The Time Traveler's Wife (Harvest Book)

This book is a fast read. I am 160 pages in and feeling a bit frustrated with the book. I find the character differentiation to be almost non-existent. This is particularly problematic given the age difference that is often present in the work. Simply misspelling/mispronouncing a word is inadequate to portray the differences in their age when Clare is young. Even as she grows into a...more

This book is a fast read. I am 160 pages in and feeling a bit frustrated with the book. I find the character differentiation to be almost non-existent. This is particularly problematic given the age difference that is often present in the work. Simply misspelling/mispronouncing a word is inadequate to portray the differences in their age when Clare is young. Even as she grows into a teenager or young woman there is little differentiation between the two. One often has to be reminded whose point of view one is reading. I keep looking for the art in the book and feeling instead that I am being moved ahead (or back) in time only when at times what I really want is to move inside the character. I feel like I am skating on the surface and being over-directed to the sequence of their meetings. The space "in-between" is fertile territory that is completely overlooked. The idea of time travel is not new, nor is it's presence in art. What a wonderful possibility to be used metaphorically as well as plot-wise! The book so far, is frustrating in it's linear delivery that deprives the characters of an inner life that intersects with different realities. I see significant lost opportunity here.   hide

I absolutely loved this book! Audrey wrote in such beautiful language, and she potrayed the story in a well-done and very creative manner. She developed the chemistry between older Henry and young Clare in a quite acceptable manner, and she really demonstrated the emotions the two experienced during those earlier (for Clare, anyway) meetings. It took me a few chapters to realize that...more

I absolutely loved this book! Audrey wrote in such beautiful language, and she potrayed the story in a well-done and very creative manner. She developed the chemistry between older Henry and young Clare in a quite acceptable manner, and she really demonstrated the emotions the two experienced during those earlier (for Clare, anyway) meetings. It took me a few chapters to realize that the story was being told in accordance with Clare's timeline, and I had to adjust to the unconventional timeline of Henry, in general, but it was very easy to get used to. I enjoyed how the tale was told through Clare and Henry's perspectives in accordance with their age and level of maturity. This was a book I never wanted to put down. I continually craved to know what happened to Clare and Henry. The story really pulled you in as a reader; like the characters, you, too, were wrenched emotionally. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but it was consistent with the story, and I can’t dream up any other ending, so, eh. I will say that when I closed the book upon finishing the last page, I smiled and thought, “what a wonderful story.”   hide

You know how Leonardo da Vinci could draft a rough, unfinished sketch, yet you could see every emotion in the subject's face, get a deep and full feeling of the mood of the entire piece? Few artists can achieve that, and it's rare in books as well. There's a certain sketchy moodiness-I would say this novel, some Lisa Tucker, Neil Gaiman's better works, and Sara Backer can create that melancholy...more

You know how Leonardo da Vinci could draft a rough, unfinished sketch, yet you could see every emotion in the subject's face, get a deep and full feeling of the mood of the entire piece? Few artists can achieve that, and it's rare in books as well. There's a certain sketchy moodiness-I would say this novel, some Lisa Tucker, Neil Gaiman's better works, and Sara Backer can create that melancholy lfetime's fullness out of a rough sketch. This book is more of a tearjerker than you might expect, so come equipped with Kleenex! The beginning was fun, intriguing, and surprisingly complex; the action let up a little in the middle as husband and wife began to try to have a child and the husband's "condition" began to seem tediously extrapolated, and I couldn't read the ending without crying at just about every page. But still, a talented debut! I am suprised a first-time writer could manage a plotline so complex (oh, and as a sidenote, this novel contains a veritable what's-what of places to visit in Chicago! GAWD it made me miss the delicious cuisine, world-class museums, and excellent bookstores!).   hide

This is the best book I have ever read. I rarely cry at the end of a book, and when I do, it's usually silent tears. But holy crap. This book was so real (not in the sense that a person can have a genetic disorder that causes them to spontaneously time travel), but with emotions and life. It was absolutely amazing and beautiful. I sobbed! I sobbed for about an hour, so miserable, because...more

