Sophia C. reviewed on 11/18/2009 + 289 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

Given the recent crop of books entitled The So-and-so's Relation, The Time Traveler's Wife is not the best title for this unique beautifully written and moving story. It is more about the love between two people: Henry, for whom time travel is migraine-like in its involuntary onset and uncontrollable duration, and Clare, his once-and-future-wife who grew up with periodic visits from an older Henry since the age of six. Niffenegger succeeds in portraying Henry and Clare as multi-dimensional characters in each stage of their time together, convincingly demonstrating their love is a triumph of love over time instead of a science fiction laced Lolita. This type of time travel lends itself to more meditative reflection on different selves over time rather than free will, space-time continuum, and technology. It masterfully suspends the real-life notion that life is defined by more than love for one other. In summary, it's a deeply meditative tale of joy and disappointment, anticipation and longing, which pulls on the heart strings with the strength of giant waves which keep Odysseus from Penelope.

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