Customer Reviews: Read 826 more reviews...
 Slow to start, but worth sticking with November 18, 2008
I tried to start this book a number of times and found it quite hard to get into. But based on so many good reviews, I decided to persist and am so glad that I did. The idea for the book is so original, that the time travelling aspect could have taken over the story. But it is primarily a love story, following Clare and Henry's unconventional relationship. I can highly recommend this book, its definitely worth all the praise.
 Interesting idea, but far, far too long = boredom! November 18, 2008
I realise here that I'm in the minority but one should speak as they find. The idea behind the book was interesting, but the story itself just completely failed to engage me. It's unusual for me to give up on a book but I just couldn't finish this! It's basically a series of anecdotes and meetings concerning a man who travels randomly back in time and meets his future partner as she grows up. An interesting idea, but unfortunately that was about as far as it went. The scenes themselves lacked any interest for me and the story was extremely slow in going anywhere. If it had been a shorter book that had a bit more pace it may have held my interest. Apologies to the vast swathes of fans, but I found this a very tedious read!
Amazing November 17, 2008
An absolutely amazing incredible book! It's totally engrossing - I enjoyed every page. It took me 3 hours to read this exquisite novel. Its funny, touching, sad, loving, clever.... just brilliant. If you don't read any other books in your life - please read this one. Its truely wonderful! Amazing!
 A great story!! November 16, 2008
I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife yesterday, and I have to say I enjoyed it very much.
The story is about Henry DeTamble, who has a rare condition that makes him involuntarily travel through time, and Clare, the love of his life.
Clare has known Henry (at various ages) all her life. She met him for the first time when she was six, though when Henry met her for the first time, she was 20.
Confusing? Strangely enough, it's not. Throughout the book I found it very easy to understand all the different times and ages mixed together.
The book starts in Clare's past, with Henry visiting her on lots of different ocassions. In this part of the book we move through time fairly quickly. It more or less follows real time. We learn how Clare grows up and cares for Henry. The Henry from to future, who is married to Clare. Little comments made me very curious about the rest of their lives together.
When the book skips to the present, where Clare and Henry's present selves meet each other, Clare finds out that Henry at 28 is not the same as the Henry from the future who visited her all throughout her childhood.
Henry has had a difficult past, and meeting Clare is the beginning of a new life for him.
I personally was also a little let down by this young present version of Henry, but as the story in the present continues, you see Henry becoming more and more like his future self.
It's great to see Henry, changing from Clare's good older friend, to her husband, the love of her life.
I do have to say I thought that bit took a bit too long. The part where we learn about Henry's bad dissicions in the past and meeting Clare's friends, etc. Things got a bit slow.
It was kind of like, when Niffenegger told us about the past, she gave away all the good stuff at once, and in the present, there is no more to tell about the time traveling, because we already know everything.
Clare seemed to feel that way as well, when Henry travels to the past, and she is left behind, it's like giving back the time she had with him when she was young.
Eventually life moves on and Henry and Clare get married. After that, the book picked up, and I was hooked again.
Life isn't easy for the DeTambles, as Clare tries to get pregnant (and fails about 8 times) things get difficult. Some parts of their life, that were life changing to them, were written a little abruptly, and I wished the writer would have gotten into that a bit more.
Anyway, the love story continous, with it's ups and downs, right till the very end....
For me, this book wasn't life changing, as some people here have said, but it was certainly worth my time. It's a beautiful story, that is very well written, and I will probably read it again some day.
Interesting... November 13, 2008
An interesting one this. I found it a very different style of writing, with two people in the first tense. Whilst the ending was predictable it was still very moving.
At the beginning it took a while to get into due to the constant chopping and changing of Henry's time travelling, but this in a way gives you an insight into the characters way of life.
The detail in areas such as Claire's art work I felt was sometimes uneccessary along with the random sections of french and german text. If you don't speak the language whats the point?
I was reading this as part of my works book club, and if Im honest Im not sure I would have stuck with it to the end if it hadnt been for the Book club, however, it was an enjoyable read and would recommend it.
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