The Time Traveler's Wife

[General Joy]

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger


This is a very popular book--we've all seen it in every bookstore, and I've heard it's being made into a movie. So... is it worth all the hype? I personally enjoyed it, though it had some flaws. I was confused by the time-traveling at some points, and for a short while in the middle of the book I got a little bored. But the ending made me cry, at the part where Clare sees Henry after he already died, because it was his time-traveling self that had visited the future. She runs to him, but he vanishes right before they have a chance to embrace.

What did others think about the novel?

[Dawno]

I loved it. I will be going back to read it again, just have a small mountain of other books to read right now. The reason I want to re-read is to read it with an eye towards how it was constructed...the concept is challenging and the execution of it was very well done, IIRC.

I love books that defy pigeonholing...it's not 'romance' it's not Science Fiction but it's not 'literary' either, but I think you could shelve it in any of those sections and not have customers feel misled.

Dang, I want to go read it now but I must not!!

[maestrowork]

It's an uneven book. Nice concept. Some good writing. The middle drags. I think the ending could have been better. The timeline could get a little confusing. I think she handles the dual first person POVs rather well. I would call it a romantic novel (not a genre romance). It's not really sci-fi, even though it's about time travel. The core story is a romance. She did a great job thinking up the events and constructing it so that it makes sense -- it's hard to do. It's going to be interesting to see how they're going to adapt it into a movie (but now that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are in splitville -- not sure about the status of the movie).

[Dawno]

I don't know Ray - it's certainly got the happy ever after (and if you believe time loops eternally) forever after - ending...:)

[BlueTexas]

I loved it. Loved it.

The middle did drag, but it wasn't fatal. There were a couple spots where I had to reread to get the timeline, but since I was interested enough to reread, not a big deal.

[TrainofThought]

I loved this book. It is one of my favorites, and honestly, the time travel was the only thing I needed to get use to and understand. I consider it a love story, a true, unbreakable love. This is one I highly recommend to anyone looking for good writing; a unique storyline; wanting to get involved with characters; and to feel a strong, deep bond of love. Clare and Henry pulled me into their story, and I enjoyed every word, page and chapter.

[Christine N.]

I'm moving toward the end, and loving it. Fabulous book. Heartwrenching and elating and moving. Everything a book should be.

[johnnysannie]

I loved it. It took two readings to get everything straight - Henry's travels, the time factors etc - but it's one of my favorite newer novels.

[Christine N.]

I finished it last night.

Fabulous. Re-readable. Will go on my shelf as a keeper. I hope they don't ruin it in the film. I may not go see the film, I love this book so much.

[byElizabeth]

I loved this book so much and I can't wait for the movie...if it's being made...I'm not sure. It's unfortunate that Neffineger hasn't written anything else that meets this standard...I can't even get myself to buy anything else of hers. Maybe that's just me. I don't think she has anything else out there that is novel length though???

I was able to follow the time traveling without error and I didn't really think the mid-section dragged...I was so into it I didn't want it to end!

[dceptiveophelia]

:cry:What a tearjerker for me! I cried sporadically from the middle of the book to the end. This is my favorite novel at the moment. I loved the characters, and Henry & Claire's relationship was utterly incredible! I wrote Ms. Niffenegger a letter to let her know how much I thoroughly enjoyed it, and lo...she wrote back to thank me!

[Sesselja]

I was confused by the time-traveling at some points, and for a short while in the middle of the book I got a little bored.

You said it nicely.

It was OK, but I would rather spend the money on a different book (lucky me got it for X-mas last year, so I didn't need to spend any money on it.)

[MyFirstMystery]

I enjoyed it very much, I agree the timeline got a little confusing, but I thought Niffenger's prose had a viceral realism, and her writing is really what drew me in.

I loved the ending.

[Bartholomew]

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger


This is a very popular book--we've all seen it in every bookstore, and I've heard it's being made into a movie. So... is it worth all the hype? I personally enjoyed it, though it had some flaws. I was confused by the time-traveling at some points, and for a short while in the middle of the book I got a little bored. But the ending made me cry, at the part where Clare sees Henry after he already died, because it was his time-traveling self that had visited the future. She runs to him, but he vanishes right before they have a chance to embrace.

What did others think about the novel?

SPOILER WARNING PLEASE.

[Unique]

SPOILER WARNING PLEASE.
:Huh: Bart! This is the book club forum. The whole place needs a warning.
Unless we're discussing books we haven't read ...

[BIBLIA-VORE]

I have read this book three times and found it more enthralling each time; something about it stirkes a chord within me that is such a delicious, bitter-sweet reverberation I find myself wanting to re-experience it as soon as I finish the last page. The bond between Claire and Henry is magical from the first meeting, and survives Henry's involuntary presence-abductions, Claire's desperate and horrifying attempts to conceive, and the arsenal their enemy/friend, Time, subjects them to. The scene someone else mentioned, where Claire is trying to get to Henry before he disappears, left me exhausted from the urgency and yearning. The ending took my breath as well, because it leaves the reader's imagination free to create its own picture of what the next few second would hold.

"The music is the space between the notes". --Debussy

[WriterInChains]

I've been on the list for this book at the library more than once, but only started to read it last weekend. It's mind-boggling that so many people like it so much & yet it took me three days to read 62 pages and now I can't bring myself to open it again. I thought maybe I was just burned-out & needed a break from reading, or I was coming down with something (because I've never been burned-out on reading before!), but I opened Clearcut [Nina Shengold] last night & in less than half an hour was on page 50.

