Swiftly Tilting Planet

Rewriting this passage as an adult offers such a distinct experience. It's truly remarkable how the perspective changes when one has grown and matured.

Particularly, when considering that Meg is also an adult now. It adds an extra layer of depth and understanding to the story.

As an adult, we can better empathize with Meg's emotions, her struggles, and her growth. We can see the world through her eyes and appreciate the nuances that might have escaped us when we were younger.

Reading this as an adult allows us to reflect on our own lives, our own experiences of growing up, and the lessons we have learned along the way.

It's a journey of self-discovery and a reminder of the power of literature to touch our hearts and minds, no matter how old we are.

Absolutely perfect!

This phrase implies a state of flawlessness and excellence that is truly remarkable. It suggests that something has achieved the highest level of quality and cannot be improved upon. When we describe something as absolutely perfect, we are expressing our utmost admiration and satisfaction.

For example, a performance that is absolutely perfect leaves the audience in awe. Every note, every movement, and every expression is executed with precision and grace. It is a moment of pure magic that will be remembered for a long time.

Similarly, a product that is absolutely perfect meets all of our expectations and more. It is designed with the utmost care and attention to detail, and it functions flawlessly. We feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in owning such a product.

In conclusion, the phrase absolutely perfect is a powerful expression of praise and admiration. It represents the highest standard of quality and excellence, and it is something that we all strive for in our lives.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet leans more towards the realm of fantasy rather than pure sci-fi, and for that reason, it appealed to my taste more than A Wind in the Door. It is somewhat disappointing that L'Engle constructs these wonderful and fantastical aspects of her world in this book but fails to explore them further in subsequent installments. However, having already delved a few chapters into Many Waters, I can sense that she does touch upon them again later.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet also had a stronger emotional pull on me compared to A Wind in the Door. Its expansive plot and the ongoing theme of looking beyond the surface to see the person who is worthy of love made it a truly engaging read. There is so much to contemplate and reflect upon after finishing this book. It makes you think about the deeper meanings and messages that L'Engle is trying to convey. Overall, it was a great addition to the series and left me eager to continue reading more of her works.

Update March 2020:

I have an intense and delightful love for this book. It has the power to bring tears of both joy and sadness, as well as pity. I truly adore this book

When I was a kid, the L'Engle's Time series was just a trilogy, so this was the final volume.

On this re-read, as bedtime stories with the kids, I enjoyed the first volume, A Wrinkle in Time, and liked the second, A Wind in the Door, even better. However, this one is a different kind of story.

Though L'Engle attempted a much bigger, more substantial story, it falls short in some frustrating ways.

What's good about A Swiftly Tilting Planet is the language. L'Engle seems to have put much more effort into crafting every word of this book. She often uses alliteration, brings in some really interesting and unusual words, and infuses the sentences with a rhythm that I don't remember being present in the other books in the series. Reading it aloud was often a delight, especially for a family that loves words and good use of language.

I also admire L'Engle for looking at a bigger canvas than before in her storytelling. This book includes extensive use of time-travel, as well as Charles Wallace going "Within" other people, in avatar fashion. Elements of this story hint at many other sci-fi stories that have come since.

What doesn't work is unfortunately too much. Though Charles Wallace seems to have some ability to influence the people he goes Within at the beginning, by the end he is lost in the narrative, seemingly not doing much to influence history. It's all a little puzzling - he's supposed to lose himself in the person he's inhabiting, but he's also supposed to repair something in time that went wrong.

The idea that something in the future can be changed by making little changes here and there throughout the past is intriguing, but ultimately too simplistic to make a great story. It's also odd how in every generation there is a man from one particular family and a woman from another, who are destined to marry. How can these two family lines always produce people who marry, then after a few generations there is another couple that is distant enough in bloodline that they can marry, on and on? I found it puzzling.

So, the plot is a little too much for a children's book. But the bigger issue is what's happened to the main characters in the years since the second book. Charles Wallace is, of course, still brilliant. The Murray parents are still geniuses who are on-call for the President of the United States. Calvin and Meg are married. Calvin, of course, is brilliant, like almost everyone in the book. Even the twins, Sandy and Dennys, the supposedly "normal" ones, not especially intelligent, are studying medicine and law, and are, of course, brilliant after all.

You know who isn't brilliant and making an amazing career for herself? Meg. The protagonist. Who, it happens, is female. Instead of accomplishing astounding things in the world, Meg is pregnant. She sits around the house, worrying about her brilliant husband, and being babied by literally every member of the family. It's ridiculous. Meg, who formerly was brilliant, is now just very, very normal, and apparently helpless. During this story, she lies on her bed, observing what Charles Wallace is doing. Sad.

I like that L'Engle attempted so much with this story, but I'm disappointed with her treatment of Meg. Had Meg been the true protagonist again, instead of merely an observer, I would like the book a lot more.

The story that was centered around something like good or positive genetic traits seemed extremely regressive and was just poorly carried out. As a result, it was a far more uninteresting story when compared to the previous two books.

Although the prose, in general, was better. Still, one could observe the direction she was headed in terms of value, and I believe that perhaps the state of science at that particular time did not support her arguments.

Due to this, the ending felt even more artificial and contrived. It was a bit of a letdown considering the potential that might have been there.

Maybe with a different approach or a more up-to-date understanding of genetics and related concepts, the story could have been more engaging and less predictable.

As it stands, it just didn't quite live up to the expectations set by the earlier installments in the series.

The book still retains all the flaws that were present in the first two books. However, I discovered that this particular volume, with its intricately interlocking stories, is by far the most entertaining one among the series thus far.

The way the different storylines intersect and interact creates a web of intrigue that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. Despite the existing flaws, the author has managed to craft a narrative that is both captivating and engaging.

Each story within the book adds another layer to the overall plot, making it a rich and complex reading experience. While it may not be a perfect book, it definitely has its charm and entertainment value.

I look forward to seeing how the remaining books in the series will build upon this foundation and continue to evolve the story.

I found out after I finished reading that this is actually book 4 of the “A Wrinkle in Time” quintet, not Book 3. However, this didn't interfere with my enjoyment at all.

It did cause a bit of confusion when I started reading the next book and everyone seemed younger than in this one.

Many changes have occurred in the Murry family. Charles Wallace is now fifteen, and Meg is married to Calvin and expecting their first child. The twins, Sandy and Dennys, have returned home from law and medical school.

Everyone has gathered at the Murry home for Thanksgiving, except for Calvin, who is in London for a conference. Even Meg's mother-in-law has joined them.

The festivities are disrupted when Mr. Murry receives a phone call from the President, learning that the world is in danger of a possible nuclear war at the hands of the insane dictator Madog Branzillo.

Charles Wallace and Gaudior, the unicorn, embark on an adventure through time to find the right “might have been” to save the world from destruction.

Although Meg can't physically accompany them, she is with them in spirit through her ability to “kyth” and enter Charles Wallace's thoughts and emotions.

This adventure presents Charles Wallace with his biggest test of faith and will as he is sent into four different people. He has to fully surrender himself to find the information needed to avert the tragedy facing everyone.

This is yet another amazing book in the series, and I truly relished every step. I loved delving deeper into the Murry family and interacting with them more. I also enjoyed Calvin's mother's participation.

Until now, I hadn't really liked Calvin's mother or any of his family. But, we learn a great deal about her backstory and the reasons for her current state. I found myself empathizing with her to a significant extent.

As in her previous books, Madeleine L’Engle combines both science and Christian faith while posing questions that really make you think. Charles Wallace, and Meg through him, learned a lot about surrendering to faith and not always trying to take control, something we all need to learn.