A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.01 You Save: $6.49 (100%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of A Wrinkle in Time
Book Review: A Classic, Folks!
Summary: 4 Stars
Can I admit that I'm besotted by Meg Murry?Meg is easily the best thing about Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time". The author very quickly puts together this thirteen(?) year old girl who is both vulnerable and brave, absolutely human and instantly likable. Madeleine's adept characterisation also assists Calvin, a fourteen year old boy who lives nearby and who clearly falls head-over-heels for young Meg.
It is said that female readers will identify readily with Meg, but I'm sure that male readers like myself will also have an easy in on this story in the form of Calvin. Calvin and Meg's relationship is so neatly and adeptly presented, that we can't help but sympathize. Both Meg and Calvin are both something of outsiders amongst children of their own age, which makes them all the more sympathetic to any child or adult who was just a little different from the rest at school, and paid for it. Through their shared outsider status, Calvin and Meg are instant friends, and I want to be their friend too. I want to be Calvin, to support this brave young woman, and to be a part of her loving family. It's no surprise to find Meg and Calvin married to each other years on in such books as "A Swiftly Tilting Planet", "Arm of the Starfish" and "House Like a Lotus".
Completing the legion of interesting characters is young Charles Wallace Murry -- a five-year-old kid who would be frighteningly intelligent if he weren't nearly as congenial as he is. However, despite being the most gifted person of the three, he is still still quite vulnerable and human.
These characterizations would be empty icing if the cake itself weren't substantial. "A Wrinkle in Time" is full of fantastic things as "tessering" through time and space, near angelic creatures and a good-old solid plot of good fighting against evil.
Madeleine L'Engle is well known for her theological writings, and many compare her "Wrinkle in Time" series (and most of her books) to the allegorical Christianity of C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" series. Madeleine's writing is far more straightforward than Lewis', however, and the presentation of Christian themes is more up-front than the allegory of Narnia. At the same time, the so-called Christian themes hardly dominate the book. It doesn't have the depth of Lewis' work (the reason for the four out of five rating), but just like C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" series, everybody can tune in for the story alone, and still come away satisfied.
Can Meg and Charles Wallace, with the help of Calvin, rescue their missing father from the darkness of the monstrous "IT"? The ending is not in doubt, but the journey is fascinating. Meg, of course, overcomes her vulnerabilities and saves the day. Readers of all ages will be hooked.
Book Review: A Cuisinart of Genres
Summary: 4 Stars
Don't get me wrong, when I read *A Wrinkle in Time* as a misfit 11 year old, I wanted to climb into this book and wrap it around me for protection. Meg's epic journey to Camazotz to rescue her father from the ur-Evil "It" seemed to rescue me, if only temporarily, from the agonies of on-coming adolescence. True, Meg, in her journey, has the help of her genius-misfit brother, Charles Wallace, as well as the genius-athlete-misfit Calvin, and the assorted semi-guardian angels, Mrs. Who, Mrs. What, and Mrs. Which. This book, however, makes redemption from the awkwardness of existence seem possible.This does not stop *A Wrinkle in Time* from being somewhat of a generic mish-mash. L'Engle's work has a dash of Orwell's *1984* mixed with a splash of C.S. Lewis' allegory. She has also tossed in space-time mechanisms suitable for science fiction, three fairy tale witches who segue into being messenger's from God, a couple of inhabited planets, a reluctant oracle, and a giant pulsating brain. And yet, somehow, L'Engle has managed to reach the "process" button on the cuisinart: what comes out is an excellent nutritious whole, not merely mashed leftovers.
Admittedly, even that whole has awkward moments. The abrupt mentions of God make me squirm now as much as they did when I was 11, and Mrs. Murray's lab, with its bunsen burner, is clearly dated, as is some of the dialogue (does anyone have "dreamboat" eyes anymore?). The underlying angsts this book helps to alleviate, however, are not subject to time. And when someone throws a lifeline, the drowning sojourner is best advised to catch hold, and examine the interesting weave of the rope later.
Book Review: A Different Universe
Summary: 5 Stars
Absolutely amazing! A Wrinkle In Time is an adventure by Madeline L'Engle about Meg Murry, Charles Wallace, Calvin O'Keefe, Mrs.Whatsit, Mrs.Who, and Mrs.Which who go on an adventure to find Meg's father. I recommend this book, because if you like adventures, you would love A Wrinkle In Time. It is a very good book. I am in 3rd grade and almost everybody is reading it. The plot starts on earth, goes to a different Universe and back to earth.Book Review: A Double Standard
Summary: 3 Stars
A Wrinkle in Time tells the story of a girl, Meg, who must travel through time to different worlds to save her father and, consequently, her brother. L'Engle portrays Meg as a smart girl who is having problems finding her niche. Everyone tells Meg that she must find a "happy medium" and, basically, become more feminine. Meg is unsure how to do this, and she isn't even sure she wants to. From the start, Meg is told that she must change something within herself and find moderation to be truly happy. Meg fights with boys at school to protect and defend her family but both her mother and her brothers tell her that she will never be happy until she can control her actions and her emotions and stop fighting. Mr. Jenkins, her principal, informs Meg that she is impatient, belligerent and uncooperative. He also tells her that things would be easier for her if she were more "normal." People continuously try to get Meg to change so that she can find a middle ground and be content. This seems to send the message that a girl is only happy when she has changed and given up a part of herself so that she may fit into her place in society. As people try to convince Meg to change, a double standard between males and females can also be seen. When Meg fights the boys at school, her brothers tell her that she should leave the fighting to them. This shows that if someone must fight, it should be the boys. Later, Meg demands that the three time travelers, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Whatsit, take her to see her father. She is told by Mrs. Who to be patient, whereas, when Calvin constantly questions one of the women he does not receive treatment comparable to Meg's. Early on in the book, Meg is only able to answer math and science questions, while Calvin can answer all the questions that are not math related. Calvin's unability to answer math problems is almost unmentioned yet Mrs. Murry finds it imperative to note that Meg is a little one-sided but that she does still enjoy "playing with her doll's house" (39). Meg's one-sidedness is seen as embarrassingly male. The dolls are mentioned to Calvin as proof that Meg does have some feminine qualities so that Calvin will accept her. Throughout the novel Meg is constantly being told, outright or not, that she cannot be happy because she is not feminine. Since the writing of this book, society has begun to realize that a woman's femininity has little to do with her knowledge or her ability to find a "happy medium." Some still have the misconceptions seen in this piece of work but most have seen that females do not have to lose a piece of themselves to fit into the world. Despite this novel's flaw, it is still a wonderful piece of literature. It is imaginative and creative and captures the attention of a range of people. I look forward to reading other books from this author.Book Review: A Fantastic Fantasy
Summary: 4 Stars
I liked A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'engle for many different reasons. I loved this book because the author grabbed my attention right away, with an exciting first chapter. I thought each character played an important role, meaning there were no characters that were not needed for the plot. It was marvelous how evil the author made the villains. The book would not have been as enjoyable if the villains were not such a pest to the other characters. I love how detailed the chapters were and how complicated the story line was. I disliked how there were some points in the chapters that were very boring and were not really needed for the plot. I also disliked how the ending to the book. Most novels that I enjoy reading are realistic fiction, such as Black Hawk Down. While A Wrinkle in Time was fantasy, I had a real hard time getting involved with the plot. I enjoy novels that I can relate to the characters and there roles in the book. I really enjoyed this book because it made you think and try to anticipate the next twist within the plot. Overall I did enjoy this book tremendously and I would recommend this book to others who enjoy fantasies and who like to outthink the author.Trevor Howard