Reviews

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

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pyraterose's review against another edition

5.0

This novel took a long time to embrace me as the format (jumping back and forth through time) is very difficult to grasp initially. However, if you're able to stick it out, the answers to all the questions raised are more than worth the effort. This book literally brought tears to my eyes (and cheeks, and chin, and t-shirt).

elleh's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

wolfgold's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

elenamariab22's review against another edition

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This book gave me weird vibes, why is there sexual tension between a grown man and a 13 year old!?

petealis's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5ish stars, really. Couldn't bring myself to round up but I do find 3 to be too low at the same time.

I did quite enjoy this book, actually. When I got into it it was nice and gripping. The premise was fascinating and overall I think well handled, without getting into too many of the details. I wasn't always able to keep up with the jumping timelines, to have a sense of the chronological time, but given the premise that kinda worked for the book and wasn't distracting. I didn't need to remember what date everything so far had happened and how that related to the present scene to mostly understand what was going on. The main characters were decently compelling, their entwined fates an interesting thought experiment on free will, and I always love an Odyssey parallel. I wasn't sure I'd like it when they threw a time travelling kid in there too, but it was actually quite compelling to see Henry interact with Alba.

That being said, I had a few issues. Maybe it's just a personal taste thing but the author did not start new paragraphs often enough. I rarely see the need to go a full page without starting a new paragraph. Let alone multiple times in one book. It makes the book harder to read. I didn't like it.

Some elements were just fine. Not bad, not good, just fine. The side characters were nothing memorable. I did not feel particularly invested in them, and wanted to know more about a few of them. They were under-served overall, the most fleshed out being Gomez, who it baffles me that Henry considered a close friend (and the last scene he was in? What was that? What purpose did that scene serve but to continue the thread of Gomez's lasting crush on Clare?).

The main thing that tanks my ability to give it four stars, let alone five, was the relationship between adult Henry and teen Clare. I get it: Clare is his future wife. They both are aware of that pre-existing/destined to be relationship, and sure, a teen who has that kind of relationship with her future husband is going to focus her budding sexual feelings on him. But he's still a grown man and she's still a teenager, no matter what Will be. It's not cheating. But it's creepy. Didn't like that one bit.

deanneestelle's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a beautiful book. As much as the time traveling plays an integral part in moving the plot along, the story really isn’t about the time traveling. This book is about life, and love, and longing, and grief, and endurance, and terminal illness, and marriage, and pain. It asks whether all that is worth it, and never quite gives you a straight answer. But what it does give you is a portrait of two lives lived, ever intertwined, ever separating and coming back together. I loved it.