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tymaa2's review against another edition
Ten years later, three failed reading attempts, five hundred and eighteen pages later; it's done.
The one thing I've enjoyed about this book was the multitude of references from all sorts of genres.
Now that I've read a book that collected too much dust for a decade, I can move on.
The one thing I've enjoyed about this book was the multitude of references from all sorts of genres.
Now that I've read a book that collected too much dust for a decade, I can move on.
kt2192's review against another edition
5.0
A realistic approach to a fantastic story.
It simply starts with the idea of time travel - Henry travels through time having no control of it.
It then develops the story with an authenticity that is nothing short of captivating.
It manages to turn this surreal concept in a grounded realistic romance. I sounds exactly what it would be like for someone to be travelling through time but also for the (usually forgotten in these types of stories) person who stays behind waiting.
It is a heartbreaking story within a deterministic world which makes us want to believe that it can be changed.
Lovely writting, well balanced plot that makes you want to continue reading.
It simply starts with the idea of time travel - Henry travels through time having no control of it.
It then develops the story with an authenticity that is nothing short of captivating.
It manages to turn this surreal concept in a grounded realistic romance. I sounds exactly what it would be like for someone to be travelling through time but also for the (usually forgotten in these types of stories) person who stays behind waiting.
It is a heartbreaking story within a deterministic world which makes us want to believe that it can be changed.
Lovely writting, well balanced plot that makes you want to continue reading.
markalkman's review against another edition
4.0
I think I've seen the movie three or four times, but it's been a while. Finally reading the book reminded me of all the amazing things that happened in this one of a kind story. I love how Audrey Niffenegger set everything up, I love how everything fits together like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. I fell in love with both Henry & Clare all over again, I fell in love with their love and how it was so definitely meant to be. Henry meeting Clare for the first time when he was 28 and she 20 - Clare having known him since she was six... I laughed with them? I cried with them, they were absolutely perfect together. There were quite a few surpises, bits of the story that never made it into the movie, that totally made this a book worth reading even though I'd already known the story by heart. I loved it. Definitely have to watch the movie again someday soon, I kept picturing Henry and Clare as Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams.
vtsarahd's review against another edition
4.0
Wished this book was about a hundred pages shorter...loved the concept and the book is very cleverly written, but it just started to drag for me towards the middle-end.
sandiet's review against another edition
3.0
Henry suffers from Chrono-Displacement Disorder which means his genetic clock resets and he is likely to find himself in any place, at any time in his past, future or present. In other words he time travels. Henry has been moving in and out of time since the age of six and he never knows when he is going to travel, where he will end up and in what condition.
Clare has known Henry since she was six and he was thirty-six, but when they meet again, Clare is twenty, Henry is twenty-eight but he’s never met her before. Confused? Yes I know, so was I trust me. It took reading the book twice AND watching the movie adaptation to completely “get” it. One particular line the second time around brought it clearly into focus for me, “I forget that now is before then.” That is part of a line that Clare says to Henry when she realizes that he doesn’t remember something from a previous time traveling incident. That line was what they call an “aha” moment, everything became clear.
Longing and waiting, is to me the essence of this novel. Clare was always waiting for Henry whether it was as a child or as an adult. Waiting for him to show up, waiting for him to return and longing and hoping that one time he could and would stay. Henry in turn was just waiting for the inevitable when he would disappear and reappear never knowing what predicament he’d be in when he did.
Despite this ebbing and flowing into each other’s lives, Clare and Henry’s love was remarkable because it transcended time and space over and over again. The story is told from both of their perspectives and I believe this style really enhances the novel. We watch Henry and Clare try to have normal lives, they get married, have jobs, they even try to have a child. Numerous miscarriages and Henry’s constant disappearances start to strain their relationship and it doesn’t help that all the doctors scoff at Henry’s “illness” believing him to be insane. It isn’t until one doctor actually witnesses Henry vanishing into thin air that he takes him on as a patient. Yet when this same doctor says to him they have the tools to find out “whatever you are” Henry realizes he’s nothing more than an experiment. Despite this realization Henry continues to seek help but unfortunately there is little that can be done; Henry continues to disappear and the absences become longer and more dangerous.
Although the storyline is fantastical and not normally what I read (and this is the good thing about book clubs because they take you away from your preferred genre), I found it to be very good…even though it took me awhile to understand it!
Clare has known Henry since she was six and he was thirty-six, but when they meet again, Clare is twenty, Henry is twenty-eight but he’s never met her before. Confused? Yes I know, so was I trust me. It took reading the book twice AND watching the movie adaptation to completely “get” it. One particular line the second time around brought it clearly into focus for me, “I forget that now is before then.” That is part of a line that Clare says to Henry when she realizes that he doesn’t remember something from a previous time traveling incident. That line was what they call an “aha” moment, everything became clear.
Longing and waiting, is to me the essence of this novel. Clare was always waiting for Henry whether it was as a child or as an adult. Waiting for him to show up, waiting for him to return and longing and hoping that one time he could and would stay. Henry in turn was just waiting for the inevitable when he would disappear and reappear never knowing what predicament he’d be in when he did.
Despite this ebbing and flowing into each other’s lives, Clare and Henry’s love was remarkable because it transcended time and space over and over again. The story is told from both of their perspectives and I believe this style really enhances the novel. We watch Henry and Clare try to have normal lives, they get married, have jobs, they even try to have a child. Numerous miscarriages and Henry’s constant disappearances start to strain their relationship and it doesn’t help that all the doctors scoff at Henry’s “illness” believing him to be insane. It isn’t until one doctor actually witnesses Henry vanishing into thin air that he takes him on as a patient. Yet when this same doctor says to him they have the tools to find out “whatever you are” Henry realizes he’s nothing more than an experiment. Despite this realization Henry continues to seek help but unfortunately there is little that can be done; Henry continues to disappear and the absences become longer and more dangerous.
Although the storyline is fantastical and not normally what I read (and this is the good thing about book clubs because they take you away from your preferred genre), I found it to be very good…even though it took me awhile to understand it!
awoodhouse's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
meghancrack's review against another edition
3.0
Very interesting format...I don't know, maybe I am not so smart but I thought it was hard to follow at times. The overall story is touching and interesting.
themitten93's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to it in audiobook format, where Claire and Henry’s chapters are read by different narrators, so I was able to follow along very easily, but I can see where others reading the paper version would have many problems. This is one of those rare stories that does really well as an audiobook and not well as a paper book or a movie.
tashaseegmiller's review against another edition
5.0
This book is brilliant. I just am in awe at the storytelling of Niffenegger. Emotion is woven into the plot and I wasn't really aware of how emotional the work is until the story was nearing the climax and it blew me away with how tied I was to the characters. It is a mature book with incredible rewards.