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A review by naledi
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
[spoilers]
The Time Traveler's Wife is a beautifully written romance. At first glance, Henry being a time traveler seems almost cool, but as the book progresses, one realises that it is the tragedy of his romance with Clare. He is always leaving and she is always waiting. Henry's life is an incredibly sad tale - he sometimes knows the future and visits the past but in even the most tragic circumstances, cannot interfere. In this way, he is a slave to inevitability and Niffenger beautifully articulates the pain of this, especially as his death approaches. Henry knows his death is coming, down to the day, and he must suffer it still because that is his fate. I admire that Niffenger did not make Henry above his humanness and expressed that as his death approached he was afraid, he didn't want to go. It is made very clear that his time-traveling abilities are no gift, but rather a prison.
Not a lot of attention is given to Clare as an individual, she is written as an accessory to Henry, having few thoughts that do not pertain to him. Even when he is gone, she is always anticipating his return. The only part of the book that felt like this is about Clare, was the miscarriages, but even still, very little air time is given to how she feels about them, and how she dealt with the loss. More could have been said. She also does not have a social life, and even when she is working, she is thinking of him. Although Charisse is her friend, there is no scene with just them two, as there is with Henry & Gomez for example. It is sad to witness that Clare is always waiting for Henry, and the worst of it is when she is 82, waiting for him still. Henry lives his life, only meeting Clare at 28. But Clare's life has been a game of waiting and that is all she has ever known, all she ever will know. The present life she lives with Henry is hardly equatable to the waiting she does and this causes one to feel incredible sympathy for Clare, because who is she outside of being the time traveler's wife?
Criticisms:
This book had the potential to be a 5, but I felt a great deal of unease in the parts where Clare is between 6-18 and Henry is visiting her from his late 30s and early 40s. What is more disturbing is that although he is old, he still looks at her longingly. There is a part where she is 12, and he is about 42, and he considers kissing her, and reconciles with himself that 12 is too young. Furthermore, I lack understanding of his actions because he was already living his adult life with Clare, he had no reason to lust for a child, he could kiss his wife when he went back home. I also did not like how Niffenger wrote the characters of color. Nell, the cook for Clare's family, speaks in broken English and not only was this stereotypical, but it was unnecessary and unproductive to the overall plot.
Closing thoughts :
Reading this book it is hard to determine whether these two characters even chose each other at all. Henry appears from the future when Clare is young and most impressionable and announces himself as her husband, and that is decided. Equally, when Henry is 28, Clare meets Henry and announces herself as his future lover. We don't see a time of Henry actually getting to know Clare, and their biggest bond is that she knows he's a traveler and he is comforted by this. He dumps Ingrid, not because he really was over her or that he liked Clare more, but because Clare showed up from his future-past. And so it is clear that a great question this book confronts is that of autonomy, of free will. Who chooses, what is decided, and do we have a say in any of it?
The Time Traveler's Wife is a beautiful story that I recommend to anyone who would not be triggered by the aforementioned criticisms.
The Time Traveler's Wife is a beautifully written romance. At first glance, Henry being a time traveler seems almost cool, but as the book progresses, one realises that it is the tragedy of his romance with Clare. He is always leaving and she is always waiting. Henry's life is an incredibly sad tale - he sometimes knows the future and visits the past but in even the most tragic circumstances, cannot interfere. In this way, he is a slave to inevitability and Niffenger beautifully articulates the pain of this, especially as his death approaches. Henry knows his death is coming, down to the day, and he must suffer it still because that is his fate. I admire that Niffenger did not make Henry above his humanness and expressed that as his death approached he was afraid, he didn't want to go. It is made very clear that his time-traveling abilities are no gift, but rather a prison.
Not a lot of attention is given to Clare as an individual, she is written as an accessory to Henry, having few thoughts that do not pertain to him. Even when he is gone, she is always anticipating his return. The only part of the book that felt like this is about Clare, was the miscarriages, but even still, very little air time is given to how she feels about them, and how she dealt with the loss. More could have been said. She also does not have a social life, and even when she is working, she is thinking of him. Although Charisse is her friend, there is no scene with just them two, as there is with Henry & Gomez for example. It is sad to witness that Clare is always waiting for Henry, and the worst of it is when she is 82, waiting for him still. Henry lives his life, only meeting Clare at 28. But Clare's life has been a game of waiting and that is all she has ever known, all she ever will know. The present life she lives with Henry is hardly equatable to the waiting she does and this causes one to feel incredible sympathy for Clare, because who is she outside of being the time traveler's wife?
Criticisms:
This book had the potential to be a 5, but I felt a great deal of unease in the parts where Clare is between 6-18 and Henry is visiting her from his late 30s and early 40s. What is more disturbing is that although he is old, he still looks at her longingly. There is a part where she is 12, and he is about 42, and he considers kissing her, and reconciles with himself that 12 is too young. Furthermore, I lack understanding of his actions because he was already living his adult life with Clare, he had no reason to lust for a child, he could kiss his wife when he went back home. I also did not like how Niffenger wrote the characters of color. Nell, the cook for Clare's family, speaks in broken English and not only was this stereotypical, but it was unnecessary and unproductive to the overall plot.
Closing thoughts :
Reading this book it is hard to determine whether these two characters even chose each other at all. Henry appears from the future when Clare is young and most impressionable and announces himself as her husband, and that is decided. Equally, when Henry is 28, Clare meets Henry and announces herself as his future lover. We don't see a time of Henry actually getting to know Clare, and their biggest bond is that she knows he's a traveler and he is comforted by this. He dumps Ingrid, not because he really was over her or that he liked Clare more, but because Clare showed up from his future-past. And so it is clear that a great question this book confronts is that of autonomy, of free will. Who chooses, what is decided, and do we have a say in any of it?
The Time Traveler's Wife is a beautiful story that I recommend to anyone who would not be triggered by the aforementioned criticisms.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Alcoholism