The Time Traveller's Wife

Finished 9th January 2011

This book came with quite a reputation and was a really big best seller and I wasn't disappointed when I came to reading it. Basically it is an old fashioned love story with a science fiction twist, it was easy to read and kept my interest all the way. The big thing about this book is it's originality. It is such an original idea but also written in an original style. The fact that the story was written from the two viewpoints of the two main characters actually worked well. This book didn't have any really big plot or storyline. No murders and no bad guy plotting to take over the world or assassinate the president, it was just a simple plot that didn't need anything bigger. A simple plot that revolves around the main character's ( Henry's) attempt to live a normal life ( and to have a normal relationship) even though he keeps on disappearing into the past and the future without wearing any clothes !
Evenntualy this lifestyle catches up with him and he ends up becoming a victim of his time travelling lifestyle. There were points during the book when I thought it would get boring but then it bounced back again and never got to the point of ' boring'.
If I had to find a negative to this book it would be that it's not really a blokes book ! It's kind of more of a woman's book and if it didn't have that sci fi twist I probably wouldn't have loved it so much. It also gets a little art farty in parts , sometimes lapsing into German and the intricities of paper making and opera.
Also, because I have no experience of Chigago, at times it is pretty hard to picture some of the locations.

However those are just small negatives that don't stop this from being one of the best books I have ever read. The thing about this book is that it feels special. It is one of those rare books that you ' live'. One of those books that you can't stop thinking about when you are at work or in bed at night. You kind of ' live' this kind of book, if that makes any sense ? But another great thing about The Time Traveller's Wife is the way it is written. Niffenegger certainly has a great way with words and has an entertaining and quirky style that lends itself well to the story.

9/10