The Time Traveller's Wife A book review By Melissa Yow

Break-ups are hard. They are humiliating, demoralizing and hurtful, because they often reveal character flaws in both parties. In The Time Traveler's Wife, first-time novelist Audrey Niffenegger throws an interesting twist into the conventional dilemma of a long-distance relationship: what if the crucial factor separating two people is not just distance, but time itself? This tentative foray into the realm of science fiction melds surprisingly well with what is, essentially, a classic love story between a quietly beautiful artist and an unwitting time traveller.

Henry DeTamble has been diagnosed with Chrono Displacement Disorder, a genetic disease that plucks him in and out of the progression of time, sometimes to the past, and sometimes to the future. A chance trip to the past results in his first meeting with his wife Clare, when he is thirty-eight years old and she, merely six (though in real time, Henry meets Clare when he is twenty-eight and she, twenty). At this point, she has known and loved him all her life, but he has no idea who she is.

Already, this is starting to sound confusing, but Niffenegger keeps a tight rein on the temporal displacements of her protagonist by creating certain boundaries within which Clare and Henry's play out their bittersweet romance. Henry can only time travel within the duration of his own life, and when he does, he cannot bring anything physical with him. As Henry aptly explains,

Time travel is a curse for Clare, because she never knows what kind of condition Henry will return in. She lives a life of eternal waiting, and I was touched by Clare's continued efforts at pursuing a life of normality, despite the despair that awaits anyone who loves a man like Henry.

This forms the premise of Niffenegger's bittersweet tale. Marriage, friendship, having children, and meeting the parents have never been such harrowing and tear-inducing events as they are in The Time Traveler's Wife, and thankfully so. It has been a long time since a romantic novel has so effectively broken away from the formulaic tendencies of its genre.

Debut novels often draw upon the actual life experiences of the author, and The Time Traveler's Wife is no exception. In Clare’s paper-making and artistic endeavours, there are telling references to Niffenegger's vocation as a professor at the Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts. This personal touch provides a deeper insight into Clare's mind, saving her from fading into obscurity as a mere bystander in Henry's darkly fascinating life. Through detailed and heartfelt descriptions of the creative process, Clare truly comes to life as Henry's tragic yet enduring true love. The story unfolds like a caress, as Niffenegger patiently guides the reader through the temporal maze of Henry and Clare's world. Never rushing, she takes her time, languidly floating from moment to moment, gently propelling readers on a breath-taking yet inevitable ride to the finish. Despite the complex narrative jumps from Henry to Clare, and the non-linear time structure of the novel, Niffenegger's deliberate and rhythmic pace manages to be reiterative without being annoying.

This touching tale is narrated in masterful style by Niffenegger, who returns us to the true definition of what a story-teller is supposed to be ­ a weaver of tales through the spellbinding manipulation of words. The Time Traveler's Wife is a carefully assembled concoction of romance, time travel, and the endless bittersweet tang of heartache, which will remain in reader's hearts for a long time.