each other are not well developed, and as other critics have observed seem to focus on their sex life. I feel that given Henry's pre-disposition to disappear to other times, some of his adventures could have been a little more deeply explored, as could have Clare's interaction with friends and family as she waits for her unpredictable lover. Particularly odd is how the very concepts of time travel are skimmed over - sometimes Henry meets his older/younger self; sometimes he remembers things/sometimes not, and there is never any real explanation for his sometimes bizarre and violent behaviour in some of his travels.

Perhaps the author wished to show the impact of this time travel on people struggling to maintain normal lives - alas this doesn't make for particularly thrilling reading.

Lastly, this is a really innovative book, and a brave attempt to cross the boundaries of romance and science fiction. It is worth reading for these reasons, but I was disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: overly long and flawed, but eventually, cumulatively moving
Review: this one was a tough rating for me. I eventually gave it a four for the fact that it kept me reading for 500 plus pages and for its ending, which left me extremely moved and saddened. But I was close to dropping it to a three for its many flaws (one of which being that it was 500 plus pages). So fair warning, I think you'll be more than happy if you finish it and reach the powerful ending, but don't be surprised if you don't finish it, or get there a bit annoyed.
The plot basically a love story between normal Clare, whom we see from ages six to eighty and her husband the main character, who is unstuck in time and moves freely back and forth between his present, his past (mostly) and his future (rarely), arriving sometimes in familiar places and sometimes not and always arriving naked. The structure, as one might expect, is complex, with constant shifts in time and also many conversations which do the same, as Henry speaks with people who know sometimes more of his present/future than he does. Beside shifting in time, the book also shifts perspective, moving from Clare to Henry and back. While the structure is complex, however, it is seldom confusing, as the book moves inexorably forward in the reader's mind, despite the many "sidetrips". Don't mistake "not confusing", though, with "easy". This is not a book to pay secondary attention to while watching television and is probably best digested in as few sittings as possible so as to retain the many plot references to past and present. Overall, it is a stimulating, smooth ride.
Clare is a strong character and one whom we get to see develop from a young child to a mature woman. Her voice is consistent and likable despite the time changes and her parts were often my favorites. Henry is a more complex character, and the reader may find some shifting attitudes toward him. The author is unafraid to make him unlikable in places and he is at times strangely removed for being the focus of several hundred pages. He isn't as sharply defined as Clare and sometimes when he is, it is too much through broad statements rather than revealing action. By the end, though, he has grown enough on you so that what happens has a strong impact.
Side characters are unfortunately all too quickly sketched and sometimes seem to be more plot devices than full characters. This is true of almost all of them I found and while a few have some rich potential, their lack of development of it is all the more annoying. the book seemed overly long to me, with the author crossing the line here and there between reinforcement of theme/character and repetition. I think it would have been a more compelling read 100-150 pages shorter, or if some of those 500 pages had been rebalanced a bit to fill in some of the other characters beside Clare and Henry. I could also have done without the graphic sex/discussions, not from any prudish point of view but because they just seemed utterly out of place and at times out of character. In other words, they pulled me out of the book rather than along with it.
Even with some problems with character and plot and some triteness, by the last quarter, the book picked up and became compelling both in terms of plot and emotions, and the last few sections are, as I've said,truly moving and well-worth the journey to get there.
In the end, I'd recommend the book pretty highly and tell people not to feel bad about skimming here and there (I know, I know, but you all know you've done it yourselves :)

Rating:
Summary: WHAT AN AWESOME READ!!!
Review: I have never taken the time before to post a book review on this website. I just finished this book moments ago and headed right to this computer to post my thoughts on this book. If you don't read any other book this year----read this one!! It only takes about 50 pages of reading or so until you are caught up in the story....and what a story it is. It would ruin it to tell you too much. Please read it and enjoy!!

Rating:
Summary: Trust
Review: I love time travel stories, but good ones are rare. It seems that the authors get a bit mixed up trying to present a paradoxical situation and forget to tell us a story about characters we can care about. Audrey Niffenegger does not make this error. She knows what Jack Finney knew before her... that a time travel story is, first and foremost, about the characters, not the time travel.

Niffenegger's character does not skip through space/time in a machine or other such contrivance. He has a genetic disorder... a disease that causes his random (or beautifully ordered upon hindsight) jaunts back and forth in his own life.