I hate it when a book is so popular I just have to read it, & sounds like it'll be good (sci fi-good; romance-good) & then I'm bored. Makes me wonder if I have a chance in this biz. :Shrug:

[PeeDee]

I haven't read it, but it was one of those great concepts where I read the back of the book and went "WOW...." and really wanted to go home and write it myself.

I'll snap it up in a heartbeat when it appears in myne bookstore.

[illiterwrite]

I loved it and thought it was a great concept.

[CaroGirl]

I finished it last night and was quite blown away by it. I have trouble plotting my linear little novel. How on earth did she manage to successfully plot this time-shifting mammoth!? Kudos to her.

I'm firmly in the liked-it-very-much camp. I wasn't bored by it, nor do I think it's the best novel I've ever read. It's solid, well written, and entertaining. I'd recommend it.

[CaroGirl]

Um: SPOILER

I'll just add two problems I had with it. If Henry was so afraid of ending up naked in the Cage, why didn't he pre-emptively shove some clothes in there for his time-travelling self to wear? When he did end up in there, they just pushed clothes through the bars.

Secondly, the author never explains why Ingrid understands and accepts Henry's time travelling so readily. She seems to understand it even before she sees Henry on her last day alive. Ingrid has a grasp of it when she sees Alba in the alleyway.

Just two little things that bothered me.

[TrainofThought]

I finished it last night and was quite blown away by it. I have trouble plotting my linear little novel. How on earth did she manage to successfully plot this time-shifting mammoth!? Kudos to her.I thought the same thing.

I'll just add two problems I had with it. If Henry was so afraid of ending up naked in the Cage, why didn't he pre-emptively shove some clothes in there for his time-travelling self to wear? When he did end up in there, they just pushed clothes through the bars.

Secondly, the author never explains why Ingrid understands and accepts Henry's time travelling so readily. She seems to understand it even before she sees Henry on her last day alive. Ingrid has a grasp of it when she sees Alba in the alleyway.It’s been a while since I read the book. There wasn't a guarantee the clothes would remain in the Cage if Henry put them there. That’s why Claire hid clothes for him when he returned to her childhood and adolescence.

I can’t remember Henry’s relationship with Ingrid, but I believe she was about to commit suicide when he shows up. I figured anyone that deep in despair wouldn’t care what was happening around them. My two cents.

[tenpenynail]

**First, like others here, I was blown away by the concept! And jealous that I didn't think of it.

I love parallel universe and time travel stuff. But this one did lose me sometimes in the back and forth. I'd have to turn back a page or two to figure it out.

But all in all a good read.

[Deadbeat 007]

Sounds interesting. As long as it's not a sappy romance like I thought it was, I think I'll give it a shot. I admit, the story line sounded really intriguing.

[justpat]

I considered this one of the top books I've read this decade. I thought it was a good, original approach to an old idea (time travel).

OK, I didn't actually read it, but I have listened to the audio book twice and have purchased the print version for reading, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. One of the reasons is because I keep lending it out to people and telling them they really must read it.

[glendalough]

I read it and LOVED it. I don't usually get into books like this, too hoaky. SP? But this one was believable, well written. It dragged in a few places, but not in an irritating way or where the author was probably lengthening to please their agent. LOL

I have a suggestion for anyone who loved it, try The Confessions of Max Tivoli.
http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Tivoli-Andrew-Sean-Greer/dp/0571220223/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7083963-8897539?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181691817&sr=8-1

[jennifer75]

Here it is! It's time! Most of you have read and finished the book hopefully allowing for an interesting discussion board on the book.

I, however, only read 50 some odd pages.

I enjoyed Henry and Claire's first written meeting a lot, but couldn't get Henry's meetings with himself. I stopped when big Henry taught little Henry how to pick-pocket.

I had a hard time following POV's also. But, that's just me.

I also couldn't stop myself from trying to remember the when's while reading a piece, therefore further confusing myself when I'd forget when when was. Something I cant help doing.

Your turn. Lets hear it!

[James81]

I'm on page 413 and hope to finish it later tonight. This post will contain spoilers, which I assume we SHOULDN'T have to worry about in this thread, but here is your warning. If you don't want to be spoiled, hit your back button and get out of this thread.

The POV switch doesn't bother me at all, because I realize that when they use the name of one of them, it means that it's from the other one's point of view.

The dates are a bitch to keep up with, so I solved that problem by not trying to keep up with them. If I did, I would go insane (which I guess is why you stopped lol).

As for the story, I'm just as swept up into this time as I was the first time I read it. The language and writing style she uses is absolutely beautiful. She touches on some aspects of time travel that keep me thoroughly hooked, and she does a really good job of capturing both the extreme circumstances of the situation and the normalcy of married life (which can get boring at times).

To me it's the first and last 150 pages of the book that I find rivetting. The middle of the book tends to lag on, but I noticed that it wasn't quite so bad this time around.

Something I thought was really awesome was that the pregnancy that stuck was the one that came from a past version of Henry after he got his vasectomy. I also thought the scene where Henry sees his daughter in the musuem was kind of neat (ableit a bit unrealistic in the sense of the conversation with the teacher).

[James81]

Oh, and now that you've read the book, don't forget to see the movie when it comes out this year (sometime):

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452694/

[jeany]

Great to hear about the movie coming. Beware, I'm going to be gushy about this book.

The premise is so outlandish. But the everyday earthy characters and settings made it real for me, sucked me in and tugged me along the whole up and down roller coaster.

