A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle¶

Just some quick thoughts:

1. I thought the most profound statement the book made was the description of Meg after the family escapes from IT without Charles. In the story, “IT” represents a kind of evil, possessive force. The hubris of the young son, Charles, gets him caught in IT’s power. Shortly after, the family escapes and Meg is furious and scared that they’ve left Charles behind. L’Engle writes that in her fear and anger, Meg is as much controlled by IT as Charles. Though she is not in the presence of evil, her abilities are crippled by an extension of her memory.
2. At the end of the book, there’s some discussion of God’s sovereignty. L’Engle uses the analogy of the sonnet to describe our life’s freedom within restrictions. A sonnet requires a very strict form, specific rhyming rules, and a limited length. But the poet is still allowed to express anything they like within these rules. So likewise our lives have rules but our freedom of expression is great.
3. Meg’s character is constantly vacillating between very happy and very sad emotions. I got a little tired riding the roller coaster of her emotions through the book. Shannon says this is just an accurate depiction of a teenage girl’s feelings. Yikes. Now I remember those teenage years. It’s exhausting just to read it in a work of fiction.

Though you’ll find it in the juvenile section of your library, it’s worth a read at any age.