Like many good books, some things were changed and added to the. The alternating firstperson perspectives set a precedent for the rest of the story, which largely follows the chronology of clares life but also takes us along for some of. The time travelers wife audrey niffenegger, 2004 houghton mifflin harcourt 546 pp. That s not to say that it s perfect or a work of fiction that will change the face of american literature, but i found it very engaging and hard to put down. The time travelers wife audiobook by audrey niffenegger. Henry 28 is woken in the morning by an older henry 33 from november, 1996.
Audrey niffeneggers innovative debut, the time travelers wife, is the story of clare, a beautiful art student, and henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since clare was six and henry was thirtysix, and were married when clare was twentythree and henry thirtyone. It is the love story between a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to jump through time randomly and a girl he meets at various stages in her life. In various passages in the times travelers wife, henry explains that the inevitable cause of his time travels is stress. As clare and henry take turns telling the story, revealing the depth of their bond despite everything a scifi premise becomes a. He finds himself in the present and the past with only his naked body. The time travelers wife all the tropes wiki fandom. The time traveler s wife is one of my favorite books. When henry meets claire, he is twentyeight, and she is twenty.
The time travellers wife by audrey niffenegger i cannot recommend this book highly enough. Impossible but true, because henry is one of the first people diagnosed with chronodisplacement disorder. The time traveler s wife begins with a prologue in which the main characters, henry and clare, introduce the nature of their relationship as a time traveler and a time traveler s wife. The time traveler s wife is a 2009 american romantic science fiction drama film based on audrey niffenegger s 2003 novel of the same name. A chicago librarian suffers from a rare genetic disorder that sends him hurtling through time whenever he is under extreme duress. The story follows henry detamble bana, a chicago librarian with a paranormal genetic disorder that causes him to. Henry is confronted by an old girlfriend and has a fight with her.
She finds a letter from henry, urging her to stop waiting for him and to move. If you have a lot of naked adventures, wouldnt you move to a more agreeable climate. The time travelers wife book olathe public library. The time travelers wife is one of my favorite books. The time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger goodreads. Clare and henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals steady jobs, good friends, children of their own. Clare and henry share their last loving words to each other. Henry, the time traveler, is the protagonist, with time itself as the antagonist. He goes so far as to have a vasectomy, but a past self comes along and helps claire to conceive. I recently read the time travelers wife and adored it, then i rewatched the movie, and im torn between the two endings. The first time the feeling of longing enters clares life is when she waits for henry. Clare reveals that she has met henry before in fact, she claims she has known him since she was six years old, a fact that henry has a. Author audrey niffenegger put it all right there in the title of the book on which the.
Birds seem to stand for the opposite of tangible for the fleeting, for the henry that disappears. Henry is a librarian afflicted with a genetic disease that causes him to travel through time more or less randomly. Claire has known henry since she came upon him naked in her backyard, when she was six. The main character, henry, has been a time traveler since he was 5 years old. The time travelers wife begins with a prologue in which the main characters, henry and clare, introduce the nature of their relationship as a time traveler and a time travelers wife. Henry 28 goes to the concert with clare 20, gomez, and charisse.
Clare finds her later in the bathroom, where she is warned that henry is bad news. The alternating firstperson perspectives set a precedent for the rest of the story, which largely follows the chronology. Not only is it an extraordinary story, it is also beautifully written and well paced. The time travelers wife depicts the effects of time travel on henry and clares marriage and their passionate love for each other, as the story unfolds from both points of view. The time travelers wife is an unconventional romance and an atypical science fiction novel, blending both genres as well as sprinkling in a dab. Claire and henry actually met back when claire was just six years old, and henry, then 36, accidentally dropped into the field she was in on one of his many unexpected and unsolicited travels. This issue is, in fact, brought up and discussed at length in the book. A daughter is born, and the baby helps to reintegrate henrys father into their lives. It seemed like more of the alternating 1st person perspectives were from henrys point of view, and i cared for him more as a character. The last scene in the book takes place when clare is 82 years old and henry is 43. Like most novelturnedfilms, there are many differences between the two. The time travelers wife is neither romance, nor science fiction, nor pure fantasy. Henry and clares passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and. The time travelers wife by audrey niffeneggar bookgen.