It takes a lot to make me laugh! Some of these scenes had me throwing the book and laughing my head off. The first church scene, when the whole family is watching him in church--he's so nervous and afraid he's going to embarass himself in front of everybody--I can really identify with that sticky situation. And the wedding scene later on in the church is the funniest wedding scene ever. I was laughing throughout, except the end. The end really threw me for a loop and had me thinking. I loved having to keep track of the various dates and ages, flipping back to check things. Clare and Henry also needed to keep checking their list of dates to figure out what was happening. It was like putting pieces of a puzzle together. I had to think about that hunting scene in the woods for awhile before I had the "of course!" moment.

Towards the end, I found myself identifying wth the older characters' situations even more than I did at the beginning when they were younger. I guess that's because I'm a baby boomer myself and have dealt with some of the same issues, or at least know many others who have. That made the ending more thought-provoking for me nowadays than if I had read this when I was younger.

[JustJess]

If the book hadn't been so highly recommended by others I'd have put it down after the first few pages. It was a good 100 pages or so before I felt invested in the story. Also, the title seemed misleading. I felt the story was way more about him than her. Afterall, aside from possibly hemmoraghing during a miscarriage, I was never concerned over her fate-he was the one who was constantly in danger. I never really connected with her.

[tinselcleo]

I just finished the book last night. I was suprised it took so much effort on my part to finish...it was hard for me to become part of the story.

I did like the story, and she can write, but I thought there was alot of filler that I really wasn't interested in. I felt like I knew the characters well and that means all the world to me when I am reading a story. I totally enjoyed the scientific genetic info throughout and found it touching when 911 made its way into one of their days.

The dates were hard to keep up with as others have mentioned.
SPOILER:
I was dissapointed in the ending. After Henry goes to the future to see elderly Clare and then leaves the note for her to see, I firmly believed we would see the scene and hear what happens in their final (maybe or maybe not?) meeting. And we didn't! We had just read sooooo much about Hanry and Clare and knew intimate details about every facet of their lives. I thought it only fair to be treated to THE future meeting and we weren't. I feel jipped.

[Kudra]

My thoughts:

Brilliant, brilliant dialogue. I never notice things like these, but the dialogue was not only very sharp, but intelligent and funny. I loved how she was able to show off her characters through their witty one-liners.

I didn't have trouble with the POVs, and even though I went back and forth a bit with the timeline, I wasn't left confused. I was actually quite impressed with her ability to weave in such complexities. As a writer, she was not dealing with two characters, but each of Henry's ages was a separate character. It could have been so chaotic, but I flowed through smoothly.

I also loved that she got pregnant by a former, younger Henry. It was so unexpected, but in terms of the book, such a perfect way to do it.

There were two parts where I stumbled: the meeting with the future daughter. In the future, the daughter and the teacher are talking as if this ailment is now common enough and other people have it, which leads me, the reader, to believe that the daughter will not have to live with it as a secret. However, towards the end of the book, there is absolutely no mention of this or any forward movement on it.

The ending. Sigh. So many people said it's such a beautiful ending, that it's powerful and moving. Writers have expressed that they wish they could write an ending like this. I was so, so disappointed. Like tinselcleo, after that huge build-up, I was hoping for a description of what happens. And I never got it.

The ending aside, I loved the book. Fantastic read.

[jennifer75]

Without reading below, I'm going to try and get some more read tonight. And tomorrow, then I'll post on Tuesday my thoughts.

[James81]

The ending. Sigh. So many people said it's such a beautiful ending, that it's powerful and moving. Writers have expressed that they wish they could write an ending like this. I was so, so disappointed. Like tinselcleo, after that huge build-up, I was hoping for a description of what happens. And I never got it.

The ending aside, I loved the book. Fantastic read.

Just finished this book up tonight.

I had forgotten just how much the ending ripped me up the last time. Not many books (or movies for that matter) make me so invested in the characters that their loss becomes my loss, but this is one of the few books that did that for me.

The last 50 to 100 pages of the book were filled with an impending sense of dread...like a clock was slowly winding down and you could see the end coming.

And then it happens and you are left surprised that it actually happened...and then, in the next breath there he is again back to his old tricks.

I wasn't disappointed that we didn't get to see the final scene played out. That final scene leaves you wanting more, which is the sign of a great ending to a great book.

Since I bought this book this time, I forsee me reading this again in the future, probably again and again. This was my second reading and I was left just as entertained as I was the first time. :D

[firedrake]

If the book hadn't been so highly recommended by others I'd have put it down after the first few pages. It was a good 100 pages or so before I felt invested in the story. Also, the title seemed misleading. I felt the story was way more about him than her. Afterall, aside from possibly hemmoraghing during a miscarriage, I was never concerned over her fate-he was the one who was constantly in danger. I never really connected with her.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I just couldn't warm to her as much as she probably deserved. Having said that, the letter he left for her had me snivelling on a crowded plane... that one line "you are the thread through the labyrinth" just brilliant, it's one of those lines I wish I'd written.
It was a clever premise and I would read it again. I'll be interested to see how the film works and Bana is easy on the eye:D

[James81]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I just couldn't warm to her as much as she probably deserved. Having said that, the letter he left for her had me snivelling on a crowded plane... that one line "you are the thread through the labyrinth" just brilliant, it's one of those lines I wish I'd written.
It was a clever premise and I would read it again. I'll be interested to see how the film works and Bana is easy on the eye:D

This is one of those cases where I'm willing to bet that the film is going to disgrace the book.

And the reason I think that is that a film can't really capture the beautiful language that makes the book so good. There is a warmth to her writing style that will be incredibly difficult to capture on film.

[jeany]

I agree with Kudra about the dialogue. It's interesting how even the minor side characters have snippets of dialogue that move the plot.

[tinselcleo]

I wasn't disappointed that we didn't get to see the final scene played out. That final scene leaves you wanting more, which is the sign of a great ending to a great book.



