The Time Traveler's Wife has been adapted to the screen twice, first as a film in 2009, and now as a TV series.
It is difficult to adapt the story of The Time Traveler's Wife. When Henry DeTamble traveled back in time and met his future wife, she was 6 years old and he was 36. The novel tells the story of their relationship out of chronological order, including their first meeting and their marriage.
Steven Moffat has to make some adjustments to his new version of The Time Traveler's Wife. Which ones work and which ones don't? The biggest changes from the novel so far. The list contains information about the show and the books.
The first episode of The Time Traveler's Wife hits us with a structural change. Henry and Clare recorded videos of themselves talking to a camera about their relationship to time travel. This framing device is not used in the novel, but it is used in order to lift some prose from Niffenegger's novel. Why are they making videos? Who are they talking to? Time will tell.
The TV version of The Time Traveler's Wife takes place from the 1990s to the present day, whereas the novel takes place from the 1960s to the early 2000s. The decision is likely to make the story feel more relevant, but it will be interesting to see how modern technology affects the story.
This first date ends up very differently in the book. Credit: Macall Polay
The biggest change between the book and the show is the reaction of Clare to finding out that Henry has a girlfriend. In the bathroom of Henry's apartment, she found his bathroom and fought with him, calling him an asshole and storming out of his apartment. Only an intervention from Henry's older self makes her consider seeing him again.
In the book, there is a milder reaction to seeing the stuff of Ingrid. She thinks that whoever you are, she is here now. You may be Henry's past, but I'm his future, and that's all. The fight puts Henry and Clare's relationship on a far more hostile path.
The Time Traveler's Wife has some new time travel lore added by Moffat. The parts of Henry's body that are able to time travel are his baby teeth. The first episode explores this idea with a pool of blood and a pair of feet. These moments are all show-only creations and they show the dark moments of Henry's future.
The Time Traveler's Wife can be seen on the cable channel.
We will be updating this list weekly with the release of every new episode of The Time Traveler's Wife, so be sure to check back in to learn more about the differences between the book and the show.
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