The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is one of the best books I've ever read. I love to read but this is the first book I've completed in awhile. I'm one of those people that when I read books I will basically play it like a movie in my head. I'm very visual. I actually saw the movie first so I had good images for the read. This book places you in a world that your desperately waiting to find out what happens at the turn of each page. She describes the scenes so nicely that you really don't have that moment where your like, "Oh crap I just read 3 pages of nothing and can't remember what I just read, then have to re-read it." Not in this book at all.
Here's a brief non-spoiler synopsis of the beginning:
There is this boy named Henry, who one day finds out that he can time-travel within the time frame of his life. An older version of this boy starts to appear to a little girl named Clare playing in a field. He sees this little girl grow up right before him but little does she know that she is married to him in the future & when he leaves he is going to her. Little Clare begins to fall in love with this older gentleman that keeps showing up naked in her parents's estate field. But it's not that easy to meet the man of your dreams and have him be there always & love you always. She meets the present day Henry when she is 20 years old and he has no memory of her at all. Of course not. This present day Henry doesn't know her because he has never met her in the present. From here is where the story truly begins.
There is emotion, devastation, pure love, waiting, heart breaks, joys, and just so much more. Your happy for Clare & Henry one minute and then the next your screaming at Henry for being an ass. You might cry and some of the story may leave a cold shudder upon you. HONESTLY DON'T EXPECT A CLICHE' STORYBOOK ROMANCE where two people meet, there's a little drama, they sleep together, fight, and get back together. NOPE! You get to read how Clare grows up and anyone who has ever make believed that they had a secret boyfriend will love some of it.
I recommend this book if you really want to get lost in a story for a while. It's cleverly laid out so that you get Clare's reactions and Henry's reactions in separate diaryish sections. It's very realistic even though Henry Time Travels. Niffenegger can write emotion and true emotion well.
Perhaps I like this book because Clare reminds me of myself. This book deals with her finding herself while waiting for her life to make sense and come together. Yup, that's me. I seem to always be waiting for the Mess to come back to me. He leaves, comes back, leaves, and comes back. He also...Get this...has a DELOREAN!!! A delorean is the car from Back to the Future where Marty McFly time travels. I couldn't make this up if I tried. lol. Well him & I just can't seem to tell each other who we feel or not feel so it really is appearing to me to be a wicked game going on. I love him & *sigh* would wait for him to love me. I just don't know if he does or ever will? I think I fear knowing the answer because it could mean to the end to him & me. Clare waited. She waited her whole life. Also in the book Clare drives a Honda Civic. So do I. Henry gets sick when Clare drives. So does the Mess. Clare's hair is always a mess. So is mine. lol. Eerie Coincidence. The Mess is really going to drive me insane. He was back for a lil while last week & I have no idea when he'll come back again, if he even does.
The following is purely just my opinion. If you read the book first, then watch the movie you may feel like they watered down everything, stripped the story of rawness & realism that the book projects so loudly. If you watch the movie then read the book, the book is a bit more of a brutal slice of life but you may enjoy the book more because it's more details & you can really see how Henry & Clare felt about things. I like the movie for in it's own way but I enjoyed the book so much more.
Today my office talked non-stop all day long, which made my day seem longer than ever. Even when I was taking orders over the phone they whispered which was worse. I wish each one of those boys one day works in a hair salon and gets to listen to female gossip 24/7. That would be justice. One of the callers to place an order for this site I work for too actually asked me if I knew the Real Housewives of New Jersey. LOL! I've never seen them but I live 20 minutes from where it was filmed and where the ladies live. It was hysterical.
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What else that made my day was I received my Postcard from the lovely lady, Nicolette that runs the blog, Simply Collete!! If you click here you can read her blog, Simply Colette. Her photographs are beautiful, she's full of inspiration & talent, and her tales from her travels make you wanna book a flight tonight and go! =) I'm going to put the postcard in a collage that I can't wait to make!!
The water is soo blue. I want to go, now. It rained all day so seeing the Fort Lauderdale beach made me want summer again.
Btw...Where did September go? It evaporated....
12 comments:
I SO love the book and movie reviews and love the gorgeous postcard from sweet Colette. Have a great day,
xoxo
I think I deleted (by accident) the first comment, if not you'll have two!!
My skin went "chicken" reading the synopsis, definitely is the kind of book I like to read... and I am with you in the thing of finding myself... probably that feeling stays with us for a life-time, doesn't it? Thanks for sharing, I will have to check if it is available here at the bookshops ;O)
wow that book seems amazing ! maybe i will buy it if i have time . haha .
That book is on my list of books to read. I'm glad to hear it's so good :)
I still need to read the book and see the movie. Today I actually received Niffenegger's new book, Her Fearful Symmetry, which got very good reviews. I'm certain this book would be something for you, too!
I freaking LOVE that book. I stayed up all night finishing it a few months ago and then cried like a baby. Haha.
Omg! Can't wait to read.
Thank you for your lovely comments on my blog... I've actually moved to pretty-green-blog.blogspot.com so take a look there for more up to date goings on!
I read this book recently before the film had come out and was really touched by it (ie day of proper tears when I finished it!) I don't think I can bear to see the film due to it's watered downness. I too really identified with the main characters. I think that's what makes the book so gripping.
Oh how I loved this book. I could read it over and over!!
but sadly I wasn't a fan of the movie...I think they breezed through it.
Haven't seen the movie yet but I really enjoyed the book.
Aww! You got it! Thanks for the sweet words... brought a genuine smile. Love the book review, I'd love to start a book club, so many I want to read, but I'm like you. It's so hard to finish sometimes. Did you ever see the movie The Jane Austen Book Club?
I saw The Time Travelers Wife first too, but since you say it's worth it even after watching, I'll have to give it try. :) Glad I could make your day a little brighter!
Coming from a dude's perspective, this was still a great book. I really wish I hadn't cried at the end though. Almost as much as I wish hadn't just disclosed that in a public forum.
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