Great Middle Grade Reads discussion
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A Wrinkle in Time
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BOTM for December - A WRINKLE IN TIME
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I first encountered this as audio, in a sense. In the fall of fifth grade our teacher took us outside at the end of each day to listen to her read a portion of this to us. I loved it then, and I love it on each reread, no matter how much SF&F I've read since.
Beth Sniffs Books wrote: "My library does not have this title as an e-book to borrow -- and admittedly, I'd much rather read the book -- but my library does have the audio book so I'm going to give that a try. I've never ..."I would love to hear Madeleine L'engle read this! Will have to see if our library has the audio version.
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I didn't own most of them in childhood (and in fact didn't discover L'Engle until I was in college). But I've been working on collecting a lot of them ever since!
I am going to borrow this from my daughter, I saw it on her book shelf.
I read this for the first time a few months back and really enjoyed it, looking forward to see what others think.
This book was one of the first fantasy/sci-fi stories that opened the door for me to a wonderful new world and I haven't stopped reading since. Madeline L'Engle is a truly amazing writer and the world is lucky to have her.
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My son gave me an MP3 player and taught me how to load it up, but...I enjoy it only when I'm doing something else that is totally mindless. I also tried books on CD in the car, but can't give the book and the traffic my attention. I have concluded that audio books are not a great format for me. I think book formats may be related to our learning styles and the different ways we are receptive to information. I do think that maybe I could listen to books while doing handwork, as Rebecca mentioned. I'll give that a try sometime. When I retire. Someday.
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Back to the book, I finished yesterday. I had forgotten how much theology was in there...some of which I disagree with. But the story is good, and I like Meg's character. She's very real.
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So, what is it about this book that makes it such a popular classic?I've not read it recently, but I have read it more than once in the past and I have very clear memories. (If the memories aren't precisely accurate, please do correct me.)
I found the imagery incredibly vivid. I definitely knew exactly what the 'witches' looked like. And traveling by tesseract made perfect sense to me.
And I was horrified by the neighborhood where all the children were bouncing their balls in rhythm. And that just was a prelude to the horror of the great heart.
Of course, I also loved the themes. From the beginning, when we learned that mom was a scientist who cooked in the lab... awesome. Not to mention Charles Wallace and and all the others... and of course I identified with Meg and had a crush on Calvin... In some regards the family here reminds me of the Weasleys in Harry Potter.
Even the first time I read this I was agnostic, now I'm staunch atheist - but the theology doesn't bother me. I did, however, not like the sequels enough to finish the series, in part because of the theology. In any case, I think the, call it spirituality, gives the book a certain depth, or resonance.
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Oh, right, of course. I even had the image of the brain in my head as I typed. Thanks!
A Wrinkle In Time has clever characters with clever ideas -- as a kid I loved the idea that you could wrinkle time, the same way you could fold a piece of cloth (as an adult, I'm convinced that time has somehow gotten wadded up and I wish I could UNwrinkle it with a good pressing, but that's another subject). But also, Madeleine L'Engle is just a great writer. I can still imagine being pressed into the void of the tesseract. And who can't help but love Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Which? And thirty years later, every time I make soup I think of Mrs. Murry hovered over her bunsen burner and wish that I could be THAT kind of mom who nurtures her children physically, emotionally, and intellectually.
It's the perfect combination of intellect and heart, and I'm wondering now why I've never read the rest of the series.
"The Wrinkle in Time" was formative for me although I read it for the first time as an adult.It contributed the vision I was developing as a fantasy writer myself. This book also was pivotal in alerting readers to the potential power of science fiction & fantasy. (This book combines both.) As a pioneer book, it met with resistance. L'Engle tells the story of the MS's many rejections before finally being accepted in her book "The Circle of Quiet." Being a believer myself, I am sympathetic to her theological outlook but that includes being sympathetic to her theological critiques. The second & third books are also powerful with the third, "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" being a powerful vision of healing. It is a gift to see how Charles Wallace had developed as an adolescent. It is unfortunate that we never learned what he accomplished as an adult although there are occasional references to his "secret" missions.
I received this book back in the late 60s as a child and loved it then as I do now. As a child, I could identify with Meg, being smart in some subjects and not so smart in others. I have always wondered what it would be like to have a little brother like Charles Wallace and really intelligent parents.
Every time I hear the line "It was a dark and stormy night..", it reminds me of this book (and also Snoopy). Madeleine L'Engle uses great imagery and all the characters are pretty much down to earth people, including Charles Wallace. They all have their faults and none are perfect as when the medium showed Calvin's mother.
I did collect the rest of the quartet and read them all as well as the Austin series, and some others. I do like the way she writes.
