The Time Traveler's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger
5 out of 5 stars

Reviews for this book seem mixed, but I for one loved it. I love the concept of time travel, and the way Niffenegger tackled this challenge was fascinating to me. I loved that it was set in Chicago, and the characters were people you wanted to know and hang out with. What was difficult was the absolute tragedy of the plot ... which, admittedly, was really confusing at first. It wasn't until I was well into the book that it all clicked and I could make sense of the shifts in time, who was where (or when) and how it all worked. But (for me anyway), the dialogue and the people held my interest quite well up until that light bulb moment. I won't say it was a happy ending with loose ends all tied up neatly, because I cried and had to watch some cartoons with my cat when I was done, but it was satisfying. This is one of the few books I have re read. Don't see the movie -- it's a poor attempt and will just leave you depressed while not really caring about the people. Who needs that?

Note: I don't usually include much of a synopsis in my reviews, because A., it's too much work and 2., I'm lazy that way. But here's a good run down from another review that I liked (even though this reviewer didn't like the book):

"Henry meets his wife, Clare, for the first time when he is 28 and Clare is 20. Clare met Henry for the first time when she was six and Henry was 36. Henry is, literally, a time traveler. Henry has a disease: a cellular disorder that leaves him unglued in time, traveling at random to various points in the past and future of his own life and, inexplicably, to Clare’s childhood. Henry cannot hold onto any of his possessions when he time travels—no clothes, no food, no money—a fact that often has a disastrous effect on Henry’s life.

Throughout it all, Clare is at Henry’s side faithfully waiting for him to return to her and their life together.

Niffenegger alternates viewpoints, narrating the story in both Henry’s and Clare’s voice. Despite giving the characters equal narration time, Clare remains painfully one-dimensional. She is defined by her love for Henry, her artistic career and, unfortunately, little else.

Thankfully, Henry is written much more fully. Working as a librarian at the Newberry in his present, Henry also has a complex life "out of time." He is also well-versed in the culture of drugs and drinking. Really, Henry is a mess in every sense of the word. Despite all of his problems, though, Henry remains redeemable. Throughout the novel he clings to a certain charm, a quality that makes it plausible to believe that Clare really did love him long before Henry first met her."