It's wonderfully written and with a highly imaginative concept. It sounds science-fictiony, but it's also honest-to-god literature. And you can pick up a used copy for around $4.
These two reader reviews from Amazon sum it up well:
From a guy:
I was not disappointed by "The Time Traveler's Wife." The book both moved me and challenged me to think about a number of deeper issues in life (most notably, the true meaning of love in a romantic relationship).
The underlying story concerns Henry, a librarian at the Newberry Library in Chicago, and Clare, his artist wife. Henry suffers from CDP (Chrono-Displacement Order) which whisks him from the present to another point of time (usually the past). One minute he may be in the stacks of the Newberry Library in 2003, the next minute he may find himself in a field (probably naked) in Michigan with his future wife as a child sometime in the early 1980's.
The author does an excellent job of sequencing the book. Even though Henry is shuttling back and forth in every chapter, she manages to move the plot forward. You do feel that you see Henry and Clare meeting, falling in love, starting a marriage and going through the stages of their lives. You do get to know their family and friends and see life happen to them.
From a woman:
I stumbled across this book by mistake and hesitated to read it simply because it was 518 pages. To my surprise, I devoured this book in a few days and felt a pang of sadness when it was finished. The author crafts a story of something that is quite unbelievable and yet deftly makes it so very believable. I was hooked after the first chapter. Niffenegger managed to suck me in to this story so that I felt emotionally bound to the characters and their plight. It's a tragic story that weaves so much love/pain/joy/disappointment that it fairly bursts with emotion. Read it!
Highly recommended!
I trust you Fred, and I just bought this book. Too bad it is not available as an e-book for my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteFranco
I read this book sitting by a pool in California. I would disappear into the book for hours.
ReplyDeleteIt's a far cry from the usual fare you read. Glad to see that you are venturing out of the James Lee Burke venue. It's a heartwrenching story, but so lovely and intimate too. Some people touch our lives in amazing ways, strike a chord and we get to play incredible music together.
518 pages! All RIGHT! I'm on my way to find that book....ok, I'll wait til my library is open.
ReplyDeleteI had this as a free download from Audible.com last year, and listened during my workouts.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the story, and thought it was well written. I was disappointed when it ended.