A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle ***

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is a combination of Flatland and Narnia. Opening with the infamous “It was a dark and stormy night,” L’Engle considers the mysteries of time-space and the human psyche, from the science to religion.

The book was generous with profound advice.

 “I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.”

“What were her greatest faults? Anger, impatience, stubbornness. Yet, it was her faults that she turned to saved herself now.”

“But we know that just because we want something does not mean that we will get what we want, …”

As Meg, together with her genius, otherworldly brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin search for her father, they meet a variety of aliens: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, The Black Thing, The Happy Medium, The Man with Red Eyes, IT, and Aunt Beast.

“If it was impossible to describe sight to Aunt Beast to Aunt Beas, it would be even more impossible to describe the singing of Aunt Beast to a human being.”

As with other fantasy quests, like Lord of the Ring, Wizard of Oz, or Alice in Wonderland, these encounters did not especially move the narrative forward. Also, like other fantasy quests, in the end the quests were unnecessary for the resolution.

“Love.
That is what she had that IT did not have.
…
‘I love you!” she cried. ‘I love you Charles! I love you!’
The suddenly...he was in her arms…”

Along the way, I was as confused as the characters and unfortunately, I couldn’t accept the neat conclusion. I like Wizard or Oz and Alice in Wonderland better.

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for book recommendations.