The Time Traveller's Wife

[DraconianOne]

Trailer

Pre-release news is awfully quiet and thin on the ground for this - don't know if that's good or bad. The trailer makes it look like some cutesy, romantic feel-good film with a gimmick but the novel was one of the best sci-fi novels (hell, one of the best novels) I've read in recent years (not that it's hard - I can probably count on both hands the number of non-trash books I've read in the last decade). I'm guessing New Line don't really know how to market this or who their target market is actually going to be.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, the trailer confuses the fuck out of me. It feels way to chick-flick for me to want to see it.

[schild]

What do you want? It's Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, two TERRIBLE actors.

[Paelos]

He shows up periodically to fuck, and then leaves because of random forces he can't explain.

/scene

[UnSub]

He shows up periodically to fuck, and then leaves because of random forces he can't explain.

/scene

So it's a porn film with sci-fi trappings?

I remember seeing one porn film with sci-fi trappings that ended with the main male having sex with his mother while she was in high school. That was a bit  , even if he didn't know at the time.

[LK]

It's a chick flick based on a sob story book.

[Yegolev]

They meet, have a good time and fuck.  When she wakes up, he's gone.

Three weeks later at the deli...
"Hey, asshole, where have you been?!"

Swallows his bite of sandwich, then says: "Well, I travel through time involuntarily and it has only been two days for me..."

Pass.

[HaemishM]

So it's like the Journeyman TV show (or Quantam Leap) only stuffed inside a shitty, melodramatic chick romance flick?

Yeah, pass.

[Hawkbit]

The book caused the conception of our child.  No joke. 

Roughly five years ago, my wife read this book.  She's waaaaay into chick flick material.  Anyways, whatever the hell this book is about, she got randy in the middle of the night and voila!... nine months later we have a kid.  We were always safe because we didn't want kids, but not that time.  And yes, one time without protection can get a person preggers, we're proof.  It's all good though, our kid is awesome. 

Yeah, if you ask her today she'll admit the book did it to her.  When we saw the trailer before Harry Potter the first thing I thought was "Oh fuck".

[Viin]

It is a good book, but I don't like the direction the movie seems to be going. The book is actually rather dark and has fun with time travel logic problems.

[UnSub]

Yeah, if you ask her today she'll admit the book did it to her.  When we saw the trailer before Harry Potter the first thing I thought was "Oh fuck".

In fear or in anticipation? 

[Hawkbit]

Ten minutes of anticipation, a lifetime of fear.   

[MuffinMan]

So it's like the Journeyman TV show (or Quantam Leap) only stuffed inside a shitty, melodramatic chick romance flick?

Yeah, pass.

You just had to remind me about Journeyman didn't you? 

[jason]

It's like the Notebook, but with time travel and a little comedy.

[Azaroth]

He shows up periodically to fuck, and then leaves because of random forces he can't explain.

/scene

Finally, a movie that capitalizes on a female's emotions regarding this situation without the anger of knowing that he's just out drinking with his friends and screwing other chicks when he's gone.

Edit: I think I figured the ending out.

Hell, if you were a time traveller, what better way to score than to cook up something like this with about eighty different women?

[Tarami]

Plotholes only men can find.

[MuffinMan]

Either no one has seen this or the ones who have are too afraid to say that they did.

[Tale]

What do you want? It's Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, two TERRIBLE actors.

He was just a comedian on a TV sketch show, and then Hollywood started putting him in movies.

[schild]

What do you want? It's Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, two TERRIBLE actors.

He was just a comedian on a TV sketch show, and then Hollywood started putting him in movies.

What does that have to do with him being a terrible actor?

I'm not even in movies and I'm a terrible actor.

[Broughden]

Based on other people's descriptions of the plot Im finding it difficult how the OP thought this was the best scifi novel or novel period he has read in years.

[DraconianOne]

Based on other people's descriptions of the plot Im finding it difficult how the OP thought this was the best scifi novel or novel period he has read in years.

That you appear to think that a novel's worth is solely dependant on plot means that I can't have a conversation with you about it.

[Broughden]

Based on other people's descriptions of the plot Im finding it difficult how the OP thought this was the best scifi novel or novel period he has read in years.