That's the problem I have with the ending. I did want more and I just don't see a "Time Traveler's Wife - Book 2 - Elderly Clare with young Henry" coming out.

If it had ended with Henry dying and the note that said he would see her in the future. Ok.....maybe there would be another story....later...

But it didn't, it flashed forward and Clare had lived the rest of her life obviously without Henry, waiting for him to come back at that one moment. I really was looking forward to reading what they would say and how much they still loved each other.....but it just stopped.

I liked the book alright, my mom would love it and I have already recommended it to her.

Oh and thanks for posting the imdb link, I would like to see the movie, though I'm positive it will not do justice to the book....they never do *sigh*

[James81]

That's the problem I have with the ending. I did want more and I just don't see a "Time Traveler's Wife - Book 2 - Elderly Clare with young Henry" coming out.



I could see a Sequel to the book chronicling Abla's travels through time and her relationship with Henry.

The story of Henry and Clare was pretty well exhausted by the end of the book, but the one with Alba was set up nicely for a sequel should she want to write one.

[James81]

There was a short chapter in the book that I thought was pretty powerful. Let's see how many of you all caught it.

It was the day before their wedding and Henry is walking down the street and sees the barber shop and "immediately knows" what he "needs to do."

The last line, I thought, seemed like a powerful, turning point in the story.

"I look up and I am the me of the future." (or something like that)

I really liked that scene. Especially when you've got the one a few chapters back where his older self is with clare in the bathroom or hall or something of a party and he calls his younger self pathetic, and tells her to be patient while he changes and grows.

I can also relate to it a bit, because when I went through a bunch of changes, I changed my hairstyle in the midst of it.

So yeah, great scene.

[MissKris]

Oh dear, am I going to be the party-pooper? I'll apologize for that in advance . . .

There are some details that I liked in the book and moments that caught me in, but overall I found myself disenchanted with the book. I struggled to get through the tedium of laundry lists of punk bands and encounters with women (Henry) and paper art, fiber art and more paper art (Clare). I never felt I knew the characters on an intimate level; my image of Henry throughout the book was as a greasy haired homeless person (sorry, but true - he never looked anything like Bana in my head) and Clare was this untouchable red-headed artsy angel figure that was too cool to be focused on for very long or very intimately. The characters that were real to me were Ben (loved his goodness), Alba (spunky), and Ingrid (real in her desperation). Everyone else was just meh.

Don't laugh, but it wasn't until I read some reviews of TTTW (after I'd read it) that I found out it was supposed to be a romance. I mean, yes, I realize that there is a romance, but it seemed to be a by-product of the rest of the story. I am genuinely puzzled by so many reviews that gush over the romance of the book. Sure, we are told time and time again that they love eachother, but I never really SAW it and therefore hardly believe it. On Clare's part, I felt their relationship was nothing more than an inevitable and I resented the story for that. From childhood she was told what would happen in her life and she never had a choice about it. Possession, yes. Love, no.

And speaking of childhood, am I the only one that was horribly put off by the intense sexual attraction of a 40 year old man to his 6 year old future wife. I'm not squeamish, but this pedophilia was not at all romantic. It was disturbing. On the other hand, kudos for disturbing me. I like feeling when I read (even if I don't like it).

The end of the book picked up for me and I liked the technical aspects of the time travel. I wish I'd felt worse when Henry lost his you-know-whats, but since I was sick of hearing about his hang-ups about his mother by this point I kind of felt he deserved it (I know, ouch, I'm evil - but I would only wish that on a fictional character, promise).

I wish I could say "maybe another read-through would change my mind", but there are too many books and too little time to endure another round of this one. Okay, done ranting for now.

[James81]

Understandable. Not everybody will like every book, so I accept that you didn't like it. But there are a couple of things I'd like to comment on about what you said:



Don't laugh, but it wasn't until I read some reviews of TTTW (after I'd read it) that I found out it was supposed to be a romance. I mean, yes, I realize that there is a romance, but it seemed to be a by-product of the rest of the story. I am genuinely puzzled by so many reviews that gush over the romance of the book. Sure, we are told time and time again that they love eachother, but I never really SAW it and therefore hardly believe it. On Clare's part, I felt their relationship was nothing more than an inevitable and I resented the story for that. From childhood she was told what would happen in her life and she never had a choice about it. Possession, yes. Love, no.

First of all, I, a guy, enjoyed the fact that a female writer didn't gush the romance up as a huge element of the story. I would be extremely put off by that and in fact, in some scenes I WAS a little put off by the lovey dovey stuff (it's there, even if it's sparse).

I wouldn't call it "possession" just because she knew what was going to happen. She wasn't FORCED to fall in love with him. In fact, he went to great pains not to give too many details so that she didn't know how to find him and so it could happen as naturally as possible.

I wish she would have explored the "if he knows it's going to happen, can he change it?" aspect a little more though. We get one blurb about the painting that claire did where he says "Don't sign it. I've seen it and it's not signed." And they decide to let her sign it.

If she would've expanded on that idea, I think we would have found that we always have choices (we aren't forced to pick a certain road), but those choices will lead to certain roads and that our attempts to control and change the future are futile. It wasn't a lack of choice, it was a lack of knowledge of what choice (or chain of choices) led to a particular outcome. You don't know that by her signing it, that in the future it would be signed (for example). Because any number of situations could've caused it. She could've have signed it initially and it gotten water damage and she had to trim the edges.

That's what so fascinating about the book. Even though Henry is there in her past, we don't know that he's changing anything or leading her to love him. The love that they had was always going to be, and it would be futile to change that either way.

