Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was ok. Felt very slow for most of the book although picked up a bit at the end. It was SO long, could definitely have been condensed. In saying this, the ending was a tearjerker.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
I generally don't like books about time travel (too scifi for me), but this was a really good story
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've wanted to revisit this novel since I've actually been to Chicago. (It's a joy to recognize the sites I've visited now in these pages). Sometimes returning to novels makes them feel smaller, less powerful. But the authors 10th anniversary introduction enriches the brilliance of her novel about relationships. Every healthy relationship fends off the formation of emotional distance between two hearts. Henry's accidental time travel is used as a metaphor for obstacles that form in everyday life. The entire thing is still spectacular, even easier to follow and enjoy now. I also wanted to re-examine the course of Henry/Clare's complex, possibly problematic, relationship. (Some have cried “Grooming!” and “Henry is a predator!”) Yes, there are elements that haven't aged well. Even a a novel about time is doomed to feel the pinch of it’s subject. But no, Henry DeTamble is not a villian in and of himself. (A mention of Lolita does work against the novel though.) 1) Clare meets him long before he meets her formitive selves. 2) His time travels are inadvertent, so Clare is not a target of Henry's manipulation. Clare, in adulthood, admits she tried to coerce him many times. 3) I think Niffenegger was a bit careless, but I'd be more concerned if the author was male. 4) Henry visiting the past is also largely symbolic. The Time Traveler's Wife also plays with determinism and other complex themes. The author even used the novel to examine her fears of abandonment, in life and in marriage. If the reader is committed to misunderstanding this book, they'll find plenty of reasons to tear it apart. I'm glad on returning to it, most of the concerns dissolved. Audrey draws prose from the mundane, love from the pain, life from chaos. The final act might break your heart, but that seems to be the point. Human love and pain are ultimately inevitable, inseperable.
Their relationship dynamic was so weird and made me so uncomfortable. Like she was completely groomed into loving him no matter how the author wants to try to justify it.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed the premise of the book a lot. However, I got the ick several times due to some of the more challenging themes. I think it that it is an example of the times in the early 2000s, but with my current lens...I just can't get behind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical trauma
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity