The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
One Book That Made You Cry
I am fascinated by time travel.
I’m not interested in the many theories of time travel from a scientific point of view, although I do enjoy thinking about the various fictional possibilities. I don’t really believe that time travel is possible in real life. I didn’t even know I had a Thing about time travel until I sawthe movie Donnie Darko, and I spent more than a few hours online the day afterward reading about how the movie plot folded over on itself and working out the timeline of the events in the movie. It was then that I realized that I always seem to choose movies and books that incorporate time travel into the plot. Suddenly, many things became clear, including my Quantum Leap obsession in high school and why I even read The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger in the first place.
I acquired my advance copy of The Time Traveler’s Wife at BEA in 2003. While most publishers print their advances of upcoming books as paperback versions featuring the final jacket art, MacAdams/Cage does not. Every one of MacAdams/Cage’s upcoming titles is printed with a solid colored paper cover, sporting the most basic information about each book in the same standard font. Title, author, release date. The back of the jacket offers standard advertising blurb copy. These are the least attractive advances you will find on the entire convention floor. I always scan them all and read the back covers, but I rarely take one. I know I won’t read them— the covers are so sad. I did, however, put The Time Traveler’s Wife with its plain, rough, dusky blue cover in my totebag.
Later that afternoon, I sank into a chair at the food court with my albatross of a totebag. I was supposed to meet my friends soon, but my feet had convinced my legs that we didn’t need to walk down any more aisles just one more time. I had a few minutes, so I poked my head in the totebag to find something to pass the time. Why did I choose the plain blue cover of The Time Traveler’s Wife? My only explanation is that my arm simply acted reflexively at the words “time traveler” in the title.
It took me about five pages to even understand what was going on in the book, but when I did, that was it. There would be no television, no conversations, no personal interaction with me for a few days, until I devoured the book completely.
If you are unfamiliar with the premise of The Time Traveler’s Wife, I will just say that it is a love story between Henry, a man who travels through time involuntarily, and Claire, a woman who doesn’t. This is a premise that could go so very wrong, but Niffenegger writes it perfectly. The point of view alternates between Henry and Claire. Chronological storytelling is not a given, but each detail about the characters and the events of their lives is revealed to the reader at exactly the right moment, creating the perfect blend of romance, suspense, and disquiet.
The final chapters of this book are devastating. Like one who travels back and forth through time, the reader knows and expects the inevitable ending to arrive at some point, but the full emotional impact is still so unexpected. I cried nonstop through the last five or six chapters, clutching a wad of tissues and taking great heaving gasps of air at one point. I have never read a book that so strongly affected me that way before or since.
The Time Traveler’s Wife is unquestionably one of my favorite books because not only did touch every emotional nerve in my body throughout the entire 300-plus pages, but it stimulated my intellectual interest as well with its not-quite-chronological time-traveling telling of the story. My brain had a field day with constantly puzzling out where and when is Henry now—what does he know, has this or that happened yet? Time travel is so much fun, and Niffenegger was somehow able to weave it into the most beautiful and heart-wrenching love story I’ve ever read.
This one, I will read again someday.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
tags: books book reviews time travel Donnie Darko Audrey Niffenegger
I am fascinated by time travel.I’m not interested in the many theories of time travel from a scientific point of view, although I do enjoy thinking about the various fictional possibilities. I don’t really believe that time travel is possible in real life. I didn’t even know I had a Thing about time travel until I sawthe movie Donnie Darko, and I spent more than a few hours online the day afterward reading about how the movie plot folded over on itself and working out the timeline of the events in the movie. It was then that I realized that I always seem to choose movies and books that incorporate time travel into the plot. Suddenly, many things became clear, including my Quantum Leap obsession in high school and why I even read The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger in the first place.
I acquired my advance copy of The Time Traveler’s Wife at BEA in 2003. While most publishers print their advances of upcoming books as paperback versions featuring the final jacket art, MacAdams/Cage does not. Every one of MacAdams/Cage’s upcoming titles is printed with a solid colored paper cover, sporting the most basic information about each book in the same standard font. Title, author, release date. The back of the jacket offers standard advertising blurb copy. These are the least attractive advances you will find on the entire convention floor. I always scan them all and read the back covers, but I rarely take one. I know I won’t read them— the covers are so sad. I did, however, put The Time Traveler’s Wife with its plain, rough, dusky blue cover in my totebag.
Later that afternoon, I sank into a chair at the food court with my albatross of a totebag. I was supposed to meet my friends soon, but my feet had convinced my legs that we didn’t need to walk down any more aisles just one more time. I had a few minutes, so I poked my head in the totebag to find something to pass the time. Why did I choose the plain blue cover of The Time Traveler’s Wife? My only explanation is that my arm simply acted reflexively at the words “time traveler” in the title.
It took me about five pages to even understand what was going on in the book, but when I did, that was it. There would be no television, no conversations, no personal interaction with me for a few days, until I devoured the book completely.
If you are unfamiliar with the premise of The Time Traveler’s Wife, I will just say that it is a love story between Henry, a man who travels through time involuntarily, and Claire, a woman who doesn’t. This is a premise that could go so very wrong, but Niffenegger writes it perfectly. The point of view alternates between Henry and Claire. Chronological storytelling is not a given, but each detail about the characters and the events of their lives is revealed to the reader at exactly the right moment, creating the perfect blend of romance, suspense, and disquiet.
The final chapters of this book are devastating. Like one who travels back and forth through time, the reader knows and expects the inevitable ending to arrive at some point, but the full emotional impact is still so unexpected. I cried nonstop through the last five or six chapters, clutching a wad of tissues and taking great heaving gasps of air at one point. I have never read a book that so strongly affected me that way before or since.
The Time Traveler’s Wife is unquestionably one of my favorite books because not only did touch every emotional nerve in my body throughout the entire 300-plus pages, but it stimulated my intellectual interest as well with its not-quite-chronological time-traveling telling of the story. My brain had a field day with constantly puzzling out where and when is Henry now—what does he know, has this or that happened yet? Time travel is so much fun, and Niffenegger was somehow able to weave it into the most beautiful and heart-wrenching love story I’ve ever read.
This one, I will read again someday.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
tags: books book reviews time travel Donnie Darko Audrey Niffenegger
posted by Renee at 9:46 AM
feed me
6 Comments:
This is a book I too shall read again someday. And I'd be thrilled to pieces if Niffenegger wrote a sequel so we could see what happens later on to Henry and his daughter.
BTW, I remember The Phantom Tollbooth, but don't know if I ever read the whole book (I have vague recollections of a few scenes). I do know that it was my brother's favorite book when we were younger. Since my hubby has never read it, I plan to pick up a copy for our permanent collection.
This is a reread for me too! And qualified as the book that made me cry too!
This book made me sob! I loved every page of it :)
Oh I loved this book. Although I think it took me a bit longer than 5 pages to "figure it out" but like you said, once it happened you just couldn't put the book away. I know she published another book last year but I'm waiting for her next novel. I'm curious how she will follow up this book.
I loved this book when I read it some months ago. Such an amazing concept so beautifully rendered. Books like this remind me why I love to read.
Wonderful review.
How did he imagine this? The book put me into a deep depression. Henry is a man who fits nowhere...and only his love of Claire and her love in return makes his life liveable. For every one who has ever been the "oddball"...Henry is us.
Bipolar.
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