Looking Back - The Time Traveler's Wife

 Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Fiction

2003

Finished on December 26, 2003

Rating: 5/5 (Outstanding!)

Second Reading:

Finished on November 6, 2026

Rating: 4.5/5 (Excellent)

Publisher's Blurb:

Audrey Niffenegger's innovative debut, The Time Traveler's Wife, is the story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself misplaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity in his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing. The Time Traveler's Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's marriage and their passionate love for each other as the story unfolds from both points of view. Clare and Henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals--steady jobs, good friends, children of their own. All of this is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control, making their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

My Original Thoughts (2003):

Wow! What a fantastic book. I'm so glad that it was long (500+ pages) since I didn't want it to end. I became so engrossed in Henry and Clare's lives, although the structure of the novel was a little confusing at the beginning. Well, maybe not the structure, but Henry's time travel jumps. I tried not to overanalyze those details and just went along with the story. I would love to see a movie adaptation. [Looks like one was released in 2009.] This ties for 1st place in my Top Ten for 2003 (with These Is My Words). No lyrical passages, but very imaginative. I borrowed the book from the library and after finishing, decided to buy a copy for my "keeper" shelf. I loved this book!

My Current Thoughts (2026):

I'm glad I bought a copy since whenever I saw it on the shelf, I was constantly reminded that I eventually wanted to reread it. When I learned that a sequel (Life Out of Order) was in the works, I requested an advance reader copy, which I received several months ago. Despite owning a copy of Niffenegger's debut, I decided to go with the audiobook after listening to a sample and enjoyed both readers (Fred Berman and Phoebe Strole). Plus, I do most of my reading in bed and a 500+ book is heavy!

I was happy that this story stood the test of time. I loved revisiting Henry and Clare's lives, most of which I'd long forgotten. It felt as if I was reading most of the book for the first time. I was very impressed with the author's prose; the dialogue is not at all simplistic, but rather filled with wonderfully rich language. Clare is very articulate!

And now I get to read the story of Henry and Clare's daughter, Alba. It's another hefty book, but I have a feeling the pages will fly!