Sunday is my day off from housework, laundry, and so on.

So I decided to finish the third book in this series.

It spans a few years in the children's ages from "A Wind in the Door".

Meg and Calvin are now married and expecting their first child, which means there was quite a jump in time for me.

Somehow, Meg and her younger brother Charles Wallace must go back in time, and Charles must enter the ancestors to change destiny, as there is one who has threatened to destroy the world.

Trying to follow the different generations and their similar names was a bit confusing.

All in all, though, it was a pretty good story.

I will now decide if I want to read #4 and #5.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Rereading this series is an experience that is both soothing and galvanizing.

When I pick up these books again, it's like coming home to a familiar place. The characters and their stories are so well-known to me that I can relax and just let myself be carried away by the narrative.

At the same time, rereading also gives me a new perspective. I notice details that I missed the first time around, and I gain a deeper understanding of the themes and messages in the books.

This series has the power to both calm my nerves and inspire me to take action. It's a reminder that there is beauty and hope in the world, even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

Rereading this series is truly a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anyone.

This is by far my favorite in the series.

I have to admit that I didn't read these books when I was younger.

Now, as I'm reading this particular one, I can't help but wonder how I would have felt if I had come across it at the age of thirteen.

Thirteen is such a formative age, full of curiosity and a thirst for new experiences.

Would I have been completely engrossed in the story, lost in its magical world?

Or would I have been too preoccupied with the challenges and changes of adolescence to fully appreciate it?

It's an interesting thought experiment, and it makes me realize how much our perspectives and emotions can change over time.

Despite not having read it at that young age, I'm still able to enjoy and be moved by this book now, which is a testament to its enduring appeal.

Ohhhh Madeleine L'Engle, where are you leading this series? I am so extremely desperate to have a deep love for the remaining books in the Wrinkle series, but unfortunately, I just can't.

You are truly a highly gifted and talented writer. I can clearly perceive the underlying undertones of Christianity in your writing. However, I feel that your message becomes so muddled and confused with all these complex family generations, crazy names, and "out in left space" plot lines. Overall, it makes the storyline far too difficult for me to follow.

"Hate hurts the hater more'n the hated."

There are indeed some excellent lessons in these books for kids to understand and hold onto. But I think these valuable lessons get lost within the crazy maze that one has to navigate through to finish the book. And as a reasonably well-educated adult, I am getting lost. Then I am certain that these wonderful themes are also being lost on the younger generation for whom this series was originally intended. After reading this book, I might have to take a break from this series and return to it at a later time.....

I truly enjoyed this book more than the second one. It was really fascinating to learn more about the O'Keefe side.

However, I have to admit that the ending was a bit anticlimactic. It seems that her books often have that kind of oversimplified ending.

Overall, I would say this book was enjoyable and definitely worth reading. But it's not one that I would pick up and read many times over.

Maybe in the future, the author could work on creating more complex and satisfying endings to really make her books stand out.

Despite the ending, I still appreciate the story and the characters she has created in this book.

It's always interesting to see how different people view and experience the same story, and I'm sure others may have a different opinion about this book.

Nevertheless, for me, it was a good read that kept my attention throughout.

This book had an extremely profound influence on me when I first read it.

As the years have passed, I am able to perceive its flaws more distinctly. However, in numerous aspects, I simply don't mind. L'Engle's overall perception of the universe possessing a fundamental rightness beneath its darkness, and this specific book's idea that until they actually occur, the dreadful things don't necessarily have to happen, have remained with me throughout the years.

I just reread it on 2/11/12. It is still magical. It is still such a deeply comforting read.

(Scattered thoughts regarding this book and The Arm of the Starfish can be found here: http://janni.livejournal.com/774451.html)

This was good in its confusing ways and I feel like that it had Madeleine L'Engle's vibe.

Madeleine L'Engle was a renowned author known for her unique and often complex storytelling. Her works had a certain charm and mystery that could both puzzle and captivate readers.

The piece in question seemed to possess a similar quality. It had an air of confusion that made it all the more interesting. It was as if the author was leading the reader on a journey through a maze of ideas and emotions.

