Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

I have wanted to read this book ever since I first heard of it. I heard several things about it. First, that it is a very interesting concept the author hit upon. Second, the movie is not nearly as good as the book (is it ever?).

When I attempted to request it from the library, I discovered that the book form would take forever, but the audio version required only a short wait. Thankfully, another patron didn't request it while I was listening to the 16 CDs. Thus, I was able to renew it several times.

I must admit, for weeks now (ever since I finally finished listening to the book) I have had in the back of my mind that I would merely refer my readers to a review written by one of my favorite bloggers who already cranked out an excellent review of the book. Alas, I have searched through several of my favorite bloggers and cannot for the life of me figure out who had reviewed the book. Now, I must recap it myself, urgh!

I really enjoyed the book, but found that I couldn't listen to it when my children were in the vehicle with me. I never knew when it would venture into forbidden territory, thus, it took extra long to complete the listening. Still, on those late night runs for groceries or Christmas shopping, it was always an interesting way to pass the time of driving. Plus, it seemed appropriate listening, given the fact that the novel I was writing during the month of November centered on the interactions between a girl from the past and a girl from the present.

Here is the gist of the novel: Henry, a librarian at the Newberry Library in Chicago, suffers from chrono-displacement disorder. In unexpected moments, he merely vanishes, leaving behind his pile of clothes, and appears (sans clothes) at important moments in either his past or future. When he is 28 (and Clare is 20) he meets his future wife, Clare, who claims to have known him since she was six (when he appeared unexpectedly in a field near her home). The story develops in a jagged way, crossing time frames and changing voices between Henry and Clare, yet the tale is riveting.

It was indeed an interesting concept and made for an enjoyable read/listen. Sadly, you could tell that the author is an agnostic. Thus, the lives of her characters fail to achieve any form of satisfying redemption. There is no purpose driving this chrono-displaced person's life. His illness is not cured. His wife lives life the best she can, while left behind.

Still, I wouldn't say that this negated the value of the book. I would recommend it as an interesting read. Now, I am kind of interested to see how they chopped it up to create a movie version (given the fact that it was over 500 pages long ... in book form). If I get around to that in 2010, I will be sure to provide my assessment of the movie. I'm still guessing the movie will not be as good as the book. The only instance I can think of where the movie was better would be for the movie "The Man Without a Face," which stars Mel Gibson and is loosely based on a book by Isabel Holland. That film rose to heights the book didn't touch and carried a more fulfilling theme.