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A Wrinkle in Time  By  cover art

A Wrinkle in Time

By: Madeleine L'Engle
Narrated by: Hope Davis, Ava DuVernay, Madeleine L'Engle, Charlotte Jones Voiklis
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Editorial review


By Seth Hartman, Audible Editor

A WRINKLE IN TIME IS A BONA FIDE SPECULATIVE FICTION CLASSIC

Like many kids growing up in the Northeast suburbs, I spent my summers at a sleepaway camp in the forests of Maine. Whenever anyone in my bunk would get homesick, our counselor, Claire, would pick a book from the small camp library. One night she came back with A Wrinkle in Time, an innocent looking little paperback. Little did I know, I was in for a much more substantive experience than I could ever have expected.

Our story opens with Meg Murry, an intelligent but shy girl who is becoming increasingly worried about her father, a brilliant astrophysicist who mysteriously disappeared a year ago. Before long, she is visited by Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, a gaggle of extradimensional beings determined to help Meg find her father. These so called "cherubim" provide our call to adventure, sending Meg on a psychedelic odyssey along with her precocious little brother Charles Wallace and her good friend, Calvin O’Keefe.

Before the end of the first chapter, my 10-year-old mind was sufficiently blown, filled with foreign concepts like tesseracts, cherubim, and the fifth dimension. Despite the lofty terminology and subject matter, author Madeleine L’Engle dared me to continue on (or, at least, have my counselor continue reading to me). While revisiting this book as an adult, it became clear that this story was something much deeper and larger than a fairy tale. L’Engle was a true student of the world, drawing terms and imagery from a number of sources, from theoretical physics to religious mysticism straight out of the Kabbalah, and deftly melding themes of family, duty, freedom, friendship, and faith into this strange brew of influences.

The unique imagery and thematic layout of this book is not its only defining feature, however. A Wrinkle in Time was released in 1962, during a pretty iconic era of fantasy and science fiction. As one of the few women in the field at the time, L’Engle and her female protagonist Meg made a striking impact on the literary world. Looking back at my introduction to A Wrinkle in Time, I’m glad it was read to me in a female voice. Experiencing the audiobook as an adult was even more exciting, as a cast of narrators fully flesh out L’Engle’s assortment of characters.

While my deeply impressionable young mind worked hard to make sense of this exceptionally trippy novel, I can confidently say that this book has something for everyone. Not only a classic children's book, A Wrinkle in Time remains an essential entry among science fiction’s greatest works.

Continue reading Seth's review >

Publisher's summary

Madeleine L’Engle’s ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic, now a major motion picture. This audiobook includes an introduction read by the film director Ava DuVernay, a foreword read by the author, and an afterword read by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis.

Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. He claims to have been blown off course, and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a “tesseract”, which, if you didn’t know, is a wrinkle in time. Meg’s father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?

In 1962, Madeleine L’Engle debuted her novel A Wrinkle in Time, which would go on to win the 1963 Newbery Medal. Bridging science and fantasy, darkness and light, fear and friendship, the story became a classic of children’s literature and is beloved around the world.

A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in The Time Quintet, which consists of A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time.

© 2007 by Taeeun Yoo. Used with permission of Pippin Properties, Inc.

©1962 Madeleine L'Engle (P)2011 Random House Audio

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What listeners say about A Wrinkle in Time

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    4 out of 5 stars

Easy Read. Great for kids!

I really enjoyed this book. Can't wait to watch the movie. i think kids would really enjoy this too

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was a great read then and a great listen now!

I hope you will enjoy listening as much as I did! Now the next one!

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Great for kids

So I enjoyed this, but in my opinion it is better for kids. I mean, it's a kid book so that makes sense, but it's kind of on the border between books that are only for kids and books that are for kids but adults can also enjoy them. And I really didn't like how whiney the narrator made Meg's voice, it got annoying pretty quickly. Most of the other voices were pretty great though. All in all, it was good, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did when I was a kid. But I can't really dock stars for that because that's it's intent lol. So for what it is, four stars.

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Revisiting an old favorite

With the movie (long overdue) coming out I wanted to revisit this old friend of a book before watching it updated on the screen. Being a child of the cold war I quickly slipped back into that time as I listened but also saw the new cautionary parallels to today's political and world situation. As young adults try to navigate their thoughts about an administration that has turned once more towards isolationism and xenophobia I believe this book would make a great interdisciplinary lesson combining physics, social studies, and American literature. It's also just a great story. Enjoy!

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Bravo

What an amazing story and it was read so beautifully. Bravo to all the narrators.

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hi

i love it so bad i am going to but the holl sires. Hi to you

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  • PJ
  • 08-31-16

Great book

Most enjoyable method of reading with my granddaughter. We are looking forward to the next book.

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good enough kids story but not great.

nice story, a little choppy. in the sense that it made great leaps in the storyline with little explanation. overall the theme did come through but with several moments of heaf scratching of how the story progressed.

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Wrinkle

I am not sure what all the hoopla has been about.I found the story ok,in a kids sort of way.I found Charles to be obnoxious and Meg to be whiney.It was just not for me.

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Great Story!!

A wrinkle in time is a great story to read but I love the way the narration brought these characters to life. It made you feel like you were engrossed in the story and traveling with them. Definitely a thumbs up!

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