A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (5)

Meg's father, an eminent physicist, has been missing for two years. One night a strange old woman, Mrs. Whatsit, appears, "blown off course" while she, along with Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, was tessering, or taking a shorcut through time and space.

They take Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their new friend Calvin, to rescue Dr. Murray, who is a prisoner on a planet ruled by IT, a giant pulsating brain that controls the minds of everyone on the planet. Charles Wallace also falls under IT's control, and when Meg finds her father, she discovers that he is not the invincible protector she thought he was. She must not only come to terms with this realization, but find a way to rescue them both.

I purchased this book because: So many people have mentioned it to me that I thought I would be crazy not to get it

Opening lines: It was a dark and stormy night. In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind.

Oh my Golly Gosh why did it take me years to read this book ..... It is definitely one of my favourite all time reads ... And one book that I have to say is a must for every household to have on their bookshelf ... I have got brightly coloured post-its all over this book ... I just was so sad that it had to come to an end ....

You know you are reading a good book when you just get carried away with the storyline and the characters ... When you visualize everything in your head like a movie .... And the great thing about this book is that it is not only a great fantasy novel but also has great words of insight and lessons that we can all learn ... Can you tell that I loved this novel ...

It was written back in 1962 which shows that a great novel stands the test of time ... And that Madeleine the author was going to give up on publishing it because she kept getting rejected ... There is a lesson to be learnt to never give up ...

I love all the characters in this book especially the main character of Margaret ... This novel has such a powerful way of addressing issues and how to overcome them ... And to show that in the end 'LOVE' conquers all ... And one of the main issues in the novel is Conformity .... And it is something that most of us will suffer from one time or another ... But this novel teaches us that it is OK to be different and to be you !!

Where to begin with my favourite quotes because there are sooooooooo many: "Everybodys exactly alike" .. Meg replies triumphantly, " No! Like and equal are not the same thing at all!" pg 3

'But I think that with our human limitations we're not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don't understand doesn't mean that the explanation doesn't exist' Pg 53

'An old ass knows more than a young colt' Perez Pg 63

'I do not know everything; still many things I understand' Goethe Pg 113

'We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.' Pg 205

'Why do you think we have wars at home? Why do you think people get confused and unhappy? Because they all live their own, separate, individual lives. I've been trying to explain to you in the simplest possible way that on Camazotz individuals have been done away with. Camazoz in ONE mind. It's IT. And that's why every one's so happy and efficient' Pg 157

'Her father: 'We can't leave her. And we must stay together. We must not be afraid to take time' pg 182

'You mean you're comparing our lives to a sonnet? A strict form, but freedom within?' .. You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you' Pg 219

With Madeleine's grand-daughter's help her stories have been re-published so we can appreciate them all over again as a new generation ... If you want to be transported into a different world this is definitely a novel for you and one that you will re-read again and again :) ..

I rate this book 5*****

Here's the movie clip .... I haven't watched this movie before and have been told that the book is far better ... No surprise there then ..

Books in the Time Series in order are:

1) A Wrinkle in Time

2) A Wind in the Door

3) A Swiftly Tilting Planet

4) Many Waters

5) An Acceptable Time