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| The Time Traveler's Wife | 
 enlarge | Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Publisher: Harvest Books
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy New: $2.00
You Save: $12.00 (86%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (1676 reviews)
Sales Rank: 417
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 560
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.3 x 1
ISBN: 015602943X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780156029438
ASIN: 015602943X
Publication Date: May 27, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not Good October 27, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The only reason I didn't give Time Travelers Wife one star is because it was an interesting and unique plot line and at the end of the book I didn't feel as if I wanted my time back.
That said, I didn't enjoy this book. I think the author spent more time trying to make her plot contrivances work rather than developing the characters. The characters are flat. We span several decades yet the characters don't grow at all. This is unfortunate because the character (Henry and Claire) are not likable in the least. They are self possessed, Important, dullards, who pride themselves on how very Different and Unique they are. In a word, they are douche bags. Urban, yuppie, douche bags. Who have lots of sex. Yes, we know H and C are in love because, they get it on All. The. Freaking. Time. Other than that their chemistry is not greatly developed.
Not only is there no chemistry, I don't even believe that Henry actually loved Claire as we are supposed to believe. He controlled every moment of her life by his prophesies and he left her in heartbreak and worry every time he disappeared. When he dies, he keeps her life in even more aggrieved suspense by saying they will meet again decades later! I think Henry was very selfish in this respect and one of the main reasons I could never sympathize with his plight.
Claire is equally annoying. She is beautiful. She is sexy. Everyone wants to be with her. Her hair is golden like the sun. Her body is amazing. She is an artist. She reads French poetry. But she has absolutely no personality outside of Henry. Henry defines her. She never questions anything he tells her. She takes the fact that they are to marry at face value. This type of character is boring.
The other characters, if possible, are actually worse. They are only around to showcase what a beautiful love, what a charmed life, H and C have. Appallingly, the author gives all racial minorities in the book racially stereotypical mannerisms or speaking patterns or professions. The way the author makes Kimmy speak almost made me throw the book in disgust. It's like the author doesn't actually know anyone in real life who isn't white and her only concept of non-white people is from 1950's media.
So for me, it's the characters, not the plot, that made me dislike this book so greatly. You can't write a love story where the couple I am supposed to root for are so very unlikeable and the side characters around them are just foils to their love or worse, racially pegged.
 It's My Fault October 27, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I let myself down, and I didn't have to travel through time to do it. If I could go back in time, I would tap myself on the shoulder and say, "Find another book." That's not entirely true. I did take some things from the tale.
I was so excited to dig into the concept. I couldn't wait to find out about this love affair which wouldn't be tamed by time. I was even interested in the concept of being a "close" friend with one's self. Most of the hiccups readers complain about in this book didn't faze me.
I believe I set myself up with such a high expectation for Ms. Niffenegger's execution, perhaps something no one could fulfill. I'll take the blame for that one.
However, I put all of the blame on the author for delivering a betraying conclusion. I have no problem with real life over fluffy love, but don't sell me fluffy for 97% of the book and then bait and switch me.
I was so betrayed and hurt by the ending, I carried the bitterness with me for weeks. You can ask my wife.
If you are still intrigued to read this story, let me warn you of Ms. Niffenegger's abuse of one-liners, a cheap reference to 9/11 which had nothing to do with the plot, and ethic characters who portrayed racial stereotypes - such a weak effort.
It's a shame a different author couldn't have gotten a shot at this plot.
 Smooth October 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a book of parts. Tasty parts that spread nougat goodness across my tongue and tender parts that swell in my chest.
This isn't a book about love, though it couldn't have been written without it. It's a book about abiding and about seeing the truth of things when even the best truth is another lie.
It's a very, very good book.
There's a Reason It's So Popular ... One of the Best Time Travel Novels I've Ever Read (And I've Read Lots) October 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I refused to read this book for ages because it was a trendy book with a trendy name. But now I understand everyone's love for it. I suppose that the way to get a sci-fi book to succeed is to not market it as a sci-fi book. This book is 100% a time travel novel, and it's done quite cleverly. The time traveler in question has a genetic mutation that makes him spontaneously time travel, so he lands in various times and places quite naked. He often runs into himself, but he also meets his wife when...more I refused to read this book for ages because it was a trendy book with a trendy name. But now I understand everyone's love for it. I suppose that the way to get a sci-fi book to succeed is to not market it as a sci-fi book. This book is 100% a time travel novel, and it's done quite cleverly. The time traveler in question has a genetic mutation that makes him spontaneously time travel, so he lands in various times and places quite naked. He often runs into himself, but he also meets his wife when he's an adult and she's a child. While she has known him all her life, he only knows her during his adulthood. It wasn't difficult to figure out where the book was going and when the roller coaster was going to plunge downhill. However, the process of reading the novel was quite satisfying. The author is able to create a world and quickly bring the reader comfortably inside it to be a watcher in the shadows. I'm definitely glad I finally broke down to read this book because it's certainly now among my all time favorites.
 Intriguing but profane October 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Obviously I'm used to the old classics and "nice" books. I bought this book on the recommendation of a fairly like-minded friend, and thought the plot looked good. I wasn't prepared for it to be smattered throughout with the "f" word, oral sex, and brief graphic violence. Also I thought the end was rather depressing. There was little about living life, and mostly about life being wrapped up in this one person. This would make a better movie than book in my opinion--and I very rarely choose movie over novel. I'm sure this book will be wildly popular, but if you're like me and enjoy a good read that makes you feel like a better person at the end vs. feeling brought down a moral notch or two, choose another book.
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