A review by jorstruly
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

5.0

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.