That you appear to think that a novel's worth is solely dependant on plot means that I can't have a conversation with you about it.

definitions courtesy of wiki....

Novel:
A novel is a long narrative in literary prose.

Narrative:
A narrative is a story that is created in a constructive format (as a work of writing, speech, poetry, prose, pictures, song, motion pictures, theatre or dance) that describes a sequence of fictional or non-fictional events.

The plot can mean the logical sequence of the narrative or the narrative itself (in common vernacular). Since the key of a novel is its narrative or storyline pray tell what other basis should I use to judge it? Its length? Should we celebrate a novel for being long even if its narrative drives one to pluck their eyeballs from their head in boredom and frustration?

We each have our own opinions about works of art to include literary works of art. I am simply at a loss at how you arrived at yours, which seemed to place this particular story in such high regard.

[jason]

I believe what he is getting at is that a novel is more than just the points on a plotline it traverses through.  Most poetry is fairly bland in subject matter, but the words used make it more.  Novels can be the same... a good writer can make an otherwise middling plot worth reading.

I have not read this particular book.

[Mattemeo]

The book is excellent. I'm a fairly voracious reader and I'll try my hand at almost any type of fiction and yes, initially Niffenegger comes across as a slightly edgier chick-lit writer, but she manages to really get into the meat of her subject - while the book/movie is called 'The Time Traveller's Wife', it is most emphatically about the Time Traveller himself. Calling it sci-fi is a difficult thing because it's a very hard definition for a very loosely defined plot point - (sort of spoilerish but I doubt anyone reading this thread cares) ...man involuntarily blinks through time minus all earthly objects, issue becomes increasingly difficult to keep between just himself and his wife, doctors are consulted, prognosis is 'it's a sort of genetic disease'. If there's such a thing as low-fantasy, I guess this could be seen as 'low-sci-fi'.

All of this aside - while I really did enjoy the book, I cannot bring myself to be remotely interested in seeing the movie. I have little faith in the leads, the trailers made it look like the most typical schmaltz-sodden chickflick autumn filler and I was burned too badly by the attrocious moviefication of Louis de Bernieres' 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' - a beautiful, epic, extraordinary book filled with warm, observational wit and achingly tragic character arcs that was turned into a tourist board movie with hopelessly miscast (Penélope Cruz - wat) cardboard cutout performances not just from non-actor-actors (see Nic Cage inexplicably channeling a sensitive Sylvester Stallone) but from stoic character actors who just looked lost (John Hurt, David Morrissey).

[Soln]

it's Quantum Leap without the pretense of humor

[DraconianOne]

The plot can mean the logical sequence of the narrative or the narrative itself (in common vernacular). Since the key of a novel is its narrative or storyline pray tell what other basis should I use to judge it?

I could write a long response to this but I reckon I might as well piss in the wind. But as you seem to also consider Wikipedia as an authoritative source, let's go back there:-

Plot:
In fiction, the plot is a sequence of interrelated events arranged to form a logical pattern and achieve an intended effect. Along with character, setting, theme, and style, plot is considered one of the fundamental components of fiction.

That bit I underlined? You might want to use those as a basis for judging a novel - along with plot.

[Broughden]

The plot can mean the logical sequence of the narrative or the narrative itself (in common vernacular). Since the key of a novel is its narrative or storyline pray tell what other basis should I use to judge it?

I could write a long response to this but I reckon I might as well piss in the wind. But as you seem to also consider Wikipedia as an authoritative source, let's go back there:-

Plot:
In fiction, the plot is a sequence of interrelated events arranged to form a logical pattern and achieve an intended effect. Along with character, setting, theme, and style, plot is considered one of the fundamental components of fiction.

That bit I underlined? You might want to use those as a basis for judging a novel - along with plot.

First off why do you say you might as well piss in the wind? I havent insulted you. I havent belittled you. I have simply asked what about the story drew you in so, which you have still yet to answer.

