The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a book which had been recommended to me for quite some time now. If only I knew it would turn out to be such a great read I surely would have put more efforts in getting my hands on the book the earliest possible!
The concept of time travelling isn’t really a novelty in the world of fiction. Also, I’m sure that almost everyone of us might have wished at least once in our lives to have the ability to time travel. Especially the ones who are fond of reading or watching fictitious stories and had enjoyed this very theme. But here’s a heads up for those who haven’t read this book yet. You would definitely have second thoughts on wishing for that ability when you get to experience the lives of Henry and Clare, our two narrators.
When I read the title of the book, I automatically imagined some kind of a machine in which the narrator has to hop in and travel through the time to his heart’s content. Now that sounds too cliche, or predictable thanks to most other fictions we have come across which are about time travel. So, I was surprised to know that Henry isn’t any scientist who invents a time machine, nor there is any kind of time machine invented by anybody as that. Henry is just a well educated and handsome librarian who happened to be gifted with this rare ability, but of course in a crooked way. True that the ability comes in handy or as a blessing in some situations, but overall the mere fact that Henry just vanishes from his present and land in somewhere in the past or future which is unknown pretty much feels like a curse upon this loving couple. As if the uncertainty and the unpredictability of the time travel isn’t enough to worry fate has sprinkled some more absurdity to this situation. Henry can’t carry anything with him during his journeys and that rule applies to his very own clothing as well. Now that proves my point earlier, does it really sounds fun to be able to time travel if you can’t control when and where and pops up at a random place at a random time all naked? Whether Henry like it or not, this is something he has been dealing with all his life and its not only him that lives an abnormal life but also his wife Clare who happens to go through all the uncertainty, despair and fear any wife of such time traveller would have to go through.
“I won't ever leave you, even though you're always leaving me.”
“It's hard being left behind. It's hard to be the one who stays.”
What tempted me to read the book was its synopsis in the back cover. “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…”. I remember rereading that line wondering how in the world we could believe such plot. But now I feel as if i’m the stupid one to have even an ounce of doubt because the story was well plotted, cleverly presented and incredibly convincing!
This book wouldn’t really be a quick read, I suggest that you take your time to read it. Though the writing style is lucid, the story could be little confusing at the beginning. Of course it wasn’t fair of me to expect smooth flow of a story which starts from the childhood and ends with the old age or death in a timely manner. We are experiencing the life journey of a time traveller, so be prepared for all the big and small leaps in time between the past, present and the future. The dates and the ages of our narrators at the beginning of every incident sure helps us have a good imagination and understanding. Infact I find it as a very clever idea of storytelling. However, its advisable to tighten your grip as the swirl of events through the five hundred odd pages could be quite the ride.
“Listen, sometimes when you finally find out, you realize that you were much better off not knowing.”
The story being narrated by both Clare and Henry creates a more vivid picture. It facilitate us readers to experience the story in first-person point of view and that too in two ways. I praise the ability of the author who got into the skin of not just one narrator but two. With all these attributes she makes sure to leave no stone unturned. I’m amazed at the talent of the author for maintaining the interest of the reader till the very end of the story. It has a very convincing climax and thankfully we get to reach it very smoothly, absorbing all the emotions and mentally prepared. It is truly a very sweet love story, nothing like those juicy and soppy ones which targets the female readers. This one is about deeper feelings, pure love, commitment and all the adjustments and understandings a couple as well as all family and friends would go through in a strange situation. Its about the never ending efforts to live a normal life even after having to deal with most abnormal and unbearable conditions.
“Love the world and yourself in it, move through it as though it offers no resistance, as though the world is your natural element.”
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading fiction. Even for the male readers who might think twice before picking up a romance novel. The book deserves five stars for the great plot, fascinating character development and the excellent storytelling. Clare surely is a beautiful soul everyone would fall in love with and you would definitely admire Henry for his courage and perseverance. Though it's a thick book and might need a little more time of yours than normal, I guarantee it would be time well spent indulging yourself in this delightful read. Happy reading!
“I go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. I take walks. I work until I'm tired. I watch the wind play with the trash that's been under the snow all winter. Everything seems simple until you think about it. Why is love intensified by absence?”
“Time is priceless, but it’s Free. You can't own it, you can use it. You can spend it. But you can't keep it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back.”
