I liked this book. It was very well written and I love the fact that I was able to conjure up the scenery and characters. The author is very descriptive. There were some odd language that didn't make sense. The characters spoke a different version of English that, I am assuming, was more prevalent in the era the books were written in. Other than that, I thought the book (it was all three in one) was very well done and I am glad I have finally read it. ( )

1. A Wrinkle in Time

I have the 50th anniversary edition of [The Wrinkle in Time Trilogy] (though there are more books in the series and, according to the family trees at the beginning of my book, other L'Engle books connected to them). The first chapter is familiar - I must have read it as promotional material at the back of another book - but this is the first time I've read this classic. I've picked it up now because the film is due out in cinemas next month.

Meg Murry, a misfit at school, meets the strange characters Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which and is whisked off by them with Charles Wallace - her baby brother - and Calvin - one of the most popular boys in school - to save her father and the universe.

I think the strength of the book is seeing Meg in her daily life and at school - I wonder if she was based on L'Engle herself? I like the family dynamics in Meg’s family; you can see there’s a lot of love and support to go around. Comparing that with the glimpse we get of Calvin’s family, you can see why he’s thrilled to visit the Murrys, though I do feel sorry for his overwhelmed mother - I think we’ve all had days when we’ve felt the way she does.

“Anndd wee mussttn’tt looose ourr sensses of hummour,” Mrs Which said. “Thee onnlly wway tto ccope withh ssometthingg ddeadly sseriouss iss tto ttry tto trreatt itt a llittlle lligghtly.”

I must say I wasn’t quite so keen on Meg’s precocious baby brother, Charles Wallace (whose double name doesn't flow comfortably for me, either), until right at the end when he started behaving like a five year old. Though I quite liked the Mrs Ws and I love Aunt Beast.

To be perfectly honest, the quotes from the bible, which is Earth-centric, felt rather out of place on a planet many galaxies away. I did wonder if the very regimented town life on the planet of Camazot (i.e. not the shining ideal of Camelot?) proscribed by IT (was that intentionally spelled I.T.?) was a commentary on modern life - but this book was first published in 1962.

L'Engle had a hard time getting this first book published and had just about given up; I suppose it is quite unusual for its time. I see that it is labelled science fiction, presumably because Meg and her associates travel through time and space using the concept of a tesseract and land on different planets but I would call it fantasy, based on the description of life and the environment on those planets. As a story, I didn’t feel there was enough detail or depth to engage with it, except for the first chapters of Meg’s home life. I will read the other books in the trilogy at some point, but I don’t feel a burning desire to rush straight into them right now. Maybe I would have been more invested in this story if I had read it as a child, but I suspect not (or, at least, not much more).

3/3.5 stars ***

Averaging out: 3.5 stars ( )

Meg is a rather peculiar child who is an outcast in her school or even at home. Meg is to believe to be dumb and as bright as her young siblings. But Meg is very bright but does that reveal that to everyone. Meg's younger brother Charles Wallace, has a way of protecting her and her mother ever since their father left and never returned. One night a visitor comes that begins a adventure that only Meg and Charles Wallace can take, later meeting Calvin. Calvin is a neighborhood boy who has been called to the mission also. This a great book that expands the minds of children beyond our understanding. ( )