The book spoiler for the book the time travelers wife. Also, his mother was killed in a car crash in a horrific snowstorm. I read the book in paper when it first came out and just listened to it again. The time travelers wife is the debut novel of american author audrey niffenegger, published. The time travelers wife is the timedefying love story of henry detamble eric bana and clare abshire rachel mcadams. Henry is unable to predict when he may disappear in time, not does he.
The time travelers wife kindle edition by niffenegger. He says goodbye to gomez, and thanks him for being a great friend. The time travelers wife took a different approach to this scifi theme, and did away with any possibility for altering the future or the past. Jul 05, 2003 audrey niffeneggers innovative debut, the time travelers wife, is the story of clare, a beautiful art student, and henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since clare was six and henry was thirtysix, and were married when clare was twentythree and henry thirtyone. Directed by robert schwentke, the film stars eric bana, rachel mcadams, and ron livingston. There is a new years eve party at henryclares house, and it is about to become the year 2007.
The time traveler s wife depicts the effects of time travel on henry and clare s marriage and their passionate love for each other as the story unfolds from both points of view. Dec 05, 2018 the time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger. The time travelers wife timeline timetoast timelines. The story jumps around in time, always making a note of the ages of henry and clare in that scene, and on some occasions the ages of more than one henry, in fact, the person who teaches him to.
Henry, through the tapes, has been training alba in survival, escape artistry, and selfdefense since early childhood, and he hopes thats enough. The time travellers wife the 14 best sex scenes in. Niffenegger weaves a tale of intrigue and love one that remains strong through decades of uncertainties. Impossible but true, because henry is one of the first people diagnosed with chronodisplacement. It is a man versus nature story told with new ideas.
Though its called the time travelers wife, i really didnt feel like i knew claire as well as i knew henry. It is immensely sad and truly a story of the time traveler s wife. The time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger is one of those stories that pulls you into the characters lives and leaves you wanting more, mulling over the scenes and premise for days after youve reluctantly turned the last page. The time travelers wife book summary and study guide. I hated time travelers wife, though i had a ton of preconceptions since i saw the movie years before reading the book. He visits moments from the past and future unbidden and with a lack of clothes. It is a love story about a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about his wife, an artist, who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences.
It would be hard to even imagine how lonely she would have been and how hard it would have been to just wait and wait for just a few minutes of time with henry. When clare first meets henry as a sixyearold, shes a good catholic schoolgirl, who believes in god and good manners aside from stepping on her brothers toes, maybe. Henry was born with a genetic condition that causes him to time travel, and it comes with its share of problems. The 2008 movie the time travelers wife featured eric bana and rachel mcadams as henry and clare, newlyweds struggling to deal with his inability to stop disappearing into different times and places without warning. Apr 30, 2020 the time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger is one of those stories that pulls you into the characters lives and leaves you wanting more, mulling over the scenes and premise for days after youve reluctantly turned the last page. Impossible but true, because henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of.
The alternating firstperson perspectives set a precedent for the rest of the story, which largely follows the chronology of clare s life but also takes us along. The time traveler s wife is an unconventional romance and an atypical science fiction novel, blending both genres as well as sprinkling in a dab of social commentary to create a very human novel. She is waiting for henry, as she has done most of her life. The time travelers wife is a 2009 american romantic science fiction drama film based on audrey niffeneggers 2003 novel of the same name. When new years eve arrives, claire and henry throw a party. This is the exact plot of the book and film the time travelers wife. The time traveler s wife was originally a book written in 2003 by audrey niffenegger. The time travelers wife book chicago public library. It is beautifully gripping and yet swoonfully adorable. An incredible book whose complexity and beauty cannot possibly be conveyed by a summary. Audrey niffenegger booklist audrey niffenegger message board. In brief a dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of henry detamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and clare abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course.
