DNF at 82%

This is by far the most abhorrent piece of literature I have ever had the misfortune to encounter!! This review is essentially a tirade against this truly dreadful book!

Now, let me make one thing clear. I adored the first book, "A Wrinkle In Time". It holds a special place among my all-time favorites. However, this particular installment brought me more agony than my menstrual cramps ever could!!

Quantum Leap!



The world is perilously on the verge of nuclear war. A tiny, insignificant country that hardly anyone has ever heard of is under the rule of a dictator who has his finger ominously poised on the button. For an inexplicable reason, the President of the United States reaches out to Mr. Murray to "warn" him about this impending disaster. <--Just go with it, as stranger things have indeed occurred.



Basically, the story's plot dictates that Charles Wallace embarks on a journey to enter the bodies of different individuals throughout time. Somehow (and this is never truly clarified), he manages to tilt the lives of those around them towards a more favorable outcome. Meg, now happily married to Calvin and expecting their first child, remains connected to Charles Wallace through their mental bond and assists him by bustling around conducting research in the present.



Oh, and did I mention that Charles Wallace is time-traveling in the company of a unicorn? Because he most certainly is.



Anyway, the crux of all this is to ensure that this malevolent dictator is never brought into existence. Instead, he is to be replaced by a peace-loving leader who will not obliterate the world with a colossal nuclear weapon.



Discovering these books as an adult might potentially distort my perception of their quality, but I am still thoroughly enjoying L'Engle's engaging writing.

3.5⭐️
This was an extremely fast-paced story that was also very layered.

To be honest, I got a bit lost in the past storyline. It was a bit convoluted and hard to follow at times.

However, I definitely preferred the updates on the present storyline. The characters in the present were ones I was already familiar with from the previous books in the series. It was great to see their development and how their stories continued.

I think the premise of the entire series was really interesting. It had a unique and inventive quality that set it apart from other books.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, despite the challenges I faced with the past storyline. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series and anyone who enjoys fast-paced, layered stories.

The scope of this story is truly quite impressive.

I was completely enamored with the concept of the unicorn time-travelling together with Charles Wallace. What made it even more interesting was the fact that they mostly remained in the same "where".

However, Meg is not mobile in this particular installment. Instead, she is connected telepathically with Charles Wallace. Through this connection, she gets to learn various things about her mother-in-law's past, which in turn gives her a new and deeper understanding.

As the story progresses, the question that looms large is whether a might have been can be brought to fruition in order to save the world from Mad Branzillo.

Despite the many strengths of the story, I did take a point off for the narration. L'Engle, unfortunately, is not the best narrator for her books.

Her writing style sometimes lacks the smoothness and clarity that would enhance the overall reading experience.

Nevertheless, the unique plot and engaging characters still manage to make this a worthwhile read.

Five stars for enjoyment, nostalgia, and the quality of writing. This book is truly formative for me. So many of the elements I love in literature today are present within its pages. A Swiftly Tilting Planet is filled with runes, myth, and might-have-beens, and it executes time travel in a wonderful manner. (Adult-me can't help but wonder if L'Engle was referencing Barrie and Dear Brutus with her concept of might-have-beens; child-me, on the other hand, had never even heard of such a thing before.)

This book is lyrical and beautiful. It still makes me desperate to see a model of a tesseract.

Note: I just spent ten minutes searching through my old journal for notes on the blue eyes/brown eyes aspect. I know I wrote about it a few years ago, expressing how it really rubbed me the wrong way. However, on this reread, it didn't have the same effect - but it's still there nonetheless. This isn't a perfect book, but it is a really, really good one.

I did come across this, from a speech L'Engle gave:

One time I was in the kitchen having tea with my husband and our young son, and they got into an argument about ice hockey. I don't have strong feelings about ice hockey, but they do. Finally, our son said, "But Daddy, you don't understand." And my husband, being reasonable, replied, "It's not that I don't understand, Bion. It's just that I don't agree with you."

To which the little boy passionately responded, "If you don't agree with me, you don't understand."

I think we all have that feeling at times, but it takes a child to admit it.

This is one of my other favorite Time Quintet books, perhaps because of the rune?

I LOVE the rune, and how it's used, and how it's made very clear that God is the one Who is being called upon.

Recently, I discovered that that particular rune is a hymn for Lauds, which made me extremely happy.

