November 26, 2013 - Written by: Emma Farley

Book Club: The Time Traveler’s Wife

The Time Traveler’s Wife is many things: a brilliant debut novel, a modern classic, a romance, a fantasy, a sob-fest, a book which has been adapted into a mediocre film… Whatever you think about it, one thing is for damn certain; it gets people talking. At a very basic level, it does what it says on the tin: it’s a book about a woman whose husband time travels. But it’s not quite as simple as that. It is a heart breaking and heart warming story of a relationship which spans 76+ years, two weddings and seven pregnancies. It’s about a man’s struggle to live any resemblance of a normal life. It’s about friendship, family, loyalty, science, fate, free will and much more.

Clare Abshire first meets Henry DeTamble when she is six years old. Over the next 12 years she sees him many times at different ages, learns that one day in the future they get married and she quickly falls in love with this mysterious man who keeps appearing in her life. When they meet in ‘real time’, she is 20 and he is 28, with no idea about who she is because she first meets him in his future. This complicated tale of a seemingly fated relationship is told in the first-person from the point of view of both Clare and Henry, providing the reader with an insight into both sides of an engrossing and exciting romance.

For some reason, when it comes to novels, I prefer stories about things that can happen in real life; I find it easier to suspend my disbelief when watching a film. But with The Time Traveler’s Wife I didn’t really see it as a science-fiction story about time travel; I saw it as a love story which details the sacrifices and compromises that people have to make in a relationship and just what lengths a person will go for someone they love. It’s easy to wonder why Clare keeps waiting, wondering when Henry will show up next, when she has Gomez in her life, or why Henry could risk hurting someone he claims to love so much. And also how people can be so trusting about what they’re told about their future and not want to try and change things. All I can say is that the first time I read this it moved me to tears and when I re-read it for this post (on the daily commute – big mistake!), it still had that kind of power over me. Sure, it is a lot like Lost, in that I found myself questioning lots of niggly little bits, but at the end of the day, all I really want from a book is characters I care about, a can’t-put-it-down quality and a satisfying ending, and The Time Traveler’s Wife managed all three and then some.

“Oh, I loved that book so much! It was so beautiful but tragic. I cried loads.”
Rachel T, Monkey Nails

As for the film, I’m a Rachel McAdams fan, so it’s hard to fault her, but there is so much necessary exposition in the book that doesn’t translate that well to the screen. Sure, there’s great chemistry between the leads, and most of the big plot points are there, but many key scenes are glossed over and it seemed rushed. Plus the climax is completely different – not good for die-hard fans (My Sister’s Keeper, anyone?)!

I discussed the film vs book argument with a colleague and she did it the ‘wrong’ way round and claimed to love the film but couldn’t get into the book. My mum had the same problem – she didn’t like how the story kept jumping around between dates throughout the history of their relationship. For me, this technique plays a vital part in the storytelling as it reflects Henry’s journey – he never knows what year he’s arriving in and at what point in their relationship, so he has to feel his way through just like the reader. Plus it allows the reader to enjoy it on another level when they re-read it at a later date, having remembered key points from the first time and piecing things together differently.

“I really enjoyed this book although you really have to focus to follow the jumps in the plot, it was the first novel to ever make me cry. PS: the film adaptation was terrible in comparison.”
Scott Macdonald, teacher

I have to admit, this was only the second book to make me cry. The first was P.S. I Love You and the film did not live up to my expectations, in both cases. And the general consensus with people I’ve spoken to about this seems to be that if they’ve read the book first, the film hasn’t been what they hoped for and they have been frustrated rather than moved by it. What say you? And what has the effect been on you if you did it the other way around (seen the film before you read the book)?

For the next book club post, I asked you to choose from a selection of titles featuring some pretty friggin’ awesome heroines and you picked… Little Women! I read this for the first time within the last few months and will probably dig it out again in the next few weeks to refresh my memory. Please do the same and remember to tweet me your thoughts @EmsLF. Who’s your favourite March girl? What do you make of the film adaptations? How does it hold up for modern readers? Let me know what you think.

As for the next title, vote here for what we should read next week:

And I’m keen to know what kind of titles you’d like to see featured in the voting selection. Do you think they should all be feel-good titles or do you not mind as long as there is a wide selection there? As always, please feel free to list some of your own favourites below.