The Time Traveler's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0099464462 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Frangipani04 on 1/10/2006
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
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12 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Frangipani04 on Tuesday, January 10, 2006
It was my favourite book in 2005 and one of my favourites ever! I loved every bit of the plot, of the characters,... Though it's been almost a year since I read it (it was in the pre-bookcrossing era), I still find myself recalling small details about the book or the characters. Though I usually get a bit upset when I read books full of inconsistencies (what is easy to arise in time traveling!), in this book either I didn't find them or they didn't bother me at all, given that I loved everything else in the book so much. Great story!


From amazon.co.uk:

"This extraordinary, magical novel is the story of Clare and Henry who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. 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 pulled suddenly into his past or future. His disappearances are spontaneous and his experiences are alternately harrowing and amusing. The Time Traveler's Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's passionate love for each other with grace and humour. Their struggle to lead normal lives in the face of a force they can neither prevent nor control is intensely moving and entirely unforgettable."


It is one of those rare books that stays with us forever. That's why I want to share it. It will be a bookring! (my first international ring)

People interested so far (not in final order yet):
1. Pequete, Portugal
2. conto, Portugal
3. ichigochi, Portugal
4. sofiacavaco, Portugal
5. -Claudia-, Portugal
6. carolcass, Brazil
7. Quez45, US (New Jersey)
9. kobie03, Canada
8. DianaCoats, US (Oregon)
10. le7, Israel
11.cnfotp, UK
12.lenore1, Portugal
? butterfly-noir, Portugal
? PedroGamaVieira, Portugal <--- it's here!

and then back home!

You can still join!

Journal Entry 2 by Frangipani04 on Tuesday, January 17, 2006
The book started its journey today! I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I did!

Journal Entry 3 by Pequete from Bragança, Bragança Portugal on Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Já cehgou! Grosso, novinho e a cheirar a tinta, como se acabado de tirar da prateleira de uma livraria. Prometo tratá-lo muito bem - obrigada, Frangipani04!
Edited because I realised it is an international ring, so I should be writing in English. The book arrived today! It is thick, brand new and still smelling of ink as if just picked up from the bookstore shelves. I promise to take good care of it - thank you Frangipani04!

Journal Entry 4 by Pequete from Bragança, Bragança Portugal on Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Finished it a few days ago, but as I was travelling coudn't make JE right then. I looooved this book. It is a beautiful and touching totally non conventional love story. It also has a lot of suspense and is quite philosophical, making you think about future and past, fate and a lot more. Thank you soooo much for sharing it, Frangipani04! It is already packed to go to conto hopefully tomorrow or Friday.

Journal Entry 5 by Pequete from Bragança, Bragança Portugal on Thursday, March 2, 2006
Com um pouco de atraso, acaba de seguir para a conto. Boas leituras!

Journal Entry 6 by conto from Lisboa (city), Lisboa (distrito) Portugal on Monday, March 6, 2006
And here it is!!!... How eager I am to get to read this one!!

Thanks a lot Pequete, for sending it over!

Journal Entry 7 by conto from Lisboa (city), Lisboa (distrito) Portugal on Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Well... And I've become a new member of the fanclub of this book!

Yes, it truly is a great book!
I guess that what I liked most was the kind of natural way the whole question is presented to the reader, as if one was talking about the most natural thing in the world to happen to any of us!... It's much more difficult to deal with the inconveniences of not having feet than with the ones of being the only one in the whole world to time travel!!
And one can really understand it and kind of feel the same way, as on saying "I time traveled all my life and got used to it, but how the hell am I going to get used to not having feet?"
I also felt that all the plot was very well worked out and presented... it mustn't have been easy to figure out what to tell first and what to explain afterwards.
And, as usual with me, I liked the Clare-as-a-child and Alba's characters best. And it's so believeble! Of course a child would easily understand and belive the time traveling concept, much more so than any grown up would, unless confronted with the fact!
Therefore, it wasn't the love story thing that made me like this book so much... of course it's touching but for me... it just wasn't it!

Thank you so much for this great opportunity, Frangipani04!!

And the book followed it's path today, towards ichigochi, and I hope it keeps a safe and fine journey through all the readers and then back home.

Journal Entry 8 by ichigochi from Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto Portugal on Monday, April 3, 2006
It's with me now!
Thank you conto and Frangipani04.. :)
Though I have a few rings ahead, I'll try not to keep this one too long (after everything that's been said, I just can't wait to start reading it.. :))

Journal Entry 9 by ichigochi from Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto Portugal on Tuesday, April 25, 2006
And it's done! I finished reading it yesterday and it was so good.
Like conto, I kept thinking how difficult it must have been to put the story together deciding what to tell first and always keeping in mind what each of the characters knows and doesn't know in every particular situation.. Sometimes even I had to stop and think about what had happened exactly, up to that point, in each character's perspective, so I imagine the hard work of the author.. :)
I also enjoyed the fact that the story is so thought-provoking about all the consequences of time-traveling..

There was only one tiny detail that bugged me: when Clare refers to her mother as being a wacko, because she is manic-depressive.. I mean, it wasn't her mother's fault that she was like that, she couldn't help having her neurotransmitters unbalanced.. and it shocked me a little that Clare wasn't more compassionate ant patient with her mother, when she was so humane in every other respect..

In the end I was a little sad and I would like to know more details about the rest of Clare's and Alba's lives!

(image: Newberry Library in Chicago)

Thank you so much, Frangipani04, for sharing the book!
I will send it to sofiacavaco tomorrow.

Journal Entry 10 by 0807186271BC on Thursday, May 4, 2006
It arrived the day before yesterday...

