Scan barcode
emrose823's review against another edition
5.0
The Time Travel’s Wife follows the relationship between the two main characters, Henry and Clare, over Clare’s entire life. She first meets Henry as a young girl in a meadow behind her house while he is time traveling. His time travels are random, often brought on by stress, and the reader is able to follow most of them throughout his life. This book is anything but told in chronological order. Each chapter begins with the person narrating at the time, either Henry or Clare, the date, and the age of each of them respectively. This keeps the reader from being confused as they read, and establishing a direct time line of their lives. I enjoyed most about this book the addition of a scientist half way through the book. I feel as if this validates the time traveling as an actual occurrence, a disease is what they call it, rather than being supernatural.
kelly_jeanne's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it, but didn’t love it. It was difficult at times to distinguish between the voices of the two main characters, they sounded basically the same to me...I found it especially difficult when they were in the same space/time describing the same scene from a different perspective. It’s possible that it was also just over-hyped to me. The premise is so interesting that I wanted to love it, but alas....
antoniahobbs's review against another edition
4.0
It's a few years since I read this so as usual my poor memory has forgotten nearly everything about it. I do know that I absolutely sobbed whilst reading it in a way I don't think I have with any other book.
mastersal's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating book and excellent use of speculative fiction in another genre. The Sci-fi premises of the book does not make this a Sci-fi novel to me (though Ursula Le Guin and Margaret Atwood would disagree). Nonetheless this book books illustrates using a speculative framework to illustrate another conflict. In this case I saw the time travel akin to a terminal disease more than the hard Sci fi convention would have it. But making this speculative fiction removed some of the angst that accompanies novels which deal with disability or illness which I appreciated.
Also I love the fact that author is very manipulative in telling the Love story of the main 2 characters. The fact that we never see other perspectives other than from the 2 leads is so deliberate that I wonder at the romance part of it. Despite what the movie tells you I don’t think the love story is meant to be epic but dependent. I really liked that part cause it kept me guessing. I don’t think this book was meant to be sweet or easy or an example of great love. It’s definitely not morose but subtly challenging on how expectations play into relationships and how the sense of predestination can subvert and reinforce your life. The ending can be read as “sweet” but I saw it as a tragedy. He book doesn’t make a judgement but presents the events and leaves it for you. This is probably why I liked it so much.
Also I love the fact that author is very manipulative in telling the Love story of the main 2 characters. The fact that we never see other perspectives other than from the 2 leads is so deliberate that I wonder at the romance part of it. Despite what the movie tells you I don’t think the love story is meant to be epic but dependent. I really liked that part cause it kept me guessing. I don’t think this book was meant to be sweet or easy or an example of great love. It’s definitely not morose but subtly challenging on how expectations play into relationships and how the sense of predestination can subvert and reinforce your life. The ending can be read as “sweet” but I saw it as a tragedy. He book doesn’t make a judgement but presents the events and leaves it for you. This is probably why I liked it so much.
rrsmf12's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, but didn't find it as amazing as I heard it was.
The beginning was my favorite part, although it's difficult to understand the mechanic of Henry's time traveling at first. But at the same time it tells us when they meet (more than once).
After that it got kind of boring, with the description of their life together and their problems to have a son or daughter. Although it was very emotional when Clare had six abortions, the way it was written just didn't appeal to me, I think.
Besides that, I really liked the ending, I think it was perfect for the story.
Concluding, it's a good, kind of original story, but the book could have made it with less a hundred pages.
The beginning was my favorite part, although it's difficult to understand the mechanic of Henry's time traveling at first. But at the same time it tells us when they meet (more than once).
After that it got kind of boring, with the description of their life together and their problems to have a son or daughter. Although it was very emotional when Clare had six abortions, the way it was written just didn't appeal to me, I think.
Besides that, I really liked the ending, I think it was perfect for the story.
Concluding, it's a good, kind of original story, but the book could have made it with less a hundred pages.
doesitcomeinabook's review against another edition
2.0
Some books can benefit from being edited, you know? this was just too long, just more of the same
Overall ok, but too damn long
Overall ok, but too damn long
beah_reads's review against another edition
2.0
i TRIED to finish this book because of the many reviews I found that claimed it was good and it made them cry. I just couldn't, I'm sorry. I stopped at page 270.
aradne's review against another edition
1.0
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. The story was decent, and the "wife of a time traveler' idea was great; the delivery and characters were rough. Henry (the time traveler) is an amoral criminal, and although he was amoral in order to survive, he did things that were not necessary to survive as well. Clare doesn't have much personality, and there's not much to say about her. All other characters were quite minor and had little impact on the story other than dialogue and excursions in the plot. Basically, Clare knew Henry from a young age and had no real choice in marrying him. The narration of the story is at times confusing (Niffenegger uses frequent dream sequences), and as often as not, she tells the reader what's coming but fails to deliver a gripping description when the event occurs. As a final blow, on at least three occasions the author mentions a "fat person" and insults them causelessly. For example, an opera singer is referred to as a cow, but she sings well. Why does it matter if she's overweight? If it needs to be mentioned, it does not have to be done in such a manner; Niffenegger is perpetuating a negative attitude toward a population of people who don't need extra reasons to feel bad about themselves.
thea_aus332's review against another edition
5.0
Spoiler
Simple. Heartbreaking. It's the kind of book you think about for years to come. Sometimes with sadness. Sometimes smiling. It is life after all, isn't it..?casebounder's review against another edition
4.0
Originally a recommendation years ago from my best friend, Carrie. As you may have heard, it's heartbreaking in all the right ways. I loved it and would definitely read it again someday to catch more of the complicated details I missed the first time.