The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

The Basics: The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger, 2003, 518 pages, paperback.

How I found it: My youngest sister called me on her cellphone a few days before Christmas to ask if I had read The Time Traveler's Wife. When I said I hadn't I assumed I would be receiving it as a her Christmas gift to me in a few days. Instead, she got me the awesome Middlesex. When I was using a Christmas gift card (from my mom) at Chapters I saw this book and since my sister had effectively recommended it, I picked it up.

What's it about?: Henry is a time traveler. He has a disorder that causes him to travel to other times when he gets stressed out, scared, or has another trigger for his problem. It is sort of like epilepsy, only with time travelling instead of seizures. Clare is his wife, except that she meets him when she is 6 years old since he time travels into her childhood to meet her. She knows him her whole life. The books is about the unfolding of their life together in their strange mixed up chronology. It is a love story and it is also about the dangers of Henry's disorder and his attempts to cure it.

Did I like it?: I LOVED this book. I can't believe this is Niffenegger's first novel. The writing is not exceptional, but it is very polished with well developed characters and a seamless plot. I found the book a bit confusing at first while I wrapped my head around the whole time-travelling thing, but I soon got into it. I couldn't put this book down - I wanted to see how it ended, but at the same time I didn't want it to end. It was incredibly romantic, and therefore, incredibly sad at times. I have to say I was hesitant to read this book since it is so popular, but this time, the public actually made a good choice.

Will you like it?: If you have a romantic bone in your body you should read this book. It's a great story, even without the romantic aspect. And don't be put off by the time-travelling part - this book is about as far away from science fiction as you can get. It's a neat idea for a book that is well executed here.

But don't take my word for it: A collection of reviews from Amazon.ca, this is a popular book so here is a collection of 109 reader reviews, a review from ReviewsofBooks.com, one from the Guardian, another from January Magazine, one from curledup.com, one from the Medical Humanities blog, one from a guy named Steve's blog (guys like "good old sentimental weepies" too), and the imdb page for the movie, coming out in 2008 and potentially starring Rachel McAdams.