Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21603 in Books
• Published on: 1995-10-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Everyone in town thinks Meg Murry is volatile and dull-witted, and that her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is dumb. People are also saying that their physicist father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother. Spurred on by these rumours and an unearthly stranger, the tesseract- touting Mrs Whatsit, Meg and Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O'Keefe embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so, they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time. This is no superhero tale, nor is it science fiction, although it shares elements of both. The travellers must rely on their individual and collective strengths, delving deep within themselves to find answers.

A well-loved classic and 1963 Newbery Medal winner, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is sophisticated in concept yet warm in tone, with mystery and love coursing through its pages. Meg's shattering, yet ultimately freeing, discovery that her father is not omnipotent provides a satisfying coming-of-age element. Readers will feel a sense of power as they travel with these three children, challenging concepts of time, space and the triumph of good over evil. The companion books in the Time quartet, continuing the adventures of the Murry family, are A Wind in the Door; A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which won the American Book Award; and Many Waters. Every young reader should experience L'Engle's captivating, occasionally life-changing contributions to children's literature. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Synopsis
When Charles Wallace Murry goes searching through a 'wrinkle in time' for his lost father, he finds himself on an evil planet where all life is enslaved by a huge pulsating brain known as 'It'. How Charles, his sister Meg and friend Calvin find and free his father makes this a very special and exciting mixture of fantasy and science fiction, which all the way through is dominated by the funny and mysterious trio of guardian angels known as Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which.

Customer Reviews

An Engaging Fantasy Novel without magic!
This book starts with possibly the worst opening sentence of all time: 'It was a dark and stormy night.' However, the story that follows is both original and charming.
Meg and her younger brother Charles Wallace go in search of their beloved missing father, whose experiments have left him trapped in a parallel dimension. With the help of three mysterious witch-like characters they tesser (travel through a wrinkle in time) to rescue him, but face many dangers and adventures along the way.

Both Meg and Charles Wallace are endearing multi-faceted characters. I especially like the fact they are considered to be below normal intelligence by the educational system, yet undoubtedly have much higher IQs than their teachers. Both show the rare insight and depth of understanding granted to few ... and recognised by even fewer. This is a wonderfully empowering message to young readers who are made to feel less than adequate at school. The writing style has a clarity and simplicity that makes it a pleasure to read. Recommended for readers aged 8 - 11.

Classic children's story --mystical and magical tale
This is a children's book, but it isn't just an adventure story.

It has science-fiction; The Drs. Murray, parents of Meg, Charles Wallace and the twins) are scientists who are researching Time and Space. Dr. Murray takes a time trip and so do the kids.

There is also magic; a trio of "witches" shows up--Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, and they take Meg, her brother Charles-Wallace, and their new friend Calvin on an epic adventure.

It's also the story of a family with a deep trouble who nonetheless stay together, the story of a young girl who is just coming into adolescence with all the awkwardness and confusing feelings, and the story of a special little boy who is thought to be retarded by townspeople.

The symbology L'Engel uses is powerful and original; a giant brain who seduces those around it into surrendering their free will as an ultimate dictator; a shadow-like smog around planets that represents the presence of Evil, and a special young boy who is more than a genius; who is "something new" who nonetheless can be tempted to his own destruction by vanity.

Wrinkle in Time has a lot of fertile subjects for discussions between parents and children about good, evil, how we treat each other, and the choices we make. Ms. L'Engel often uses moral themes in her books and this one contains excellent subjects for discussions about kindness, good, evil, God, and being different, and about the destructiveness of gossip.

Wrinke in Time is like the Potter books in that it is about boys and girls in a magical or fantasy setting. It is unlike the Potter books because it does not focus on wizardry as a craft. Instead it presents the universe as full of wonder, and united by a titanic struggle of Good against Evil. Like the Potter books, there are sequels to Wrinkle in Time, and the story of the Murray kids continues. This was hands-down my favorite book as a child. I still have my copy almost 40 years later.

The Strength of the Individual
Why are people so different from each other? Why can't everyone accept the differences and treat everyone with respect? Why do people always assume the worst about other people? And what would the world be like if everyone were the same?

For Meg Murry, these questions have critical import. As an adolescent who is always getting in trouble at school, both academically and behaviorally, she finds the ease with which her twin brothers manage to fit into society almost criminal, and her four-year old genius brother Charles just as impossible for not trying to correct the general impression of him as being a dolt. Worse, the gossip about her father, who has been missing for almost a year, makes her fly into a rage, as he is the person she looks to as able to fix all wrongs.

It is from this position that we start this wild adventure, a trip that will take Meg and Charles to several planets and multiple dimensions in search of their father, and will involve them in a fight with a truly evil entity, an entity that insists that the universe will run much better if only every intelligent being will think and act the same. Shepherded by Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Whatsit, who provide the means of travel and some important advice, the trip is a voyage of self-discovery, of learning the whys and wherefores of the world, of what is possible and impossible.

The themes L'Engle tackles in this book are as old as man: just what are good and evil, self-determination versus authoritarian dictates, what higher powers exist and what role do they play in shaping one's life, when should one bend to the dictates of custom and society and when should such be ignored, when must one depend on one's own abilities and not look for help from others. These themes are not baldly presented, but grow out of the story and her characters, and younger readers probably will not be too aware of them. At the same time, there is a certain amount of cuteness to the story and characters, which adults may find a little annoying, but is certainly appropriate to the intended reader age.

The conclusion of this book felt a little rushed, and the method of victory seemed far too simple, given the depth of theme that is buried in these pages. Perhaps that can be forgiven in a book that has several sequels, where these rough edges can be smoothed out. As an inventive, engaging book for young readers, this book is a winner, and still can be enjoyed by the adult reader.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)