So I have a friend who is a Rare Coin, and she lent me a copy of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger.
I’m sorry for the pause, there. I had to take a really big breath to prepare myself to talk about this book.
First, let me say that I am horrified to learn that the book is being made in to a movie to be released this year (2009). There is absolutely no way that this book will not be ruined by being a movie.
Second, it’s been a really, really *really* long time since I’ve sobbed for the last 100 pages of a book.
Third, there’s a funny thing that happens, no matter how much you tell yourself you do not believe in coincidence or conspiracy theory. His Nibs said to me earlier today, “What book is this now that you’re reading?”
And I told him “It’s The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.”
And he said, “But you’ve been talking about that other book, about the turtle.”
“It’s a tortoise,” I say, and I smile.
“Whatever. You really liked that one, didn’t you?”
And I say, “Yes, I did.”
And he says, “Are they kind of the same?”
And I say, “No, not at all. Well. Except for the following things:” This is where the really strange coincidence thing comes in. Do you have your tinfoil hat ready? WHAT? What do you MEAN you don’t have a tinfoil hat?
::Sigh::
Please send five dollars in the mail to cenobyte, c/o 2405 11th Avenue, Regina, SK, S4P 0K4, and I will send you by return post, a new tinfoil hat. Jeez.
ANYWAY. On to the conspiracy.
- They are both First Novels
- They are both about longevity, and the tricks that are played by the mind
- They are both about a woman in her thirties, most of the time
- Both are written by women
- Both are published by Knopf (I read the hardcover version of both)
- The main character in Come, Thou Tortoise is called Audrey Flowers. The author of The Time Traveler’s Wife is called Audrey Niffenegger.
- “Niffenegger” means “Flowers” in Dutch.
- In both stories, there is a fear of travel
- I have read both books (okay, that’s not *technically* a coincidence, but I *did* read them simultaneously.
I preferred Come, Thou Tortoise, partly because it didn’t make me cry (it did make me sad, particularly at the beginning), and partly because the language was…well…more impressive. The writing was much more clever, much better. The Time Traveler’s Wife is an interesting story, told in an interesting way, but if I had only one 34-dollar-bill, I would purchase Come, Thou Tortoise, and not just because Jessica Grant is Canadian, although that helps.
Also, I will never, ever see the movie for The Time Traveler’s Wife. Never. It would suck. Even though the author is one of the writers for the screenplay, I shudder to think about all the stuff they will get wrong. And judging from the cast, they’ve already made pretty much every casting decision wrong. Which doesn’t surprise me.
i make squee noises when you tell me stuff.