Journal Entry 11 by 0807186271BC on Monday, July 3, 2006
I finished reading it during the weekend! It's a wonderful book.... the story is well conceived and the writting is very good...
One of the best books I've ever read!

I'll probably send it to -Claudia- during the next weekend!

Journal Entry 12 by -Claudia- on Monday, July 17, 2006
Got it! :))
Thanks, sofiacavaco!

Journal Entry 13 by -Claudia- on Tuesday, October 10, 2006
So sorry for tooking this book for so long...

I'm not exactly a fan of the kind of love stories where a couple meet each other for a long time and live happly ever after and, at first, I was a kind of afraid that I was that about. But it really surprised me!

I love the episodes through Clare's childhood and adolescence and the details of Henry's maturity through years that reflected in time travelling.

It's a very original and beautiful story!

I'll send it to the next participant since I get the address.

Thanks so much for sharing, Frangipani04!

Journal Entry 14 by carolcass from São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil on Thursday, November 2, 2006
The book arrived!!! Great, I'm very curious about it ;)
Thanks to -Claudia-!

Journal Entry 15 by carolcass from São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil on Saturday, January 27, 2007
I loved this book. A great love story!
I will send to Quez45 next week.
Thanks :))))

Journal Entry 16 by Quez45 on Tuesday, April 24, 2007
I've been wanting to read this one for a while now. I just received this as part of a bookring from carolcass. I have a few ahead of it but I will get to it as soon as I can.

Journal Entry 17 by Quez45 on Saturday, October 20, 2007
I just finished my previous ring and I will be starting this one shortly.

Journal Entry 18 by Quez45 on Tuesday, February 5, 2008
I normally would not have read a love story such as this, but I am glad I did. The thing I appreciated most with this book is the concept of love that the author creates with such creativity. Although love is universal, this book helps us to recognize how the love you share with someone can be truly unique.

Off to kobie03!

Journal Entry 19 by kobie03 from Lewins Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada on Thursday, February 28, 2008
Book arrived today. Thanks for sharing.

Journal Entry 20 by kobie03 from Lewins Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador Canada on Friday, April 4, 2008
Loved this beautiful love story, I found the concept of time travelling a little unnerving at first but Claire's easy acceptance of it as a child got me interested. I enjoyed the development of the characters as they aged and the rhythm of their lives when henry wasn't time travelling. A wonderful book.
Thanks for sharing.

I checked with Frangipani04 the host and this book was mailed yesterday to DianaCoats.

Journal Entry 21 by DianaCoats from Hillsboro, Oregon USA on Monday, April 21, 2008
This book arrived from Canada last week and I was so VERY happy to see it. I read this book about a year ago and ADORED it. It now resides on my top ten favorite books of all time.
The reason I was so happy to see it again is because my partner's mother died last week and it has been a hard time. We are currently in California wrapping things up and attending her memorial service. I opened the book three days ago and it was a welcome breath of fresh air and such a relief to get away from the stress of the day.
I just want to note that the binding is falling apart. I am handling it very carefully but it has definitely seen better days.
I am not sure where the book goes next but I'm guessing Israel?
Thanks, Diana for including me in the ring. It really is helping during this time of loss. Books are truly like old friends, aren't they?

Journal Entry 22 by DianaCoats from Hillsboro, Oregon USA on Monday, May 5, 2008
I just wanted to let everyone know that I had finished with the saga of Henry and Clare and that they are safely on their way to Le7 in Israel at this time.
I read everyone's journal entries and I have to say, I am not sure calling the book "a love story" does it justice.
The philosophical questions alone that the book tackles absolutely floor me.
Audrey Niffenegger has created quite the masterpiece. We have heard here in the States that she is working on another novel but no word yet when it will be out. And, alas, Time Traveler's Wife, The Movie will be out on Christmas day of this year. I know we all have different feelings about film adaptations...here is how I feel about it. The book itself stretched the mind to so many different possibilities. I will go to the film NOT expecting to see the book replayed but to see what the book inspired in another artist and how they bring that to a new medium. Expecting to meet the Henry and Clare from the printed page would just be folly. I will be dashing out to meet Henry and Clare of the silver screen.

Journal Entry 23 by le7 from efrat, gush eztiyon Israel on Friday, May 16, 2008
its here!
thank you!

i'm in the middle of something right now, but this will be next up.

Journal Entry 24 by le7 from efrat, gush eztiyon Israel on Wednesday, June 11, 2008
It was a good book and i'm glad i read it.
That said, I can't explain it, but something about the book really bothered me.
Partly because although the main idea in the story is that you can change nothing, it is obvious that you can change everything. Henry and Clare would have never gotten together if she hadnt informed him that they get married. they were just so different, would he have tried to change and shape up enough to marry her otherwise?
it felt (to me) like the entire idea of the story was warped. there is a little of them actually learning to live together, but they really never fall in love. its always just there. they accept that they are supposed to be together. they are afraid to change things, but not to choose, is also a choice.

the end reminded me too much of flowers for algernon. why was henry wasting away? everything suddenly sped up. i felt lost. i also felt the whole part with gomez was annoying. i dont think it added anything.

it was a good book, but it disturbed me too much.

i'm still really glad i read it! thanks for sharing!!!

PMed cnfotp who is the next in line last week, and still no response. tried again today. i'll send as soon as i have an address.


Journal Entry 25 by le7 from efrat, gush eztiyon Israel on Sunday, June 22, 2008
mailed today to PedroGamaVieira
(all the others asked to be skipped)

[thanks so much for the offer, i'll let you know if i see anything on your shelf.]

happy travels!

Journal Entry 26 by PedroGamaVieira from Ponta Delgada (São Miguel), Açores Portugal on Saturday, July 5, 2008
Just to say it arrived. Thanks Frangipani04 and LE 7!

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