In any case, I'm not entirely sure what I think of the Might-Have-Beens. However, the story is so compelling that I don't need to know my exact thoughts on the Might-Have-Beens.

I'm too engrossed in the story and how Charles Wallace is exploring the history of this family.

It's very important what happens, even in the tiniest of details.

That probably wasn't very clear, but hey, I never claimed to be a clear reviewer all the time. ;)

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for GR.

This was the strangest Madeleine L'Engle work yet. There were simply too many characters from different generations, and it was extremely difficult for me to keep track of them all.

Moreover, I was listening to it as an audiobook, which probably didn't assist my comprehension. The individual stories within each time period were interesting enough. However, I struggled to understand how they were interconnected.

I'm aware that there are still more installments in the Wrinkle In Time series. But at this moment, I'm not certain if I'm willing to continue further.

Just now, I checked and discovered that there are a total of five books in the series. Maybe I could manage to read another two at some point in the future...but definitely not right now!

Rating is truly 3.5 stars.

I really liked this particular one, yet it does have certain issues. I believe that if I were younger, I might have liked it even a little more.

This book features time travel, along with some elements of historical fiction and fantasy/science fiction. All of these are genres that I have a penchant for.

However, as is often the case, the fantasy/philosophy aspect was rather unsettling for me on a personal level.

Moreover, after a while, the similarities in names across varying generations became quite confusing. Perhaps a family tree illustration would prove to be extremely helpful in clarifying this.

If you like or enjoy this book in the series, I can think of some book recommendations. For instance, East of Eden by John Steinbeck and March by Geraldine Brooks.

I will also need to read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell to determine if it can be loosely related.

This book is good if you relish novels that展示 inter-connections, enjoy themed reading, and can appreciate a bit of whimsy in your plot.

The world of trucks seems rather ordinary to me compared to the captivating realm on the other side of time.

This particular story had a unicorn!

However, it wasn't exactly the typical unicorn one might envision.

I had to shut off my rational, adult mind and access the inner child within me, the one full of wonder, belief, and the eagerness to learn, untainted by the corruption of the past. In essence, I had to let go of all my preconceived notions. It was an amazing experience! I vividly recall the excitement and awe I felt as a child while reading such stories. I long to reconnect with that innocent state of mind.

As a child, I often suffered from panic attacks. Although I didn't understand it at the time, I now believe philosophers would call it existential dread. Lying in bed at night (I remember the first instance clearly), I would think and imagine. What if nothing existed? What if there was no color, no contrast between black and white? Just nothing. I felt my mind drift to another place, and it scared me, as if I was losing my grip on reality and my very existence. Was it abnormal? Perhaps. But after all these years, I realized those thoughts weren't just my own. I had read them in this book. It's astonishing how much of an impact books can have on the human mind, especially that of a child.

The story had that special "feeling" I adore, that sense of otherworldliness, what Tolkien called "suspended disbelief." I believe there's something more profound within that feeling, something real. Again, is it abnormal? Maybe. But I can tell you that I love it and want to be in that state. In fact, I wish I could stay there. Let's face it, the reality we live in can be harsh and unforgiving. It's nice to escape to another place for a while, to believe in a better world, perhaps beyond this one, beyond time and space. I remember criticizing Borges in my heart for not being sure if he existed. Now look at me. I should have criticized myself. Ignorance makes us hold onto the reality we know, what we can see, feel, touch, and experience. We're fine as long as we don't encounter something we don't understand. Then, fear sets in...

The basic storyline goes like this: A famous scientist father receives a call from the President of the U.S. World War Three is imminent, and the end of the world is tomorrow. The sister's mother-in-law gives a poem called a rune, which is used throughout the novel. Charles goes to a rock in the field outside, where a unicorn picks him up and takes him to various points in time to change the "might-have-been." This ties in with the end of the world in a grand crisis and resolution.

"He rode a Gaudior who had become as tiny as a dragonfly, rode among the fireflies, joining their brilliant dance, twinkling, blinking, shooting over the star-watching rock, over the valley, singing their song, and he was singing too, and he was himself, and yet he was all he had learned...And he rode a Gaudior who had become as large as a constellation, rode among the galaxies, and he was himself, and he was also Madoc...flying through showers of stars, caught up in the joy of the music of the spheres... part of the harmony, part of the joy."

Can you feel that? Can you believe it?

