Rating: [rate 3.5]
This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Clare’s struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.
It took me a long time to stick to reading this book without being distracted by any other one in my to-be-read pile. I’ve had this book for almost a year, and I was really curious about the story when I first saw this book. But somehow, after reading through the first few chapters, it just…bored me. Maybe it was because the first few chapters involved Henry jumping through time for the reader to make sense of his condition and to establish his history with Clare, before the story starts flowing in an almost sequential manner.
I admit it was really a chore for me to continue reading the book. I don’t know why. Probably it’s because the book feels too serious to me, and it almost read like a classic and we all know how hard it is for me to get through a classic book. Maybe it’s because I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, even if they were pretty solid. Or maybe it’s because of all the sexual parts of the book that is normal for couples — especially the ones trying to conceive — but the ones that were done before their wedding was really…well, it’s really an issue against what I believe in, which isn’t really necessary to discuss in this review.
However, after the part of their wedding, I started to get more into the story. I don’t know why or how, but I started to be more interested in what was going on. I found myself rooting for Henry and Clare’s relationship, especially when they were trying to conceive. I found the same joy when their daughter was born, and the sadness when Henry found out what would happen to him sometime in the near future.
The ending was sad, and yet quite satisfying. It must have been a really hard thing for Clare to keep on waiting for Henry, not knowing where he was at a lot of times when he’s time traveling, or not knowing if she should believe when she sees two different Henry’s in front of her (makes you wonder how Henry would get identity theft protection if ever he wanted one).
I can’t say that it’s one of my favorite books, and I honestly can’t say I would be willing to read this one again. I didn’t think it was an Omg what a totally amazing book like some people thought it was, but it’s a pretty good one, and I’m glad that I finished it and I got to know what happened.
I’m probably watching the movie, just to see how they would interpret it in the big screen. :P
“My life — my real life — started when a man walked into it, a handsome stranger in a perfectly cut suit and, yes, I know how that sounds.”
by 
and I loved it (though I might have to re-read it again :D).