Liarbyrd's Book Review

I'm about fifty pages from the end of The Time Traveller's Wife. I'm having mixed feelings about the book. I'm not sure I like it.

Anyone who knows me knows that there are three things I love in a story: zombies, mummies, and time travel. Not all at the same time, but that'd be cool.

So the premise of the book: Henry DeTamble can spontaniously and uinconsciously travel in time. Sometimes forwards, usually backwards to places he's already been. He always shows up naked (because clothes can't trael thrugh time) and usually nauseous.

Henry has been appearing to Clare since she was six. Clare will grow up to marry the Present Henry when she is a twenty-something. And this is where I start to have misgivings.

Hnery loves Clare. That's apparent on the page. When he's away in another time, he just wants to get home to his wife. Sometimes he gets lucky and he finds his wife, but she's still a child. So he'll spend an innocent, pleasant afternoon helping her with her homework before being jerked back to his present.

Clare love Henry but sometimes only becauses she knows she must, because she knows they will be married at some point in the future. I don't feel as convinced by her half of the narritive.

And Clare is desperate to have a baby. She makes herself and Henry miserable in her almost crazed need to give birth. (They have difficulty because Henry's genes are barely human and Clare has miscarriages.) Maybe it's because I don't have a need to make little people, I don't feel "hollow inside" the way Clare does....but I really don't like her and her shrill baby longing, which is more than half of the book. But maybe it's because I'm prejudiced against women who got to see fertility doctors because I just do not understand that need to make babies. Maybe I'm too hard on Clare, I don't know.

But I'm getting near the end. This is pretty much Henry heavy, he's a narrator, which makes it a stronger piece of story. Henry dies somehow. (not sure how just yet.) He doesn't know yet but he jumped to the future and and everyone is so happy to see him, it actually made me cry. And that's another part of this book that bothers me. My emotions are all over the map here. I destest some characters but the story is so compelling I can not put it down and it's made me cry in a few passages. I've actually had to put the book down because I couldn't see through the tears.

So here I am at the end of the book, still not sure if I like it, still not able to put my finger on exactly what bugs me, and so emotionally manipulated I can't stop reading.

I made this!

Omouse taught me to crochet.

I totally made this kiwi colored scarf. It's not funky of wierd or lopsided or anything. It's a simple scarf. I'm so proud of myself.

Toynbee Tiles

OKay, this is weird. Apparently, in an act of street art or who knows what, there are these tiles around Philadelphia:Toynbee Tiles. Not just Philly, but in other major US cities, including good old KC, and even in South America. However, the most are in Philly so it's speculated that it originated in Philly.

These messages are bizare. No one knows what they really mean. And no one knows who the perpatrator is.

Butthis is the weird part. I was listening to the radio and the morning jocks were discussing the phenom and they speculated about the creator of the tiles. They named the guy, Mr. X (let's say). It sounded familiar. The guy also died in 2003. They mentioned his widow...And the bells started going off! Mr. X was my client until his death in 2003. I can't really say his name because of confidentially and stuff, but you can read the links. I swear, it's my former client.

Was Mr X really the creator of the tiles? Who knows. I seriously doubt it but I didn't know the family for long, only about six months, so I really can't say.

Damn, I've got to go on a tile hunt now.

Doctor Who Ammendment

Now that I've seen the last three episodes of Series Two, I will admit that...I was wrong. Shocking.

The last half of the series was better than the first. After the Cybermen episodes, it seemed to hit it's stride. That said, there were some sour notes and episodes that were rubbish (New Earth, Idiot's Latern, Fear Her).

But the series finale...I'm ashamed to said it made me cry. Jackie ends up happily with Pete...Micky's around. What his status is with Rose is uncertain, but I like Micky, so even Platonic Micky is better than No Micky. But Rose doesn't have the Doctor anymore and it broke her heart. Made me sniffle, too.

So, in conclusion: I don't take back my harsh criticism of the weak story telling that plague Series Two, but it did stick the ending. Now that I can see the entire structure of the story arc...The episodes with reoccuring villians or themes (Cybermen, the Void space, Torchwood) were enjoyable. And the way all the plot lines tied up nicely at the end was terrific. Good job.

Side Note: Andy Suggested making our own happier ending with little drawings of Rose and the Doctor glue to popcicle sticks. "The Doctor managed to save me, now I'm not trapped in an alternate universe!" Or some such rot.