And speaking of childhood, am I the only one that was horribly put off by the intense sexual attraction of a 40 year old man to his 6 year old future wife. I'm not squeamish, but this pedophilia was not at all romantic. It was disturbing. On the other hand, kudos for disturbing me. I like feeling when I read (even if I don't like it).



Could you cite a passage where a 40 year old man has sexual attraction to a 6 year old girl in this book? His initial interactions with a younger claire were very fatherly meetings.

[jennifer75]

The dates are a bitch to keep up with, so I solved that problem by not trying to keep up with them. If I did, I would go insane (which I guess is why you stopped lol).



Yup. I wasn't able to read any more, and I am not intrigued enough, to continue.

I know. I read 60 pages. That's more than somebody would give an AWer in the SYW pages...but it didn't grab me.

[jennifer75]

If the book hadn't been so highly recommended by others I'd have put it down after the first few pages. It was a good 100 pages or so before I felt invested in the story. Also, the title seemed misleading. I felt the story was way more about him than her. Afterall, aside from possibly hemmoraghing during a miscarriage, I was never concerned over her fate-he was the one who was constantly in danger. I never really connected with her.

So another 40 pages and I would have been stuck, heh? ;)

I think that is what bothered me, I wanted to know Claire, not Henry. And in those first 50 pages, we really only meet her once. The second time doesn't count cause she's only really in the scene for a few minutes.

[James81]

but it didn't grab me.

that's because it's an inanimate object

[MissKris]

First of all, I, a guy, enjoyed the fact that a female writer didn't gush the romance up as a huge element of the story. I would be extremely put off by that and in fact, in some scenes I WAS a little put off by the lovey dovey stuff (it's there, even if it's sparse).

I wouldn't call it "possession" just because she knew what was going to happen. She wasn't FORCED to fall in love with him. In fact, he went to great pains not to give too many details so that she didn't know how to find him and so it could happen as naturally as possible.

I wish she would have explored the "if he knows it's going to happen, can he change it?" aspect a little more though. We get one blurb about the painting that claire did where he says "Don't sign it. I've seen it and it's not signed." And they decide to let her sign it.

If she would've expanded on that idea, I think we would have found that we always have choices (we aren't forced to pick a certain road), but those choices will lead to certain roads and that our attempts to control and change the future are futile. It wasn't a lack of choice, it was a lack of knowledge of what choice (or chain of choices) led to a particular outcome. You don't know that by her signing it, that in the future it would be signed (for example). Because any number of situations could've caused it. She could've have signed it initially and it gotten water damage and she had to trim the edges.

That's what so fascinating about the book. Even though Henry is there in her past, we don't know that he's changing anything or leading her to love him. The love that they had was always going to be, and it would be futile to change that either way.

Could you cite a passage where a 40 year old man has sexual attraction to a 6 year old girl in this book? His initial interactions with a younger claire were very fatherly meetings.

I like what you wrote here. I agree about the level of romance in the novel - it isn't too much. I went over to GoodReads and read a couple of reviews (because I honestly thought I was in a huge minority in not loving the book since it had come so highly recommended) and just was surprised by some comments there. Gushing comments. That just didn't fit for me. So that's why I was puzzled. I personally don't think there was too much; in fact, some sex scenes were downright clinical.

As for Claire, I have to disagree about whether or not she was forced or led to love him. There is just too much there that spells out her absolute refusal to explore any other relationships in her life. Did he hold her arms down or lock her in a tower? No, but he tells her that she becomes his wife and that they have a life together in the future. Claire takes his word as law and spends her teenage years beating the boys off with a bat, engineers a (creepy) pseudo-wedding so she can lose her virginity to Henry, dates with no intent to develop meaningful relationships, has one non-Henry sexual encounter filled with shame and regret (because it's not Henry . . . because of Clarisse?), and fills her days with the anticipation that THIS is the day she will run into Henry. She closes herself off to life because of her expectations of him and their life together. She never considers that he could be her second husband or any other scenerio. She is trapped by her "knowledge" of what is to come.

I agree that there are aspects of time-travel that would be intriguing to explore but that aren't in this book. They are, as you said, only barely touched on. I don't blame Audrey. Time travel is one of those things that gets my head tied up in knots. She defines her rules pretty well, though.

As for the sexual tension: I absolutely can't deny that it was there for me. Sometimes it was on Henry's side, often it was Claire. As for a specific passage, you'll have to wait until tomorrow when I go to the library and check the book out again (shouldn't have returned it before the discussion, eh? :tongue) Anyone else out there feel it? Anyone? Anyone?

[James81]

As for Claire, I have to disagree about whether or not she was forced or led to love him. There is just too much there that spells out her absolute refusal to explore any other relationships in her life. Did he hold her arms down or lock her in a tower? No, but he tells her that she becomes his wife and that they have a life together in the future. Claire takes his word as law and spends her teenage years beating the boys off with a bat, engineers a (creepy) pseudo-wedding so she can lose her virginity to Henry, dates with no intent to develop meaningful relationships, has one non-Henry sexual encounter filled with shame and regret (because it's not Henry . . . because of Clarisse?), and fills her days with the anticipation that THIS is the day she will run into Henry. She closes herself off to life because of her expectations of him and their life together. She never considers that he could be her second husband or any other scenerio. She is trapped by her "knowledge" of what is to come.

Yeah, I can see what you are saying and I'm not sure I have a good answer for that.

Unless the intent was much like other romance stories where fate or kismet or whatever brings two people together and they just know that they are the ones for each other.

