The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife tells the intruiging story of Clare and Henry, who meet when Claire is 6 and Henry is 36 but marry when Claire is 20 and Henry 28. It describes in dramatic detail, their unusual meeting, and their lives together and not. Their story is full of up and downs - Clare can never be sure when Henry will disappear next, where to, or when he will come back. This adds a certain fleetingness and intensity to their relationship, particularily the earlier parts. As the book continues, it adds more flesh and detail to the two central characters; their friends, family, and relationships before and after they met each other. This ensures that the characters are well developed and described - not just reflections of each other.

This book is beautifully written, poignant and incredibly moving - I would recommend it highly.


Brilliant, moving, original   July 16, 2004
340 out of 361 found this review helpful

Bought this after browsing through people's book lists on this site (a great place to find new books!) and finally started reading it yesterday. And finished reading it. It's a massive book so that should give an indication of how much I enjoyed it!

Reading other reviews here should have already given you an idea of the story's content, so I suggest you do what I did and just buy it. I tried not to let myself be too influenced by the reviews here, other than by being convinced that I would enjoy it - and I was right. I really, really enjoyed it and read it on the outward and return journeys on the train (3 hours each way).

The story is highly original and told from the points of view of Clare and Henry at different points in their lives. This is quite confusing at times but you soon get used to it. What's different and intricate is that you're reading the story out of synch, because Henry can exist in different times as he time travels through his own history. This in itself makes for an intriguing read.

But for me - the crux of the story is about love. Call me an old (young actually) romantic but I just loved this aspect of the story. Before you assume anything, I'm not your typical chick-lit reader - in fact I avoid it like the plague - but this is not typical chick-lit. It's so moving and beautifully told that I had to try not to cry on the train, and spent a long time thinking about it after I'd finished.

I know this review doesn't really say much about the plot but that's because I really think you should buy it and read it with an open mind. Prepare to be entertained - you'll laugh, wonder, and probably cry.


The Best Book of 2004   November 8, 2004
K A Sandford-Clisby (North Sydney, NSW Australia)
76 out of 81 found this review helpful

I've never written a review before but felt that I just had to comment on this wonderful book.

This book moved me so much - I laughed and cried. I can't remember the last book that affected me so much. This is a huge book, both in terms of length and themes. It is a beautifully crafted elegy to love, longing and absence. The time travelling concept takes a little getting used to but this is what gives the novel its unique charm. I'm not a sci-fi fan at all but the author handles it with a lightness of touch. It is essentially a love story with a difference. Henry and Clare's relationship is portrayed so compassionately without ever being maudlin. The bitter sweet ending left me in floods of tears - it was as if Henry and Clare were people I knew. There have been a lot of comparisons to "The Lovely Bones". I loved that book too but "The Time Traveler's Wife" is still with me five days after finishing it. It is so rare to find a novel that is original, well written and unafraid of taking on some big themes. The only problem I have now is finding another book to match it!


original, moving and passionate   June 4, 2005
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

I assume that after the synopsis and a few other reviews the plot will already be fairly familiar so I will talk instead about good and bad points and why you should read this amazing novel. This was one of the best books I have read in a long time and I would definitely recommend it. However, if you are looking for pure science-fiction and are interested only because of the time-travel element then I would say that this is not for you. The Time Traveler's Wife is, in effect, a love story built around an original and fascinating concept. The relationship between Henry and Clare is what made me love this book. It is beautiful without being clichéd, imperfect without being any less wonderful and very moving. The beginning of the book is perhaps difficult to read as the structure and changing places in time is a bit confusing but bear with it. By the time I was a couple of chapters in I was hooked and falling in love with the novel. What seems a complex structure at first becomes natural and the perfect way to see into the world of Henry and Clare. The characters are well thought out, well drawn and very believable. They inspire empathy but also respect. They are not so perfect as to seem unreal but interesting and funny enough to make you care about them and want to read on. The ending of this book is one of the most moving I have come across in a while but the book is also passionate throughout. Buy it for a wonderful, unique and moving love story and I very much doubt you will regret it.


An utterly convincing & heart-wrenching tale   May 5, 2005
Paul Livingstone
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I have just this minute finished reading this book, and I am at once crushed and elated. I feel like I don't ever want to read another book again. I feel like I'd be cheating myself, it was that good. The characters in the novel are so well fleshed out, that they have become real to me. So real that I'm going to miss them.

I beg of you to read this utterly heart-wrenching but incredibly fascinating story. Possibly the best book I have ever read. Now that doesn't happen too often.