This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future.
...... Outer back cover.
FIRST SENTENCE (Prologue): Claire: It's hard being left behind.
MEMORABLE MOMENT (Page 66): "So there are two of you?"
"Not exactly. There's always only one me, but when I'm time traveling sometimes I go somewhere I already am, and yeah, then you could say there are two. Or more."
KEEP IT OR NOT?: This will be returned to my mam.
Passed on by mam, this novel has spent many a month gathering dust on my TBR mountain. The reason why? Firstly, I couldn't remember ever having read a bad review and I was worried I was going to be left disappointed and, secondly, my mam (who normally has the same tastes as myself) thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and, you guessed it, I was worried I was going to be disappointed ........ and disappointed I was.
I confess that I just don't get time travel as a concept but Henry's 'adventures' seemed totally ridiculous to me. Without giving too much of the story away ........ surely it's impossible to meet yourself whilst time travelling? I seem to remember Husband dearest mentioning something about the effect this would have on the Space Time Continuum. Anyway, as I said, ridiculous.
Told by both Henry and Clare at different points in their lives, I'm not too sure how well this worked either - part of me thinking it worked pretty well and another part arguing that it only added to the general confusion that is The Time Traveler's Wife.
Ok, so some would argue that, leaving the whole time travel thing aside, this was a beautiful love story. Perhaps so but not for me it wasn't. The trouble being I just didn't get (or even particularly like) Henry or Clare. Finding them both to be selfish individuals, I'm afraid their relationship just didn't do it for me at all.
Then there was the fact that just too many things didn't add up. Henry magically shedding his clothes as he travelled I could sort of understand (I mean can you imagine the sheer horror of turning up in last season's fashion!) but why did he always seem to return to Clare having been ........ you know what I'm not going to say anything more on the matter or this post is going to end up riddled with spoilers - lets just leave it at I really didn't enjoy this novel.
One mam and I are going to have to agree to disagree about, as I commented on FaceBook in order for me to enjoy a book it doesn't have to be 'real' but it does have to be believable and I'm afraid this wasn't.
12 comments:
oh i'm with your mam on this one I'm afraid, loved it and the film, even though like all films the book is definetley better.
Did I tell you I've been chosen to be a giver on world book day!!! my chosen book is The Book Thief
I haven't read the book but the movie seemed just as annoying to me.
She was making out with him in one place while he was still sleeping upstairs.
I just could not wrap my brain around all the craziness enough to fall for the love story.
As a general rule (with a few exceptions) time travel never works for me.
As I've mentioned before on my blog, I do take issue with the idea of time travel. Still...this was a book that I both loved and hated. I loved the story, but hated knowing how it would have to end.
They did a pretty good job with the movie version of it, too.
Sorry you didn't enjoy it.
What an article! Thank You! It was so interesting! It covered things I did not know about and MORE!
Warmly
Marinela x
I do want to read this at some point, and I haven't seen the film yet because I want to read the book first.
Sorry you didn't enjoy this one. I wonder about the issues concerning the time travel. I may find it all hard to beleive myself.
I enjoyed the movie, but haven't tried to read the book yet.
Thanks for honest review.
Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog
I haven't read this but I did see the movie a while ago. Thanks for your honest review.
Hmm...despite the bad aspect I gotta say, I'm still curious. Though you stated you had never read a bad review of it, I have mostly seen those in the negative. Still...may have to check it out for myself. Thanks for antoher viewpoint though!
Have to agree with Husband dearest on this one, as I'm pretty sure you can't meet yourself in the past (or future). Something about a paradox.
I read this one awhile back and seemed to like it well enough, but understand your point about Henry and Clare being on the selfish side. Haven't seen the movie, but will probably watch it when it finally comes to TV.
I was not impressed by the movie so I am sure that I am not going to read the book .
Oh dear. I loved this book … LOVED it … so I'm sad you didn't love it too. Oh well. : )
It is the travelling forward in time that is most problematical. What this book ultimately proposes is that time is tape being played that cannot be altered, that there is no such thing as free will, choice and possibility. Most theorists who dabble in theories of time travel do not believe travelling forward in time is possible for the simple reason that the future hasn't happened yet and so there is nothing to travel to.
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