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Audrey Niffenegger

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The Time Traveler's Wife Hardcover – September 1, 2003

by Audrey Niffenegger (Author)

11,687 ratings

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Passionately in love, Clare and Henry vow to hold onto each other and their marriage as they struggle with the effects of Chrono-Displacement Disorder, a condition that casts Henry involuntarily into the world of time travel.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Audrey Niffenegger is a visual artist and a professor in the Interdisciplinary Book Arts MFA Program at the Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, where she teaches writing, letterpress printing, and fine edition book production.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ MacAdam/Cage; First Edition (September 1, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 525 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1931561648
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1931561648
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.13 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.75 x 2.5 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #119,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #508 in Time Travel Romances
- #9,039 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #13,910 in Science Fiction (Books)

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11,687 ratings

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Audrey Niffenegger

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Audrey Niffenegger is a visual artist and a faculty member at Columbia College in Chicago. In addition to her bestselling debut novel, The Time Traveler's Wife, she is the author of two illustrated novels, The Three Incestuous Sisters and The Adventuress. She lives in Chicago.

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11,687 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story compelling and beautifully written, with well-developed characters that create an emotional connection. The time travel aspects receive positive feedback, and the pacing is well-paced. While some customers say it kept them enraptured throughout, others find it difficult to follow at the beginning, and many describe it as heart-breaking with a depressing ending.

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Story quality Writing quality Character development Time travel Pacing Boredom Heartbreak Difficulty to follow

398 customers mention "Story quality"343 positive55 negative

Customers find the story compelling, particularly appreciating the concept of time travel and love. One customer notes the clever interweaving of events, while another mentions how it explores familiar themes of love and loss.

"...It's a wonderfully well-written romance that doesn't use time travel as a gimmick but as an obstacle to love and a tool to comment on that love but..." Read more

"...of science fiction, and this is one of the best, most solid, science fiction books I have ever read...." Read more

"...the type of book I would consider reading, but I was intrigued by the plot concept and the sci-fi elements of time travel...." Read more

"...The narrative also jumps around a lot, as you are constantly shifting from old Clare to young Clare, and then old Henry to young Henry, with all of..." Read more

220 customers mention "Writing quality"173 positive47 negative

Customers praise the book's writing quality, noting it is beautifully crafted and easy to read, with one customer highlighting its unique storytelling approach.

"...Yet the writing his heightened (another word for so, so much better) than your average romance or genre fiction (and most literary fiction) with a..." Read more

"...the author's premise actually could happen, she expertly and soundly crafts her story within a very consistent science fiction premise...." Read more

"...The writing style is smooth and easy to follow, despite a few pretentious words and lyrics to make the reader believe that Henry and Clare are the..." Read more

"...For that alone you should read the book. The style of writing is different and you notice it right away...." Read more

111 customers mention "Character development"81 positive30 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book, finding them incredibly human and emotionally engaging, with one customer noting how the voice shifts between the two main characters.

"...But the high quality of writing in this novel and the development of character kept my attention. It's often said comedy is hard to write. It is...." Read more

"...Niffenegger is STRONG on character development, and you will love the TIME CROSSED LOVERS...Clare and Henry. A SEQUEL IS COMING...." Read more

"...of view, the story still fell flat for me, as I felt emotionally detached from the characters and didn't feel anything for anyone except for maybe..." Read more

"...+ The characters are human. They have positive attributes and also have -very human- flaws. + The story's stickiness is good...." Read more

108 customers mention "Time travel"92 positive16 negative

Customers enjoy the time travel aspects of the book, finding it a must-read for fans of the genre, with one customer noting how the concept of time travel and relationships are tested throughout the novel.

"...I know time travel is fantastic, but the author plays very consistently within the "world" she creates in this book...." Read more

"...And, from my impression, there are no gaps in the time travel logic, which is critical to make the story believable...." Read more

"...The narrative goes back and forth in time, which is not a problem, since a lot of books do this and usually it just takes a little bit of slowing..." Read more

"...It's beautiful written, and at times poetic. TIme travel stories are fine, as long as you accept the premise...." Read more

82 customers mention "Pacing"58 positive24 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book well-balanced and engaging, with one customer noting how quickly they were drawn into the story.

"...They're sophisticated and progressive. No one really works for a living. Not really...." Read more

"...I really felt it gave a message of hope in a situation of finality...." Read more

"...I felt that the pacing of the book was way too slow and oftentimes, the story went absolutely nowhere...." Read more

"The unique time-jumping format of this book in itself kept me engaged, but the real genius of the book is the relationship between the two main..." Read more

88 customers mention "Boredom"30 positive58 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's pacing, with some saying it kept them enraptured throughout, while others found it at times boring and not particularly engaging.

