"It was a dark and stormy night."
Best beginning of any novel ever! I remember thinking this the first time I picked up this book as a tween. And it was a book that I read multiple times within those few early teenage years. I remember enjoying the book immensely.
When I watched the movie a few months ago, I remembered pieces of it, but not enough to contrast between the book and movie. I had heard complaints about how different the movie was compared to the book and how much was changed, but until I read the book, I was not aware just how much the movie deviated from the original story.
A Wrinkle in Time is a fantastic tale that is not set in a certain time. In fact, unless you checked the copyright date, you'd never know that it was written in 1962. It feels like present day.
Meg Murry is the main protagonist, and she, along with her brother Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin, are whisked away by Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. As a child, I thought these names were fantastic! Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which act as guardians, showing the children the terrible danger that lurks nearby and bringing them on an adventure into danger where they have a chance to save their father. The danger is The Black Thing, the Shadow, the Darkness that threatens peoples hearts and souls. But there are those who are fighting it, bringing light to the Darkness and sending the Darkness away.
The children are taken and left on the planet Camazotz where the people are controlled by IT. Everything is the same and like, and no one needs to think. IT offers freedom from thought and freedom of rest. But it's not real freedom. Charles Wallace is taken in by IT and Meg is the only one who can free him, free him with the one thing that IT does not have: love. In the end, Meg saves the day, and the family is all reunited.
What I was most surprised about and what I had forgotten about this book was that it has Christian view. The Black Thing is the evil devil, trying to manipulate and possess the people of the world. He fills them with hate, jealousy, greed, and the need for an easy, thought-free life. But there are fighters of good, bringing love and hope to a world of darkness. A few times throughout the book, scripture is quoted, and the Lord is referenced. Of course, those parts were deleted from the movie, but it brings the idea of spiritual warfare to the fore-front. We, as Christians, are surrounded by the powers of darkness. But we have peace knowing that Jesus has defeated the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. Though we are still plagued by these, we have the ultimate hope of salvation and true freedom from them.
This book is a fast paced story. The author does not dwell on flowery descriptions of places or people so that makes the story feel faster. There is always something happening.
I would recommend this story for middle school and young adult boys and girls. It is a classic, but it is still a great story. It is a little unusual and strange, but it would be a wonderful book to discuss with kids to find out what they notice about it.
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