Audrey Niffenegger ** Double Feature ** Part I

I've now read two of Audrey Niffenegger's books and I think I see a bit of a pattern. First she lures you in with the promise of mischievous fantasy, makes you fall in love with her characters and just when you are getting comfortable she pierces you with a (slightly expected but unwanted) twist.

I am frequently being sucked into bargain book stores, garage sales, and used book fairs. It doesn't matter if I'm running late for something or meeting up with someone for lunch. I can't stop myself from being sidetracked. The sirens call me and I answer. You might be thinking, "Get some self-control, woman!" But if it hadn't been for one of my unanticipated stops at one of these burgeoning blacktop businesses, I would never have stumbled upon my copy of The Time Traveler's Wife.

Normally, a book as clunky as this one would have made me look the other way. The vague description on the back would have waved me along. But something about the image on the cover kept me coming back. The impatient little girl with her pristine, white knee socks and the large brown leather shoes placed neatly on a flannel blanket waiting for the feet to fill them. Circling around the tables of books, I methodically made my way back to the same pile over and over again, the image of the shoes peeking back at me, urging me to give it a chance. So, what else could I do? I bought it.*  I didn't think anything of it. I knew this book would be placed on my shelf where it would wait for me to pluck it from its slumber when the mood struck. What usually ends up happening is, I forget that I own the book, I eventually hear that a movie is coming out based on the book, then I search for said book, plop down and read it.

When books get turned into movies, I become anxious and panic stricken. Will I have enough time to read the book before the movie comes out? Will the book be good? Will the movie be good? Will there be disappointment like there always is when Hollywood tries to recreate something as magical as what an author has created on his or her pages? Those pages that ignite your own imagination? But those aren't the thoughts that went through my mind when I finished Time Traveler's Wife (TTW). I was intrigued and somewhat excited to see how they would portray this epic love story on the silver screen.

It was the first time that I wanted them to Hollywood-ize a book. That's not to say that I was dissatisfied with it. I would even go as far as to say that TTW is one of my favorite novels. But when you are given the opportunity to see a different outcome, wouldn't you want it? It's kind of like watching a movie that gives you the option of seeing the "alternate ending"; don't you click it, just to see what else could have happened?

I was given the chance to appreciate both adaptations of a love story that surpassed practicality and time. I fell in love with Henry and Claire. I appreciated the innocence of fate weaving itself throughout their story. At times it was dark, a habit in Niffenegger's writing, but the dark moments just helped highlight the lighter ones. I really don't want to spoil it by giving away anything about the book, but I do highly recommend it.

In regards to the movie (which I am eagerly awaiting! I ordered it a week ago!!), what can I say? It won me over. The first song accompanying the beginning credits was "Lo, how a rose e're blooming", one of my all time favorite songs. And I think that they cast it well with Rachel McAdams as Claire and Eric Bana as Henry. But I may be biased, because I love them both. Yes, there was some disappointment with certain details, but all in all I liked it.

With all that being said, I would still suggest reading the book before seeing the movie. It is a personal preference, but I like to maintain the authenticity and integrity of the author's work in its original form. It makes it easier to create my own versions of the characters, instead of picturing the actors cast in the roles.