I loved this book as a child, and likely a great deal of this review will center around my childhood experience of reading it. I've perused some other reviews and found it interesting to see the viewpoints of those who don't have a fondness for the book. There are indeed certain race and gender representations that might seem outdated or not politically correct in the present day. However, I wonder how a child of 10 or 12 (the age at which I first read it) would perceive it.

For me, reading it around 1978 or 1980 was a truly eye-opening experience. Firstly, one aspect I appreciate about L'engle's writing is that she isn't afraid to incorporate more adult themes into her work. Time travel, the past influencing (even erasing) the future, and possible sexual abuse are all present, but not dwelled upon. Instead, they are interesting and challenging concepts that are worthy of reflection. Secondly, I grew up in an evangelical household with a very authoritative view of Christianity, and my parents were sexist and bigoted. Reading about a woman who could be a scientist (even though she works from home) and about Indians who were more mature than the white colonists who feared them were both completely novel perspectives for me. Additionally, L'engle's philosophy, which is always gently present, of a kind and loving deity who creates beautiful music, as well as her portrayal of those with belief as actually open-minded and likeable people (again, a first in my experience), was quite refreshing. Her philosophy of attempting to be part of a greater pattern is not confrontational. There is no epic battle in this book. Charles Wallace saves the world by helping someone be with the person they love, at the expense of himself, but it is done without fanfare, hardly even noticed by anyone. There is no hero fantasy being played out here. Isn't that an interesting idea? Meg saves him by asking for help instead of strapping on a sword and fighting for him - isn't the idea of asking for help instead of being entirely self-sufficient against the standard tropes of fantasy? There is no sidekick-hero dynamic here. Everyone does what they can do, and the least appealing character in the book is ultimately the one who placed herself, before anyone even knew what she was doing, between her family and the powers of darkness.

I'm not a Christian myself, but I have more respect for this sort of philosophy than the fire and brimstone variety. And perhaps submission is an awkward trope to understand, but you certainly don't come across much like it in these days of spunky, sassy heroines who are simultaneously completely sexy and completely virginal in popular teen books. I don't advocate submission as the solution to everything, but maybe butt-kicking isn't the answer to everything either.

Don't misunderstand me, sometimes a good sassy butt-kicking is exactly what I enjoy reading about. But reading about community, hope, and harmony again was a refreshing change.

Although the subsequent books in the series haven't reached the same heights as the first one, I'm still glad I persisted. Each of the three books I've listened to so far has offered a great deal of enjoyment, albeit in different ways.

This particular installment leaps forward several years into the future. Charles Wallace is now fifteen, the twins are in graduate school, and Meg has graduated with advanced degrees and is expecting her first child. You can sense that they've all grown and matured, yet they remain true to their younger selves.

There's truly something special about this family. Even though these books may not be absolute masterpieces in my eyes, I've developed a deep affection for them. I appreciate that the mother is a scientist who values staying home with her children while still pursuing her research. I love how quirky Charles Wallace is, how loving Meg is, how close the twins are, and the animals that accompany them all. The father is the least prominent among them, but I like that he listens to his children, gives them a voice, and takes their concerns seriously. The little interactions within the family are, quite frankly, my favorite part.

There are numerous sad events in this story, which caught me off guard. The others didn't seem as emotionally distressing. Charles Wallace travels through time with a unicorn to change events and prevent a nuclear war. During these travels, he meets many people and experiences their daily lives. Most of them are rather sad, some even tragic. But they also have some beautiful moments.

Overall, I really liked this book. Jennifer Ehle read the audio version I listened to, and for the most part, I enjoyed her narration. At times, it could be challenging to follow a conversation when there were too many people involved, but that can also happen when reading a physical copy, so it didn't bother me too much.

2020 re-read: I had the wonderful experience of listening to this book on audio for the first time, read by the amazing Jennifer Ehle! It was truly a great thing to do right around Thanksgiving. It has now become a new tradition for me.

2018 re-read: The book is still just as good as ever. In fact, this time around, it brought me to tears because, perhaps, old age is making me a bit more sentimental.

---

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely yes!

A Swiftly Tilting Planet is one of my all-time favorite books. I find myself coming back to it every so often simply because I miss the story and the characters. I especially love the repeating theme of the ancient rune, which not only adds depth to the narrative but also gives the book a well-defined structure. In this final installment of the Time Travel series, Meg Murry O'Keefe, who is now married and pregnant, takes a backseat in the plot, while Charles Wallace is in the forefront, facing new challenges and adventures.

It's a book that I will continue to cherish and recommend to others for years to come.

24/04/2020

2.5 ⭐

“Hate hurts the hater more'n the hated.”


This wasn't a bad book by any means. The writing was decent, and the story had its moments. However, I just don't know what the point of it was. It seemed to be a bit all over the place, with multiple storylines that didn't quite come together in a satisfying way.

TW: misogyny, racism (challenged), physical abuse (domestic)


The book did touch on some important themes, such as misogyny, racism, and physical abuse. However, I felt that these issues were not explored in enough depth. They were more like passing mentions, rather than central to the story.

Overall, I was left feeling a bit disappointed. I had hoped for a more engaging and thought-provoking read, but unfortunately, this book didn't quite deliver.

I'm rather conflicted about this book.

At its heart, there is a truly touching multigenerational family story. I have a great affection for time travel, and the way it's employed here is quite interesting. However, there's just an overwhelming amount of content stuffed into it.

It becomes confusing and at times, far-fetched. Some moments are extremely effective, while others fall flat. In my view, the Murry's don't seem to truly belong in this story, and the parts related to them are the weakest.

On the other hand, I do appreciate that it gives some dignity and a backstory to a tragic character who is already part of the series.

There were sections that completely lost my attention and others that were deeply emotional. I found myself bored during certain parts and yet completely invested in others.

