It was also a very interesting and welldone film about time travel which, in my opinion, time travel gets done poorly a lot of the time. Clare knows she shouldnt talk to strangers, but this stranger knows her name and he seems to know her. While it does cut a lot of the novel, obviously for time reasons, everything that is left in is a close match to the book. Clare and henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goalssteady jobs, good friends, children of their own. Audrey niffeneggers debut novel, the time travelers wife, is a delightfully difficult book to describe. When they meet in real time, they fall in love and their relationship is fairly normal, except. Niffenegger instead dives into the joys of the eclectic cum yuppie neighborhood around belmont and clark streets. Audrey niffenegger born june, 1963 is an american writer, artist and academic. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. The time travelers wife chronicles the romance between henry, a chicago librarian who vanishes in and out of time, and clare, an artist who first encounters him as a child. The beloved, mega bestselling first novel from audrey niffenegger, a soaring celebration of the victory of love over time chicago tribune.
Niffenegger, frustrated in love when she began the work, wrote the. Henry, the time traveler, is the protagonist, with time itself as the antagonist. Niffenegger, frustrated in love when she began the work, wrote the story as a metaphor for. We then see the couple move into their apartment in chicago, and living the life of a young married couple.
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. Ask anything you want to know, or answer other peoples questions. The time travelers wife by readbook 12 august 2017 this is the extraordinary love story of clare and henry who met when clare was six and henry was thirtysix, and were married when clare was twentytwo and henry thirty. The time travelers wife adapted by screenwriter bruce joel rubin is a bitter sweet and strange love story. 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. This is the extraordinary love story of clare and henry who met when clare was six and henry was thirtysix, and were married when clare was twentytwo and henry thirty. Henry has a genetic condition that causes him to timetravel.
Her family moved to evanston, illinois when she was little. The story starts with what will be the general pattern of the novel. The title the time travelers wife suggests that clare is the main character in the story. I give the time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger a 35 stars. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Aubrey niffeneggers debut novel the time travelers.
Bookslut the time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger. Time travelers wife sequel from niffenegger the bookseller. The time travelers wife is audrey niffeneggers first novel. The time travelers wife is the debut novel of american author audrey niffenegger, published in 2003. Using alternating firstperson perspectives, the novel tells the stories of henry detamble born 1963, a librarian. The time travelers wife begins with a prologue in which the main characters, henry. The time travelers wife is neither romance, nor science fiction, nor pure fantasy. To me, the time travelers wife seems to be niffeneggers fantasy about how two people should fall in love and maintain that love. Things fall apart is a novel by chinua achebe that was first published in 1958. Audrey niffeneger audrey niffenegger was born in 1963 in the idyllic hamlet of south haven, michigan. It never succeeds in capturing love in a realistic way. Impossible but true, because henry is one of the first people diagnosed with chrono. She is a published author and her debut novel, the time traveler s wife, published in 2003, was a bestseller. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation.
The author takes on the challenge of writing in an unconventional manner in regards to story development. A timetravel love story par excellenceit will be a hardhearted reader who is not moved to tears by the dangers henry and clare ultimately face, and by the authors soaring celebration of the victory of love over time. The film version of the time travelers wife is visually stunning and a wonderful adaptation. The time travelers wife is a best book club book for discussion, the story of a librarian who travels through time and an artist whose life takes a natural course. While the many iterations and loops here are intricately woven, the plot, proper, is fairly simple. This is not a vague description of bungalows and blustery politicos. A time travel love story par excellenceit will be a hardhearted reader who is not moved to tears by the dangers henry and clare ultimately face, and by the authors soaring celebration of the victory of love over time. The film was amazing and touched me and my husband in ways a lot of movies dont. Young henry is now naked and standing in his house, watching himself, his mother, and his father read a book on the couch together. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the time travelers wife by aubrey niffenegger. The time travelers wife audrey niffenegger, 2004 houghton mifflin harcourt 546 pp. On an autumn day in 1977, six year old clare abshire goes outside to the meadow behind her house to practice her penmanship. Impossible but true, because henry is one of the first people diagnosed with chronodisplacement. The time travelers wife was released for the first time in ebook format on sept.
