The Time Travelers Wife

So, I just got back from the cinema, having seen the film adaptation of The Time Travelers Wife.

The book, a favourite of mine by Audrey Niffenegger, is one of those books that has a plot that is difficult to grasp at first, but develops as such that it is entirely believable. The book has stayed with me, the messages of love and waiting, and how the two are forever linked, is so strong and resonates with me completely.

The plot: Henry DeTamble has a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel involuntarily. It is while time traveling that Henry meets his future wife, Clare. The catch is that Clare is 6 and Henry - during his visits to her, that continue until she is eighteen - he varies in age from his mid thirties to forties. One day when Clare is 21 she finds Henry, he has no memory of who she is - they haven't met yet in his time, but their romance immediately resumes, leading to their getting married. But marriage to a time traveler isn't easy, even with a love as strong as theirs, so this is the story of Henry and Clare and their struggle to live with Henry's problem.

The good bits: Just about everything. The character development is extraordinary - Niffenegger has made Clare and Henry real. The idea of a time traveling gene is so masterfully crafted as well that the plot does not seem ridiculous, even to the most critical reader, and the ending will melt even the hardest of hearts.

The bad bits: You will definitely need a box of tissues on hand. And reserve a lot of time for this one if you're not a particularly fast reader like me; it's a heavy volume.

The audience: This book is definitely for a female audience. The enduring love story, the superb writing and plot make this a story that will capture the hearts of women of all ages. I recommend starting this one on a free day, you won't want to put it down and it'll save you calling into work sick.

The rating: 5/5

*Bonus: The film

The cast: I will start off by saying that Rachel McAdams is Clare. I hope my love of Rachel hasn't made me biased, but she played Clare the way I had always imagined her. Clare's vulnerability, devotion, determination and passion were perfectly executed. Eric Bana, another favourite of mine, did a decent job with Henry though I felt he was sometimes let down by the screenplay. Some of his dialogue felt so silly.

The good bits: Eric and Rachel have terrific chemistry - I believed that they were in love.

The bad bits: It would of been nice to see more of Dr Kendrick - he plays such an important role in the book, and this was lost in the film. And the 'fading away' Henry did when time traveling seemed cheesy. I'd always imagined it as more of a 'pop' and disappear, like apparition in Harry Potter.

The ending: My friends left the cinema confused about parts of the film, which would indicate that the film isn't completely accessible to audiences that haven't read the book. This was my issue with the book being made into a film, as it really is one of those stories with so many layers of information, that every piece is crucial. A 107 minute film just can't squeeze everything in. I disliked the way the film ended, the original ending in the book was much better. But again, I won't give the ending away!

Rating: 2/5

If you do go to see the film, at the very least browse the summary on wikipedia - it'll help a lot!