A Wrinkle in Time

I first read this book somewhere between second and fourth grade. My mom gave me the paperback copy from her classroom library (her days of teaching school ended before I was born). I was excited to read the book again (about 40 years later) and discuss it with my Great Books book club today.

What a great discussion it was! I was a little surprised at the depth we were able to go, and that discussion certainly improved my view of the book.

I think it's important to take a step back and think about a book and the time it was released. When “A Wrinkle in Time“ was published in 1962, it was revolutionary for young adult fiction. Young girls were rarely encouraged to be different and to furthermore celebrate their otherness and certainly were not encouraged to use their anger or exploit their faults. In addition, most Science Fiction writers were men, which probably explains why it took so long for L'Engle to find a publisher for the book. Even in the ‘80s, we did not have the plethora of fantasy and science fiction books that kids today do. In fact, one thing that the members of the book club mentioned was that most of our young adult reading was from the Victorian era!

First, I want focus on some of my favorite things about this book.

I love that the book starts off with “it was a dark and stormy night” and sets a tone of uncertainty, a feeling of not being safe, and letting the reader know that Meg's day at school was rather bad. This is a great way to draw the reader in and explore the backstory of several of our main characters. We also learned that Meg's father is missing and some of the small town folks, including the very inappropriate principal, feel it's totally cool to scold Meg for not accepting that her father may have left the family. This would've been a pretty hairy topic in the early 60s; in the vast majority of books aimed at kids during that time, a parent was not around because they were dead.

As we move through the story, character development and worldbuilding are pretty solid. The Ray Bradbury-esque description of the sameness of Camazotzians to the comforting tentacles of the Aunt Beast on Ixchel were outstanding.

The late 1950s/early 1960s were a time that many Americans were still struggling to assimilate into the melting pot. At the same time, there was a backlash against Communism any threat of being forced to be all the same. Quite an interesting dichotomy that I think comes out in this book whether intentional or not.

There was also a huge interest in science and space full of so many unknowns. It's key that Meg has a working scientist mother, which was unusual.

What's also striking in this book are the themes of adapting when you can't see (Mr. Murray and Mrs. Who's glasses) or communicating with creatures or people that don't speak the same language or live in a very different world. Although self-reliance is important in this book, there's also an emphasis on working with friends and family when challenges arise. While themes like this are common in today's YA literature, I would say they were ground-breaking at the time the book was released.

Now onto what I didn't like.

Sometimes the language felt too simple, especially given some of the quotes or ideas presented.

Meg was super annoying at times (you know it's bad when Aunt Beast won't hug you) and I suppose L'Engle wanted to present a teenager struggling with large and difficult situations, but I didn't find myself rooting for her as I think I was supposed to!

“Love conquers all” saves the day - I wish some other method of saving Charles Wallace could have been the answer.

If I weren't to consider this book in historical context, I find it's not as excellent a book and likely wouldn't win a Newbery metal today. However, I don't think that's necessarily fair. Would there be a Harry Potter or the oodles of other YA fiction so popular today without AWIT to pave the way?

At the end of the day, I still think this book is worthwhile for 4th to 6th graders to read because it does spark the imagination and has valuable themes. I hope that my 10 and 12-year-old step kids will end up reading the book at some point and let me know what they think.

Discussion Questions another group member put together:

1. Madeleine L'Engle had trouble finding a publisher for this book. No one knew who the book was for and didn't know how to market it. L'Engle said, “It's for people don't people read book?” Who do you think the book is for? How would you categorize it?
2. What are your thoughts on L'Engle's writing style? Were you at all surprised by the way in which science is depicted and discussed in the book? What do you make of “It was a dark and stormy night,” as the opening line of the book?
3. “A Wrinkle in Time” was written from 1950-1960 and published in 1962. What were some parallels of the global and domestic stage at the time that are reflected in the novel? Do you find any of these parallels relevant today?
4. Sight is a recurring theme in the novel. What do you think L'Engle is trying to say regarding vision/blindness literal and metaphorical? What did you make of the juxtaposition of Mr. Murray needing special glasses to see his children vs Aunt Beast and the species that do not have a sense of sight as we do?
5. “A Wrinkle in Time” is often found on banned books lists. Why do you think the book is banned?  
6. A major theme of the novel good vs evil. Do you see this as a religious parable or social commentary? Did you find this message complex or oversimplified?
7. L'Engle references quite a few classic pieces of literature and the Bible, often through Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which. Do you think these three characters were inspired by Biblical or literary characters?
8. L'Engle also touches on feelings of alienation. Meg worries that her father has abandoned the family; Charles Wallace unsettles most people due to his odd personality and preternatural maturity. Fear of the “other” is seen through Meg and Calvin as they are initially terrified by the citizens controlled by IT on Camazotz. If the novel were written today, how do you think these feelings would be addressed in modern terminology?
9. Meg is a flawed person. Does her character feel well-developed in this story? Do you admire Meg? Why or why not?
10. What are your thoughts on Charles Wallace? Did your impression of him change from the beginning to the end of the novel?
LINKS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIFmuIsjGME
https://youtu.be/LxhW3-vXDsk?si=8lQFPVJxjXPTt-fW
https://youtu.be/D0AjelTAcMk?si=Me-7ZNWkTlF1QdEf