I read it when I was 13 yrs and it was my favourite book for a very long time. Over time, I forgot the storyline and have been promising myself to re-read it again. I'm so glad I did, as I finally found out something that has been bugging me; ever since I read Harry Potter, about the concept of how Lilly Potter's LOVE shielded Harry from Voldermort's evil, I knew at once that I have read it somewhere before in a story. I think this could be where she got her idea from.
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I’ve just finished A Wrinkle in Time and it’s the very first time I’ve read it. Lucky me! (Being introduced to gems is what groups like this is all about.)OK, what did I think – if I haven’t already given that away? From the moment I began to read I knew I was in the presence of a master storyteller. It’s beautifully told and cleverly written. The characters, ideas, plot and presentation, all draw you in. I’m certain younger readers will be hooked by the crazy, harrowing adventure the children in the story find themselves on. I’m just as certain, they’ll find some of the ideas and language – particularly the extracts and translations – puzzling, difficult, and almost impossible. Of course, this is all part of the mystery... they are meant to! For the very same reason, ‘grown-up’ readers will find lots to love (and explore) in this book. And, of course, the ending is sublime. (Not a word I often use: usually reserved for Wordsworth...)
Anyway... is it a classic? Unreservedly, yes! Why? Well, for all the reasons I’ve already given, but if I must choose just one... It has the mark of many of the great classics: it’s a book with truly universal appeal, far beyond its genre or classification as a children’s book.
Oh indeed, lucky you, Stephen. I'm so glad to have confirmed my theory that this can appeal to a well-read adult even if he didn't already love it as a child.
Re the power of love - I agree that Rowling could have been most directly influenced by this... but isn't it archetypical that love is a protective shield? Isn't it an idea that was old when Jesus used it?
I just finished reading A Wind in the Door, the sequel, and loved it just as much as A Wrinkle in Time. Like in her first book of the series, L'Engle expects kids to be asking big questions about life -- why are we here, why do we matter? And she gives the very comforting answer: "You are Named. Your contribution makes a difference. Size does not matter."
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Ah. Sounds like I should have read that when I was the right age. I never did learn size doesnt matter.
I read Wrinkle in Time last year as part of my education in classic children's books that weren't classics when I was a kid. Now I'm nearly a kid again (I'm paraphrasing something I saw about being old enough to believe in Santa again), so I can read it.
I loved the book, and remember it mainly as being in the class of amazing scifi, which was then in its infancy. I particularly liked the discussion of use of senses - in the world where everyone was blind. They thought sight must be limiting - and I tend to agree, now. It made me think deeply about whether I should make one of my characters deaf. Can I adequately represent his thought processes? I decided I couldnt, despite having played, worked with and known deaf and blind people all my life. (the real Dougall is deaf, in case my friends wonder).
I thought Wrinkle in Time is definitely a classic, and I must get around to the rest of the series.
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L'Engle also wrote some decidedly adult novels, but one thing I think is true in all, or almost all, is a sense of positivity--that good can be found or made nearly anywhere. I'm not getting that quite right, but I can remember only one of her novels that left me wondering. Her non-fiction is truly inspirational (though a little less helpful for non-believers), and her book on writing (Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art has a lot of good to say about writing for people of any, or no, faith, as well as maybe some help for those who wonder if they can write speculative fiction from a Christian stance (or read it, though I don't suppose those who scream about Harry Potter would read or agree with L'Engle).
A copy of A Wrinkle in Time was at the thrift store this morning - I guess it was telling me to buy and reread it!
For all those who seem to not be able to get books, I buy mine used at thriftbooks.com. You can also go to Book Finder as well--they list all sites that sell new and used books.
And if you don't remember (or have never read) it, it's well worth tracking down a copy. I'd be glad to ship mine (next week) for free to any US member requesting it.My go-to online source for cheap books is half.com. ;)
M.G. wrote: "I just finished reading A Wind in the Door, the sequel, and loved it just as much as A Wrinkle in Time. Like in her first book of the series, L'Engle expects kids to be as..."This sounds as good as the first book. I'll have to look it up. Great message... particularly in this celebrity driven age we appear to be stuck in.
Read it in one night. Couldn't make myself slow down, even though, this time, I think I got even more out of it. Such a wise fable. So wonderful that it's enjoyable, and that the main theme of the power of love is understandable, for children as young as 8... and yet a 52 yo on her 4th or 5th reread is still moved, still feeling enlightened. I believe this book to be *highly* influential on the way I live, because I do focus on love, courage, and science, rather than on success or the material.