He tells a fantastical tale about being a time traveler from the future. The time travelers wife 2009 the time travelers wife. Henry suffers from chronodisplacement order, a disease that is constantly whisking him away from his life to deposit him in the past. The late late show with james corden recommended for you. The ideal relationship according to the time travelers. About the author audrey niffenegger is a professor in the m. 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. 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. Audrey niffenegger is writing a sequel to her bestselling debut novel the time travelers wife vintage. 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.
This is her first novel, which in hardcover was a selection of todays book club. However, henry time travels and sometimes leaves his wife for days or weeks at a time. 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. Yet the narration seems to devote equal attention to clare and henry. The time travelers wife is an inspirational piece of literature. Clare and henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals, steady jobs, good friends, children of. If i were to take my knowledge of gender relations strictly from this book, heres what i would have come away with may contain spoilers. A chicago librarian has a gene that causes him to involuntarily time travel, creating complications in his marriage. Niffenegger is a native chicagoan and she describes the city, specifically the north side, perfectly. However, schwentke and rubin might have leveraged sharper emotional arcs at particular narrative points.
The time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger about the book 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 36, and were married when clare was 23 and henry 31. The story follows henry detamble bana, a chicago librarian with a paranormal genetic disorder that causes him to randomly time travel as he tries. After dinner, henry brings clare home to his messy bachelor apartment. Both the time travelers wife by niffenegger and in the time machine by wells present the reader with the idea of time travel despite being written almost 200 years apart. Audrey niffeneggers bestselling debut novel tells the story of henry. At its core the time travelers wife is an oldfashioned love story. The title the time traveler s wife suggests that clare is the main character in the story. The time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger, paperback.
What speaks for the book as being mainly clares story, however, is that the narration follows her chronological timeline, which is also the readers timeline. Customers who viewed this item also viewed these digital items. The time travelers wife is a thoroughly satisfying and thoroughly magnificent story. The time travelers wife, robert schwentkes adaptation of audrey niffeneggers hugely popular 2003 novel, is something else. It is interesting how the books that defy confinement to a single genre provide the most intriging premises. Directed by robert schwentke, the film stars eric bana, rachel mcadams, and ron livingston. Henry then disappears and is back in bed with his new wife claire, and they both laugh about a young claire being jealous of herself. It is a man versus nature story told with new ideas. Though twentyfive agents initially turned down the manuscript, the book ventured on to great success, selling over a million copies in both the united states and the united kingdom.
The timetravelers wife is a real treat for time travel genre lovers. Questions and answers for the time travelers wife 2009. The time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger goodreads. The time travelers wife quotes by audrey niffeneggerpage 3 of 9.
A second later, he disappears again and is back at the scene of. Please cite examples and compare the time travelers wife to the ones with which you are familiar. I resolve to avoid bringing clare to my apartment tonight even if such a thing is possible. My apartment is basically a couch, an armchair, and about four thousand books. There is a timeless and yearning quality that engages in the time travelers wife.
There she finds a very naked 36yearold henry detamble. Impossible but true, because henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to. Henry falls to the ground just after hes been shot by marks rifle. Beyond the kudos due for taking on the challenge of writing in a grain not normally visited in modern literature, i applaud the author for succeeding in this quest and. Although its supposed to be supremely romantic, theres no daring. 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. Unfortunately, in condensing the novel the story loses a lot of its charm and the substance that makes it so good. The time traveler s wife is the debut novel of american author audrey niffenegger, published in 2003. Niffenegger, however, as a modern writer with a modern audience, allows her protagonist to travel through time on the whim of a genetic disorder, perhaps picking this. The time travelers wife is a houdini box of a novel, filled with spring latches and trap doors. Henry meets clare for the first time when he is 28 and she is. Reading guide for the time travelers wife by audrey.
Though history there have been dozens of mediums used for time travel in literature. A complicated spacetime frame similar in some aspects to the one used in bones of the earth, may dishearten some readers. The time travelers wife is a 2009 american romantic science fiction drama film based on audrey niffeneggers 2003 novel of the same name. The book spoiler for the book the time travelers wife. With eric bana, rachel mcadams, ron livingston, michelle nolden. Despite its sciencefiction premise, the novel is more about the love and longing, the joy and melancholy, between starcrossed soul mates. The book is told from both henry and clares perspectives.
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