The time travel was handled beautifully and left me wondering what I would do differently in Henry's situation. I love a book that can send me into that "philosophical litmus test" frame of mind. This is clearly a book intended for intelligent people written by a very intelligent person with a wonderful respect for her reader.

But the time travel and the associated twists aren't the best part. This book is about a relationship. It is a very simple love story based on the oldest, simplest of all love story conflict. Two people love each other but forces of conflict keep pulling them apart. But ,oh, the complex and profound sparks that come from Niffenegger's original handling of such a simple and primal conflict.

The characters are devastatingly real as they must be to carry us through the fantasy elements of the story with a willing suspension of disbelief. So many writers forget that we will adore their fantasy if they can make us believe in their characters. Niffenegger doesn't forget this for a single paragraph. She knows that Henry and Clare are her story and the time travel is the lens through which we see their relationship.

The scenes in which a mature Henry interacts with Clare as a child are my favorites. I think every lover has looked at pictures of his beloved as a child and wondered what she was like... thought, just for a moment, about what it would have been like to know her then... to see her grow. Henry's love for Clare takes on dimensions I've never seen in any book because of the brilliance of these chapters. Henry's gentle love, romantic and unquestionably innocent, for the child who will become his wife is the most touching work I've read in a novel in recent memory.

The secondary characters remain secondary. Niffenegger brilliantly lets us see them without letting us know them. She is aware that the laser focus she must keep on Henry and Clare to make this story work as it does means that we must not be permitted to truly focus on any of the other characterers. She makes them interesting enough that we wish we could know them better, but, as in life, we do not often get to really know people. They wear their armor and we wear ours. We love Henry and Clare all the more because we long, as they do, to know those around them better than we are permitted.

Audrey Niffenegger chooses words beautifully, but without pretense. Her pages are an intellectually and emotionally nutritious feast... rare and delicious morsels greedily savored.

The fact is that I have had difficulty reading other books since finishing The Time Traveler's Wife. Her rich style has spoiled me, making it difficult to surrender to lesser works by writers who have yet to master painting with words. Niffenegger knows the difference between TELLING a story and SHOWING a story. She can transport a reader to that place where one ceases the scanning of ink patterns on paper and sees and hears and tastes and smells and feels the world of the story.

Such was the power of this novel that I eagerly await Niffenegger's next work with the intent of purchasing it without question, without reading the reviews or even the inside flaps. With The Time Traveler's Wife, Niffenegger has earned such rare trust.

To Audrey Niffenegger: Write!

Rating:
Summary: Fabulously Engaging!!!!
Review: This book was fantastic! I couldn't put it down. I believe this has certainly been one of the most beautiful books I have read in quite some time. Beautifully written, beautifully imaginative. The characters of Henry and Clare are heartrendingly real and their fantastical life together is engaging. I haven't had such emotions pore thru me at the ending of a novel since reading "Where the Red Fern Grows". Where there may be questions left at the close of the book I may have liked answered there is still a feeling of closure. Not every book can be as the reader may like, and that is what makes literature so great, if I knew how everything turned out then maybe there wouldn't be a reason to write "The Time Traveler's Daughter," however...one can only hope.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific Love Story- Great Concept
Review: When I was recommended this book by amazon, I wasn't sure I'd like it. But the concept was so fascinating I couldn't wait to get it. So I put it on my wish list, and lo and behold, there it was on Christmas Day. From the first page the book gripped me with the intensity of the emotions displayed by the main characters. Having read some of the other reviews, I can agree that it would have been even more interesting if the other characters had been more completely developed, however, since the majority of the book was spent developing Clare and Henry and their unique relationship, I can say that I didn't really miss much in the supporting characters. I could've done without them altogether.

For a first novel, Niffenegger did a fantastic job. The story is gripping, compelling, heart-rending. It's a romance without being cheesy. It's real feelings; really powerful feelings. I love the way that the author made Henry out to be like other patients suffering from chronic diseases. It's so interesting to see the adjustments he has to make in his life to account for his impairment. It's also interesting to see how devoted Clare is to him and remains to him from their first(s) meeting.

I loved this book. I was sad when it ended, although it did so in a way that I felt complete. There was no cliffhanger here. It's a fantastic read. Congratulations to Ms. Niffenegger.