It's highly unrealistic (although not impossible), but perhaps that was the intent. I got the vibe that this was, as one critic said, "a triumph of love over time." A story about an impossible romance that waxed, waned, and then flourished over insurmountable obstacles. It's kind of akin to the neighbors who know each other all their lives, end up dating in their teens and get married without ever "experimenting." Of course, in our highly promiscous and experimental society, that idea seems absurd as if it's some recipe for failure, but I would assert it's not TOTALLY unrealistic.

I agree, though, that it would've made it seem more real if in those two years they didn't see each other that Claire would've had casual relationships with other guys and dated a little. Or even while she was growing up. But on the other hand that would have tainted the purity of her love for him. The absolute resolve that what she felt was real and that it stood not only the test of time and alone-ness, but also the test of temptation and weakness.

That being said, I'm having my testicles removed this afternoon.

As for the sexual tension: I absolutely can't deny that it was there for me. Sometimes it was on Henry's side, often it was Claire. As for a specific passage, you'll have to wait until tomorrow when I go to the library and check the book out again (shouldn't have returned it before the discussion, eh? :tongue) Anyone else out there feel it? Anyone? Anyone?

I remember there being sexual tension when she was 15ish to 18. But I don't remember there being much more beyond that. I guess you could make the arguement that a 40 year old man and a 16 year old girl is kinda sick, but meh.

[tinselcleo]

I could see a Sequel to the book chronicling Abla's travels through time and her relationship with Henry.

The story of Henry and Clare was pretty well exhausted by the end of the book, but the one with Alba was set up nicely for a sequel should she want to write one.

When Alba was able to control her time travel (somewhat) and we learned it was a specific disorder in the future, I was interested to see where the story would go, but we learned nothing really about her future. A sequel could work there.

Also - I was hoping that Henry or Clare would try to change one little thing in the past to see if it could alter the future. The whole bit with her name on the painting was working until she said she tore the bottom off. Granted, if one little thing could be changed then Henry might have gone off on some tangent to save his mother (or himself). Maybe that is the part I wanted to see....I'm much more a science fiction reader than love story.

[jeany]

Henry didn't have any control over when or where he time-traveled. When I was reading the scenes with little girl Clare, I got the distinct impression that he was just as uncomfortable with the situation as I was. This was one of the times when his time travel put him in a difficult spot. I think the author made it clear that he wasn't in a sexual frame of mind at all then--instead, he was focusing on how to get himself some clothes and get himself safe. And sure, he was curious to know what her life was like then, so he talked to her.

Like some others here I was also wondering what would have happened if, say, Clare or Henry chose a house other than the one Henry had seen in the future. I kind of wish the author would have put in an example of at least one thing they really tried to do different. I do remember reading this though, come to think of it: After Clare signed that artwork (the one mentioned above that Henry had seen in the future unsigned) she decided to tear it off, because she was afraid that if she changed that one little detail, it might mess things up and change everything so that she and Henry might never meet. Something like that--I forget exactly where this was--wasn't it when she was a teenager? It would have been interesting if she had become attached to someone else in her late teens, and to see where that led. I could see an alternate plot with her going off to the city and finding herself involved with another guy who could have eventually led her back in the long run to Henry...maybe the other guy could introduce her to Henry at a party or something. I guess a lot of people have more than one big love interest in a lifetime.

And as for Henry, I think somewhere in there he said he had gotten tired of thinking about changing details because they would always still come out with the same result and it was useless. I still wish there was something she or Henry tried to do different.

One thing that helps make up for this for me are all those interesting future events that catch Henry off guard, that he doesn't know about. Throughout the book he knows that Ingrid is going to kill herself, because he reads the obituary years after the fact. He has no way of knowing that he will be there with Ingrid when she kills herself. I wonder about the cause-and-effect loop here...Ingrid knew he knew the future, and she may have somehow sensed from him that he knew she was going to meet a bad end. So when he came to her room that day, she decided to confront him with it. If he hadn't come to her room that day, and she hadn't had the opportunity to confront him with it, would she not have killed herself?

I liked how the future surprised him with a child despite the fact he had never seen a child of theirs in his time travels (up to that time). He thought their future was childless so he got a vasectomy. Little did he know...

Those twists are what make this a great read for me. Okay, if I could pick one more thing to criticize, I guess I would agree with James81 that it is a little bit too lovey dovey for me in places.

As for the 82-year-old Clare scene, I wasn't expecting anything more, because I knew it would be just like their earlier meetings--it would last a few minutes or a few days, the author doesn't say, but then *poof* he'd disappear again. The author leaves other possibilities open that make me scratch my head. I think he tells young Clare (or someone) earlier in the book that he sometimes traveled up to 50 or so years in the future...not often, but sometimes...if I'm remembering right that means that he traveled 50 years in the future more than once. So it's very possible he could visit Clare in her 80's more than once. When he writes that letter to Clare he only mentions one instance, so there might be only one, but the author leaves it open. What I can't figure out is, why does the author put the scene of her waiting on the last page--"July 14 2053"--AFTER the scene of their meeting ten days earlier --"July 24 2053"? Maybe the author just wanted to end with her waiting?

[Saint Fool]

I finally finished it last night -- and it just didn't work for me. The author has a way with words and Henry's time traveling was an interesting conceit, but I could never connect with Claire so it became one of those push through to the bitter end books for me.

[jennifer75]

I never finished it. I got too confused following Henry around. And I was interested in Claire.

[Delhomeboy]

I never finished it. I got too confused following Henry around. And I was interested in Claire.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: Go finish it!!!!

[kayleamay]

I read this book years ago, and absolutely loved it. In fact, I loved it enough that I read it again about a year ago. I thought the dialogue was witty and the characters felt concrete. As for never feeling that Claire was in any real jeopardy, I think that her character carried the burden of the emotional side of Henry's "condition". (i.e loneliness, fear, frustration.)

