Throwback Thursday: The Time Traveler's Wife

In which I share vague recollections of books I read long ago that have stuck with me.

I read Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife years ago and loved it so much it instantly became a favorite. But it was also such an incredibly heartbreaking story that I can't bear to read it again.

It's a love story about Henry and Claire, who are star-crossed in the worst way. Henry is a time traveler and he has no control over his travels, nor does he even understand why it happens. So he meets Claire at many times during her life but they're not always age-appropriate for each other, and he doesn't necessarily get to stay for long. You can see how difficult this could make a relationship. I just felt so awful for Henry because, well, what a way to live. And I felt bad for Claire too, because she never knew when he'd be there and when he'd suddenly be ripped from her with no warning.

Don't watch the movie, by the way. I did, not on purpose, but because it happened to be on, and I wish I hadn't. It made me want to read the book again just to cleanse the badness from my head, but as I said I just can't read it again.

Audrey Niffenegger has published one other novel, Her Fearful Symmetry, which was only ok. But she has also published some illustrated novels which are quite good, my very favorite of which is The Night Bookmobile. 

I do hope that someday I will find it in myself to read this wonderful story again, but even if I don't I think it might just stick with me forever.

Raven Girl

Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger (2013)

In Audrey Niffenegger's latest illustrated novel, a postman falls in love with a raven and the product of their union is a girl who is outwardly human but suffers from a sort of body dysmorphia that makes her feel like she should be physically more raven. As Niffenegger explains in the afterward, she wrote this for a collaboration with a ballet company requesting a new fairy tale as the basis for their dance.

Indeed, it has the fantastical and strange elements you would expect from a fairy tale and though they aren't my favorite type of reading material I still enjoyed this book. Obviously one needs to suspend one's disbelief and just go with it, and if you can do that, it's a pretty satisfying story.

Niffenegger illustrates her own graphic novels, which I think makes the artistic vision more cohesive than a collaboration, and I always enjoy the result. I find her style simple but quite striking and enjoyed the illustrations a great deal. Niffenegger's illustrated novels aren't for everyone, but if you've liked the others, I do recommend this one. I didn't love it like The Night Bookmobile, but still thought it was rather lovely.

The Night Bookmobile : a review

The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (2010)

Late one night, wandering the streets alone after a fight with her boyfriend, Alexandra stumbles upon a bookmobile. The librarian invites her inside, and she discovers that it houses a collection of everything she has ever read in her life. It closes at dawn, after which Alexandra spends countless nights looking for it again. She becomes obsessed with the bookmobile and even becomes a librarian in hopes of working on it.

A graphic novel from the author of the Time Traveler’s Wife, the Night Bookmobile is a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of how much one woman is willing to give up for her love of books. Alexandra’s life is lonely and empty. She is always a voracious reader but little else about her life is mentioned. She lost her boyfriend because of her frequent nights looking for the bookmobile, and her career success is glossed over because a career in a regular library has little meaning to her.

Audrey Niffenegger amazes me, and I found myself reading this dark tale a second time, and then a third time. As sad as it is, the story really speaks to me as a reader. How I wish there was a huge Winnebago out there full of everything I’ve ever read. If I should ever find it - what bliss!