The Time Traveler's Wife
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 546pp.
Movie.. or Book... Why Not Both?
“A truly extraordinary novel...a magical love story that is sad as it is joyous.”
--Daily Express (UK)
--Daily Express (UK)
When choosing a novel to read for our class’s independent study it became difficult to find a novel that could keep me interested from start to end. Being more of the type of person who would think, why read the book if there is a movie. I knew the choice of book had to be right, or the level of interest would plummet to the ground. Of course the novel I choose to read was The Time Traveler’s Wife, and yes I have seen the movie. Although I might have seen the movie the story line and main plot is what still caught my eye. I enjoyed the movie which makes me want to read the book for it will allow me to take this intriguing plot and journey through a dramatic love story and let my imagination follow through Audrey Niffenegger compelling writing.
After reading the prologue and the first chapter I have found it very interesting that the author has chosen to write with two points of view. The prologue allows the reader to get to know the two main characters right away and their basic characteristics through the book. As you start on the first chapter of the story you read back and forth between Clare’s and Henry’s point of view. It keeps the book interesting and intriguing. And all ready in the first chapter there is lots of romance, but the unanswered questions of how he travels and how their relationship works makes me want to read on.
With chapter one done I am wanting to continue and get the answers that are swirling in my head, with the chapter starting out in the library with the young women Clare who runs into her lover Henry who seems to not remember her. It is then Clare arranges a date to give Henry a book she was told to give to him when this moment occurs and the stories of his traveling abilities and how they have met before, comes out all at once. With the exchange of family trees and stories of the past and present they begin to relearn each other’s life and even learn new information of one another they never knew before. The author allows the romance between the two to build up fast but only leading it into the next chapter.
I believe the themes that are beginning to form already in the first chapter are the love between Clare and Henry which is strongly shown already in the first few pages. Memory is used strongly because with it they begin to go over the past and present. And sex is already a huge theme in chapter one showing that maybe with it Henry feels closer to Clare more in the present, and Clare feels like it is more proof of his existence.
“There are clues; as with any disease there are patterns, possibilities.” (Henry 3)
This quote said in the prologue stood out to me the most because it allows people to see that to everything there is still an answer or a solution. This quote is used by Henry who is able to time travel because he is left with the question of how, but as he says this line he mentions that even a toughest disease can have an answer or there has to be something or someone to help him find out how such an extreme thing can continue to happen to him. He really is just looking for answers.
The Time Traveler's Wife is more than 500 pages, although I have only read the first chapter due to just being able to purchase the novel I am hoping to read 2 to 3 chapters a night.
After reading the prologue and the first chapter I have found it very interesting that the author has chosen to write with two points of view. The prologue allows the reader to get to know the two main characters right away and their basic characteristics through the book. As you start on the first chapter of the story you read back and forth between Clare’s and Henry’s point of view. It keeps the book interesting and intriguing. And all ready in the first chapter there is lots of romance, but the unanswered questions of how he travels and how their relationship works makes me want to read on.
With chapter one done I am wanting to continue and get the answers that are swirling in my head, with the chapter starting out in the library with the young women Clare who runs into her lover Henry who seems to not remember her. It is then Clare arranges a date to give Henry a book she was told to give to him when this moment occurs and the stories of his traveling abilities and how they have met before, comes out all at once. With the exchange of family trees and stories of the past and present they begin to relearn each other’s life and even learn new information of one another they never knew before. The author allows the romance between the two to build up fast but only leading it into the next chapter. I believe the themes that are beginning to form already in the first chapter are the love between Clare and Henry which is strongly shown already in the first few pages. Memory is used strongly because with it they begin to go over the past and present. And sex is already a huge theme in chapter one showing that maybe with it Henry feels closer to Clare more in the present, and Clare feels like it is more proof of his existence.
“There are clues; as with any disease there are patterns, possibilities.” (Henry 3)
This quote said in the prologue stood out to me the most because it allows people to see that to everything there is still an answer or a solution. This quote is used by Henry who is able to time travel because he is left with the question of how, but as he says this line he mentions that even a toughest disease can have an answer or there has to be something or someone to help him find out how such an extreme thing can continue to happen to him. He really is just looking for answers.
The Time Traveler's Wife is more than 500 pages, although I have only read the first chapter due to just being able to purchase the novel I am hoping to read 2 to 3 chapters a night.