And yes those other things also help a critic/reader to judge a story, however I would argue that the plot is the preeminent basis. For example, lets use Batman.
Character- Batman. Check, we all love us some Batman so that criteria is given a thumbs up.
Setting- Gotham City. Check, we have the proper setting and give it a thumbs up.
Theme- Crime fighting. Check
Style- Gothic noir. and check

So far our story is a stunning success based on the criteria laid forth above. Now we get to the plot.....
A day in the life of Batman, with no crime in Gotham. He makes some Hot Pockets in the microwave, takes a dump, jerks off to some internet porn, and finally watches a marathon of 'John and Kate Plus 8' on TLC before drifting off to sleep. The end.

Would our novel be a stunning success?

[pxib]

A day in the life of Batman, with no crime in Gotham. He makes some Hot Pockets in the microwave, takes a dump, jerks off to some internet porn, and finally watches a marathon of 'John and Kate Plus 8' on TLC before drifting off to sleep. The end.

Would our novel be a stunning success?

If its theme were crime fighting and its style gothic noir? Absolutely. In order to maintain that theme, the author examines Batman's internal monologue. Is he delighted to have the opportunity to rest, or does he assume that it's "too quiet" and slowly go mad. Is this whole thing a plot by some villain to lull him into a false sense of security. He keeps checking his resources throughout the day, and they keep coming up negative. He calls other superheros and they tell him to relax. He tries, desperately and ineffectively.

Seeing an archly gothic comic of Batman involved in exactly that plot, wild angles and dark closeups, would be quite entertaining.

[Hawkbit]

I'm pretty sure Batman jerking off to internet porn has already been written.  It's the one George Clooney was in. 

[DraconianOne]

First off why do you say you might as well piss in the wind? I havent insulted you. I havent belittled you. I have simply asked what about the story drew you in so, which you have still yet to answer.

And yes those other things also help a critic/reader to judge a story, however I would argue that the plot is the preeminent basis. For example, lets use Batman.
Character- Batman. Check, we all love us some Batman so that criteria is given a thumbs up.
Setting- Gotham City. Check, we have the proper setting and give it a thumbs up.
Theme- Crime fighting. Check
Style- Gothic noir. and check

So far our story is a stunning success based on the criteria laid forth above. Now we get to the plot.....
A day in the life of Batman, with no crime in Gotham. He makes some Hot Pockets in the microwave, takes a dump, jerks off to some internet porn, and finally watches a marathon of 'John and Kate Plus 8' on TLC before drifting off to sleep. The end.

Would our novel be a stunning success?

Broughden, you didn't simply ask anything. You could have been direct and asked the question "what was it about the novel that you liked that much because the plot doesn't seem that interesting to me?" but your choice of words and the way you phrased your sentences made them both challenging and judgmental.  "I find it difficult...", "I am simply at a loss..." - both phrases that implicitly convey a sense that the concept you're trying to grasp is so wildly outlandish and implausible that the notion is tantamount to being a believing in intelligent design or that global warming isn't happening. If that wasn't your intention then I will apologise for my terse replies and suggest that, next time, consider how what you're writing might come across and that, if you want a direct answer to a question, ask that question directly.

Your Batman example is curious and overly simplistic. I don't know if you actually don't know how to interpret the elements that make up a novel or whether you want to know or whether you do and are just trolling. Still, benefit of the doubt:

Character: so Batman; we all know what he's like right - dark, brooding, conflicted, unable to form meaningful relationships and driven by sense of revenge.  But what if he was an arrogant dick, aloof, superior, driven by a burning desire to protect the wealth of the rich from those who have nothing, to dispense punishment on those who he sees unworthy - in short, a bully.  Two different character types.  Character is about the internal stuff - emotion, beliefs, the way someone responds to events and situations.

Setting: Gotham City of the 60's or of the 00's.  What's the environment like? How does it help the story?  Something like Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being could be set in any country and at any time but the fact that it was set in Prague and covered the time of the Russian Invasion was important.

Theme: crime-fighting isn't really the theme. Batman is driven by revenge - that's the theme.  The theme of Batman Begins wasn't crime-fighting, it was fear. There were several themes in The Dark Knight - dualism, order vs chaos, evil triumphing over good - but crime-fighting wasn't one of them.

