Customer Reviews
How can you resist a book that begins with "It was a dark and stormy night"? Those seven little words can set the imagination racing in anticipation of a frightfully exciting story.This one is a time travel story with a sci-fi angle, except there are no confusing paradoxes or problems with the butterfly effect. As far as the author is concerned, you should just bend it a little and charge right in.This is also one of those rare books where the supporting characters are much more interesting than the main characters.Meg Murry is a very central character, but she's rather hard to like, not too bright and very whiny. She's understandably devastated to learn that her father doesn't make the sun rise, and that the world doesn't revolve at his command.Her brother Charles Wallace is more interesting, as he has a fledgling sixth sense thing going on, and at five years old he not only speaks perfectly, but has his mother's permission to use the stove. (That's a serious matter Ms. Engle)Their new friend Calvin O'Keefe is not fully developed as a character, and neither are Meg and Charles' parents, Dr. Murry and Dr. Murry.On the other hand you have Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs Which, as well as Aunt Beast, who guide the children on their quest to save Dr. Murry. These are really great characters, and I look forward to reading more about them in books to come.This is obviously the first book of a series, and judging by the ending, not the last I'll be reading.Amanda Richards, February 14, 2005
I am now in the middle of the first sequel to this book, going through the Time Quartet (don't understand why it isn't called the TIME QUINTET, the only logic I can come up with is AN ACCEPTABLE TIME deals with Polly and not one of the four Murry children) for the first time. A WRINKLE IN TIME is one of those books that have a sterling reputation, and a book I had been meaning to read for a long time. It was worth the wait, being one of the most memorable and unusual books I've read. For you old school gamers, perhaps Mother Brain off Metroid came from the villain here? Just a thought.The story is tightly written, very good buildup of characters, dominant themes very apparent (acceptance, curiosity, and very importantly: love), plausible resolution. All the characters are very memorable, people you would love to meet in real life. Charles Wallace is one of the most intriguing of all characters I have met in literature, and it's a shame we don't get to see more of the REAL C. W. (to those of you who have read the book you know what I mean). The images and story are so diverse, so far reaching I consumed the story rather quickly. To those of you familiar with C. S. Lewis, he said one of the purposes of literature, and primarily myth, is to give you `stabs of joy', awaken a spiritually yearning that ultimately is consummated in the character of Christ Jesus. This book is myth. I wanted to go to the land of the centaurs and bask in that glory. This story awakens a longing and a yearning for things of the supernatural. It certainly did for me.I would end it at that, but I do have some issues or problems with this book. One largely rests in the fact that the three Mrs. Ws are maintaining the illusion of haunting and witchcraft to scare away people. No angles of God would do this, as described in the book, for "a joke" (its in the passage where Meg is attempting to help Charles Wallace at Camazots). I do not object to magic in literature depending on how it is handled. But I do object to this simply because they are painted as such wonderful servants of God, and there's the whole feel to the book of goodness and holiness, and then this element which for me goes completely against everything L'Engle otherwise consistently maintains in this work.Another is the inclusion of The Happy Medium. Medium is generally associated with sorcery and evil, and wish she had chosen a better title for her than this.Yet another is the feeling of universalism that predominates a particular passage in the book where Charles Wallace is describing the heroes who have fought against the encroaching darkness. One is Jesus. Since the book plays with the time element extensively, L'Engle should have said the Jesus won the battle already, even though we must fight it. This I do not hold against L'Engle, simply because the doctrine is complex and very difficult to understand, but I do resent the inclusion of Buddha as one of the people who have fought against the darkness, which, oddly, is included a few lines down with a lists of artists. My own thoughts on universalism are clouded (no, I do not believe full-blown universalism: the one I waiver back and forth with is found in THE LAST BATTLE). But Buddhism is a false religion, and he did not fight the darkness, although he had been deceived into thinking he had.While, for me, those things I've cited above do detract from this book, the story is wonderful, and one of the most remarkable books I've read. You will be changed by this book if you allow yourself to be. It's such an unusual book. I just soaked it up. Well done, L'Engle.Another impression I have of L'Engle, and which she herself supports, she has a very large curiosity about the world. There's a definite shift from NARNIA to WRINKLE. With Lewis you feel like he's an uncle telling you this wonderful story, but he's wise. With L'Engle, you get the feeling she's just as amazed at this world that's been uncovered as you are. In an interview with L'Engle here on Amazon, she said Lewis had a lot more answers, and she had a lot more questions. Lets see what she can turn up.Mike London(P. S. Have you seen those dreadful illustrations, the cover art, to the other paperback edition? That edition has the three children standing in an egg-shaped circle with a white creature flying over. They are much to young looking for this book - I don't like the cover art at all on those. I much prefer the one with the centaur on the cover or the hardback edition).
not to bad of a read
It's joy to read a book previously banned by two opposing voices, . Ultimately, we're empowered with the freedom to choose what we read, enhancing our critical thinking and intellectual curiosity.The message in this book is profound as two siblings and a friend embark on a journey through time, space, and other realms to battle good and evil in order to rescue their trapped scientist father. Along the way, they meet otherworldly allies, including the enigmatic Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which.Ultimately, the book delivers a powerful and uplifting message of self-acceptance, recognizing one's potential, and tapping into the boundless power to achieve incredible feats while ultimately shaping one's reality through determination and resourcefulness.
I didn’t read this classic as a child—in fact, I didn’t even know the book existed until later in life—but it’s never too late to revisit one’s youth through the eyes of a master storyteller. L’Engle takes her readers on a “Wizard of Oz” type journey, weaving believable characters and fantastic plot into a spiritual tale about the fight between good and evil, light and dark. Christians know how it will end.
