A Wrinkle in Time

By: Madeleine L'Engle

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

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

Madeleine L'Engle's groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy classic, soon to be a major motion picture. This movie tie-in audiobook includes an introduction read by director Ava DuVernay, a foreword read by the author, and an afterword read by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis. 

Meg Murry, 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. Now Disney is taking it to the silver screen! Directed by Ava DuVernay and with an all-star cast that includes Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, and newcomer Storm Reid, the major motion picture brings the world of Wrinkle to life for a new generation of fans. 

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. 

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

Thank You for a New Narrator

Have always loved this book and when I found it in unabridged form I was thrilled. The first copy I purchased was narrated by the author, and while I love her books - I could not stand the sound of her voice. I was never able to get through the audio version because of it.

Now this new narrator is great and gives the feel of Meg Murray and her family. She does a great job. Story, great, narrator great - definitely recommended.

343 of 368 people found this review helpful

Winderful, captivating, story

Any additional comments?

It's still a fun and fabulous book. I first read it when I was a preteen or teenager, and the only thing was the struggle between "good" and "evil". I have read it several times since then, and each time I get a little more from it. I doubt that the author intended it to be an allegorical treatise on good versus evil, but it can be twisted and used and interpreted and applied to so many situations that it is easy to create it.
I realized this time that that the main character is only 13. It seems wrong in many ways, except that when I first read it, I was about that, and she seemed so right.
It's about a girl, Meg, who gets involved in a search for her missing scientist father, with her younger (five-year-old) "strange" brother, Charles-Wallace and a 15-year-old boy, Calvin, that she just met but is equivalently (although totally differently) strange. They get taken up by three wacky superhuman women and travel through galaxies and experience true evil incarnate. All of the characters are well-defined, and when you think that there's a chink, you determine that it's really just humanity written in. I strongly recommend this!

25 of 26 people found this review helpful

Great narration.

One of my favorite books from childhood. Hope Davis narrating is great. I first attempted to listen to a version narrated by the author, and it was unlistenable. Ms. L'engle is a genius writer, but her voice is not appropriate for the protagonist, and is, unfortunately, very spitty. And moist.

147 of 161 people found this review helpful

First book my....

...mother read to me as a child. The movie trailer triggered the memory for me. I haven’t read it since and figured it was high time I did.

The story was fantastic, it touched mathematics, numerous sciences and still connected it spiritually. It is a rare thing for an author to attempt to make all sides have their fair say, it is rarer still for an author to so successfully accomplish it.

I found the narrator to be so-so, her Meg voice just annoyed the heck out of me, thus the mid tier rating.

41 of 45 people found this review helpful

Just as I remembered it as a child

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. I read this book as a child and loved it, I wanted to relive it with audio as I drove to my sisters house. I would recommend this to a friend to entertain you on a road trip, or nostalgia, or for your kids!

What other book might you compare A Wrinkle in Time to and why?

There are no other books I have read that compare to this classic. I love the science fiction woven into a childrens book!

Have you listened to any of Hope Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't. I might have to, if she did any other Madeline L'Engle's audio books I might soon!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Travel to an alternate solar system and back.

Any additional comments?

I was always bothered by Mrs. Whatsit's talking in quotes, that has always bothered me when people speak in quotes.

28 of 31 people found this review helpful

Classic fairy tale

I really enjoyed the story, but it took a lot of effort to get past the voice for Meg. She felt like a parody of a whining child, reminiscent of Veruca Salt. The inner monologues made her an enjoyable character, but I feel like I’ll enjoy it more as a physical read.

29 of 33 people found this review helpful

Good Rewind to my youth.

I felt like a kid again reading this. It was one of my favorites as a child. I was surprised at how simplistic it seemed to me now. The Narrator did well.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Life is like a sonnet & she made poetry out of it!

If you wanna know more about this book and my experience, look for me! Inkish Kingdoms! (Wordpress)

The narration and the performer are amazing and outside of this world! She changes her voice totally for all the characters! You can totally follow the story just with her voices, such an experience! I will totally recommend you this amazing book!!

Regarding the book, the main character was at some point so annoying and immature. More at the end of the book than at the beginning. The message the author wants us to see through this character, or at least that is what I see, is to love yourself even with all your flaws. Besides, this title is for “kids” so I really like that message.

26 of 30 people found this review helpful

It's about time!

An obvious double meaning! I'm in my mid-60's, and I think all of my children read this book in the early- to mid- teens. I remember my daughter (the oldest) telling me I should read it, way back then, but I never got around to it. When I saw it for sale here I decided it was about time I checked it out. I'm so glad I did.

I enjoyed seeing the different personalities and strengths and weaknesses of the children in the story. I enjoyed seeing how Meg's mind worked, and how honest she was. It is a beautiful story, beautifully told.

29 of 35 people found this review helpful

Childhood Classic

I can see why this book is a children???s classic; the adventure, intrigue and fantasy world combine together to make a truly fantastic novel. This is the first time I???ve read this book and I do feel like I missed out on experiencing this as a child. The three children in this book are great characters, not the typical sweet kids you seem to find in children???s stories; these kids have flaws and have been told to embrace them. Through their adventures to Camazotz you find that all the kids talents work together to help each other; Calvin shows an interest in philosophy, Meg with her talent for mathematics and Charles' intellectually curious.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the intrigue kept pushing me through this book. The weirdness of the plot and the world reminded me a little of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass and how much I enjoyed reading that book. Don???t let the fact that this is a Children???s classic stop you from reading this book; like Alice???s Adventures in Wonderland this is equally enjoyable to read as an adult. The philosophical and religious metaphors in the book would make this the perfect book to dissect and explore deeper.

28 of 34 people found this review helpful

sci fi for the young adult.

its a long time since I was a young adult but I did enjoy this book. its not in the harry potter or the secrets of the immortal Nicholas flamel series league but is a good introduction into the sci fi/ fantasy genre leading onto the great writers - Arthur c clark, Asimov, neil gaiman, terry pratchet.and phllip pullman
fast paced, good characterisation, a little scary, a happy ending what more could you ask for.
the narrator at times seemed to be a little stilted but acted the parts well.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Not for me.

I liked the look of the film, and therefore decided to give the book a shot. Reading it however made me realise that books narrated through the perspective of a child are no longer for me. The story was relatively short and concise, but the constant narration of the fear and then the subsequent bratiness and me against the world attitude makes me remember that I am not the target audience for this story. It irritated me and made the readers voice grind on my nerves with the repetition of said things. Perhaps I've missed the point, and am missing what makes this story great, but not everything is for everyone and this is unfortunately was not for me.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Exciting for younger readers

Very inventive. My children loved it and could not wait to finish it. They are 9 and 11.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Could be better

Felt the reading was weak. Never seemed to get going. Would have preferred a more expressive performance.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great story, well read!

I did not know what to expect but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the excellent performance.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

confusing at first... and up to the end... Catchy.

first few chapters were quite confusing as I struggled to understand the purpose of the book and the storyline. But once the journey began, I knew I was in for a thrill.

Fantastical and fantastic.

Adults and kids alike loved it on a long car trip. Strangely appropriate for our time.