 Style: this is the biggy. Have you got a friend who's really fucking good at telling stories?  Do you know someone who can take something mundane and make it sound absolutely fascinating when he talks about it? Conversely, do you know someone who can make something really exciting sound as dull as ditchwater?  That's style. Choices in the way you tell a story. Is it first person, third person, past tense or present?  Gothic Noir may well be a style in a loose sense but it's more genre than style.

So yeah, your story of Batman having a day off from crime?  Is it likely to be a big success? It could be.  Sure, if you want typical Batman doing his fighting crime thing and want all the action and the gadgets and the perilous situations then perhaps you're not going to like it but doesn't mean it won't be a success.  James Joyce's "Ulysses" is about a man who spends a day going through Dublin. Nothing much happens in terms of plot but doesn't stop it from being a very well regarded and successful novel.  Catcher in the Rye: a story about a teenager who spends a couple of days in New York - mostly alone and not doing very much, from what I recall. Didn't stop it from being another amazingly successful novel.

You can see the same in films. What's the plot of 12 Angry Men? It's 12 jurors, sitting in a room, arguing over the verdict of a court-case.  What's the plot of Reservoir Dogs? It's about a bank robbery gone wrong - but we don't see the bank robbery. Pretty much all we see is a load of people in a warehouse, dealing with the aftermath of a robbery gone wrong.  It's a character driven film - everything that happens is as a result of character, of the setting and all told with a particular style. The plot is pretty paper-thin.

That's not to say novels can't be written that focus solely on plot - John Grisham and Dan Brown their ilk have highly successful careers from doing just that.

So you want to know what I liked about The Time Traveler's Wife?  Here it is: I liked the way the story was told and the different points of view it used to tell that story. I liked the way the character's were realized and how well the depth of their relationship was portrayed. I liked the added benefit that there was a sci-fi aspect to the story - a "what if" factor involving the guys ability to time-travel and I liked the way it was used as a metaphor (as admitted by Niffenegger herself) for failed relationships.  I liked the way it was written - the jumping between viewpoints and the different styles each viewpoint were written in. The particulars of the plot elements were incidental - what capitvated me was not what happened but what the reaction of the characters was to those events.  Not everyone's going to agree with me and there are some people who will hate the book and will hate it for different reasons. Some, like you, because of it's apparent lack of interesting plot. Others because it doesn't necessarily try to sidestep some of the more usual cliches. Others still because, at heart, it's a book about relationships and emotions.  I don't care - I really liked it.  But, as is quite obvious, YMMV.

[Broughden]

Broughden, you didn't simply ask anything. You could have been direct and asked the question "what was it about the novel that you liked that much because the plot doesn't seem that interesting to me?" but your choice of words and the way you phrased your sentences made them both challenging and judgmental.  "I find it difficult...", "I am simply at a loss..." - both phrases that implicitly convey a sense that the concept you're trying to grasp is so wildly outlandish and implausible that the notion is tantamount to being a believing in intelligent design or that global warming isn't happening. If that wasn't your intention then I will apologise for my terse replies and suggest that, next time, consider how what you're writing might come across and that, if you want a direct answer to a question, ask that question directly.

I did consider what I wrote. I was challenging. ie tell me why you liked this based on what everyone else has said!
I now think you have exceptionally thin skin. Apology accepted though.

I liked the way the story was told and the different points of view it used to tell that story. I liked the way the character's were realized and how well the depth of their relationship was portrayed. I liked the added benefit that there was a sci-fi aspect to the story - a "what if" factor involving the guys ability to time-travel and I liked the way it was used as a metaphor (as admitted by Niffenegger herself) for failed relationships.  I liked the way it was written - the jumping between viewpoints and the different styles each viewpoint were written in. The particulars of the plot elements were incidental - what capitvated me was not what happened but what the reaction of the characters was to those events.  Not everyone's going to agree with me and there are some people who will hate the book and will hate it for different reasons. Some, like you, because of it's apparent lack of interesting plot. Others because it doesn't necessarily try to sidestep some of the more usual cliches. Others still because, at heart, it's a book about relationships and emotions.  I don't care - I really liked it.  But, as is quite obvious, YMMV.

Was there any one particular thing in the novel which leapt out at you? Such as some specific character reaction you took note of?