The Time Traveler’s Wife- continued

Well, I did finish this the first week of January but haven’t got to some final thoughts. People certainly have mixed feelings on this book. My daughter-in-law said she would have stopped reading it if it hadn’t been their book club selection. A colleague loved it. Others feel more ambivalent- like I do. I personally would have difficulty recommending it. I won’t keep my copy as I only like to own books I’ve personally loved and would like to loan to others. This isn’t one of them.

I do think the premise of the story was interesting. But I believe there were some definite inconsistencies. The characters did not seem true to themselves. I’m not sure the author knew her characters well- their internal dialogue seemed at odds with their external behaviour as she developed them.  So hopefully I will be more excited about the next one. In reading other people’s reviews, I am happy to see that many of you read something worthwhile and I will make a list of hopeful reads.

I have added an e-mail widget if anyone would find it easier to read postings that way.

I also hope to review a number of Young Adult novels I’ve been reading in the next while, if anyone is interested in that category.

Book a Month

For those of you who read my occasional postings, I’ll be doing something a little different over the next while. I’m participating in a Book a Month challenge. Check it out if you might be interested. My initial thoughts were that I read anyway, so may as well do some postings. I like the way it’s set up- a different theme or genre each month. At first I thought I would continue to stick to children’s or young adult literature; but it’s the holidays and right now I want to do a little reading just for me. At the airport in Toronto, I picked up Dust, Martha Grimes newest Richard Jury mystery. Because this month’s challenge is a time-related book, I immediately thought of some of my all-time favourites. Walking through the furs in the closet into Narnia is still one of my best experiences. A Wrinkle in Time by the late Madeline LEngle still lures me. I love the Pendragon series and the time-travel mechanism utilized there. But for this month, I have chosen The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. At the top of many best books lists, it’s one I have wanted to read for some time now. So what better way to use my book gift certificate than the purchase of this novel. I expected it to be somewhat like Diana Gabaldon’s books, but the sales lady assured me it was even better. Now I love time travel that takes us back into a former time period, thus combining my two favourite genres; fantasy and historical fiction. So 230 pages into this book, I was surprised at first that the time travel is only within Henry’s lifetime. I have to admit that at this time, I still love Gabaldon’s books more. That doesn’t mean that I am not intrigued with this one; only after all the hype, I expected something even more. I think that it is very easy for me as a rule to suspend my disbelief. Some people who know me well might actually say that my disbelief is on permanent suspension. That simply means that I have not totally lost the child in me. With The Time Traveller’s Wife, though, it is more difficult for me to suspend that disbelief. I find his own meetings with himself a little awkward or contrived and some of his behaviours erratic enough that they do not fit into what we come to believe of his character. But is it worth a read? Absolutely, and I will post some final comments when I’m finished the book.