I have been reading to my daughter at naptime for four years now, sharing with her some of my favorite works. We've read through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Princess Bride, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter (at least twice) and some of my most cherished Diana Wynne Jones books just to name a few. This naptime reading will soon be coming to an end so we're now on a mission to cover any of the big things we missed. Needless to say, I was thrilled to start my childhood favorite, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time with Kidlet... that is until I started to read it. I remember adoring this book as a child and ripping through the rest of the series. I loved that it was so different from anything I'd ever read before. It opened new genres to me. I do remember feeling like things were really left to the imagination, but now I view it as lack of explanation. It's missing the depth I crave... children's books need whimsy, but, in my opinion, they need some weight too. I also didn't remember all the religious overtones... and they sure are plentiful.
I shall alway be grateful that this book led me into the realms of fantasy and sci-fi, but, for me, I don't think A Wrinkle in Time is quite on pedestal it used to be. Now I must decide whether to spend my few remaining naptime reads on the rest of the series, or move on and let her revisit this on her own when she's ready.
Have you ever revisited something and found it wanting?
4 comments:
I have A Wrinkle in Time on my TBR list. I know, shocking I have never read it.
The one book for me that left me shaking my head after reading it again was Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. I loved it the first time I read it, I devoured it. I though it was perfect. Cannie was wonderful, warm, emotional, perfect. On my second reading, I didn't like it at all and couldn't figure out why I was so in love with it initially. The second time around, Cannie was a straight up beyotch. She created all the drama in her life. She was immature, mean, she made dumb decisions that almost cost her the life of her unborn child.
In all honesty, I know I read with my heart. The second time I read it, it must have resonated something in me that made me see her that way, made me see her so different than the first time. I'd be interested to see how I felt about her the third time around.
Yes, I wouldn't discourage you from reading it... it's iconic. It's just not everything I remember it to be.
I hate when heroines create their own problems... I don't remember it bothering me too much with Good in Bed (that was my first Jennifer Wiener book)... but that was six years ago, and I might certainly look differently on it now.
Yeah, I'm generally wary when it comes to revisiting books, especially when it's been a long time since I first read it. I know that part of the reason why I loved it was probably due at least in part to whatever mental state I was at the time, where I was in life, etc. etc. etc. Not that that's always bad, but some impressions aren't made in a vacuum, if you know what I mean.
That being said, my favorite books are such because they cause something to stir in me regardless of where I am in my life, my mindset, or anything else that's going on around me. There aren't that many, though!
Just happened upon your blog via Twitter. Found this post about a Wrinkle In Time very interesting in that I just failed at enticing my 10 yr old daughter to even finish the book, and I see why. Much of what you wrote is true about the story. It's too bad because I had this perfect image in my mind of what it meant to me when I read it (I was probably 14 at the time) and it was that thrill that I had hoped to impart on her. Isn't is strange how time changes all things.
Thanks for this. I thought it was just me.
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