I wanted to begin this blog with a recommendation. But when I read some of the comments left on Amazon about the book I was going to recommend, Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, another idea came to me.
I loved this book when I was a kid. I absolutely adored Meg Murray, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O’Keefe. But what I loved most about the book was that it made me think. It stretched my brain muscles in a way that no other book had before. The completely believable science behind the tesseract made the trio’s journey to find Meg’s and Charles Wallace’s father seem like it could have happened yesterday. The brilliant flash of understanding that the reader experiences along with Meg when Mrs. Whatsit explains how the tesseract works is truly magical.
Having said this, I wanted to comment on the fact that there are some out there that don’t understand the magic behind the words Ms. L’Engle weaves. Or perhaps it IS the magic she weaves that they are frightened of. Either way, to dismiss this book as mere garbage is doing the entire Science Fiction genre a disservice. Perhaps, after all is said and done, the type of people who don’t enjoy stories like this should stick to non-fiction. Either that or do some of those brain exercises on the Nintendo DS.
Having read the book multiple times, I must say I never realized the religious allegory in the story. Perhaps because it wasn’t as blatant as that in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, I simply missed the cues. Or perhaps we’re digging too deeply into stories that are meant to be stories. I always find it a bit depressing when a good story, that’s excellent in its own right, is dissected into its component parts to infer some underlying reason for its existence. Detailing those mysteries seems to cheapen the experience of reading the book to begin with.
Maybe that’s why I’m not an English major anymore…
sladow Said:
on September 5, 2006 at 6:29 pm
Sorry to hear you’ve left the fold. I understand how you feel. I always read for the story first, then I read a second time to begin analyzing. But I’m so integrated into the field now that often I can’t just read to enjoy the story. There’s hyper-critical brain interference–but I do think good lit crit should deepen our appreciation of a work rather than turn us away from the text….
This is a great topic, and having taught children’s lit, I might be able to converse a bit with you.
Try looking over
There might be a few there new to you……
gunshyvw Said:
on September 6, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Ah, the key there is ‘good’ lit crit. And I agree. When its good, its spot on and can really help to discover new and different ways of looking at texts. However, I have a problem with the ‘bad’ crit, I guess. The criticism that doesn’t seem to have any relevance to the actual text, but says more about the lense through which is is being viewed.
Well, that and the fact that my interpretations were always considered ‘wrong’ by those in the know.
sladow Said:
on September 13, 2006 at 8:53 pm
It helps if I leave a link, doesn’t it? I was referring you to
Children’s Literature .
gunshyvw Said:
on September 13, 2006 at 8:57 pm
OMG! I about woke everybody up just watching the intro! Of course, now I have to go back and actually nose around the site. (And add it to the blogroll, of course! )thanks much!
largemouth Said:
on September 14, 2006 at 12:46 am
Did you ever read Rushdie? “The Satanic Verses”? Never fear, it’s not really a religious text. It is a bit of fiction that the Islamic society decided to read way to far into. Rushdie even had a price put on his head and he had to flee the country. If you have 16 or so hrs on your hands, I suggest reading it. It’s a great read, but accept it as fiction and you will find it’s worth. If you’re looking for the underlying message that you were talking about in your post you will be dissappointed. Incidentally, I heard that the Sha never even read the book before he put the price on Rushdie’s head. He was just responding to pop. political/religious rhet.
My favorite Sci-Fi writer was Terri Brooks. His Shannara books prevented me from having the 3.0 that my parrents wanted from me in high school as I had my nose in them during all of my classes!
Matt
gunshyvw Said:
on September 14, 2006 at 6:26 am
I’ve heard of that, but never picked it up for that reason. I always thought it was a religious text. +laughs+ But, perhaps now I’ll find (someday) the time to read it. Maybe this summer… Or over Christmas break…
Kat Said:
on October 5, 2006 at 1:12 pm
I loved this book when I read it in year 8. The movie was on TV last year and I couldn’t bring myself to watch it , in case the movie tainted my memories of the book.
gunshyvw Said:
on October 7, 2006 at 12:06 pm
I haven’t seen the movie either, although I’ve been tempted. I’ve also been afraid that they ruined Mrs. Whatsits’s alternate form when they’re on that first planet and fly up to see The Dark Thing. Even the illustration of the cover of the paperback copy I have doesn’t do justice to the image of her majesty L’Engle describes.
Sobpseupe Said:
on October 28, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Think about it… I am proud of my training thought I have a nice fresh joke for you people) What’s green and red and goes 1000 miles an hour? A frog in a blender.