“I don't understand it any more than you do, but one thing I've learned is that you don't have to understand things for them to be.”



This is one of the most outstanding books I ever read in my entire life. I can't believe it took me so long to pick it up. I am so glad this is a series, because just 200 pages of this is definitely not enough. This book is a cosmic dance of colour and poetry, a song made of angels and by angels, a psychedelic trip into imagination, humanity, and the mystery of God. The author hugs your whole self into a multicoloured blanket of words which tickle all your senses like a 5-star restaurant dinner. The only thought left in my mind after I finished reading it was "I just can't wait to read this again".



It starts off in such a simple, ordinary way: "It was a dark, stormy night", and then proceeds to catapult the reader into a plot so complex it just can't be described (no, really: I tried my best to describe what this book is about to my friends, but I just can't). The characters, the creatures, the incredibly rich imagination, made this read both incredibly whimsical and absolutely believable. Not to mention the lovable characters, the creepy enemies and the adorable protagonist. And the creatures... Oh, the creatures! I can't believe this is a children's book. But then again, so is Harry Potter!!

Anyway, why are you still here? Stop reading my silly review and pick up this book!!!!!!!!!!

Reread this, one of the great children's classics of all time, via books on tape on the road through the American west this early fall, with L'Engle herself, RIP, reading it! A real treat to hear her voice with her own magic words. A book she tells us almost didn't make it to print because the publishing industry couldn't figure how to categorize it… they thought it was too deep for kids, etc. Great book, must read.

What can I say about a book that is hailed as one of the greatest pieces of fiction of all time? Nothing. I really can't. I will not disrespect this book by saying anything negative about it. I think my opinions about this book may have changed over the years, but that by no means makes this a poor read. Instead of being critical about the book, I am going to celebrate it with some of my favorite quotes from this book:

“Like and equal are not the same thing at all.”
(No wonder this book is considered to be allegorical! Definitely some political innuendo there..)

“Have you ever tried to get to your feet with a sprained dignity?”

“A book, too, can be a star, “explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,” a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.

“If we knew ahead of time what was going to happen we’d be—we’d be like the people on Camazotz, with no lives of our own, with everything all planned and done for us.”

And for my absolute favorite quote:

“Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. - Mrs. Whatsit”

This book is a masterpiece. However, it simply didn't resonate with my older self as it had with my younger self. With that said, I can still recognize this for what it was: A book ahead of its time that was extremely controversial. It has seen much success and has been exulted by fans everywhere.

I expected to really like this book. Its won several awards, and over the years I've always heard generally good things about it.

So what happened?

Truthfully, it's hard to pinpoint exactly. To explain in broad strokes, I just never connected with the story. There seemed to be little, if any, internal logic to the events that happen. There is no reason why the children are burdened with such a delicate "life or death" task that they could easily screw up. There's no reason why they are "helped" until the very end, where they are suddenly supposed to be able to solve some hokey battle of wits to survive and rescue someone.

The characters are almost as unlikable as the thin plot. Meg, the oldest child, complains incessantly and is scared the whole time. Her little brother, Charles Wallace, is interesting because of his strange ability to feel what someone's thinking, but it's never explained why he is like this. He seems way too precocious for his age, even for someone with his ability. Calvin, the random kid thrown into the story for seemingly no reason at all, has zero personality and exists solely to hold Meg's hand every time she's scared (which is all the time) and to boost her fragile ego with a few compliments.

Like a lot of young adult fiction, A Wrinkle in Time falls into the trap of pitting an absolute "good" versus an absolute "evil." However, even this cosmic battle of good and evil is poorly defined. Examples of people who are fighting the "good" fight, according to the story, are Jesus, Buddah, and Gandhi. The "bad" is represented by a dark cloud and an extra-dimensional being called "It" who controls an entire planet of people like some 1950's cartoon version of a brainwashing socialistic dictatorship. I found it strange that the most evil thing that entire galaxies are fighting against does not desire chaos, power, or bloodshed, but a passive mind control through which its victims sacrifice individuality for equality. Wow, that's...so...evil? It's like reading Red Scare propaganda from the 1950's.

L'Engle kills the tone of this story by peppering the narrative with strange, out-of-place declarations of Christian belief. For a story that seems largely secular, the odd Bible quotes and religious one-sidedness felt out of place. In a world where an unseen God can murder all of humanity with a flood and wind up on the "good" list, while an egalitarian dictator who asserts its will without killing anyone is on the "evil" list, sign me up for the latter.

I could never get into this story. There were okay bits here and there, but nothing cohesive enough to matter. At least it was refreshing to read a YA book where the parents aren't dead. Most of the time it seems a kid can't have any fun in literature unless their parents have kicked the bucket.


