Friday 2 September 2011

"The Time Traveller's Wife" - 1 star from me


Usually, when I read a book that I like, I write a few words on here to say why, picking out interesting characters and giving my view of it.  I was encouraged to read this one from the masses of excellent reviews on amazon.  I got the book from my local library (fantastic things, libraries, so why are they being closed in such huge numbers?  They provide a wonderful service and a chance for some people to socialise, which is so important.  Keep our Libraries Open!)  After that slight rant, back to this book.
So, I collected it and settled down for a nice read - a love story with the unusual twist that the hero keeps jumping about in time so sometimes he jumps into his wife's life at a point where she is a lot younger than him.  Hmm, interesting premise, I thought.  As I read on, I decided that I didn't much care for either of the main characters (never a good sign).
Having finished the book, there were several things I didn't like.  There was a fair bit of swearing and bad language.  I know that contemporary novels have to reflect life and it would be ridiculous to have everyone saying "Oh, Gosh!" or some other archaic phrase.  However, I hear language like that most times I go into the city centre, so I don't want it throughout a supposedly escapist novel.  The other main problem was that I just didn't care about any of the characters at all.  There was nothing for me to empathise with and so I was left feeling very indifferent.  (Another minor and rather pedantic issue was the title spelt with one l not two when being sold over here).
So, would I recommend it?  Well, I know that many people love it and that is great.  However, I didn't like it and actually wish I hadn't read it at all, because having read it has not enhanced my life at all. I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from reading it, because that is one of the great joys of reading - to be able to make up your own mind about what you have read.  I would give it one star if I had to rate it, and that is quite generous.  So, I shall now read other books, which hopefully I shall enjoy a lot more.  In fact, Miss Buncle's Book isn't due back until 17th September, so I shall start with re-reading that one.

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