Front Cover
Audrey Niffenegger presents a compelling and original take on the time-travel motif in her debut novel, The Time-Traveller’s Wife. Presented to us is a moving tale of love and suffering experienced by the central characters, Henry and Clare. As the title suggests, this is much more than a conventional romance as Henry, a sufferer of Chrono Displacement Disorder is hurtled headlong into the past/ future without any warning. We then follow the exploits of the nakedly-clad protagonist (time-travel does not transport clothes!) as he strives to deal with compromising situations combined with the central plot consisting of his relationship with Clare. Being a time-traveller means that Henry visits Clare at varying ages and it is only when they naturally meet in real time that the lovers can be together. Questions of morality come into play as Henry resolves to hold back from divulging too much information he knows about the future which could lead to ramifications for those nearest to him.
This heartfelt read is believable due to the validity of Niffenegger’s characters and the realistic love story is not jeopardised by its necessary strands of fantasy. The novel’s structure is at times fragmentary and difficult to grasp due to the dynamic time shifts; however stick with it and it will soon sweep you up into its emotive embrace.
Written By Abby Thetford
