Mad Props to Audrey Niffenegger

Let me just start by saying, I loved this book! Okay, so the main character is a librarian who also happens to time travel. That sounds kind of lame, I know, but miraculously Audrey Niffenegger somehow pulls it off. Not only did she manage to put it in an order that made sense, it was just so good! The book jumps around in dates ranging from 1968 all the way to 2053. I have to admit the first few chapters I was a bit lost, although it didn’t take long for the story to click with me. When reading this novel, it is extra important to pay close attention to all the tiniest details, because there is so much foreshadowing that can be easy to miss.
It has been debated whether The Time Traveler’s Wife is a romance or science fiction book. The way Niffenegger equally divided the view points of both Clare and Henry with more focus on their love for each other than Henry’s Chromo- disease that causes him to time travel, leads me to conclude that this is a romance. Really, the main focus is Henry and Clare’s relationship that starts when she is only six, although Henry’s time traveling certainly is a huge conflict! Clare has to go through the first part of her life, waiting for Henry’s dispersed visits and, later on, having him randomly disappear from work or their home. Poor Clare never knows where he is and if he is safe. The fact that Henry can never bring anything with him when he travels (not even the underwear he is wearing!) can make things very dangerous and interesting to say the least. This makes him place less value of material things, and much more on relationships, especially his with Clare.
I very strongly recommend this book to anyone with a large imagination or someone who is just looking for a great love story. I couldn’t begin to understand anyone who would not, at the very least, appreciate the technicalities of the story, although rumor has it these people do exist.