Redheaded Reviews: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Meg, who is fourteen, is the daughter of two scientists, one of who is away somewhere and whom they haven't heard from in a year. She has two twin brothers who are ten, Dennys and Sandy and a five-year-old brother Charles Wallace. Meg doesn't fit in at school and may have to repeat her grade. Sandy and Dennys make average marks and play sports and fit in fine. Charles Wallace doesn't go to school yet but didn't start talking till he was four and when he did it was in full sentences but since he rarely talks around anyone but family people think he is slow. Charles Wallace has a way of understanding Mrs. Murrey and Meg and when they might need some a cup of soothing cocoa or someone to talk to and he is there for them.

It is Charles Wallace who introduces the family to Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who, two strange creatures who live with a Mrs. Which in the haunted house. Mrs. Whatsit wears an odd assortment of clothes and Mrs. Who wears odd glasses and quotes classic works a lot. When Charles Wallace and Meg go to their house to visit they run into Calvin a boy from school and it seems they are fated to meet him there so they invite him over for dinner. Calvin is great at English and stuff like that but not so good at math. Meg is brilliant at math as long as she can do the problems her own way but not so good at geography and English so they help each other with their homework.

Afterward, Calvin and Meg go for a walk and meet Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, as well as Charles Wallace. They are to tesser or wrinkle in space and time to get to the planet Uriel to see the Dark Shadow which is slowly taking over planets across the galaxy and is what their father is fighting. They take them to see the medium who shows them Earth who is under darkness but is fighting it and hasn't quite been taken over yet.

The real reason for taking them out there is that Meg and Charles Wallace's father needs their help. He is stuck on a dark planet called Camazotz. It's a cold planet where everyone does the same thing and no one thinks for themselves. Will they be able to get their father out without losing themselves in the process? This book is the first in a four-book series, but honestly, you don't have to read the other three. When I was a kid I read this book but not the other three and it didn't harm me in the slightest, so don't worry about getting bogged down into a commitment to a series with this one book. But if you want to further read about the adventures of these lovely characters you can. This book doesn't end on a cliffhanger or anything. This book tells what it is to be an outsider and misunderstood and angry that life isn't going the way you planned. It tells of the importance of friendship and the love of family. I loved this book the first time I read it and I love it, even more, the second time around. I give it five out of five stars.

Quotes

“I hate being an oddball,” Meg said. “It’s hard on Sandy and Dennys too. I don’t know if they’re really like everybody else, or if they’re just able to pretend they are. I try to pretend, but it isn’t any help.” “You’re much too straightforeward to be able to pretend you aren’t,” Mrs. Murry said.

-Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle In Time p 12-13)

Nothihng is hopeless; we must hope for everything.

-Euripides

Experience is the mother of knowledge.

-Cervantes

We are the stuff as dreams are made on.

-Shakespeare (Prospero “The Tempest”)

Maybe I don’t like being different but I don’t want to be like everybody else either.

-Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time p 141)

IT sometimes calls Itself the Happiest Sadist.

-Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle In Time p 141)

“Nobody suffers here,” Charles intoned. “Nobody is ever unhappy.” “But nobody’s ever happy, either, Meg said earnestly, “Maybe if you aren’t unhappy sometimes you don’t know how to be happy.”

-Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle In Time p 142)