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Suzanne
Rating:
Review
Time travel as a cursed affliction is the idea behind this brilliant first novel. Henry DeTamble, a punk rocker librarian, never knows where he'll be unwillingly transported to, or when, or for how long he'll be there. Plus he always turns up in the buff - a disturbing situation which results in his having to cultivate some very anti-social survival skills. His life is meshed with that of Clare, who throughout her childhood and adolescence only sees him when he's time traveling back to her from the future. Once Clare finally meets him as an adult, in the present, bad boy Henry becomes her lover and husband who wants only her – exactly what women always hope will happen with charming bad boys! Their strange relationship evolves into a love so strong it's humbling to behold. But Henry's involuntary time travels make him entirely unreliable, and the only thing that makes this acceptable is the fact that he has no control over it. It also repeatedly puts him in life-threatening situations. Likewise, Clare's insistence about having a baby, in spite of the likely genetic risks for the child, also felt disturbing. All in all, an ingenious, provocative, enjoyable book with a dark side – one of the few I've wanted to read more than once.
Best Line:
Henry, regarding his older double: "I want to deck him, but what would be the point?" (pgs. 196-197)
Kim
Rating:
Review
Henry is the time traveler in question, and Clare, his wife. Both of their stories are told in alternating fashion throughout the entire book, which involves many fascinating and dramatic events, from the benign (Henry travels to his workplace, a library, and runs naked amongst the books), to the jaw-dropping (Henry was present when his ex-girlfriend commits suicide). Henry and Clare have a real bond, and complete love for one another, making their story the story, with minor characters thrown in here and there. I did not like their friend, Gomez, in the least, and I only felt pity for his wife, Charisse, one of Clare's closest friends. Thankfully they didn't appear often. I liked this book, and it kept me going with all the twists and turns, but I finally gave up trying to keep track of all the different dates and times and ages of people due to Henry's time traveling because it was too confusing to follow. I also liked the various references to the incredible works of Rainer Maria Rilke, along with the beautiful passages from The Odyssey. If you are pining for a little escapism, look no further.
Best Line:
on time travel, "It feels exactly like one of those dreams in which you suddenly realize that you have to take a test you haven't studied for and you aren't wearing any clothes. And you've left your wallet at home."
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