I definitely need to reread this book at some point to gain a better understanding and perhaps a more conclusive opinion.

This is probably my favorite in the series.

L'Engle is truly a master at weaving the connections within the different storylines.

The way she does it is so seamless and engaging that you find yourself completely hooked and never want to put the book down until everything has fallen into place.

Each storyline seems to have its own life, yet they all intersect and interact in the most fascinating ways.

It's like a complex puzzle that slowly comes together as you read, revealing a beautiful and captivating picture.

L'Engle's writing is so vivid and descriptive that you can easily imagine the characters and the settings in your mind.

You become invested in their lives and their struggles, and you can't wait to see how everything will turn out in the end.

This series is definitely a must-read for anyone who loves a good story with depth and complexity.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle is a deeply flawed work that presents numerous issues.

It is rife with ableism and the demeaning of people with mental and physical disabilities. The white savior complex is also prevalent, as if "Indians" couldn't exist or want to without white people.

L'Engle claims to be a feminist, but her female characters are mostly secondary to the male ones. They are reduced to being baby-makers, wives, and daughters, with their roles determined by the whims of men. Meg, for example, sits and kythes with Charles Wallace while he does all the work.

When it comes to diversity, the Native American and Hispanic characters are little more than placeholders. They are Christianized and take on white people's ways, and it's always a white Christian man who saves the day.

The use of the term "Indian" throughout the book, even in the present day, is also a major problem. It shows a lack of respect for Native American culture and is discriminatory.

The book also promotes the dangerous idea that people can be born good or bad. This is a harmful mindset that has led to atrocities like the Holocaust and slavery.

In conclusion, A Swiftly Tilting Planet is a book that should be avoided. It sends the wrong messages to children and promotes discrimination and harmful ideologies.

I'm truly glad that I possess a wonderful friend who has a deep affection for this particular series.

It gives me great joy to know that I can pass on my copies of it to her.

I firmly believe that she will cherish and appreciate them to an even greater extent than I did.

This sharing not only strengthens our friendship but also allows the books to find a new home where they will be loved and cared for.

I can envision her excitedly delving into the pages, getting lost in the storylines, and experiencing all the emotions that the series has to offer.

It makes me happy to think that my copies will bring her the same kind of enjoyment and entertainment that they brought to me.

In a way, it's like a cycle of love and appreciation for literature that continues to grow and expand through our friendship.

I'm looking forward to hearing her thoughts and feelings about the series once she's finished reading them.

Though L'Engle's storytelling shows some improvement after the rather dull previous work of "A Wind in the Door", "Swiftly" unfortunately fails in several other more significant ways.

The most prominent issue is her rather silly dependence on hereditary family names that persist from generation to generation. These names endure for hundreds of years and somehow manage to intersect in convoluted ways.

We have a cast that includes Madoc, Madog, Maddux, and Mad Dog; Gwydder, Gedder, and Gwen; Zyllie, Zyllah, Zylle; two Branwens and a Charles and a Chuck. It seems quite a jumble.

Four different generations are followed, and each generation has its own variation of each namesake. It's not just one namesake per generation either. In the 1865 generation, there's a Zyllie in America and a Zyllah in South America (or perhaps it's the other way around). Gedder wants a Maddux to be with his sister Zyllah and desires Gwen for himself, but that Maddux is engaged to the Zyllie in America. It's extremely confusing and yes, it does sound rather silly.

The first generation's use of the names is acceptable. The second generation is interesting but starts to get a bit muddled. By the third generation, it becomes absolutely absurd that L'Engle is still attempting to play this name game.

Putting all this craziness aside, our hero, Charles Wallace, doesn't really seem to do a whole lot in the story. He travels within a particular person in each generation and sort of becomes them. However, only in the first generation is it clear that Charles himself takes the initiative and directs his host to act in a certain manner. After that, Charles' influence on his host and thus on the novel becomes less distinct.

One can perhaps infer a few instances where his presence might have made a difference, but overall, the effect is to make him seem more like a passive observer rather than an active participant in saving civilization. And passivity is a serious defect in any story.

Mrrrrrr

"A Genuine Waste of Time" is a rather straightforward and concise expression. It implies that something is truly a pointless or unproductive use of one's time. Time is a precious resource, and when we label something as a genuine waste of time, it means that it offers no real value or benefit.

For example, spending hours mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds may be considered a genuine waste of time. While it can provide some entertainment in the short term, it often doesn't contribute to personal growth, learning, or achieving our goals.

We should be more conscious of how we spend our time and strive to avoid activities that are nothing more than a genuine waste of time. Instead, we can focus on engaging in tasks and pursuits that are meaningful, fulfilling, and help us to become better versions of ourselves.

This is a really good book.

It has so many interesting stories and engaging characters that keep you hooked from the very beginning.

The author has done a great job of creating a vivid and immersive world.

However, there are some parts that are quite sad.

These moments can really tug at your heartstrings and make you feel emotional.

It's as if you are right there experiencing the pain and suffering along with the characters.

But despite the sadness, the book also has many uplifting and inspiring moments that make it well worth reading.

Overall, it's a great book that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good story.

Just be prepared to shed a few tears along the way.

Charles Wallace, unicorns, telepathy and time travel.

These are the elements that make this book truly captivating for me. There is very little not to like. Madeleine L'Engle once again delves deep into the exploration of connections that span across space and time.

She shows us how the actions of a single individual have the power to transform history as we understand it. It's a concept that is both mind-boggling and fascinating.

This book is one that I can return to again and again, and each time I do, I find myself thoroughly enjoying it. The vivid imagination and the profound ideas presented within its pages never fail to engage my mind and touch my heart.

It's a literary gem that continues to shine brightly with each reading.