First of all, I feel like I should mention that over the past couple of years, I think that I've gotten less rigid and more emotional. I mean, the difference isn't that noticeable, but books and movies and TV and yes, life too, have been making me cry a lot more than I used to in high school.
This book is one of the most unique I've ever read. It's about time travel, but it is solidly a romance and definitely not science fiction. The time traveler is Henry, and his wife is Clare. Henry regularly time travels to the past (and sometimes the future) without much warning or pattern...he just disappears and ends up sometime else without any clothes or possessions. And unlike in Harry Potter, he can interact with whomever he wants...even himself...without disturbing the course of events or whatever. Clare has been visited by the adult Henry (already married to Clare in his time) throughout her childhood. Therefore there complicated history makes for a really interesting story. The perspective of the novel switches between Henry and Clare, with each segment clearly labeled with their ages and the dates. It's a bit confusing at first, and takes awhile to get used to.
It's a pretty long novel, and because time is so important, it seems almost epic even though it really only spans about 40 years. It reminded me a lot of A.S. Byatt's Possession, which Niffenegger does quote from. I was really excited by the beginning of the novel, just because the concept was so interesting and fresh. By the middle, though, I was getting a little bored, and I felt like I still didn't really understand the characters too well. But by the end, I was crying. I usually never say things like this but the writing near the end was just so beautiful and depressing and it kind of broke my heart.
So I have to say that despite a few failings, this is definitely a very memorable book, and I actually have the urge to read it again now that I have a better handle on the timelines.
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