A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time. Madeleine L’engle. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1962. 203 pages. $17.00 (Hardcover). ISBN 978-0-374-38613-9. Grades 5-9.

My Thoughts/Reminds Me Of…

I know A Wrinkle in Time is one of those books everyone is supposed to read, and I don’t know how I managed to avoid it for 22 years of life. I don’t think I opposed reading or avoided this title, but it never fell in to my hands until now. I am thrilled to be able to join the millions of people who have read this book. I must say, I am glad that I waited until now to read this renowned book. My little sister (who is only a year and a half younger) read this book when she was in the fifth or sixth grade. Upon reflecting on it she said she may not have been ready and didn’t understand it. I am glad that I could truly understand and enjoy this book now due to my intellectual superiority (haha, I just gagged a little and am sure you did too.). Seriously though, when I was in the actual target age for this book I was more in to cheesy love stories about teenagers studying abroad than I was science fiction. It wasn’t until I was in seventh and eighth grade that I even got in to the Harry Potter series. Now, however, I have learned to enjoy and I even dare say like science fiction. I really liked how so much went on in this story without being explained. We got to learn about tessering and time travel and IT along with Meg. I loved that their understanding wasn’t always explained and we too had to have the moments of sight and clarity. At first I was scared that the story wasn’t going to end well, since I was approaching the end and the happy ending only had 5 or so pages to manifest. When the book did wrap everything up I was happy. I don’t think there was any need to extend the story further, and I think it ended perfectly. That being said, I know one character in Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me was disappointed in Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who’s promise to be back five minutes before they left didn’t deliver. I think there could be arguments from over thinking or very detail oriented readers, but I really enjoyed the mystery and action of this tale.

I was reminded of other books as and after I read A Wrinkle in Time. I was kind of reminded of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. In both books we are introduced to characters who are different/have been chosen for great things. There are challenges and dark powers to face and defeat. There is also a blend of magic and science fiction. Another shared element is the power of love, but I don’t want to get in to that and ruin any surprises. I do wonder, however, if J.K. Rowling took this detail from Madeleine L’engle. I was also reminded of Louis Lowry’s The Giver when Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace landed on Camazotz. The environment with the strict rules and no suffering/mercy ideals, not to mention the overall science fiction theme linked these two books in my mind. I definitely think someone who enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time would also enjoy these two books.