Welcome! This post is part of my Most Interesting Questions series, which means I’ll be answering the most interesting questions I can find or think of on Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. The A Wrinkle in Time book is part of the larger A Wrinkle in Time series. It was also made into a movie in 2003. The main characters are Meg Murry, Calvin O’Keefe, and Charles Wallace Murry, Meg’s little brother. A Wrinkle in Time is really a good read, and ahead of its time (it was published back in 1962). Here are the most interesting questions about Madeleine L’Engle’s famous series:
Q #1: Is the novel A Wrinkle in Time worth reading?
A: Yes. Well, I would say yes depending on what type of books you like. A Wrinkle in Time is science fiction, and it’s a children’s book, though I think it could be enjoyed by teens also. Adults might like it as light reading, it’s a great story, though the story is more in line with what a child or teen might enjoy, in my opinion.
Q #2: What’s your favourite line in A Wrinkle in Time?
A: This is a great question! There are lots of great lines. However, one that sticks with me is Mrs. Whatsit’s last line in the first chapter. She just says casually: “there is such a thing as a tesseract” and it completely draws you in and makes you want to read the rest of the book.
Q #3: In A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle the protagonists encounter a city where everything runs on a schedule and is controlled by a nefarious machine if memory serves. If you read the book what was your impression?
A: This is one of the best parts in my opinion. Most obviously, it’s a warning that uniformity is the enemy of freedom. But also, that is just the surface-level meaning. Given the time this book was published, smack dab in the middle of the cold war, I think it’s likely this was an analogy for the dangers of communism. However, in present day it’s easy to see these dangers popping up in the capitalist world too. Given the connectivity of everyone, and the booming population, people have become more like a number than ever before, and big corporations are plugging them into a pipeline where everything runs on schedule and everyone is expected to act in a uniform machine-like manner. Beyond this, social media and the connectiveness of the world has made it easier than ever to quickly learn what is popular and what is not. People post on Facebook en-masse about TV shows like Game of Thrones, and then more people go to watch Game of Thrones because everyone else is posting about it, and then they post about it, and the cycle continues. It’s great for popular shows like Game of Thrones (and this isn’t a commentary on that show, it’s just a recent example of this I’ve seen) but this kind of behavior quickly leads to a society that is conditioned to all do the same things, all act the same way, all think the same way, and run the same way, like a machine.
Q #4: What is the worst book to movie inaccuracy in A Wrinkle in Time (2018)?
A: In my opinion, the worst inaccuracy has to do with the tone of the movie. Hollywood made it all about adventure and action. There was a point in the movie when I remember Meg and Calvin running away from the It, in a sort of chase that I distinctly remember didn’t happen. They also had another scene where Meg goes riding on the backs of these giant green things that didn’t belong. Adventure and action isn’t bad, necessarily, but it wasn’t the point of the book. The book had a lot of messages about society, about culture, about family, about growing up, and these were sacrificed to make a movie that was essentially a fun romp through a wrinkle in time.
Q #5: Is the book A Wrinkle in Time for teens (15y)?
A: Yes, I think it absolutely can be a great book for teens! It’s usually targeted at middle grade, which is ages 8-12, but I believe it could easily appeal to a teen as well.
Q #6: Is A Wrinkle in Time considered to be a children’s book?
A: Yes. It’s great for kids ages 8 and up!
Q #7: Is it possible to tether (teleport) just like characters from the movie A Wrinkle in Time?
A: I would say not that we know of. Of course, in A Wrinkle in Time, the three women who show Meg how to tesser are all otherwordly beings. Their knowledge surpasses our own. Even fifty or more years after the book was written, I would have to say that we don’t know enough about the universe to know whether or not tessering is possible. With our current technology, we can’t do it. However, with all of the laws of the universe we know, as far as I am aware, we can’t rule it out as possible.
Thanks for reading! Now I invite you to check out more MIQ posts below, or my books. I am an author of epic fantasy and children’s science fiction from Portland, OR. If you liked A Wrinkle in Time, you may very well enjoy one of my pieces,which I worked very hard on.
carlcotarobles.com 