I almost really loved this book.
Almost. Audrey Niffengger came up with a really great idea — a guy, Henry, involuntarily time travels, mostly to his own past; at one point he meets his future wife, Clare, when she’s six. She’s linear (doesn’t time travel), which makes for an interesting love story.
Yet. The first part of the book is really intriguing. Though there’s tons of bad language (which I generally cringe at) and sex (though it’s tasteful, in my opinion), and even though it was confusing at times, I was drawn into the story by the characters of Henry and Clare, their evolving relationship, and the idea in general.
Then the book tanked. I didn’t like the second half at all. The jumping around in time stopped, the sex became more graphic (which bugged me), and it just got long. At around page 363, I found myself wishing that this book would just END. Sigh. I still had nearly 200 pages left at that point…
The ending almost redeemed the book — it was a decent ending, tactfully foreshadowed. It could have even been touching. If I had cared at that point.
I have yet to like a book that our book group is reading. Maybe I’m in the wrong book group??
The Book Nut 
I experienced this book about a year and a half ago, but in audio. I think it made a notable difference. The reader did a credible job and kept me interested throughout. I do typically prefer to read a book myself, but with this book listening made a difference. I’m not really sure why…
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I _really_ liked this book. I agree tha the writing was a bit uneven in places, but it the idea is so clever, IMO. For weeks after I read it I was obsessed with the idea of wanting to meet my husband as a boy, or having him meet me when I was a child. As a young girl I was prone to have deep and meaningful conversations with grown-ups, and a part of me now loves imagining what it would be like to actually do that with my husband! And then there’s the other part of me that wishes I could go back in time and talk myself through those really rough spots in my early years…FWIW, my all-time favorite book group book is _Cancer Ward_ by Solzhenitsyn. It’s thick and daunting, but it’s one of those books that you really have to finish and there’s lots of great fodder for discussion.
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