"The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger

I found this book to be fascinating, though at times a bit confusing.  Clare has known Henry sine she was six.  Henry has known Clare since he was 28.  See, confusing!  Henry has a genetic disorder that causes him to travel through time against his will.  He never knows when he'll vanish from the present or when and where he will reappear.  Audrey Niffenegger's  The Time Traveler's Wife is one of those books that has been on my to-read list for what seems like forever but I had never gotten around the reading it.  I am a bit disappointed in myself for this.  This book captured my attention and the time I spent not reading it was spent thinking about it.


It isn't often that I find a book in the Adult Fiction section that grabs and holds my attention like this book did (though lately I have been focusing a little less on YA books which has surprised me).  I liked the format in which this book was written.  Each section tells the reader the date and ages of Henry and Clare.  Since Henry's time and place fluctuates, so does the time and place of the novel.  The book follows Henry from time and location and occasionally I found myself a little lost as I would get Henry's past and present confused.  This caused me to do a little bit of re-reading which was fine with me.   


Really there was only one thing that bothered me about this book.  There is a rather short scene in the book that acknowledges the September 11 terrorist attacks.  This is to be expected from a post 9/11 book, especially considering that this books takes place over the course of many years.  It almost would make less sense for this part of history to be ignored.  However, I felt that this scene was completely irrelevant to the novel's development and story line.    However, if this is my biggest complaint about the novel, then obviously Niggenegger knew what she was doing as she wrote. 


I may one of the last people who hadn't read this book, but if you are included in the list of people who also have not read it, then I highly recommend it.  I am certain that this book will make in to my "to be read again and again" pile for many years to come.





Next on my list, watch the movie!


Happy Reading!
-Melly