Flight into Fantasy

Last month, I signed up for Kailana’s Time Quartet readalong. I didn’t even think about the small problem that would present itself when I decided to do this, namely that I have already reviewed it. So I wasn’t really sure what exactly I could say that I haven’t already said about this book when I read it this year. I decided, therefore, that instead of writing a real formal review, I’d just tell you why I reread this book so often.

The main reason, of course, is Meg. I love Meg. I was Meg. I definitely went through a period of feeling like a complete outcast growing up. I knew that I was different from my peers in significant ways, and I know I had my moments of beligerence.

The thing about Meg that struck me then and strikes me now is that she was a geeky child who *did something*. Her mere existance didn’t automatically mean she was destined for greatness, and she wasn’t completed when she discovered Calvin–who is still one of my favorite YA boyfriend characters, BTW. No, Meg had to struggle and she had to endure and she had to come to grips with her faults, and though she wasn’t alone the whole time, she certainly wasn’t propped up either.

Another reason I constantly reread L’Engle is that I get more out of it each time I read. I knew this was a smart book, but I don’t think I realized just how literary it all was, and I think, now that I’m older and, presumably, wiser than I was at, say, eleven when I first read this book, many of its themes make more sense. Love is important, and Meg’s fierce love for Charles Wallace is a foundation of the entire Time Quartet. And, of course, each time I read the book, I understand more of Mrs. Who’s constant quotes.

To that end, one of the criticisms I’ve read about this book was that it’s quite religious. Normally, that’s the kind of thing that would bother me, but I think L’Engle must have been the sort of woman who, though feeling her faith deeply, would have respected that she did not speak for other people. And, really, the themes she writes about transcend religion. L’Engle writes about love, from the romantic to the filial, and how important it is, even when it’s not always easy. I can’t think of a religious tradition that would disagree with that notion.

I’m glad I got a chance to reread this book, and I’m excited to read what the rest of the readalong participants thought. Next month, we move on to A Wind in the Door, which is probably my favorite of the series.