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jamgrl 's review for:
The Time Traveler's Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger
I have mixed feelings.
For one, there is something distinctly creepy about an older Henry visiting underage Claire. I know it is meant to be sweet, and I was weirdly kind of okay with the visits when Claire was a little girl (it gave me Raggedy Man Doctor Who vibes), but the visits when Claire was a teenager made me pretty uncomfortable. It made me think too much of older men grooming teenagers and, the thing is… that is kind of what was happening. There is also a double standard in this book, where Claire is devoted to Henry her entire life, starting before she even has a strong sense of self, whereas Henry doesn’t have to be.
I do not love the predetermined nature of the time travel in this book. I kept wanting someone to prove that they could change, that they had agency over their futures! I understand the appeal of a destined love story, of knowing everything will work out and not having to worry if “the one” is out there. It’s just not for me- I’ve never been a lover of destiny or soulmate plots.
All of this being said, I did enjoy the book. It is really rich and long in a way that really allows us to be fully in these characters’ lives. I liked Henry and Claire and liked the explorations of their relationships with their parents and how their parents impacted them. I liked seeing them navigate an adult relationship and cultivate friendships. I liked learning about their detailed histories. The Sci-Fi element of the genetic disorder that causes the time travel is interesting, as is the way information and plot details are uncovered out of order.
The audiobook is excellent.
(Spoilers ahead)
My issue with the end
I would have really loved to see Claire come into herself and show who she was without Henry, to see how she lived her life when she no longer had to wait for Henry, but she never stopped waiting, even after we get the letter telling her to be free! I think the book handled grief well, I just wish I’d gotten some sense of the full life she had next- you know the end of Titanic, where we see all the things Rose did? I would have liked something like that.
For one, there is something distinctly creepy about an older Henry visiting underage Claire. I know it is meant to be sweet, and I was weirdly kind of okay with the visits when Claire was a little girl (it gave me Raggedy Man Doctor Who vibes), but the visits when Claire was a teenager made me pretty uncomfortable. It made me think too much of older men grooming teenagers and, the thing is… that is kind of what was happening. There is also a double standard in this book, where Claire is devoted to Henry her entire life, starting before she even has a strong sense of self, whereas Henry doesn’t have to be.
I do not love the predetermined nature of the time travel in this book. I kept wanting someone to prove that they could change, that they had agency over their futures! I understand the appeal of a destined love story, of knowing everything will work out and not having to worry if “the one” is out there. It’s just not for me- I’ve never been a lover of destiny or soulmate plots.
All of this being said, I did enjoy the book. It is really rich and long in a way that really allows us to be fully in these characters’ lives. I liked Henry and Claire and liked the explorations of their relationships with their parents and how their parents impacted them. I liked seeing them navigate an adult relationship and cultivate friendships. I liked learning about their detailed histories. The Sci-Fi element of the genetic disorder that causes the time travel is interesting, as is the way information and plot details are uncovered out of order.
The audiobook is excellent.
(Spoilers ahead)
My issue with the end
I would have really loved to see Claire come into herself and show who she was without Henry, to see how she lived her life when she no longer had to wait for Henry, but she never stopped waiting, even after we get the letter telling her to be free! I think the book handled grief well, I just wish I’d gotten some sense of the full life she had next- you know the end of Titanic, where we see all the things Rose did? I would have liked something like that.