A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Summary: On a dark and stormy night, Meg Murry, her younger brother Charles Wallace, and their mother receive an unexpected visit by a disturbing stranger. Meg’s father mysteriously disappeared after experimenting with the fifth dimension of time travel. Now, Meg, her classmate Calvin, and Charles Wallace must outwit the forces of evil through space to rescue him.
The First Wrinkle
I would easily lose track if I had to remember that number of times I heard someone say how much they loved A Wrinkle in Time as a kid. I, however, had not only never read the book, I wasn’t even really familiar with it until recently. Thus, I was excited to experience A Wrinkle in Time based on the excitement from the bookosphere. Also, the previews for the movie adaptation were breathtaking. Unfortunately, A Wrinkle in Time underwhelmed me. That was quite a disappointment because I really, really, really, really wanted to love this book.
The pace for the majority of the book was too slow for my liking. Also, the end was wrapped up too easily and too quickly for my taste. Plus, the end of A Wrinkle in Time did not entice me to continue reading the series. The good news is the characters are really what helped me enjoy certain parts of the book. I absolutely adored the precocious “5 going on 50” Charles Wallace!
He was too smart for his own good, which got him into a major pickle during the story. On the other hand, Charles Wallace accepted the eccentric Mrs. W’s without question and believed in Meg before she believed in herself. That makes him one of the best sidekicks in my book! Like so many fans of A Wrinkle in Time, I loved Aunt Beast, the gentle alien who cares for Meg when she is at her lowest low. Everyone needs an Aunt Beast in their lives!
A Beautiful + Flawed Adaptation
I wanted to read A Wrinkle in Time able before seeing the adaptation so I would better understand the story. Although the book didn’t blow me away, I was still excited to see the movie. The visuals in the previews were that good. I was also looking forward to Ava DuVernay’s interpretation of A Wrinkle in Time with a diverse cast in the Mrs. W’s and the Murry family. Queen Oprah was born to play the sage and god-like Mrs. Which!
However, I could have done without Mrs. Who’s quotes. Although I like that she only speaks in quotes, I wanted to hear more of the quotes from A Wrinkle in Time. I guess modern quotes work better for an audience that might not have read the book. The biggest disappointment in the adaptation in A Wrinkle in Time was the absence of everyone’s favorite eyeless four-armed alien. Meg needed that extra dose of love before entering the final battle.
I also would have liked more of the banter between the kids and The Man with Red Eyes. That was one of my favorite parts in A Wrinkle in Time. I wasn’t a fan of the quick beach scene. What was wrong with the original location of CENTRAL Central Intelligence we got to experience in the book?
Overall Opinion
Although I am not a fan of A Wrinkle in Time, it was an okay read. I read more than 75% before the book captured my attention. That is disappointing because the ending came too quickly afterwards. At least the characters were engaging enough to keep me in the story until then. I can see why it was a childhood favorite for others and would happily introduce the book to any young bibliophiles in my life.
The same can be said about the adapation. It was visually stunning, bold, and bright. However, I will not recommend anyone add A Wrinkle in Time to their Netflix queue anytime soon. The movie was took too much literary license with the story. I was sad by the absence of some major characters from the book. However, the movie upheld the theme of self love being the way Meg is finally able to defeat IT. Rating: Laborious Literature / Kettle Korn