book review: the time traveler’s wife

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Here’s the basic plot outline without giving anything away. This guy, Henry, has a genetic disorder which causes him to involuntarily time travel. The book is basically about a) his dealing with this because it’s not all fun and games and b) his relationship with his wife, Clare. It’s interesting because he travels from the future (where he is already married to Clare) to the past, where Clare is a little girl. So she has known him since she was 6 years old, but his present self doesn’t meet her until he is 28 and she is 20. Also, it’s told from both Clare and Henry’s perspectives, alternating.

Sound confusing? It is. After reading the first chapter, I was so confused, and considered giving up and putting it back in the stacks. But I persevered and not only did I get a hang of it and ended up totally understanding it, but I enjoyed it immensely. It’s a little extra work to read it because if you’re like me, I had to keep referring back to dates earlier in the book to see how things related in his different time traveling episodes. But it’s very well written and interesting and although it’s over 500 pages, it’s a pretty quick and easy read.

It’s a love story above anything else. I mean, this girl has known the love of her life, her future husband, since she was six. And for him, she’s the only real constant thing in his otherwise very hectic life. It’s pretty much them against the world and against this disease, which leaves her waiting and worrying about him for sometimes days on end while he disappears to God knows where. It’s about loyalty, unconditional love, and coping.

My only beef is that towards the end of the book, I felt like the author started giving too many things away in Henry’s time traveling to the future. But I guess that’s just my personal opinion. It wasn’t THAT big of a deal, the ending was still lovely. Also, it was weird because when I picked it up, I got the impression that it took place in the 19th century for some reason. But it actually takes in like the late 20th century. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I wonder if it would’ve been more charming in the 1800s? I don’t know.

What’s awesome is, it’s one of those books where the whole time I was reading it, I really wanted it to be made into a movie – come to find out, it is! And Rachel McAdams is playing Clare, which is awesome. Eric Bana plays Henry which, have I seen anything he has ever been in? I don’t think so. Anyway, it’s set to come out this September which…I’m really excited for. Yeah yeah, movies always ruin the book, I don’t care.

Go to the library and get this book and read it before the movie comes out and then we can go see it together!