This is not so much a book review but a personal commentary on the social and moral issues presented in this classic children’s novel. Be glad to know that this is a spoiler-free review! But also realize that you don’t need me to tell you that this is a great book for any reader of all ages.
A Wrinkle in Time - Yearling edition
A Wrinkle in Time is a book written by Madeleine L’Engle, first published in 1962! It’s a classic children’s novel that has won several awards since. The story revolves around an earthly family discovering otherworldly (but fascinating) beings and an alien society that is in some ways just as weird as the one described in “The Giver” — another excellent young adult book. Wrinkle, in many ways, is a moral criticism of modern society and scientific study, thinly disguised as a science fantasy novel.
My copy of A Wrinkle in Time is my first ever purchase at BookSale! Got it for only 20 pesos!
Wrinkle illustrates several characters with the usual features found in other books similar to it, such as the desire of young characters to be different just to be accepted or simply finding one’s individuality. Most of these concepts will probably go over the head of younger readers but that’s precisely why it’s also a great book for the child at heart.
As a Catholic, I caught many of the hints subtly suggesting a spiritual context. But the book also introduces some interesting (although probably blasphemous) anecdotes on the world’s most popular religious figures like Jesus and Buddha. I appreciate the book’s interest on the non-physical but I would suggest to the conservative folks who’ll read this to just keep in mind that it’s fiction and to lighten up a bit. 
The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men…
– Mrs. Who
If I’d have to pick one aspect of this book which I love the most, it is the character Charles Wallace Murry. I’m not gonna spoil you on what his character is like but I will say that I really enjoyed reading him as much as I did reading that quirky boy of Mark Haddon’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”. It’s just a pity that we “lose” Charles Wallace about halfway through the novel. Honestly, I don’t know what it is about eccentric characters which draw me to them. Maybe I am abnormal after all. *chews nails*
Wrinkle... and my copy of The Curious Incident...
The primary conflict unravels when the Murry family makes a huge and ideology-shattering scientific discovery. It is very disconcerting to learn how science often takes things for granted, all for the sake of furthering our knowledge. You might be familiar of the Large Hadron Collider or LHC. It’s a new invention that smashes atoms to prove the existence of Higgs boson or the God particle. The geek in me is excited for the new stuff we might discover but I also think it’s a very dangerous undertaking since we’re literally treading on uncharted territory with these experiments. Who knows? They might even slice through a tesseract and let into our world some spectres! Oops, wrong book. 
Wrinkle also hit me with the reality that in astronomical terms, the human race is a very, very primitive civilization. The science we know right now could easily be turned right on its head. In physics today, there’s popular talk about hidden and multiple dimensions. We can comprehend 3D and 4D since those are simply space and time, respectively. But once you go higher from 5th to the believed limit of an 11th dimension, we can’t seem to wrap our heads around that possibility at all.
Just proves how little we know…
– Mr. Murry
Some people may find the book’s ending to be unimaginative, even clichéd. But maybe that’s the whole point. Isn’t it that the simplest of the solutions is almost always the best one? And after everything is truly accounted for, isn’t it true that what really matters in the end are the things we often take for granted in our everyday life?
Wrinkle reminded me again that temporal things are largely insignificant in the grand scheme of things. In fact, the most significant discovery the human race can achieve right now is not a proof of the existence of another universe but to learn the secret of how to stop ourselves from killing each other.
A Wrinkle in Time - First edition cover
A Wrinkle in Time - Latest edition cover
Read this book if you want a unique look at how things might be if alien life did exist and there was a quick way to travel from our world to theirs. How will you react if it was your family who discovers this new reality? If you’d like to see how a dysfunctional family will deal with it, read this book.
A Wrinkle in Time is the first book of the Time Quartet series by Madeleine L’Engle, which chronicles the lives of the Murry family. Of course, I hope to read the rest of the series someday as I’m still quite intrigued by the Charles Wallace character. I wonder how he’ll grow up and mature if he’s already like THIS at such a young age!
Purchase a copy of “A Wrinkle in Time” at Amazon.com
Visit the official site of “A Wrinkle in Time” author Madeleine L’Engle
nice book, i love the cover thans bye..!!!
I will have to get myself that book A Wrinkle in Time – it is perfect for children’s bedtime stories.
Thank you for sharing such an interesting and informative article. – Pilipino
Hi, its nice to know of fellow readers elsewhere. It’s been a growing dilemma. Fewer people read books. I’d like to borrow your ‘The Giver’ Hehe.
do you do bookswaps?
I have been curious about all those three books you posted in your photos, esp. the one of Mark Haddon. I’ll probably get around to purchasing it this year.
Hi Jo! If I’d have to recommend only one of those 3 books, it will be The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. It’s easily one of my top favorites last year. If only I didn’t have many books in my TBR pile, I’d read that one over and over again!
This is due for a re-read for me, I last read it in high school!
Hi Blooey! Man, you have such great schools! They didn’t even encourage reading to us back then. Good thing I just have a natural affection for it.