Part of the Trifid Nebula, The Unicorn

A truly extraordinary and captivating book that delves into the profound impact of individual actions on the course of history. It is an absolute gem within the series, and one that I hold in the highest regard.

The story unfolds in a way that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, as it explores the various ways in which the choices and decisions of a single person can have far-reaching consequences.

From the smallest of acts to the most momentous of events, this book shows how every action has the potential to shape the world around us. It is a thought-provoking and engaging read that will leave you with a new perspective on the power of the individual.

Overall, this is a must-read for anyone interested in history, or in the power of human agency to make a difference in the world.

There were numerous books that I read well before I could truly understand them. I firmly believe that there is no harm in reading beyond our current intellectual capacity. In fact, it serves as a means of propelling ourselves forward, although it undoubtedly has an impact on our initial impressions.

While I don't recall struggling with "A Wrinkle In Time" or "A Wind In The Door" despite their complex concepts, for some reason, "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" completely eluded me. Maybe it was due to all the time travel and the overlapping family lines, but I simply didn't get it the first time. However, as I grew older, I came to love it just as much as the other two, and it has now earned a special place in my heart and in my life.

I don't often engage in political discussions on this platform. I have other social media platforms for that purpose. My blog is a haven for bright and lovely things, and politics rarely fall into that category. But on election night in 2020, this was the book I turned to for comfort. After all, it's about a boy and a unicorn who travel back in time to prevent a mad dictator from destroying the planet. The stakes in America weren't quite that high, but on a night when I was filled with fear and dread about the future of my country (and remembering the dread and sadness of our last presidential election), L'Engle gave me hope that people could choose kindness and goodness, and that even the smallest choices could have a significant impact if they are made out of love. I don't often make broad statements about books that "everyone" needs to have a copy of, but "The Time Quartet" would definitely be in that category. In one way or another, these books have always been there for me, just like books always are in our darkest hours.

The world is on the verge of nuclear war, which could have a far-reaching impact on the entire universe. To prevent this, fifteen-year-old Charles Wallace is sent back in time with the unicorn, Gaudior, and his sister Meg kything from the present to try and change the possible futures that would lead to peace. He finds himself in a generations-old feud between two Welsh brothers, one who values peace and goodness and the other who is willing to do anything to gain power. Trigger warnings: character death, parent/sibling death, drowning, fires, severe injury, severe illness, abusive households, racism (some countered), ableism (countered), grief.

The plot of "Planet" is somewhat more intricate and the story unfolds at a slower pace compared to the previous two books, making it a bit harder to follow. It has taken me years and multiple readings to keep track of all the name repetitions and crossovers in the multiple timelines. (If I were a more ambitious person - or a better English student - I might create a family tree of the Maddox/Llawcae families, but I usually don't want to stop and figure out the details when I'm沉浸 in a story that I'm reading for pleasure.) While making all the connections satisfies the organized part of my brain, it's not strictly necessary to understand the broader messages of the novel. If "Time" examined things on a macroscopic level, spanning galaxies, and "Door" took a look at the microscopic level, "Planet" focuses on the dimension of time and how one small event can affect another over decades, centuries, or even longer. They complement each other almost perfectly.

The story is centered around the much-loved Murray family, and through Charles's connection with Meg, the narrative keeps returning to them like a touchstone. The other settings and characters change frequently as he jumps between generations, which makes it difficult to form an attachment to some of them - at least until I stopped seeing them as separate entities and started to recognize them as part of a continuing pattern. This time around, I felt like I had a better understanding of their individual stories: how Brandon's connection with Maddok makes them stronger, how Matthew's selflessness saves his family (and, potentially, the world further down the line), and how Beezie's life was a tragic victory for darkness. It's more subtle, but it continues the themes of love and connectedness that I loved in the first two books. In L'Engle's world, every small action matters and there's always a glimmer of hope for redemption.

I regularly post reviews at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Pausing this on chapter 3. I am truly and extremely surprised that this book was not pulling me in with the same intensity and allure as the previous two. It's quite astonishing how different the experience has been so far. I find myself in a rather conflicted state. I'm too biased to rate it objectively at this moment because my expectations were set so high based on the previous installments. And yet, I am in denial of DNFing it, which stands for Did Not Finish. I keep hoping that there will be a sudden turn of events in the upcoming chapters that will reignite my interest and make me fall in love with the story all over again. But for now, I'm left here, pausing and wondering what lies ahead.