LITERATURE: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

So, first off, let me apologize for taking so damn long in updating this blog. I have been horrible. But no longer! Now, the only thing that shall impede me is how quickly I can read stuff / experience stuff / see stuff to review. SIGH.

But I don't want to detract any more from Ms. Niggenegger's achievement with talk of my own inadequacies. Why? Because I found The Time Traveler's Wife to be largely stunning, wonderfully woven, and utterly absorbing.

I stayed up all night reading it, unable to put it down. I am a lover of books, and it's rare for me to be able to let go once I'm sucked in, but this was something else entirely. It was one of those unique and beautiful moments where I was reading more for the language than for the plot and was still unable to close the cover and go to sleep. That, I think, is Niffenegger's real secret here--the fact that, while the plot is fine and certainly original, it is her language that propels the reader irresistably forward. It is beautiful. Moving. Timeless.

I thought the story was great and pretty heartbreaking, if we're being honest, although I think there were moments I could have done without--such as **SPOILER WARNING** Henry's loss of limbs at the end, and, likewise, some of the moments of Claire's miscarriages. That being said, I think that Niffenegger does a fantastic job of handling the delicate balance of reality with the sci-fy sort of elements she brings in, specifically when explaining the medical aspects of Henry's condition. I also thought that it was extremely carefully planned and overall a good execution of what could easily have been a. a chic flick (see the movie version for an abysmal sample) or b. a truly sci-fy book. What I love about The Time Traveler's Wife is that, first and foremost, this is literary fiction. For my money, I don't care WHAT an author writes about, as long as they're writing it well, and Niffenegger lives up to every expectation, and then some. I'll be honest; the title alone put me off of this book. It came recommended by a friend, and I didn't start out reading it with very high hopes. But I was extremely pleasantly surprised. The langauge is exquisite, the writing thoughtful, and the plot a worthy mix of suspense, tear-jerkery, romance, fantasy, and beauty. All mixed together with a healthy dose of reality.

I read somewhere (maybe in an Amazon.com bio?) that Niffenegger used to work in a cemetary. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but I guess it sort of makes sense to me, the way that she captured the boundary between life and death, and trying to hold on once someone you love has crossed it. That, I thought, was the beauty of her ending, though I'm sure a lot of people might disagree and hate it for its ambiguity, and the way that Claire is always left just waiting for him, despite Henry's wishes. That was the point of view of the friend who gave me the book. My point of view, though, is that the book captures love in its purest form, in a way. After all, if you had the chance to see someone again, wouldn't you wait for as long as it took?

One thing I will say, though, is that I didn't love Claire's interaction with the roommate's boyfriend (I forget his name--something offbeat, maybe?). I feel like her actions with him at the end are unexpected and also, somehow, unrealistic. Then again, is it really realistic that a guy has a genetic mutation that causes him to travel through time? Probably not.

Read the book and see for yourself.

FINAL VERDICT
**** out of *****

Let me put it this way. I liked it enough that I made my Mother buy the audiobook. I just hope we're not listening to it together when all the sex parts come into play. Oy.