Claire and henry become more than friends, the feel like family, which makes it all the more devastating when you run out of pages to turn, which i did compulsively. Her worldview appears to be very traditional and very secure. Henry and clares passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is audrey. Henry and clares love affair zigs and zags across decades at times touching, childish, sexy, tragic but always true. A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of henry detamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and clare abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Although one of my favorite passages in the book was henrys letter, im not sure that i liked that he told her he would see her again and exactly when, although i like the element of hope that it gave her. Lets get this out of the way right up front the time travelers wife is first and foremost a love story. The love story of henry and claire whose lives are punctuated by henrys disappearance to different points in timesometimes even back to visit claire as a young woman. Jan 18, 2008 the time travelers wife took a different approach to this scifi theme, and did away with any possibility for altering the future or the past. When henry is in his 30s he meets his future wife, claire, a beautiful artist, who is only 6 years old at the time. At several points in the book, henry mentions that he s time travelled to the moment of his mother s death many times, yet in the narrative of the story we never see a single one of those visits. I liked both henry and clare as the main characters. Henry and claire s passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in impossibly romantic traps that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love. Time travelers wife harvest book audrey niffenegger isbn.
The time travelers wife starts like a cliche romance. He goes so far as to have a vasectomy, but a past self. Librarian henry is twentyeight years old and clare, an art student, is twenty. The time travelers wife follows the love story of claire, an art student, and henry, a librarian with the unique ability to unexpectedly travel in time. With eric bana, rachel mcadams, ron livingston, michelle nolden. Heres 2 comments of mine referencing this book from a previous thread a couple weeks ago. Even though henry had a relationship with another woman and apparently had slept with many over the years, the minute he meets clare, its as if all other women disappear. Although one of my favorite passages in the book was henry s letter, im not sure that i liked that he told her he would see her again and exactly when, although i like the element of hope that it gave her.
The time travelers wife is a houdini box of a novel, filled with spring latches and trap doors. The time travelers wife is the debut novel of american author audrey niffenegger, published in 2003. Jan 30, 2004 the time traveler s wife by audrey niffenegger. They didnt read enough to discuss, which made me sad, being put off by henry appearing to claire when she was a child naked. It is immensely sad and truly a story of the time travelers wife. I recently read the time traveler s wife and adored it, then i rewatched the movie, and im torn between the two endings. May 27, 2011 a chicago librarian suffers from a rare genetic disorder that sends him hurtling through time whenever he is under extreme duress. When henry meets claire, he is twentyeight, andshe is twenty. The time travelers wife depicts the effects of time travel on henry and clares marriage and their passionate love for each other as the story unfolds from both points of view. Jun 20, 2009 there is a new years eve party at henry clare s house, and it is about to become the year 2007. Time travelers wife hardcover the elliott bay book. The time travelers wife book by audrey niffenegger. Shes very suspicious of henry and not easily convinced by his stories of time traveling. The time travelers wife was the ending of the book or the.
Henry travels back in time and has sex with claire who he is married to in the presentday in the past. Claire and henry go through an agonizing process trying to conceive, something henry is hesitant about for fear of passing on his giftcurse. The time travelers wife book saint paul public library. The story jumps around in time, always making a note of the ages of henry and clare in that scene, and on some occasions the ages of more than one henry, in fact, the person who teaches him to pick locks and steal wallets is himself from the future. Clare and henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goalssteady jobs, good friends, children of their own. They have frequent meetings, which she keeps from others, until claire is a young adult. One of my favorite books i really liked the love story between henry and clare. Even though henry had a relationship with another woman and apparently had slept with many over the years, the minute he meets clare, it s as if all other women disappear. Thats not to say that its perfect or a work of fiction that will change the face of american literature, but i found it very engaging and hard to put down. In fact, i recommended it to one of my book clubs, comprised of much older women, who didnt like it. The time travelers wife was the ending of the book or. The time traveler s wife is the debut novel of american author audrey niffenegger, published in 2003. On their first date in the present, clare explains to henry that she makes birds because they represent longing 1. Audrey niffeneggers innovative debut, the time travelers wife, is the story of clare, a beautiful art student, and henry, an.
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