Claire's review
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
** spoiler alert **
I have a serious love/hate relationship with this book. The good stuff:
I really liked the jumps back and forth in time - surprisingly, the author was able to keep it all straight and I never really felt so terribly confused that I just wanted to give up.
I loved the Henry character. I really loved him. He was flawed, he tried so hard to be a good man, etc etc. I just really loved this character.
I liked the love story - I felt that the feelings between the two of them were real and so deep. So often a love story goes for huge dramatics to prove the deep love between two people and
I liked that she didn't do that - you see their love for each other in what they do, how they talk, how they touch.
I liked how the author kept the time traveling dark - the idea that he has no money and no clothes and has to scramble to stay alive and not arrested, etc etc. was great - very realistic for an unreal premise.
I actually liked that they threw in the genetic testing and whate...more
I really liked the jumps back and forth in time - surprisingly, the author was able to keep it all straight and I never really felt so terribly confused that I just wanted to give up.
I loved the Henry character. I really loved him. He was flawed, he tried so hard to be a good man, etc etc. I just really loved this character.
I liked the love story - I felt that the feelings between the two of them were real and so deep. So often a love story goes for huge dramatics to prove the deep love between two people and
I liked that she didn't do that - you see their love for each other in what they do, how they talk, how they touch.
I liked how the author kept the time traveling dark - the idea that he has no money and no clothes and has to scramble to stay alive and not arrested, etc etc. was great - very realistic for an unreal premise.
I actually liked that they threw in the genetic testing and whate...more
I'm not completely through this novel yet and I love what I've read of it! My interpretation of the time traveling is that it's a metaphor for the relationships that we have with others. We don't just have a relationship with the person at their biological age but all their ages. Does that make sense? Anyway, now I can't wait to read the end and see if I like it.
I absolutely agree with almost everything you say here (though I might have been harsher in my overall assessment). I thought that in general Niffenegger was excessively cruel to her characters and I'm glad I'm not totally alone in that feeling.
I agree with your review of this book. The premise is totally cool, but the author fell short of doing it justice. I also felt it was misnamed - it really wasn't so much about Clare and it was Henry and once Henry died the book was basically over. I would have loved it if she elaboarated on the genetic aspect of it or even just developed how Alba was able to semi control when and where she went. Lots of potential here, but it just fell short. I don't think its a terrible, just underdeveloped. Too bad.
I wish I had read your review before taking the time to write my own. I feel the same way minus two stars. I could get over the ridiculous premise but not the ridiculous characters.
This is exactly how I felt about the book. I wish someone else had taken the same idea and written it. This was an excellent reveiw to the book. Thanks.
