The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Summary: A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love.

My Review: The storyline seemed simple. Boy meets girl, relationship is tested by his constant time traveling....etc., etc. And I thought that could have been a great book, even in its simplicity. What I found was a novel that absolutely moved me.... to tears, to anger, to the thrill of uncertainty, and most of all the belief that true love can overcome any obstacle.

Before I go on: yes, I am aware that this book is fiction.

The characters in The Time Traveler's Wife come to life very quickly. I consider it great writing when I can't even identify why I liked the characters as rapidly as I did. Henry was handsome, sexy, and struggling with the emotional struggle to end ALL emotional struggles. Although the book touches only briefly on his childhood, he is compelling as both a juvenile as well as an adult.

Clare's childhood, on the other hand, is brought to life with mysterious encounters with a man, later identified as Henry, when she is six, seven, eight and beyond (I can't say more with out spoilers). This sounds like it would be inappropriate, and perhaps in any other novel it would be. But the meeting are beautiful, mystical, and very emotional, especially as Clare comes of age.

Throughout the novel, you see the two deal with not only the normal "married life" problems, but also a whole different set of obstacles that bring out the best and worst they have to offer. Challenging their love, and their very sanity.

If any book could be described as a roller coaster, this is it. It has a way of going and on and on and on.....but you still can't believe it when it is going to end. A wonderful story, beautiful characters, and exceptional in it's eclectic style.

(Side note: don't be discouraged by the confusion that overtakes you during the first chapters, it will all equal out...trust me)

My Rating: 5 Stars (post-edit: For more sensitive readers, there were some moments of extreme profanity in this book.)

Sum it up: This book will be a classic.