I find that since joining this book club im a lot more analytical and critical of books the objective of cls is to provoke opinions and debate so i. You have been warned there is spoilers in this post. The time travelers wife by readbook 12 august 2017 this is the extraordinary love story of clare and henry who met when clare was six and henry was thirtysix, and were married when clare was twentytwo and henry thirty. The time travelers wife has a great reading group discussion guide at the back of the book and i am going to go through and answer some of those questions using the novel. View forum the time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger. How does their desire for a child affect their relationship. Henry meets clare for the first time when he is 28 and she is 20. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. Clare meets henry for the first time when she is 6 and he is 36.
At the end of the book, i found myself wishing for a followup book, called the time traveler s daughter exploring albas life. Why do you think niffenegger used the title the time travelers wife instead of just the time traveler. A spoilery book discussion of the time travelers wife an epic time travel romance that i highly recommend. Clare first meets henry when she is six years old and he suddenly appears, naked, in.
Librarian henry is twentyeight years old and clare, an art student, is twenty. This time around i will post the discussion questions and allow others to participate. In brief a dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of henry detamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and clare abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Niffenegger has received residencies from the ragdale foundation and the corporation of yaddo, and has also received a. The time travelers wife has made the author of the book very much famous. Reading guide for the time travelers wife by audrey. The 176page book features an aquatint etching on every other page, accompanied by only a few lines of text. The book is told from both henry and clares perspectives. Clare and henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals. As for the movie version which is inevitable, given the cinematic qualities of the book i for one am appalled by the prospect of a time traveler s wife featuring brad pitt and jennifer aniston or brad pitt as.
I give the time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger a 35 stars. Book circle online is the worlds first online network with shows dedicated to the intimate discussion and. The time travelers wife is a best book club book for discussion, the story of a librarian who travels through time and an artist whose life takes a natural course. The alternating firstperson perspectives set a precedent for the rest of the story, which largely follows the chronology of clares life but also takes us along for some of.
Today i will conduct the book club discussion a little differently than the first one. Collected and introduced by the bestselling author of the time travelers wife and her fearful symmetryincluding her own fabulous new illustrations for each piece, and a new story by niffeneggerthis is a unique and haunting anthology of some of the best ghost stories of all time. The time travelers wife is the debut novel of american author audrey niffenegger, published in 2003. Clare reveals that she has met henry before in fact, she claims she has known him since she was six years old, a fact that henry has a. The time travelers wife is an unconventional love story that centers on a man with a strange genetic disorder that causes him to audrey niffenegger born june , 1963 in south haven, michigan is a writer and artist. Questions for book clubs about the time traveler s wife. In the mean time, here are some book club questions for you to muse over. Audrey niffenegger is a writer, professor and visual artist. Audrey, do you see yourself reading the time travelers wife in years to come or is it.
Discussion questions time travelers wife about this book audrey niffeneggers innovative debut, the time travelers wife, is the story of clare, a beautiful art student, and henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since clare was six and henry was thirtysix, and were married when clare was twentythree and henry thirtyone. A timetravel love story par excellenceit will be a hardhearted reader who is not moved to tears by the dangers henry and clare ultimately face, and by the authors soaring celebration of the victory of love over time. I hated time travelers wife, though i had a ton of preconceptions since i saw the movie years before reading the book. I was once told that i have the patience of 90 year old for writing alot, pickiness of an 18 year old female who is trying to pick up a prom date, and you have the tongue of a 50 year old wife who just discovered her husband cheating on her venom tongue. Heres 2 comments of mine referencing this book from a previous thread a couple weeks ago. Niffenegger, frustrated in love when she began the work, wrote the story as a metaphor for. The time travelers wife is audrey niffeneggers second novel. The time travelers wife audrey niffenegger, 2004 houghton mifflin harcourt 546 pp.
