2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This is a discussion thread for A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Chapter 1-3

Let us know when you've started the book, and what your initial thoughts are.

Also: anyone notice anything familiar about the opening sentence?

Just finished chapter 3. I'm reading it aloud to my kid, and I will say that this book is not an easy one to read aloud. I'm not sure why, although I did realize tonight that there was a clause without any commas. The way she forms sentences is just sort of unique, and something I probably wouldn't notice if I were reading silently to myself.

For a children's book, it seems a little slow getting started. It's not immediately funny, adventurous, or magical. We know there's something weird going on but it's still really unclear. This is fine with me, and my kid seems to be interested enough to keep reading.

The first sentence is familiar but I didn't know specifically why, so I looked it up and realized there is no specific reason. It's just everywhere.

This is the next book on my to-read list. my boyfriend's sister in law is super excited about the movie, but her husband is not. I told her I would read it and we would go see it, so she let me borrow her very well loved copy. I am excited.

I saw the trailer for the movie when I went to see Black Panther and it didn't really draw me in. It looks like one of those mindbending movies that some people swear are the best thing ever (Matrix, Inception) that just turn out to be a snoozefest for me. Just not my thing.
But I had the book and wanted to read along with the group, so I started yesterday. So far I am enjoying it. It feels like a cross between Stranger Things and Harry Potter to me.

SarahKat wrote: " The way she forms sentences is just sort of unique, and something I probably wouldn't notice if I were reading silently to myself. "
I noticed this too because when I am commuting home, I let the Kindle read it to me and I think the text to speech feature has real issues with the odd (or lack of) punctuation.
It's much easier when I am reading it directly.

I just finished chapter 3 and am enjoying this so far and am eager for the adventure to begin. I like how well developed Meg and her little brother are already and I can see why this has become a childhood classic.

Finished Chapter Three last night before bed and this book is kinda slow to start, but just enough to keep me interested. I went into this completely blind...so I literally have no idea what to expect. But I like it so far.

I just finished the book but I wanted to catch up with the discussion. We listened to the book on a 10 hour car trip.

I chuckled when I heard the first line, it's from a Bulwer-Lytton novel that no one reads but everyone quotes, even Snoopy every time he starts his great novel. There is a Bulwer-Lytton contest each year for the best "opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels". B-L was famous for run-on sentences. The entries are published each year and they are often quirky and truly funny.

Back to A Wrinkle In Time, I usually find getting into a story a bit hard so audiobooks really help for the first few chapters. I loved that Meg, Calvin, Charles Wallace, and Mrs. Murry were all so interested in knowledge and learning, but there is a spiritual side to them all and feelings are important.

I wish I had read this I middle school.

I read this book when I was in Library School in YA lit. Loved it. I remember thinking this is why I loved to read. The dull tomes of university almost killed that love in me of a good read. I did not remember it being so sci-fi. Thought it was more of a fantasy. The children characters are lovely. Complex and interesting.

The first sentence surprised me. The famous writing hack. All first sentences are written in all caps. Why?

Natalie wrote: "I chuckled when I heard the first line, it's from a Bulwer-Lytton novel that no one reads but everyone quotes, even Snoopy every time he starts his great novel."

Exactly! I first read that sentence in the Peanuts comic strip like many other people probably.

Off topic: The entire text of Snoopy's novel is:

Part I

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, a shot rang out! A door slammed. The maid screamed.

Suddenly, a pirate ship appeared on the horizon! While millions of people were starving, the king lived in luxury. Meanwhile, on a small farm in Kansas, a boy was growing up.

Part II

A light snow was falling, and the little girl with the tattered shawl had not sold a violet all day.

At that very moment, a young intern at City Hospital was making an important discovery. The mysterious patient in Room 213 had finally awakened. She moaned softly. Could it be that she was the sister of the boy in Kansas who loved the girl with the tattered shawl who was the daughter of the maid who had escaped from the pirates?

And so the ranch was saved.

THE END

Source: http://ronaldbrichardson.com/metafict...

So finished the first three chapters. I found the style a bit childish, but the story line is quite interesting.

I'm finding the story very strange so far. There's not a whole lot of explanation for things or much detail, and the details that are given I feel like I don't really need to know them, i.e. how many pieces of clothing Mrs. Whatsit wears. I also find I'm coming across several religious references. I'm not sure if this is a tie-in to the story itself, or if it's just the style of the author. All in all, I'm not extremely engaged. I keep being set up to be engaged with suspicious and cliffhanger remarks, but what follows is not all that surprising or awe inspiring.

This is very different than what I normally read and it is ok so far. I am waiting for an adventure or something to come. I found the start slow but I will continue reading to see what happens.