Rating: 
Summary: Read the book, AVOID THE AUDIO
Review: This is a truly astounding work in its scope and immagination. I won't re-hash the premise here, many other reviews below have done so. This is a very character-driven work, that doesn't settle for the simple machinations of "plot". Rather it tells a story about the lives of two people through episodes, creating a very entertaining and enjoyable journey, though one along a road that seems to be headed somewhere worrisome. What is the most wonderful in this book is living the fantasy of being able to encounter one's partner/spouse/love at ages before you knew them. But this is certainly no gimmick, because Niffenegger turns all the conventions of time-travel inside out and makes it a disease with horrendous consequences alongside its obvious delights.I would also strongly caution readers to READ the book before listening to an audio version. After being enthralled by the book I've heard a portion of the auido and it was horrid. The readers/actors had clearly not read the book or understood the material. (and the voices were campy and stupid. truly putrid). Do NOT let the audio be your first impression of this material. I am nervous about how the movie version might turn out, but think this would make a terrific HBO series in the vein of Six Feet Under, due to its episodic nature, length, and complexity.
Rating: 
Summary: The Bored Housewives Guide to the Galaxy.
Review: Excuse me for being one of the hundreds of Lemmings not throwing roses to the author. Instead, I would throw her book a bone. This story reads like an overly long 3-dollar Harlequin romance novel written by H.G. Wells. Everyone is going nuts over this book, but I have some real problems in both its premise and its construction. The characters seem boring and erratic throughout, and they come across as exciting as a salad made with bad dressing. The glimpses of Chicago history will no doubt make an interesting movie if the story becomes one, but I absolutely hated the protagonist, Henry, and his "walk three steps behind" girlfriend/wife who fauns all over him as though he's the second/third/fouth, etc. coming of Christ. Didn't anyone else feel creeped out reading about an 11 year-old meeting a naked 30 year-old out in her backyard? And about the 500+ pages--like a bad movie, it could have been edited down a third. This book is a pile of sappy, endless diatribes that lead to nothing fulfilling to anyone other than bored housewives and friends of the author. Audrey, I want the four days of my life back that I spent reading this book!
Rating: 
Summary: I liked the book---------but,
Review: While I thought this was a pretty good book,I found myself extremely dissatisfied with it as a whole. I liked the character of Henry in the beginning of the novel. I did not like him in his twenties when Clare finally meets him. I did not understand the attraction that would have kept her interested enough to stick around until he became the man she was really in love with. When he supposedly reaches that age, he never becomes that man from the earliar part of the novel. I thought that the book was way too long and tended to become lost in itself. The letter that Henry writes for Clare to read after his death telling her that he loves her, now and always, and that he wants her to go out and live her life, does apparently not release her, because at the same time, he reveals to her that she will see him again. She obviously waits for him to return to her for the rest of her life. Henry, in his selfish way,has never allowed her, nor will he ever, let her have a life of her own. I would have liked to learn more about how Henry ended up at the Newberry library and why his co workers liked him so much as to forgive and forget all his sloppy work habits. With his wild twenties how did he ever get or keep his job? I would also have liked to learn of Clare's life in the later years-- how did she live her life for the first time without the constant all consuming presence of Henry.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: "The Time Traveler's Wife" is not a typical love story. Nor is it a run-of-the-mill time travel tale. Instead it is an imaginative and brilliantly written blend of the two genres to produce a delightful novel of a love that spans time in both directions. The bittersweet story of Clare and Henry De Tamble zigzags back and forth through time to describe the chaotic but strong relationship between the two in spite of the unusual obstacles they face. The story also poses some serious questions on destiny and free will. The timeline is truly a patchwork quilt to be assembled piece by piece. Each section is prefaced with the date, the ages of Henry and Clare, and the identity of the narrator to help you keep track of when in time the protagonists are. There are many glorious instances of time travel paradoxes, some of which will give you pause while you try to figure out how Henry's actions impact the past and the future, and how such seemingly improbable scenarios could exist. Suspend your logic, however, and savor these paradoxes. After all, this is not a Star Trek episode. You will laugh; you will cry; you will marvel over the story of the De Tambles. Read it and be amazed!
Rating:
Summary: -a fantastic novel plus one hundred pages
Review: i think that when people call the author lazy and say that her story is nothing more than a gimmick (it is spelled that way), i think they're overlooking what's been accomplished. here, after more than a century of literary exploration, is still another wholly original take on time traveling.
the idea is complex. a woman meets and starts a relationship with someone years before he meets her. using the double narrative the way the author does is not lazy --it's simple and clear, and it needs to be. with temporal overlaps and shifting viewpoints, why tell this story any other way?
here comes my one "although": i hated the peripheral characters. i think the author may need to hang around with either funnier or more interesting people. then we could, too.