Maybe I would have enjoyed this book more as a child, but as an adult who has read a lot of fiction, this felt like it was slapped together without and real meaning or direction.

Wow! I never imagine to read this book for the first time when I’m in my 40s. For years I let the book get lost in my chubby TBR that keeps growing at each day. Probably it stuck with piles of books and I wouldn’t remember to read it if Ted Lasso wouldn’t give this book to Roy Kent! If a book can heal one of the grumpiest fictional characters’ soul, it may surely help me, too. At least that’s what I thought before I started.

Overall: I loved the classic theme: three children’s teaming up for fighting against evil darkness threatening the universe.

I liked how 13 years old Meg portrayed and little, enigmatic brother Charles. As their fellow schoolmate Calvin joins them with the guidance of their weird neighbors with weirder names Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Witch, two children’s search for missing father turns into a visit to fifth dimension to confront with the universal threat!

Yeap, I enjoyed it a lot and I’m so happy to skip the movie adaptations! I wish I read it sooner but better late than never!

Here are my favorite quotes:

“Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. - Mrs. Whatsit”

“We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts.”

“The only way to cope with something deadly serious is to try to treat it a little lightly “

“A book, too, can be a star, “explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,” a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.”

This was one of my very favorite books as a child. Loved it so much.

First off, I was super excited to find out that I owned this book.
Second, I really wanted to read A Wrinkle in Time because of the movie trailer.
Third, n  Chris Pinen is the dad in the movie.
Fourth, CHRIS FUCKING PINE is in the god damn movie.
Fifth, I am in love with Chris Pine.

Okay, so A Wrinkle in Time is a super quick read. I mean it's like what... less than 300 pages?!? It took me less than an hour to read it and type out my buddy read comments. I loved everything about this book - even though I was confused in some parts.

I don't want to spoil a whole bunch about this book because honestly this book should be read by everyone on this planet. It was just that good. However, I will mention that I didn't like IT. IT is evil. IT is not the clown from Stephen King's book.

I could totally see myself rereading this book over and over again. It just blended everything together really well. Plus, I love happy endings!

Now I'll just patiently wait for the movie to come out!

Madeleine L'Engle is a Christian writer, more so even than C. S. Lewis in my opinion. However, while the influence of Christian Theology (and in later books, biblical history) is woven throughly through out all the books in this series, it is not offensive to non-Christian readers. I am one of those.

To be completely honest, when my mother first read me this when I was about 7 years old, I was totally oblivious to the influence L'Engle's faith has on her writing. It wasn't until I was twelve or thirteen, when I read the entire series several times over, that it became obvious to me.

But I digress. What really makes this book (and others in the series) has nothing directly to do with the writer's faith. It has to do with the different types of non-sexual love found between family, friends, society, and the individual. I know, big thing for a Children's novel, but it generally is shown rather then told thereby allowing young children to learn by example.

Going back to the faith thing for half a second, it's like a large parable for how the New Testament (Protestant Christian, any how) advises people to form relationships and maintain them. We are to love and respect our parents, even when the world doesn't. Meg believes in and loves her father, even though he has some odd theories and has been missing for years. We are to care after our siblings regardless of personal quibbles, again like Meg and her brothers. WE are to show compassion for our neighbors despite what other members of our society think (See Calvin's friendship with Meg and Charles) and To care for them even though it might mean personal risk, as in some of the later scenes. Over all, it demonstrates a non-sexual love as one of the most powerful forces in the Universe. And this is a moral lesson that every faith can embrace.

“The truth is, I’m not a fan of science fiction, and my math and physics gene has always been weak. But there’s plenty in the book for those of us predisposed toward the humanities as well.”
- Introduction by  Anna Quindlen

Hmm… Ms. Quindlen’s introduction to this book is—on the whole—not bad, but the above passage traveled deeply up my nose. The implication seems to be that sci-fi is generally lacking in humanities, when in fact sci-fi, at its best, is one of the most humane genres of fiction. A further implication (or my further inference) is that this book is “sci-fi for people who don’t like sci-fi”. If you don’t like sci-fi, it is quite alright, no need to struggle so hard to like some of it!

Ah! Enough with the grumpy intro, this is a delightful book after all. A Wrinkle in Time is generally considered a classic sci-fi book and often appears in “all-time great sci-fi” list, though “science fantasy” seems to be a more appropriate description given the many fantastical elements with no real science behind them. The narrative is mostly seen through the eyes of Meg Merry, a rather temperamental thirteen-year-old girl who has trouble fitting in at school. Her father, a scientist working for the government disappeared some years ago while on a secret assignment. Meg lives with her mother (also a scientist), her twin brothers and the youngest brother, Charles Wallace Murry, a genius generally mistaken for mentally handicapped as he prefers not to speak to most people.


