September 07, 2007

Madeline L'Engle RIP Madeline L'Engle, one of the most amazing children's book writers of ours or any other time, died on Thursday. She wrote the incredible "A Wrinkle in Time" and subsequent associated books, featuring Meg, Calvin, Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Charles Murray. My world is a smaller, sadder place today.
posted by es el Queso 17 years ago
  • *sigh* Charles Wallace Murray. Sorry, Ms L'Engle.
  • LOVED these books as a young girl, she left a beautiful legacy.
  • Aah, yes. .
  • Damn. Thanks for ruining my afternoon/evening, eeQ. A Wrinkle in Time was one of my most beloved books as a young child. I often escaped into that world when most-needed... and it never failed. .
  • Oh no! Sad :(
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  • Funny, just yesterday I was at the public library and walked past where her books were shelved. I almost grabbed one to reread, but didn't because I had an armload without it. Guess when I go back I'll pick up a few. .
  • Oh no! :( .
  • She was profiled in the New Yorker a few years ago, but it's not online. The profile shook me, but seeing one's childhood heroes as adults is always jarring, isn't it? When I first read "Wrinkle in time," I loved that the hero was a girl (with my same nickname!). An awkward, smart, four-eyed, angry, caring girl. This meant more to me than the science L'Engle taught me in her books. When I read, in a later episode of the Murray family, that Meg was pregnant and stayed behind, while (IIRC) Cal and Charles Wallace got to go to other worlds, I felt as sidelined as the character of Meg must have felt. I have a hardbound copy of Wrinkle, signed by the author, and can't wait to give it to my niece and nephew. They're seven and eight, so probably a little young yet.
  • I remember reading Wrinkle as a kid in grade seven or eight. I still remember the little picture of the ant crawling on the string that she used to explain space warps, that blew my mind. What a great book.
  • Yeah, I read it in seventh grade too. It's the kind of rare, brilliant book that leaves you more mature than you were before you read it. Beautiful.
  • I can't remember when I read it, but afterwards, most books were grey by comparison.
  • I remember my brother read Wrinkle and raved about it, but I was hooked on Roald Dahl and Daniel Pinkwater at the time and couldn't be bothered. I may have to go check it out now. That and the other series that they're making into a movie with Al Swearingen from Deadwood only he doesn't say "cocksucker" in it.
  • Errr, say what? So most adults write them, but don't know what they say? I'm not getting her there. *goes back to puzzling over Curious George
  • Weird...my wife just started reading A Wrinkle in Time with our son. They're both enjoying it immensely. I never got round to reading these as a kid, but always meant to.
  • My mom read it to me when I was a kid. Good memories.
  • If I come over to your house, would your mom read it again to both of us? I used to love being read to BT. BT = before television
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  • So most adults write them, but don't know what they say? I'm not getting her there. I might be wrong on this but maybe what she's saying is that good children's literature speaks to us on a basic level that adults can miss. I liked the quote for its poetic paradox.