Thursday, June 18, 2009

Future Flop?

Ever since I read it in 2007, I've regarded 'The Time Traveler's Wife' as one of my favourite books. The debut novel by Michigan-based writer Audrey Niffenegger, this unconventional love story centres on librarian Henry DeTamble, sufferer of a rare genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily travel through time, and the unique relationship he develops with artist Clare Abshire.

Clare first meets Henry when she is six years old and a thirty-six year old Henry is transported into her back garden. Somewhat confusingly, Henry’s first encounter with Clare isn’t until fourteen years later when she is twenty and he is twenty-eight. 'The Time Traveler's Wife'  documents the evolution of their unusual relationship, skipping between Henry’s point of view and Clare’s, as readers see how Henry’s disorder, having originally thrown the pair together, repeatedly threatens to tear them apart.

A movie adaptation of the book is set to hit screens later this Summer, starring the consistently brilliant Rachel McAdams opposite Eric Bana. The trailer for the film has surfaced and, frankly, I don't know what to think. Yes, a large portion of the book is about the relationship between Clare and Henry but in the trailer they've made it look akin to Revolutionary Road, which it certainly is not. The book is quite dark and violent in places but they seem to have largely ignored these aspects in the trailer in favour of marketing it as a hybrid of 'The Notebook' and 'The Butterfly Effect' (one of my least favourite movies of all time):


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

No no no no, they can't ruin the book!!

It is one of the MOST amazing books I have ever read. It was just everything.

And sure the trailer is 'cute' its got the whole relationship like you said and you are right where is the violence? He talks so much about how time traveling isn't all the glamorous and fun, it's dangerous. Ah ! At least they didn't butcher it like they did Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Girlhurler said...

Haven't read the book. Could never decide if the premise was brilliant or barmy. Probably both.

I recently saw the trailer for My Sister's Keeper, adapted from Jodi Picoult's 'meaty chicklit' novel, and if not for the title I wouldn't have realised it was based on the novel. The book is dominated by a court case, the ethics of genetic engineering and the right to choose; the trailer makes the movie look like a heartwarming tale of a family growing closer when one of the kids gets cancer. Very odd.

The Bubble Boy said...

I guess the moral of the story is sometimes good books should remain books.

See also: Watchmen, Pay It Forward,

Anonymous said...

I've been waiting ages for this ....hope it's not too disappointing....