A Wrinkle in Time is basically about Meg and Charles’ quest to find and rescue their father from wherever he is. They are aided by three weird old ladies, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, who are possibly extraterrestrial, or perhaps celestial. This involves interstellar travel by “Tessering”, a word derived from the geometrical term tesseract, folding the fabric of space and time to jump across light years; a little like hyperspace travel or taking shortcuts through wormholes. En route they come across many strange beings, including the three old ladies in their true forms, eventually they wind up on a bizarre and dreadful planet Camazotz, where conformity is king, and they have to confront “IT”, to rescue their father.

I kind of regret not having read A Wrinkle in Time in my early teens, I would have gotten the most out of it then. This book was written specifically for children, in a style that they will find accessible and enjoyable. Reading it as an adult I felt a little alienated from it, always feeling conscious that I am too far outside the target demographic. I don’t think this is a book “for all ages”, and rightly so, that is what children’s books are for. No point spoiling the book by making some subtle adult references that go over the children’s heads.

Having said that, I would be dishonest if I rated the book at five stars when I was not able to get the most out of it. The star rating is merely a reflection of my enjoyment of the book, not the book’s actual worth. For me, the planet Camazotz is the most interesting invention in this book, a rather surreal dystopian nightmarish landscape. The three “old ladies” are interesting characters but the children and their parents are drawn in rather broad strokes and I could not relate to them (though I suppose young readers will like them better than I do). The climax and the ending feel a bit rushed and not as exciting as I anticipated. I do like how  Madeleine L’Engle has woven in the theme of individuality, though, the main characters are all a little unusual in some ways but they have to learn to treasure their uniqueness rather than feel frustrated at being outside the norm. I also appreciate that the book nicely communicates to children that things are often not what they seem. There is often beauty behind surface ugliness and vice versa.

I would definitely recommend A Wrinkle in Time to children; that is a no brainer. If you have kids, give them a copy! As for my adult GR friends, I would recommend it if you don’t mind reading an unabashedly children’s book, certainly it would be great to read along with your children.

Notes:
• For me, the main impetus to read this book now is the forthcoming  new film adaptation. The trailer looks pretty good.
n  n

• Check out this hilarious (yet educational) “Thug Notes” video review.


• Coming back to the idea of “sci-fi for people who don’t like sci-fi”, what if you do like sci-fi? It depends on what kind of sci-fi you like. If your idea of good sci-fi is in the vein of Clarke /Asimov /Heinlein /PKD /Herbert, I don’t think A Wrinkle in Time would be quite the thing for you. It is more akin to C.S. Lewis’  Out of the Silent Planet, it even has some religious undertone, though less overt.

Quotes:
“We don’t travel at the speed of anything,” Mrs. Whatsit explained earnestly. “We tesser. Or you might say, we wrinkle.”

“We are all happy because we are all alike. Differences create problems.”

“I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.”

“Matter and energy are the same thing, that size is an illusion, and that time is a material substance. We can know this, but it’s far more than we can understand with our puny little brains.”


Mrs. Whatsit by mheuston

So 41 of my goodreads friends have read A Wrinkle in Time, but I never picked up the book until these past few weeks. I’m not sure how this novel and I slipped past each other in my youth. I’m guessing that since the main character was a girl I wasn’t that interested in middle school and when I grew older the science fiction elements didn’t appear strong enough to snag my interest. Oh well. Last weekend I bought A Wrinkle in Time at a Borders near the Seattle airport. I wanted the novel to get me through the grueling twelve hour journey (whoo, flight delays and pre-dawn connecting flights!) home, and I thank Ms. L’Engle for the perfect story for early hour near-hallucinatory reading in the middle of the Minneapolis International promenade.

What makes this book so good? First off, A Wrinkle in Time works under the assumption that kids are smart enough either to grasp the nuances of some fairly deep physics or, if they don’t get every detail, they’ll flow with the storyline anyway. One woman I know said, “I didn’t understand all the science when I was a kid but I still loved it.” That makes sense to me. Hell, I didn’t understand all the science now, and I’m (supposedly) a grown-up. L’Engle doesn’t just say, “And then they traveled time.” She tries to explain how time travel might work. I wonder if so many kids, especially girls, liked this novel because they felt L’Engle respected them as intelligent readers.

Second, A Wrinkle in Time frames Meg’s personality as multi-faceted and more complex than just about any I’ve encountered in YA literature. In fact, reading this novel I couldn’t help but consider her a template on which some more modern coming-of-age characters (think Harry Potter) were modeled. She’s brave but doubts her own strength in an tangible, authentic manner. And her relationship with Calvin is sweet without getting all High School Musical.