"...The author spends way too much time describing random stuff, like Clare doing her art projects, and diving into gratuitous scenes of the characters..." Read more

"The unique time-jumping format of this book in itself kept me engaged, but the real genius of the book is the relationship between the two main..." Read more

"...were enough things I disliked about it that made the reading experience less than enjoyable for me...." Read more

"...not like any of her characters because ALL of them "live" dreadful lives of sadness, loneliness and regret...." Read more

79 customers mention "Heartbreak"51 positive28 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the emotional content of the book, with some finding it deeply moving while others describe it as a downer and express disappointment with the ending.

"...It is a story filled with both love and tragedy...." Read more

"...pacing of the book was way too slow and oftentimes, the story went absolutely nowhere...." Read more

"...This book is funny, sad, and tragic in different degrees. Henry can't take anything with him when he time travels and arrives naked...." Read more

"...It is heart-breaking and joyful and thought-provoking and it impacted me in deep and wonderful ways...." Read more

101 customers mention "Difficulty to follow"27 positive74 negative

Customers find the book difficult to follow, particularly noting that it can be confusing in the beginning and has tedious descriptions.

"...if I could give anything away if I wanted to because this book is so hard to describe...." Read more

"...For me, this book was an extremely tedious read, to the point that I actually set the book aside 3 different times while reading so I could finish..." Read more

"...The writing style is smooth and easy to follow, despite a few pretentious words and lyrics to make the reader believe that Henry and Clare are the..." Read more

"...CHILD ENDANGERMENT and LACK OF PREPAREDNESS: Doesn't anyone think that it is disgusting for Alba to be time-traveling by the age of seven??..." Read more

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Alicia McEwen
Well-written romance that doesn't use time travel as a gimmick
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2012
Verified Purchase

You'll need to put some things aside when reading this book.

Put aside the movie. I've not seen it but I've received multiple confirmations that it sucked.

Put aside the cover (and it's implications). A young girl in knee high socks and Mary Janes standing next to a pile of men's clothes. The implication being: there's a naked dude running around this little girl. Oh, in the novel there is.

Put aside trying to figure out the intricacies of time travel. Don't discuss it like Star Trek fans trying to figure out and argue with J.J. Abrams resetting of the Star Trek universe. Just enjoy the story.

The Time Traveler's Wife is a romance novel of the `everyone-has-a-soul-mate' variety. Yet the writing his heightened (another word for so, so much better) than your average romance or genre fiction (and most literary fiction) with a time travel twist.

"Long ago, men went to sea, and women waited for them, standing on the edge of the water, scanning the horizon for the tiny ship. Now I wait for Henry. He vanishes unwillingly, without warning. I wait for him. Each moment that I wait feels like a year, an eternity. Each moment is as slow and transparent as glass. Through each moment I can see infinite moments lined up, waiting. Why has he gone where I cannot follow?"
- from The Time Traveler's Wife

It is not a plot driven tale. The question of "Will they get together in the end" is replaced with "Can they get together?" which is a nice and unique trick. In the can they get together romances, lovers are separated by space. Here, it's time.

It's Kurt Vonnegut but with an extra four hundred pages and all the sophomoric political crap removed (not my observation) and replaced by the human element.

There's plenty of meditations on time and absence. Flashbacks are actual flashbacks allowing characters to offer commentary on the past in their present voice without the gauze of memory.

The writing is executed almost flawlessly. I'm a short book guy. I almost always think the middle third of any novel can be excised whole. But the high quality of writing in this novel and the development of character kept my attention. It's often said comedy is hard to write. It is. But romance that is romantic and heartfelt but not so syrupy that it gives its readers diabetes is so much harder to write. It's also much closer to what humans want and need. It provides insight into situations that are so common to us all. No one reflects back after a lifetime of reading and says, "Hey that post-apocalyptic dystopian zombie novel really helped me understand humanity more." But then again, maybe I've just not read the right post-apocalyptic dystopian zombie novel

I had two large qualms about the novel. The characters, while intensely developed, were what I thought of as stock characters. Our time traveler is the son of a talented opera singer who died tragically. His father is a tortured violinist. Our literal `lady-in-waiting' is the wealthy trust fund daughter of a poet mom doing a bad Sylvia Plath impersonation and a lawyer dad who pays for it all. Their best friends are a lawyer representing abused children and a put upon stay-at-home mom. (The real miracle isn't time travel but how those two have a home in a fashionable part of Chicago and send their kids to private school on that income.) They're urbane, urban, quote long dead authors and poets. They're sophisticated and progressive. No one really works for a living. Not really. I just think it'd be much more accessible if there were some blue collars around and not a bunch of poseurs fighting for the common man yet not really having to interact with him beyond allowing them to drive their cab.