Rating:
Summary: Time Bending Romance Novel
Review: Okay so I'm a little embarrassed to say I really liked this novel because at it's heart it's simply a big fat romance novel with a sci-fi twist. Henry and Claire are destined to be together. Henry knows this because he can travel from the past to the present and back again. He meets Claire when she is six, and again when she's in her twenties.
The narrative jumps from Claire's point of view to Henry's with their lives past and present playing out as Henry travels through them. At the beginning of the book the device can be a little confusing as for example Henry from the present talks with Henry from the past, but by the time you're half way through the book you get used to it much like Claire must of with his constant disappearing and reappearing. It's a big sweeping love story with two whip smart and engaging characters. if you're a literary romantic, this could be what you're looking for, and if not and time travel is your thing, I'd break open the H.G. Wells.

Rating:
Summary: HOW CAN ANYONE LIKE THIS PRETENTIOUS SELF-SATISFIED DRIVEL?
Review: Why is this book so popular? Is it the plot-premise of a romantic relationship between a man who uncontrollably travels through time-leaving and returning to the present without warning-and the more chronologically anchored woman who loves him, or is it perhaps something else entirely? I was lulled into buying this book by the many enthusiastic reviews it has received, but found it to be not only a waste of time, but annoying as well. This must be one of the most pretentious novels I've ever read. All of the characters act and sound like refugees from an episode of Friends or Seinfeld, a group of oh-so-cool, oh-so-well-educated, exquisitely cultured, insouciant and--wow, really neat!--yuppies in their mid-thirties who all speak with the same voice, quote an endless string of Rilke poems, make references to Foucault and Heidegger, name-drop and cite passages from their favorite belletristic authors, listen to everything under the sun from the trendiest, coolest punk music to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, eat in the newest ethnic restaurants (Thai seems to be a special favorite), and exhibit inexhaustible sexual energy while igniting overwhelming desire in all those around them. The novel reads like a compilation of cultural clichés, from the title character's experiences while traveling through time (like the human in the first Terminator movie, he arrives nauseous, naked, and exhibits sprinter-like athleticism), to countless other scenes in each of which the author has him cite some literary quote obviously intended to make him appear exquisitely educated (one particularly egregious examples is one scene in which he quotes--get ready to be impressed-Hamlet's "Had I but world enough and time'.").

Though certainly unintended, the book strikes one as a satirical postmodernist version of Love Story, albeit with a twist: this time it's the girl whose family is incredibly wealthy (of course they live in a Frank Lloyd Wright-like mansion), while the guy's parents are less well-to-do, but also uniquely impressive: the author's imagination would not allow her main character's deceased mother to be just any old Hausfrau-no, she had to be a young, beautiful, Metropolitan Opera diva, and his bereaved father not just some normal, nine-to-five type of guy, but no less than the principal violinist of the New York Philharmonic. Everyone in this group of shallow, narcissistic intellectual wannabes speaks with the same voice and thinks with the same, impoverished, cliché-ridden imagination, and each thereby emerges as little more than a two-dimensional player in a larger, stereotypical ensemble design (and hence, again, as a fictional distant cousin of the casts of TV sit-coms); we have the rugged, iconoclastic young man (a heart-throb and heart-breaker of countless unfortunate women-sound like Ted Danson to anyone?), the middle-class princess (an object of desire for all who see her, men and women alike-perhaps they can cast Jennifer Aniston in the role if this is ever made into a movie), their male best friend who, though married, also lusts after Clare, his flip and savvy wife, their gay acquaintance who, of course, is dying of AIDS (Robert Downey, Jr., could play this guy), etc. etc.

While the manifest content of this self-satisfied text appears to descend from the liberalism of the late 1960s, its implied conservative ideology is located in the traditional image of the nuclear family, the sanctity of which is repeated over and over again in the book and is central to such other (and in this respect similar, though cinematic) examples of popular culture of the last twenty years as Woody Allen's Hannah and her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors, Fatal Attraction, and virtually all of Spielberg's most popular films. Perhaps that is the key to this shallow novel's success: It manages to appeal to the pseudo-intellectual tastes of an aging and despairing generation of liberals even as it reinforces the foundations of a society that no longer dares hope for political change, and instead has retreated into the more modest sphere of domestic bliss. I don't know what is scarier: the fact that this book is so completely lacking in any ironic awareness of its own pretentious make-up, that it has been received with such praise, or that, as the publishers proudly inform us, this is the author's first novel. Perhaps it's a good thing that time-travel remains an element of fiction'.