The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Book Review
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is the bestselling, iconic love story that moved a generation of readers. Read my review.
The Time Traveler’s Wife Book Synopsis
This extraordinary, magical novel is the story of Clare and Henry who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty.
Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. His disappearances are spontaneous and his experiences are alternately harrowing and amusing.
The Time Traveler’s Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare’s passionate love for each other with grace and humour. Their struggle to lead normal lives in the face of a force they can neither prevent nor control is intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.
Genre: SciFi-Fantasy, Romance, Drama
Disclosure: If you click a link in this post we may earn a small commission to help offset our running costs.
BOOK REVIEW
I can see why so many people loved The Time Traveler’s Wife – there’s something in it for everyone!
“I never understood why Clark Kent was so hell bent on keeping Lois Lane in the dark.”
In the past, I’ve not always enjoyed science fiction so I originally had my reservations about the time travelling aspect of this romance. These concerns and its potential ‘gimmick’ factor were completely unfounded though. But, this ambitious concept was so skilfully executed it just added to the telling of what is ultimately a modern-day love story. By love story I don’t just mean romance, I mean enduring love, admiration and respect found in a variety of relationships.
Niffenegger’s use of a dual narrative presents the tale from the two lead character’s differing perspectives and adds immense depth to the telling of the story. It also removed the need for laborious descriptive detail.
“Why is love intensified by absence?”
The lead characters, Henry and Clare, are strikingly real despite the very unreal situations they find themselves in. They are not perfect, they don’t always do the right thing and that simply heightens their likeability. This is a story that could be enjoyed by men and women in equal measure.
“I won’t ever leave you, even though you’re always leaving me.”
If I had to describe this story in one word, that word would be ‘moving’. On one level, it is a very clever telling of a beautiful heartwarming story. On a deeper level, it’s a valuable reminder of the fragility of our lives and the virtues of living in the moment – carpe diem!
“Don’t you think it’s better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”
BOOK RATING: 5 /5
Get your copy of The Time Traveler’s Wife from:
Amazon Bookshop Book Depository Booktopia AU
OR listen to the audiobook FREE with Audible’s Trial (check eligibility)
Related Reads: Space Hopper (aka Faye, Faraway) by Helen Fisher is another heartwarming time travel novel.
About the Author, Audrey Niffenegger
Audrey Niffenegger is an exceptionally creative writer and visual artist who has achieved enormous success in both worlds. Her debut novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife, has sold nearly five million copies worldwide and has been translated into thirty-three languages to date. A Richard & Judy book club choice in the UK, it has been a huge bestseller all around the world. In the Daily Telegraph’s readers’ poll of the ‘Top 50 Books of All Time’ it appeared at no. 11.
Niffenegger is also the author of two ‘novels-in-pictures’, The Three Incestuous Sisters (2005) and The Adventuress (2006), both published by Cape. Her graphic novel The Night Bookmobile was recently serialized in the Guardian and will be published soon on the Cape Graphic list.
A Chicago native, Niffenegger received her MFA in Printmaking and Drawing from Northwestern University. Her art has been widely exhibited in the United States and is in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress and Harvard University’s Houghton Library.
Book Giveaway
Thank you to all that entered my first ever blog giveaway. There were 30 entries, by blog comment and also by email….. and the winner of a copy of The Time Traveler’s Wife is….SAFFIE from the UK !