Maybe it was the way the story was structured or the use of vivid and evocative language. Whatever it was, it managed to create a sense of intrigue and keep the reader engaged.

Overall, I found this to be a rather enjoyable and thought-provoking experience. It reminded me of the wonderful works of Madeleine L'Engle and left me eager to see what else the author had in store.

This is the second time I have read this book.

There were quite a number of details that managed to escape my attention during the first reading.

I am truly glad that I am revisiting these wonderful classics from my childhood.

L’Engle’s imagination is vividly on full display here.

The seamless combination of different and diverse elements, such as a time-traveling unicorn, the fascinating world of genetics, and an ancient and mysterious legend, makes this book an extremely interesting and engaging read.

It takes the reader on a journey that is both magical and thought-provoking, exploring themes that are relevant even in today’s modern world.

Each time I pick up this book, I discover something new and exciting, and it never fails to capture my imagination.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good adventure and a touch of the fantastical.

This is precisely the point where this series completely derailed for me.

(If you happened to relish this book, by all means, feel free to skip my diatribe! You are fully entitled to your own viewpoints!) I had fully anticipated enjoying this! It is a cherished favorite of several of my friends. But alas, no. I did not take any pleasure in it. I detested this book. Detested.

Let's commence with the introduction! The gang is reunited once more! Dad is offering counsel to the president! Mom is engaged in scientific pursuits! Sandy is attending medical school! Denys is in law school! Charles Wallace is faring significantly better in school and engaging in thrilling intellectual endeavors outside of school! Calvin is presenting a crucial paper in England!

Meg is pregnant.

Seriously. This is the sole aspect we hear about her. I truly valued, in the earlier books, that Meg was an intellectual peer within her family. She has a penchant for math! She is stubborn and has a temper, yet she saves the day with her multiplication tables! In this book, the only references to what she is up to are that she is a) married to Calvin, and b) pregnant. AAAAAAAGH. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH.

Then, we delve into the realm of predestination nonsense, where we initially learn that the native population of presumed!America was flawless, peaceful, and wise like Yoda before the arrival of the white man, who spoiled everything. Fortunately, we have TWO white dudes, and conveniently, they have color-coded eyes, enabling us to distinguish who is good and who is bad for the remainder of the book. (Blue eyes signify goodness, folks!) Also, despite the strange fantasy native population in the initial part, as soon as the white guys show up, we revert right back to only white characters for the rest of the book. (White characters with a hint of exotic ancestry!)

The plot hinges on which white guy is the ancestor of a crazy Latin American dictator - if it's the blue-eyed guy, we're in the clear! If it's the brown-eyed guy, nuclear holocaust looms! Events must be manipulated to ensure the correct lineage, thus there is some time travel, some leaping through space, a unicorn, and so on.

Charles Wallace inhabits the minds of generations of men who: pen some books, experience some visions, tumble down some stairs, and journey to Patagonia.

Alongside these generations of men, there are some women! The women are pregnant. (Some experience visions AND are pregnant! Some are dim-witted and pregnant! Some care for infirm male relatives AND are pregnant! Some marry abusive dudes and GET pregnant!) No female character is not explicitly a mother/pregnant as a plot device. (Hmm. Maybe Zillah - perhaps she was only explicitly a fiancee/longed for, and her fertility didn't factor into it.)

Ugh. Also: we once again have a book where the fate of all of humanity hinges on a single family tree.

Positive aspects of the book: The concept of kything is rather cool.

I was reading about a certain legend and halfway through, I decided to Google it to see if it was real.

To my surprise, I learned that white supremacists have been using this legend to justify their occupation of North America.

This is truly disturbing as it shows how history can be distorted and misused to promote harmful and discriminatory ideas.

It is important for us to be aware of such misinterpretations and to work towards a more accurate and inclusive understanding of history.

We cannot allow white supremacists to continue to use false justifications to further their agenda of hate and division.

By educating ourselves and others, we can strive to create a more just and equal society for all.

