The Time Traveler's Wife

By: Audrey Niffenegger

Narrated by: Fred Berman, Phoebe Strole

Length: 17 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Clare and Henry have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was 36. They were married when Clare was 23 and Henry was 31. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself misplaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.

Clare and Henry's story unfolds from both points of view, depicting the effects of time travel on their marriage and their passionate love for each other. They attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals: steady jobs, good friends, children of their own. All of this is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control, making their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

©2003 Audrey Niffenegger; 2005 HighBridge Company (P)2003 BBC Audiobooks Ltd.

Critic reviews

• Alex Award Winner, 2004

"Highly original first novel....Niffenegger has written a soaring love story illuminated by dozens of finely observed details and scenes....It is a fair tribute to her skill and sensibility to say that the book leaves a reader with the impression of life's riches and strangeness rather than of easy thrills." (Publishers Weekly)

Can't say I enjoyed it

I found the age difference in some scenes to be too much of a distraction. In one scene I think Claire is 13 and Henry 36. The emotional undertone and vibe is just too much like grooming Claire for my liking. For an adult man to be tickling a 13 year old and allowing her to develop such a strong emotional romantic attachment is just too creepy.

Deeply sad but wonderful!

An amazing book. So well written, such a beautiful love story. Nicely performed. I would highly recommend it.

Second time through

I rarely read books twice. I went to read/listen to this for the Read It / Watch It mini challenge for the 52Books challenge. My records said I had already read and listened. i had no recollection; then realized it was during the grief after my mom died. Glad to have had this redux. Also glad I had seen the movie before reading/ listening. Some things about he plot were much more clear with visuals. Felt like I could really get into the details in the book once I had the overview of the movie! Highly Recommended!

Amazing Writing-Absolutely Beautiful

This was not what I was expecting. I expected a mediocre slapstick kind of time travel story but I was so completely engaged with this book that I read it twice! The writing is gorgeous, with richly described places that create the feeling of being in the room, or the car, or the park, or wherever the story is unfolding. The story is beautiful and complicated, and the author did a superb job at keeping timelines straight. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story told through beautiful writing.

Beautifully Constructed Novel!

I truly enjoyed this book. Usually I like to read books before I go see them in the theater, but it just didn't work out that way this time. I was hesitant about listening to the book because the movie was good but I wasn't sure if the book was going to live up to all of its hype. I really believe now that I have finished the book that this book among all others that I read in 2009 will most certainly come to stand the test of time and be considered a classic someday. My amazement and appreciation of this book comes from the mere beauty of the writing. The book had action, romance, drama, and at times poetry. All of it was intricately intertwined in a way that was breathtaking at times. The audio book was recorded with two different narrators: one for Henry and one for Claire. This made for a great listen and really helped to draw me into the story so that I could understand what everyone was feeling in the story.

If you are considering this book, then I highly recommend that you listen to the audiobook so that you can experience the story in the same way that I was able to.

I'd give it a 10 if I could

I absolutely loved this book! Humorous and sad and compelling and suspenseful and just about every adjective I can think of all at once. The story was unlike anything I'd ever read before. It sucked me in from the very first moment and didn't let go until the very end. I listened to the audio book, and at times I found myself wishing I'd bought the book so that I could actually savor the words on the page. I might still buy the book, even though I've already heard the audio. Kudos to William Hope and Laurel Lefkow who read the book on the audio I listened to, and who really brought the book to life for me.

If I have any criticism at all it's that at times I felt a bit bogged down by the little details, but at the same time, I was fascinated by Niffenegger's attention to the details, so, it turned own not to be such a negative. I am in awe of Niffenegger"s writing skills.

I'm now waiting for the movie with anticipation and dread....I'm really anxious to see how it plays out on the big screen, but hesitant because it could turn out to be completely awful. Anyway...I highly recommend this one. Five stars...wish I could give it Ten.

More than just a gimmick - Very enjoyable

I adored this book and got caught up in the characters and their complexity. What I most liked about the book is that they took an interesting concept - time traveling - and wove a great story around it. It was a robust and complicated story that would not have worked without the time travel concept and also went well beyond that. I found all of the characters including the supporting ones to be imperfect, intriguing and real. I wanted to know more about each one of them. Finally Niffenegger uses just the right amount of foreshadowing in her book. The readers were delightful. It may be easier to listen to versus read as the narrators give you vocal cues to anchor the story.

Good Book

This book had a great plot and just a good story. My regret is foul language used in it. The story line would have been just as good without the language being so terrible. Short of that, it was a great read.

Amazing !!!!!!

This is the best love story i have ever heard. I loved it and i couldn't stop listening to it.
Might even be better the then "The Note Book".

well devolopef, believable magical realism.

Artistically rendered. Wonderful characters. long but worth the listen. excellent narrators. As a papermaker, extra engaging.