The Time Traveler's Wife (***½/****)

Males, don't be afraid of the "testament to the power of love across time" book review excerpt on the cover of Audrey Niffenger's The Time Traveler's Wife. This book is a love story at heart, but it's much more than that. It's funny, quirky, sometimes shocking, sometimes gritty, and never overly sentimental. Well, maybe once or twice, but I let Niffenger off the hook.

Time Traveler's Wife is a fascinating study of Henry, who travels to random times and places in his past (and occasionally future) against his will, and his relationship with Clare, his eventual wife, who has to deal with the physical and emotional consequences. Niffenger plays with time travel scenarios in fresh and unique ways, as Henry visits Clare (and himself, sometimes) in her childhood and we have to figure out what Clare and Henry know about each other based on their respective present. That probably doesn't make sense unless you've read the book, but it's such a cool concept presented in a completely original way.

TTW is set in Chicago where I lived for 2 years, and Henry is a punk music lover in his twenties for much of the book, just like me, so I enjoyed the music references. This is a great book, one of those books I'm sad to finish because I'll never be able to experience it again for the first time. Unless I start time traveling.