The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. First, it has a unique structure chapters are written from various points of view. Ghostly book by audrey niffenegger official publisher. The time travelers wife begins with a prologue in which the main characters, henry and clare, introduce the nature of their relationship as a time traveler and a time travelers wife. Audrey niffeneggers innovative debut, the time travelers wife, is the story of clare, a beautiful art student, and henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since clare was six and henry was thirtysix, and were married when clare was twentythree and henry thirtyone.
What trials and tribulations do henry and clare face that are the same as or different from other normal relationships. Audrey niffenegger goodreads author topics about this book topics that mention this book. Although henry does the time traveling, clare is equally impacted. Though it may satisfy fans of the novel, the time travelers wifes plot contrivances and illogical narrative hamper its big screen effectiveness. An active book discussion forum for both fiction and nonfiction books including forums for religion, philosophy, science, politics, current events and more. The time travelers wife is a houdini box of a novel, filled with spring latches and trap doors. The story is sometimes told by clare, sometimes by henry. As to choosing times for henry to visit, most of the book is a tightly enclosed domestic. The time travelers wife join us for a fun, informal book discussion. This is the story of henry detamble the time traveler and clare abshire the time travelers wife. The time traveler s wife by audrey niffenegger about the book audrey niffeneggers innovative debut,the time traveler s wife, is the story of clare, a beautiful art student, and henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since clare was six and henry was 36, and were married when clare was 23 and henry 31.
An illustrated novel 2005 is niffenegers followup to the time travelers wife. About the author audrey niffenegger is a professor in the m. The official facebook page for the time travelers wife i wouldnt change one second of our life together. As for the movie version which is inevitable, given the cinematic qualities of the book i for one am appalled by the prospect of a time travelers wife featuring brad pitt and jennifer aniston or brad pitt as.
The time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger book club. Welcome to the second dreams and caffeine book club where we will discuss the time travelers wife. This months selection is the time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger. See more ideas about the time travelers wife, time travel and wife movies. This time around i will post the discussion questions and allow others to participate prior to me responding to the discussion questions. The time travelers wife depicts the effects of time travel on henry and clares marriage and their passionate love for each other as the story unfolds from both points of view. The time travelers wife has a great reading group discussion guide at the back of the book and i am going to go through and answer some of. It is a love story about a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about his wife, an artist, who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences. Audrey niffenegger throws you into a pretty perplexing scenario at the start of the time travelers wife. If you have read the book chime in with your answers below. Audrey niffeneggers debut novel, the time travelers wife, is a delightfully difficult book to describe. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the. The book spoiler for the book the time travelers wife.
Like the time travelers wife, it is based on a fantastical premise and addresses the connectedness of people who love each. In the time travelers wife, the characters meet each other at various times during their lifetime. Niffeneggers debut novel, the time travelers wife 2003, was a national bestseller. This unique tale of love tests the boundaries and constraints of love, the time travelers wife, is an exceptionally heartwarming and endearing book that portrays the feelings and emotions of both henry and clare throughout their lifetime. If we say that this one is a love story then it will not be wrong. The time travelers wife is ultimately an enduring love story. The time travelers wife book by audrey niffenegger. This is the folder where you can post any questions you would like audrey to answer about the time traveler s wife the n. Born in 1975, henry teaches himself the skills he will need to survive as he travels through time, unable to change events he sees those he loves suffer.
And after some days of the initial publication of the book, it became one of the most famous books of the time as well. Summary a dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of henry detamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and clare abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. The time travelers wife audrey niffennegger adapted. The time travelers wife took a different approach to this scifi theme, and did away with any possibility for altering the future or the past. Her first novel, the time travelers wife, was an international bestseller that received praise from usa today, the washington post, people magazine, and the denver post, among numerous publications. The time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger, paperback. So dont read this post if you have not read the book. Questions for book clubs about the time travelers wife. The time travelers wife by audrey niffeneggar bookgen. The time travelers wife by audrey niffenegger book discussion.
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