This is the best book I have ever read. I rarely cry at the end of a book, and when I do, it's usually silent tears. But holy crap. This book was so real (not in the sense that a person can have a genetic disorder that causes them to spontaneously time travel), but with emotions and life. It was absolutely amazing and beautiful. I sobbed! I sobbed for about an hour, so miserable, because of the ending and because I had finished the greatest book I have ever read. I didn't think I would like it. I normally don't go for romance or science fiction, but wow. This book really blew me away. To an extent, it changed my life. I value my boyfriend, and now, I can't wait until I graduate so I can start my life with him. This book is very personal to me now, and I'm eager to own a copy and re-read it. I've already told all of my friends that they have to read it. You, reader, must read it. Read it. It's beautiful. Excellent. But to be a little critical, this book IS hard to follow sometimes. The author, with each chapter, jumps to different points in time. Understand that she does this, though, because the book is about a man who spontaneously time-travels. I have heard from one friend who I suggested this book to that he "cringed at the writing style". It's a great book, but it largely depends on what your type is. Give it a shot, and don't put it down simply because you're a little confused - as you read on, it will make sense, and if you finish it, you'll probably want to read it again just to really put the story into perspective.   hide

Henry De Tamble, yakışıklı bir kütüphanecidir. "Chrono Displacement disorder" hastalığından muzdariptir. İradesi dışında, tetikleyici hiç bir sebep olmadan ortadan kaybolur ve zamanda yolculuk yapar; geçmişine ve geleceğine gider. Hayatının ayarsızlığı yüzünden ilişkileri de ayar tutmaz. Hastalığı bir yana,...more

Henry De Tamble, yakışıklı bir kütüphanecidir. "Chrono Displacement disorder" hastalığından muzdariptir. Ä°radesi dışında, tetikleyici hiç bir sebep olmadan ortadan kaybolur ve zamanda yolculuk yapar; geçmiÅŸine ve geleceÄŸine gider. Hayatının ayarsızlığı yüzünden iliÅŸkileri de ayar tutmaz. Hastalığı bir yana, annesini küçük yaÅŸta kaybetmiÅŸtir bir kazada. Babası, kazadan sonra kendini alkole vermiÅŸ oÄŸlundan uzaklaÅŸmıştır. Henry, ev özlemi ve güvenlik arayışı içinde olan fevri bir karakter. Claire, güzel bir heykeltıraÅŸ. Anlayışlı, sabırlı, nazik ve tatlı. Tanıştıklarında Claire 6, henry 36 yaşındadır. Ä°kisi gerçek zamanlarında tekrar karşılaşıncaya kadar Henry, Claire'i küçük bir çocuk, delikanlı ve yaÅŸlı bir adam olarak ziyaret eder. O'nun koruyucusu, sırdaşı, arkadaşı, sevgilisi ve sonunda kocası olur. Kitap, Henry ve Claire'in anlattığı bölümlerden oluÅŸuyor. Her bölümün başında kaç yaşında oldukları belirtiliyor. Evlendikleri ana kadar geçen sürede eÄŸlenceli, heyecanlı, ÅŸaşırtıcı, romantizmi abartanlar için öykünülecek bir hikaye anlatılır. Ä°lk buluÅŸma, aile ile tanışma, düğün töreni ile ilgili bölümler bittikten sonra, gerçekten aslında ikisinin neyle karşı karşıya olduÄŸunun farkına varırız. Hikaye acılaşır, acımasızlaşır. Sonun ne olduÄŸu apaçık bellidir. Ama bunun ne zaman olacağının belirsizliÄŸi derin bir umutsuzluk yaratır. Henry geçmiÅŸ ve gelecek arasında gelip giderken Claire için zaman durur sanki. Sorgulamadan okursanız son derece baÅŸarılı ve orjinal bir roman. Sorgulasanız da piÅŸman olmazsınız. Claire neden aşık olmuÅŸtur Henry'e, güzel, tatlı, nazik olmasının dışında Claire kimdir, mesleki kaygıları yok mudur. Bunların cevabı yok kitapta. Kadın adama aşık iÅŸte o kadar. Bunun baÅŸtan kabul edilmesi gerekiyor. Henry, gelecekteki karısını çocukken görüyor, annesini kendisi daha çok küçükken gidip görüyor. Kazayı yaşıyor. Peki tüm bunlar bu adamı nasıl etkiliyor? Yani tüm bunlara ÅŸahit olmamızın nedeni ne? Ä°ÅŸte orası belli deÄŸil. O kadar kusur kadı kızında da olur diyelim. Benim fikrim, kitap -2 sene önce çıkmasına raÄŸmen- bu senenin en orjinal kitaplarından biri olduÄŸudur.   hide

Well, looks like I finally got around to reading this book. And I'm kind of wondering why I never bothered to before for this book truly is everything everyone described about it. It's romantic. It's a solid sciencie-fiction story. It's a full-on entertaining read. The story revolves around Henry and Clare, a husband and wife whose love story is unconventional due to Henry's time-traveling...more