At Tara in this fateful hour,

I place all Heaven with its power,

And the sun with its brightness,

And the snow with its whiteness,

And the fire with all the strength it hath,

And the lightning with its rapid wrath,

And the winds with their swiftness along their path,

And the sea with its deepness,

And the rocks with their steepness,

And the earth with its starkness,

All these I place by God's almightly help and grace

Between myself and the powers of darkness!

This book was truly remarkable and immediately became a classic in my eyes. I now comprehend why everyone was so enthusiastic about these books. It was all due to this captivating story.

As the book commences, we are transported to the future. Charles Wallace is 15, the twins are concluding their graduate studies, and Meg and Calvin are not only married but also anticipating their first child. It's Thanksgiving, and the entire family, including Calvin's mom, Mrs. O'Keefe, has gathered to celebrate. However, it doesn't take long for trouble to surface. Mr. Murry receives an urgent call from the President, stating that we are on the brink of a nuclear war with a small country, Vespugia, and its angry leader. As the family sits around the table discussing various scenarios, the quiet and distrusting Mrs. O'Keefe begins to recite this ancient rune. As she departs, she turns to Charles Wallace and demands, "It's all up to Chuck. You have to save us all."

Each chapter is titled after a line from the rune and adheres to the general concept presented therein. So, in Chapter 2, "I place all Heaven with its power," Charles Wallace receives assistance from heaven in the form of a Unicorn. Riding this Unicorn, he travels through time to distant years past in an effort to alter the future.

This book truly engaged me and reminded me of a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mystery. It is crafted with great intelligence, featuring wonderful backstories and charming characters. And that rune! Oh! It has become my new favorite quote. Ever. And that same power is accessible to us today (well, perhaps not a Unicorn, but you understand what I mean). What an awe-inspiring God we serve, one who uses people in such remarkable ways, such as by writing a children's novel, we uncover a prayer for our spiritual battle! Truly amazing!

Although I firmly believed it was far superior to A Wind in the Door, this book still proved to be a challenge during my recent reread of this series. Among the first three books that I had read as a child, I could really only recall the plot elements from the first one and the character elements from the first and second. Regarding this particular book, I'm not entirely sure. I know I had read it and enjoyed it at that time. This time around, reading the first chapter or so was quite astonishing. It commences surprisingly politically, and despite the generally conservative portrayal of women, stories of indigenous people that center around white people, and a genocentric concept of value, identity, and even politics, it is a book with a rather political message: listen to people, change as little as possible in their lives if you truly have to make a change, and don't make everything about you.

I've noticed a great many reviews complaining about the passiveness of Charles Wallace in this book, and to a certain extent, they are correct: he spends a significant portion of the book not actively doing anything. However, that's actually not all that different from the other books and other characters. They all spend a considerable amount of time listening, asking questions, and waiting for Meg to cease talking. Interestingly, I observe very few reviews discussing Meg's passiveness. In fact, she spends most of this book quietly serving as a pillar of support for Charles, kything with him while he silently listens to others. That is truly a powerful thing, something mighty. And I felt that this was what this book was truly about at its core. The people whose lives Charles visited and influenced had stories that were generally L'Engle's incarnations of common historical tropes and were based around this name-focused genealogy that seems as much designed for metaphorical interpretation as it is likely to produce unintended interpretations. (For example, did she mean to imply that one family had an evil strand, or that one family had a particularly good and leadership-oriented strand, or that reconciliation between the two families was a bad idea with negative consequences, or...?). I can envision that potentially being an interesting discussion topic for a group of kids reading the book together. For adults, it may be presented a bit amateurishly for that purpose, perhaps not, but it definitely felt like a laborious task to get through as an adult.

But that thread of listening, that is valuable. I wonder how many kids manage to take that away. It is also a coming-of-age book for Charles Wallace, and the fact that his coming of age occurs in the form of quiet listening makes this an interesting story of possible masculinity - especially since this book introduces L'Engle's penchant for boys flying on unicorns. The book is also another exercise in writing the main characters as having a subjective experience, but that aspect is not really fleshed out until Many Waters.