A Wrinkle in Time, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. 

Is this anyone's first time reading through the book? I am embarrassed to say that this is my first time actually reading the story. I have attempted to read it several times, but I've never actually gotten all the way through. I am really enjoying the beginning so far, and I'm trying to figure out why I never finished the book before.

What do you think about the science fiction elements? The story becomes fantastic right from the beginning since we meet Mrs. Whatsit in the first chapter. Have you found it difficult to visualize everything that's happening in the story since it's so outside of our regular world? The most challenging part for me to imagine was when they travel through space to see the Black Thing.

One of the eeriest parts was when Meg, Charles, and Calvin traveled to Camazotz, a town where all of those kids were doing everything in unison. It was also pretty strange when a mother freaked out and hid her son when she realized that he wasn't synchronized with the other kids. Apparently, the creators of the newest A Wrinkle in Time movie agreed that this was one of the creepiest parts of the book, and they used that scene to help draw interest to the movie. According to this article from The Hollywood Reporter, producers promoted the movie by having kids with rubber balls and mothers in retro outfits recreating that scene at San Diego Comic-Con. Check out the article to see photos from the event.

By the end of this section, the children are tasked with defeating the evil Black Thing in order to save their father. It seems like an impossible task, especially since the women warn that the children will have to be strong and will face incredible danger. This section ends with the children approaching CENTRAL Central Intelligence. What do you think they will encounter there? What is the deal with Camazotz, and why is everyone so creepy there? What do you think this all has to do with Mr. Murry?

Has reading this book made you want to learn more about Madeleine L'Engle? She would have turned 100 years old this year, and in honor of that, two of her granddaughters have published a book that tells a lot about L'Engle's early life. Check out this article from the Chicago Tribune if you want to read about what made her granddaughters want to take on this project, and make sure to check out the book, Becoming Madeleine. Also, this article from Smith College describes how L'Engle's family is honoring her legacy by donating her papers and manuscripts to the college.

I hope you enjoyed this first section and are able to read the end of the book for the discussion next week. I hope to hear from you in the comments section!