The fact that it is a romance that appeals to both sexes is a feather in Ms. Niffenegger's cap. It's hard to pull off. I've recommended this book to two male friends and my husband. They all loved it as much as I did.

POV switches, timelines, etc. were not an issue for me. The frequent switches kept me on my toes.

[WriterEm]

I enjoyed the book... was disappointed with the ending.

First of all, I really felt that the book should have ended with the letter. It would have been perfect, as far as I'm concerned.

But then she has sex with (insert his name here... I can't remember it), and it ruins it for me! I thought she loved Henry... but his memory was cheapened, and so was she.

And the jump to the future? Since I already knew about it from his last conversation with her I thought it was completely unnecessary. Unless there was something else happening, then what was the point?

Too many books, too few good endings. :(

[Delhomeboy]

I enjoyed the book... was disappointed with the ending.

First of all, I really felt that the book should have ended with the letter. It would have been perfect, as far as I'm concerned.

But then she has sex with (insert his name here... I can't remember it), and it ruins it for me! I thought she loved Henry... but his memory was cheapened, and so was she.

And the jump to the future? Since I already knew about it from his last conversation with her I thought it was completely unnecessary. Unless there was something else happening, then what was the point?

Too many books, too few good endings. :(

I don't really think she was having sex with Gomez as much as she was having sex with henry...that's why when she says Henry's name, Gomez looks so hurt.

And, well, the ending isn't really jumping to the future, is it? Cause for Henry, what happens at the end has already happened.

[aruna]

I tried reading this book a few years ago, coudldn't get into it, and tried again after the glowing comments on another AN thread. This time I finished it.

First off: I always love a puzzle in a novel, and this one was brilliantly constructed. I loved making the connections and seeing how every jump in time corresponded to an absence in the present. As an intellectual exercize, this novel can harldy be topped.
I also love "soul-mate" love stories. The-one-and-only-everlasting-love: that's me. Anyone who's read my books know it. I believe in it, and I want to read about it, and so this book should have worked for me. Sad to say, it didn't.

Again, I could not get into it, did not get caught up in the story, did not find myself panting to know how it all works out. Perhaps I was too much mentally with the puzzle to be properly emotionally engaged. But I found fault everywhere.

I found flaws of commission and of omission. Too much unnecessary detail; I did not care about every single move in a pool game, or lists of punk bands I've never heard of. Too many dreams. I HATE dreams in novels, even if they are there to show some aspect of character, fears, or whatever. These can be shown while the protag is awake. Too many conversations that went nowhere, too many quotes in German and French -- I speak both languages, but still found this pretentious and irritating. When Clare asked Henry to recite a Rilke poem while in the throes of labour I almost threw the book against the wall! He even started to recite in German! Ridiculous. In contrast to all the poetry and their very discriminating literary tastes: their crude sex talk. This was just wrong. It did not fit in with Clare's almost ethereal, luminous personality; it was jarring. Too many scenes that seemed gratituous, put in there for no reason, and not carrying the story forward.

The worst of these was the 9/11 scene. This for me was a huge problem. 9/11 happens, and is never ever referred to again. No emotion: just them watching history happen because they know it will happen, and hardly seem to care. What was the point? Niffenegger could have made a great point with this scene; surely they would have been so horrified at what is about to happen that, even though they KNOW they can't change history, they would have at least tried? Tried to tell the authorities, and been ridiculed for such a preopsterous idea? Tried to tell the media, anyone, and then, after the fact, people taking note that they knew? Not trying to write AN's book for her, just suggestions of HOW this event could have tied in with the whole destiny/free will theme. It was such a huge event; I couldn't believe how blase they were about it,and how it was simply shoe-horned into the story, and left there with no further comment.

Another problem for me was Alba. I can't believe that, once they found out that she too ws a time-traveller, they showed no concern whatsoever for her. A little girl time-travelling, according to the rules AN set out, would have been disastrous and highly dangerous. A six year old girl turning up somewhere else, naked, among strangers! What parents would not be horrified at the possibility? But no, "Alba loves time-travelling" and no mention is made whatsoever of the difficulties and dangers this would have caused, no mention of her parents trying to prepare her for those flights. ETA: I forgot, she DID learn how to pick locks. Was that the only survival skill she needed?

What jarred me the most, though, was the second time Clare had sex with Gomez. This was so out of left field, so out of character, so weak, so creepy-- I wanted to kick him AND her out of the story altogether! And then Charisse walks in and life returnes to normal. He cheats on his wife, she on her best friend, and all because she imagines it is Henry?????? All becuase that creep Gomez comes up behinds her and starts nuzzling her neck? This was supposed to be the love story to end all love stories, and THAT happens? Give me a break: I expect more self-discipline from my female leads!

OK, rant over. I know that many people love this book and if you love a book and get carried away the flaws just don't jump out at you: you forgive them and are swept away by the story. But I was not swept away; the inconsistencies and inconguities and plot holes really leaped out at me, and I was not able to suspend my disbelief.
Still, I'm not sorry I read it as it was a good puzzle and gave me an idea for my own work.

[half.jaded]

I tried to read it, couldn't finish it. In fact, I couldn't get past the first chapter.

IMO, present tense is jarring, so that might be why. But I don't think that's entirely why. I mean, I finished The Hunger Games, and that was written in present tense.

It just seemed wrong to me. 40+year old man showing up naked, getting seen by a little girl, only for her to eventually fall in love with him. O.o

><"

Don't kill me.

[aruna]

Anyone seen the movie? How does it measure up against the book? When i comes out in DVD I will certainly watch it.