Well, looks like I finally got around to reading this book. And I'm kind of wondering why I never bothered to before for this book truly is everything everyone described about it. It's romantic. It's a solid sciencie-fiction story. It's a full-on entertaining read. The story revolves around Henry and Clare, a husband and wife whose love story is unconventional due to Henry's time-traveling nature--a medical condition, of all things. It goes over their first meetings to the end of their romances. The writing is lovely and poetic--sometimes it gets rather flowerly, which may please some and repel others. But what really attached me to this story was the focus on the characters--this is a story about people. This is a modern classic. Loved it.   hide

The root of this novel is a simple love story between a man named Henry and a woman named Clare. A genetic abnormality has caused Henry to travel in time for brief spurts since the age of five, sometimes running into his own self, other times meeting Clare as a child. At first you may find Henry’s time-traveling fascinating and amusing, but Niffenegger forces you to think about the possible...more

The root of this novel is a simple love story between a man named Henry and a woman named Clare. A genetic abnormality has caused Henry to travel in time for brief spurts since the age of five, sometimes running into his own self, other times meeting Clare as a child. At first you may find Henry’s time-traveling fascinating and amusing, but Niffenegger forces you to think about the possible realities of his situation. When Henry time-travels, it is only his physical body that goes, meaning he shows up in an unknown time, without clothes, identification or money. Clare meets Henry when she is only six, and he is thirty-six. The story flows from there, basically following Clare’s own timeline. When Clare turns twenty-three, she meets Henry during his “real” timeline at thirty-one, before he has time-traveled to meet her. Niffenegger does a wonderful job on her first novel, and helps the reader avoid any confusion by listing at the front of each chapter the date and the ages of the characters involved. The main characters are wonderfully drawn, and the story is told from both their points of view. The time-travel is at first used amusingly, almost as a draw into the story, and later becomes a problem and obstacle in their later marriage. The story never becomes gimmicky, but instead more complex and serious, and the ending truly grabs hold of your heart.   hide

Get a woman to write sci-fi and there's bound to be an incredible love story interwined. I see the beauty in Nifenegger's writing. She spends more time on character development that most of the authors i've read. The painstakingly details that she injected into Henry and Clare was well thought through. Both weren't perfect at all, with Clare's affair and Henry's...more

Get a woman to write sci-fi and there's bound to be an incredible love story interwined. I see the beauty in Nifenegger's writing. She spends more time on character development that most of the authors i've read. The painstakingly details that she injected into Henry and Clare was well thought through. Both weren't perfect at all, with Clare's affair and Henry's burden of an ex girlfriend. It makes this whole book just that touch more believable. So here's the story of two lovers, one moving forward and one, jumping all over the place. This book pushes the boundaries of modern love, making an impossible relationship seem entirely plausible. However, the average reader might find this book rather confusing at times - time space travelling isn't exactly an everyday event. The story line jumps rapidly from the past to future, and not told in a linear fashion. This potentially could frustrate the user. That said, if you take time and immerse yourself in this book, it is a very enjoyable and poignant read.   hide

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a love story. Henry and Clare, deeply in love, are trying to live out their lives as normally as possible despite Henry's genetic disorder. Chrono-Displacement Disorder is a condition that casts Henry involuntarily into the world of time travel, and while he is gone, Clare gets to wait. Naturally, this takes a toll on their marriage as...more

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a love story. Henry and Clare, deeply in love, are trying to live out their lives as normally as possible despite Henry's genetic disorder. Chrono-Displacement Disorder is a condition that casts Henry involuntarily into the world of time travel, and while he is gone, Clare gets to wait. Naturally, this takes a toll on their marriage as Clare and Henry attempt to have children and try to find a way to keep him in the present. In this book, Henry disappears into thin air leaving behind only a pile of clothes. While away, he is inconveniently forced to roam the halls of his childhood elementary school, he continually revisits the scene of his mother's tragic death, and he finds himself in many awkward situations between the bookshelves at the Newberry library, his place of work. He also spends countless joyful hours visiting his wife Clare during her childhood. Audrey Niffenegger successfully takes an unrealistic topic- time travel- and weaves a heartbreaking story that (somehow) realistically portrays the confusion, trials, and the complicated pleasure that can emerge when a person lives in a world where small glimpses of the future are quickly snatched away, and revisiting the past reveals a bittersweet future.   hide