Rating:
Summary: A Highly Original Work from a Seriously Talented Author
Review: Audrey Niffenegger's debut novel, THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, is a delightfully difficult book to describe. Clare meets Henry for the first time when she is 6 and he is 36. Henry meets Clare for the first time when he is 28 and she is 20. They marry when Clare is 23 and Henry is 31. Although Clare has known Henry nearly all her life, Henry has only known Clare for three years. Sound confusing? Not in Niffenegger's capable hands. Henry DeTamble is the first person in history diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder. In short, he time travels, thus making it possible for an older version of Henry to visit his "real time" wife when she is still a child, while the 28-year-old version of himself has no idea who she is when he meets her for the first time in October 1991. The trouble with being a CDP (Chrono-Displaced Person) is having no control over when you travel, where you travel to, or how long you'll be gone. An episode can be triggered by any number of events or emotions. Although Henry usually travels to places he has been during the course of his lifetime and is often easily able to locate his "past" self or young Clare for assistance, he's not always so lucky. Since money and clothes don't make the trip with Henry, over time he learns to steal what he needs, fight when he has to, and as a result has had more than a few run-ins with the law. A 24-year-old time traveling version of Henry even takes advantage of a visit to his 5-year-old counterpart to impart lessons in the art of pickpocketing. Consequently, Henry leads a sort of Jekyll and Hyde existence --- mild-mannered librarian in one life, time-traveling thug in the other. At age 28, Henry has just about resigned himself to accept the prospect of a life spent skating through time with no apparent cause, unable to form any lasting bonds with those in his present (or past), when he meets beautiful art student Clare (who has been waiting since age 6 to meet Henry). Theirs is an unforgettably poignant love story told through shifting non-linear time periods. They make the most of the time they spend together and suffer miserably when Henry's condition forces them apart. With Clare's urging, Henry seeks medical help and is eventually directed to Dr. Kendrick who diagnoses Henry but is unable to help him. When after a series of miscarriages Clare gives birth to a daughter named Alba, who inherits the CDD gene, Kendrick thinks he may finally be on the path to a cure. After Henry makes a rare and frightening trip into the future, he desperately needs to believe that this will happen --- and soon. THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE is a highly original work from a seriously talented author. Niffenegger weaves her timelines with ease, never confusing the reader or leaving loose ends. She more than earns her place as a writer to watch. --- Reviewed by Melissa Morgan
Rating: 
Summary: It weighs a ton, but it's worth it!
Review: This is the first review I have ever written. But this book moved me and I felt compelled to tell others about it. As I neared the end of this story I was a little dissapointed. I thought there were some story lines that didn't really have a point. I wanted every little detail to come together to culminate in some kind of big ending. But as I continued reading, the tears poured. And that's when I realized what this book was really all about. I felt for these characters and how they felt about each other. I didn't want it to end. And everything in life doesn't always have a neat bow to wrap around it. If you want a "gimmick" this book isn't for you. But if you want to bear witness to a love story, then read this.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing first novel
Review: There are a few faults in this first novel, but I still found it a refreshing take on the love story. Niffenegger explores the time traveler's tale with relish. Henry gets pulled out of his present when he's particularly stressed. He doesn't have any control over where or when he ends up. If you look at the number of 5 star reviews on this site you'll see that most people got caught up in this wonderful novel. I work in a bookstore and I plan on highlighting this title and getting as many people hooked on "The Time Traveler's Wife" as I can.
Rating: 
Summary: Can we say "gimic"? Very over-rated book.
Review: I don't want to give the story away, but if plot-hopping is your idea of a good read, this is for you. (Actually, it's still not for you. Try the Jasper Fford books---they're much better.) If you prefer a story that's actually cohesive, with characters that are actually well-developed, pick up something else. The only reason this is on the NYTimes list is because someone at the Today show picked it.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly wonderful book!
Review: I picked this book up, ONLY because I read a few good reviews; I really thought it sounded like the typical romantic "fluff" novels that I despise. SURPRISE! This book was remarkable, I thoroughly enjoyed it - I didn't want it to end. It is different - fantasy, fairy tale, horror story, but most of all, a truly touching love story. It makes you realize that we need to treasure life's joys, because those moments can be fleeting. Also, it shows that in a loving relationship, we must be willing to compromise to accomodate each other's weaknesses and strengths, and to adjust our expectations to the reality of the situation in a truly loving relationship. A wonderful book, very touching! I highly recommend it - I borrowed this book from the library, and I am going out to buy it tomorrow, I HAVE to own it!
|