[Lady Ice]

I tried to read it, couldn't finish it. In fact, I couldn't get past the first chapter.

IMO, present tense is jarring, so that might be why. But I don't think that's entirely why. I mean, I finished The Hunger Games, and that was written in present tense.

It just seemed wrong to me. 40+year old man showing up naked, getting seen by a little girl, only for her to eventually fall in love with him. O.o

><"

Don't kill me.

I thought it was a bit creepy too. The idea was brilliant but the book was far too long. I couldn't finish it as there was no discernable plot or indeed enough 'moments' to make me peservere with a story which I am told from the outstart doesn't have a real ending. I was not entirely convinced by their romance, either.

[Kathleen42]

Anyone seen the movie? How does it measure up against the book? When i comes out in DVD I will certainly watch it.

The movie was horrible. No chemistry between leads and flat, stilted dialogue.

Clare came off alternately as shrill or a complete airhead. Henry came off as bland and creepy.

[DWSTXS]

I keep seeing it, and haven't read it yet, but, based upon a lot of these comments, I guess I'm going to give it a read.

[Kathleen42]

I keep seeing it, and haven't read it yet, but, based upon a lot of these comments, I guess I'm going to give it a read.

I really liked the book.

[DrummerGirl]

I really enjoyed it. Was very original.

My husband started to read it, and lloved the concept and characters, but gave up 250 pages in - said it dragged and was going nowhere, despite being interested in the characters. He enjoyed the movie a lot more...but he is not a huge fiction reader.

I thought some passages were beautifully written and quite literary, btu most of it was more commercial. I also thought she did the Ist prson POV's between both Henry and Claire well.

I can see why it was picked for a movie, it's a great love story.

[Idkwiaowiw]

[QUOTE=aruna;4308624]I tried reading this book a few years ago, coudldn't get into it, and tried again after the glowing comments on another AN thread. This time I finished it.

First off: I always love a puzzle in a novel, and this one was brilliantly constructed. I loved making the connections and seeing how every jump in time corresponded to an absence in the present. As an intellectual exercize, this novel can harldy be topped.
I also love "soul-mate" love stories. The-one-and-only-everlasting-love: that's me. Anyone who's read my books know it. I believe in it, and I want to read about it, and so this book should have worked for me. Sad to say, it didn't.

Again, I could not get into it, did not get caught up in the story, did not find myself panting to know how it all works out. Perhaps I was too much mentally with the puzzle to be properly emotionally engaged. But I found fault everywhere.

I found flaws of commission and of omission. Too much unnecessary detail; I did not care about every single move in a pool game, or lists of punk bands I've never heard of. Too many dreams. I HATE dreams in novels, even if they are there to show some aspect of character, fears, or whatever. These can be shown while the protag is awake. Too many conversations that went nowhere, too many quotes in German and French -- I speak both languages, but still found this pretentious and irritating. When Clare asked Henry to recite a Rilke poem while in the throes of labour I almost threw the book against the wall! He even started to recite in German! Ridiculous. In contrast to all the poetry and their very discriminating literary tastes: their crude sex talk. This was just wrong. It did not fit in with Clare's almost ethereal, luminous personality; it was jarring. Too many scenes that seemed gratituous, put in there for no reason, and not carrying the story forward.

The worst of these was the 9/11 scene. This for me was a huge problem. 9/11 happens, and is never ever referred to again. No emotion: just them watching history happen because they know it will happen, and hardly seem to care. What was the point? Niffenegger could have made a great point with this scene; surely they would have been so horrified at what is about to happen that, even though they KNOW they can't change history, they would have at least tried? Tried to tell the authorities, and been ridiculed for such a preopsterous idea? Tried to tell the media, anyone, and then, after the fact, people taking note that they knew? Not trying to write AN's book for her, just suggestions of HOW this event could have tied in with the whole destiny/free will theme. It was such a huge event; I couldn't believe how blase they were about it,and how it was simply shoe-horned into the story, and left there with no further comment.

Another problem for me was Alba. I can't believe that, once they found out that she too ws a time-traveller, they showed no concern whatsoever for her. A little girl time-travelling, according to the rules AN set out, would have been disastrous and highly dangerous. A six year old girl turning up somewhere else, naked, among strangers! What parents would not be horrified at the possibility? But no, "Alba loves time-travelling" and no mention is made whatsoever of the difficulties and dangers this would have caused, no mention of her parents trying to prepare her for those flights. ETA: I forgot, she DID learn how to pick locks. Was that the only survival skill she needed?

[QUOTE]

I agree with all of this. The book, for me, wasn't spectacular, but I would re-read it again, and I'm definitely checking out the author's next book.

[Idkwiaowiw]

The movie was horrible. No chemistry between leads and flat, stilted dialogue.

Clare came off alternately as shrill or a complete airhead. Henry came off as bland and creepy.

Really? I thought the movie wasn't that bad, especially considering how hard it would be to adapt this book from text to screen. But to each his/her own, I suppose.

[AuburnAssassin]

Loved the book but it did have a few draggy sections that caused me to put it down for about a month.

Thought the movie did okay under the circumstances. Honestly, I had such low expectations of the movie that I was pleasantly surprised. But not so pleasantly that I'd ever buy it on dvd or even wish to see it again on television. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good either.

[Lady Ice]

I'd be more interested to watch the movie- for a start, it would be shorter and we wouldn't have to wade through prose. The fact that it's a movie also means that they might have added some sort of dramatic drive. Seeing as we are basically told at the beginning that the two won't be together, I wasn't sure what point there was in leading on, especially as you have a dark cloud looming over the narrative.

[aruna]

I watched the movie last night. Fell asleep half way through. Nuff said.