Third, the evil in this novel is damn scary and the darkness pure and substantial. We’re talking elemental, unadulterated evil that manifests itself in the fear and conformity of those who break down in its presence. And the characters’ encounters with this evil feel real. The climatic scenes are perhaps slightly too swift but the nuances of the battle fit well with a remarkably philosophical (and Christian, but in a positive way) resolution of good and evil’s conflict.

If my friends’ reviews are any indication a lot of smart girls who turned into strong, intelligent women grew up under the spell of A Wrinkle in Time. I feel like I know them a little better after reading this novel, and I can see them all, around age ten, turning the book’s pages in their rooms, feeling their own strength and potential. And that’s damn cool, really, don’t you think, a whole generation of girls reading A Wrinkle in Time? Maybe little girls across America are googling “tesseract” as we speak…

**** I read this at a time when I needed a big surge of joy, magic, and distraction. I see I only remarked in writing that I would be surprised if there had not been a film of this 1962 extravaganza. I verbally noted to my spouse, Ron and he remembers: if anyone tried to portray these peculiar and dynamic ranges of events in a film, it would be difficult. We did not have long to wait! ****

“A Wrinkle In Time” is an adventure I knew I would love. I embraced it wholly and am glad three novels succeed it. There is an element that is science fictive but I call this youth fantasy, with a complexity appealing to grown-ups that is probably aimed at us. I had no inkling about premise nor characters thus this adventure was entirely new; the way I love stories. There is surreal exploration, discovery, and strong emotions. The easiest description is that the Murrys are special and as it goes in fantasy, hold a pivotal role in their universe. We spotlight all of them but sympathy follows elder sister, Meg.

She is a square peg at school, unlike popular brothers Dennys & Sandy. She underperforms but not for lack of intellect. She is a mathematics whiz and her parents are notable scientists. Their Dad’s government work is secret, they haven’t been permitted to know where he is, and fear trouble when contact halts. Her five year-old brother Charles is an eloquent genius, with extrasensory perception too revved up for him to hide. He introduces Meg and a similarly special school chum to a trio of ladies, who scarcely bother to conceal that they aren’t of Earth. They know Mr. Murry needs help and only these three children are in a position to deliver it.

Madeline L’Engle’s creation is thought-provoking, memorable, and could only be born of the most outstanding imagination I’ve ever seen. The planets the rescue party traverse such as a two-dimensional one, the biological make-up of the ladies and other parties they meet, the sights.... are unparalleled and must already comprise a film! Learning about a dark, unidentified threat to their galaxy and that their Dad’s captivity plays a part, is overwhelming. Madeleine deserves every literary award in existence.

4.5 stars!!

“Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself.”

This was my favorite book as a child, in fact I devoured the entire quintet throughout my tween awkward years. I remembered I had loved the book, but aside from a few random details, I found I barely remembered what happened. In fact, I read it so long ago, this was my copy:



Okay, so I’m not THAT old, my mom just bought a lot of books from the local used book store. I read too fast for her to keep up with me, normally it was just library books growing up. Anyways, I digress.

A Wrinkle in Time is about a young girl named Meg, she’s very awkward, has many faults (according to herself) and feels like an outcast. The only people she really finds a comfort with are her scientist mother, and her odd brother Charles Wallace. Meg’s father had also gone missing about two years ago, and while the town suspects he ran off with another woman, Meg and her family know this not to be true.

On a stormy evening, Meg and Charles Wallace receive a visitor, the peculiar Mrs. Whatsit. From there, Meg and Charles Wallace, along with a boy named Calvin, get whisked away in a journey to rescue their father. But they must travel through time and space to do so, and face a terrifying darkness to get him back.

“We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts.”

First off, I have to say, with the few exceptions this book really stands the test of time. It’s not dated at all, and except for the mention of a typewriter, this book could take place during any decade. It’s so rare to read a book written in the 1960’s that’s like that, so a solid kudos to the author.

One thing I’ve always loved about the story is Meg, and the idea that she’s not a perfect heroine, and that’s what makes her the hero of the story. It portrays that even though we have faults, sometimes our faults can be our advantage, and that fitting in with everyone else isn’t always the best thing for a society. I love that we have an “ordinary” heroine, who is expected to do extraordinary things, even though she’s not the smartest of the bunch.

It’s a bit obvious, being when this book is written, there are some subtext about the dangers of communism. The evil IT and how it makes everyone and everything the same, or else. I think with this subtext, it also portrays how important it is to be an individual and to make up one's own mind. In a way, this book is very relevant even present day. To fight against what’s wrong and not succumb to forces who want their definition of perfection.

Once I was able to put my mind to it, I was able to devour this book in a matter of hours. It’s a very fast read and one I believe all ages can and will enjoy.

“Like and equal are not the same thing at all.”


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