I have never been disturbed by the Christian references. After all, Jesus is listed in the same breath as Buddha, Confucius, Euclid, etc... the Seekers of Truth. I have always loved Mrs. Who's quotations. I have always wanted an Aunt Beast of my own. I have always been terrified of having my heart and mind controlled by a dominant power. I have always worn glasses and been thrilled to think that they could wield power. This is such a timeless story.
This is *not* Time Travel. And it's SF in the same way The Martian Chronicles is. Neither concerns itself with the real plausibility of all the science, and yet neither is fantasy, as there's no magic. And still, it depends on the 'what if' and the exotic. In fact, these both exemplify for me the reason SF should, imo, stand for Speculative (not Science) Fiction.
If you liked The Martian Chronicles, or The Golden Compass trilogy, you must read this. I'm confident that Pullman did. It did, after all, win a Newbery Award, even though that honor usually goes to historical, rather than speculative, fiction.
I just finished re-reading A Wrinkle In Time. I'd forgotten it started with "It was a dark and stormy night." Remains a great science fiction/fantasy book for children. Read it first back in the early sixties. Love how a girl is the main character; and I never forgot what a tesseract was, nor the phrase "the happiest sadist."
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I always think of Snoopy.
Gretchen wrote: "I just finished re-reading A Wrinkle In Time. I'd forgotten it started with "It was a dark and stormy night." Remains a great science fiction/fantasy book for children. Read it first back in the ea..."Interesting - I hadn't forgotten, but the first copy of A Wrinkle in Time that I read, and the one sitting on my bookshelf, was published in the year I was born, and it begins, 'It was a dark and stormy night in a small village in the United States.'. hmmm... I always thought this was rather clumsy as a first line... and first lines are a bit of a thing of mine.
However, when I decided to reread the book, I left my rather fragile version on the shelf and borrowed a newer version, which began with, 'it was a dark and stormy night.'. I'm guessing a helpful editor decided to make the change in my somewhat older copy, for a different market (England, Australia and New Zealand) to make sure we 'got' the setting, but it does seem a shame, because we lose the irony/nudge of the opening somewhat!
I just looked at my copy (dated 1969) and it just says "It was a dark and stormy night." Reminds me too of Snoopy and I have his book that starts that way. So the change had to be between 1962 and 1969 unless there is an older edition before 1962.
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You might have a collectible, there. I sure don't remember the original bit, and my copy wouldn't have been too many editions forward (and I was reading from the middle of the US).
I have a little collection of books in which 'helpful' editors have done this - both versions of Harry Potter (English and US) but one of the books which has the most terrible changes is Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day (until I discovered this Wrinkle...:) where instead of Alexander wanting to go to Timbuktu, he wants to go to Australia! And instead of dimes and quarters it's all changed to cents. I used to love reading the Americanisms in books, and the UKisms...Just like when I read New Zealand writers, I expect to see Kiwi-isms. It's part of what makes the book what it is...However, I now vote this Wrinkle the worst of the lot, as it completely destroys a beautifully balanced piece of irony.
Interesting. I remember seeing the word village just a little later in the book and wondering if Wrinkle was set in the UK or the US. Decided it didn't really matter.
Rebecca wrote: "I think Megan's right--it must have been done for the "foreign" market. Sort of like they changed the title of Rowling's first book and made all the torches into flashlights for the poor American k..."I just wanted to agree with you entirely... Oh, and Happy New Year :-)
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It's New England, and taken especially as far back as L'Engle runs (I believe she was born in the 1920s?) it's more like England than it is like California.
Oh, I'm so sorry I missed this group read! A Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorite books when I was a middle grader (and beyond). The story was amazing but it was the image of the mother that really stayed with me as a role model of fierce intelligence and strength, and the courage to stay true to yourself and your loved ones no matter what. I also remember liking A Wind in the Door even better than the first book...
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Oh, so happy to hear I'm not too late. Yes, A Wind in the Door really caught my imagination. There was a powerful, enigmatic character who served as a sort of spirit guide to the Murray children who I will never forget! Adventures with mitochondria, saving your kid brother (who seems like a genius with Asperger's) and the cosmos!I admit that when I was younger, I didn't get some of the references in A Wrinkle in Time--they were over my head (like Bulwer Lytton and Shakespeare)--but it actually made the book much richer on a re-read as an adult.
Oh gee, I'm still missing stuff, too...Bulwer Lytton??
@Cheryl, maybe I've still got it wrong, but wasn't Bulwer Lytton the Victorian guy who first wrote "It was a dark and stormy night?"
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Great Middle Grade Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (other topics)A Wind in the Door (other topics)
The Golden Compass (other topics)
The Martian Chronicles (other topics)
A Wrinkle in Time (other topics)
More...
From the GoodReads description:
It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.
"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me be on my way. Speaking of way, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract".
Meg's father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space?