There's even a bit where they play a version of monopoly by their own socialist rules and end it with a card that says "Great Leap Forward" and they all laugh. Who jokes about the Great Leap Forward? Who jokes about the communist (whose patois these folks imitate throughout the novel) killing millions of people? That leads me to my next qualm.

I found very few of the characters likeable. It's hard enough to like someone joking about the Great Leap Forward (or the Holocaust or the Killing Fields) They continually exhibit of selfishness or allow themselves to be victimized...just like all humans. However, the selfishness and victimization is really amped up here. I believe this element held back many in my book club from enjoying the book. However, I don't believe in holding the all-to-human actions of the characters against the novel.

It's a wonderfully well-written romance that doesn't use time travel as a gimmick but as an obstacle to love and a tool to comment on that love but I don't think you'd want these folks in your real life too much. In your reading life? They're AOK.

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Joseph Dewey
A sappy romance cleverly disguised as well-written science fiction
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2005
Verified Purchase
This is the closest thing to a trashy romance novel I have ever read. However, I've read a lot of science fiction, and this is one of the best, most solid, science fiction books I have ever read.

I love time travel concepts, and I digest everything I can on the topic. An interesting contrast to this book is the movie "Butterfly Effect." I enjoyed that movie, but the movie was full of holes, and the consistency of the time travel didn't make sense in places. This book contrasts to that movie because this book is rock solid. I know time travel is fantastic, but the author plays very consistently within the "world" she creates in this book. So, given that the author's premise actually could happen, she expertly and soundly crafts her story within a very consistent science fiction premise.

I also really like that this book was written by a woman. I think with this book, Audrey Niffenegger proves women can write science fiction better than men.

This is probably the most accessible science fiction book I have ever read. At my book club where we discussed this book, most of the women didn't like it, but they said as far as science fiction, it was probably the most likeable of a science fiction book they could think of.

There are tons of ways to look at this book. It seems like everyone I've talked to about this has picked up different things from it. One person said she really liked how this book talks about soul mates. One person said it reminded her of what Alzheimer's patients go through when they live in the past. I really felt it gave a message of hope in a situation of finality.

I've usually been disappointed in "best sellers," but I was very pleasantly surprised. I loved the language in this book. She uses very interesting language and has a very fun vocabulary. I'm not a dog ear-er, but I dog eared about five pages where I loved the way she described things. My favorite quote from the book is this: "And Noah was a weird old man with a houseboat and a lot of cats."

Henry reminded me a lot of myself. He's cold. He does what he needs to do to survive.

I cried when I read this book, and I don't know if a book has moved me that much before. I feel embarrassed saying that, but I count the 20.3 million amazon customers among my closest friends, so I'll confide I not only cried, but I wept.

I don't want to give anything away, and I'm not sure if I could give anything away if I wanted to because this book is so hard to describe. I don't think you could describe it in fewer words than the author used to write it.

But, there are situations that happened in this book, because of the time travel theme, that evoke unique emotions. Just one example is how Henry is able to get to know his mom as an adult (from observing her from a distance) even though he didn't know her very well, because she died when he was young.

I recommend this book to everyone.

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Melanie Fernandez Pradier
Nice and original romantic story
Reviewed in Spain on February 20, 2013
Verified Purchase

Really nice story, also very dynamic (much better than the film). You might feel identified if you have ever lived a far relationship situation. It is a romantic story, but not too fluffy (action is always present, and the characters have strong personalities).

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HEMANATH R
Good.
Reviewed in India on February 17, 2025
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Good.

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A
Vintage book
Reviewed in Japan on September 13, 2024
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I love it the book is vintage, able to carry around.

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A

Vintage book

Reviewed in Japan on September 13, 2024
I love it the book is vintage, able to carry around.

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Assenett
Entregado en el tiempo estimado
Reviewed in Mexico on January 24, 2019
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Entregado a tiempo y en buen estado

La historia está fácil de leer y entretenida

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K. Hanoeman
False advertising as new but used instead.
Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 5, 2025
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Not new as advertised but used!

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K. Hanoeman

False advertising as new but used instead.

Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 5, 2025
Not new as advertised but used!

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The Time Traveler's Wife Hardcover – September 1, 2003

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written romance that doesn't use time travel as a gimmick

5.0 out of 5 stars A sappy romance cleverly disguised as well-written science fiction

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice and original romantic story

5.0 out of 5 stars Good.

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage book

Vintage book

Images in this review

5.0 out of 5 stars Entregado en el tiempo estimado

1.0 out of 5 stars False advertising as new but used instead.

False advertising as new but used instead.

Images in this review

Well-written romance that doesn't use time travel as a gimmick

A sappy romance cleverly disguised as well-written science fiction

Nice and original romantic story

Good.

Vintage book

Entregado en el tiempo estimado

False advertising as new but used instead.