A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
Written by Madeleine L'Engle, Adapted and Illustrated by Hope Larson
It's been 50 years since Madeleine L'Engle's classic A Wrinkle in Time was first published, and as part of the anniversary celebration of the award-winning children's book, FSG has published Hope Larson's graphic-novel adaptation. It shines in glorious blue, black, and white hues, faithfully adapting an epic tale that multitudes of people hold near and dear to their hearts. Of course, as everyone knows, like and equal are not the same thing: So is it an audacious attempt to transform a classic book into something other than what it originally was? No. It's a beautifully respectful companion to the book, a loving tribute that visually captures the stunning adventure in all its trippy wonder.
For many young readers, A Wrinkle in Time introduced the wild concepts of quantum physics, tesseracts, moving through space and time, and much more. The book is filled with incredible concepts (couched in late 1950s/early 1960s mindsets); reading it now is like a time-travel adventure in and of itself. That Larson (Chiggers, Mercury) is able to capture not only the style of the novel (she wisely preserves much of the original dialogue), but also the style of the era that gave birth to it is a tribute to her great skills. Her artwork complements the story perfectly, capturing the goofy beginnings (such as when Mrs Whatsit drops in for a late-night visit early on and quite promptly sprains her dignity) and the later dangers and threats (the Black Thing and IT).
The message and central themes of the novel are preserved, of course. The novel's marriage of scientific and religious concepts are perfectly intact. Fifty years after publication, the novel still shines and captivates. Now, there's a graphic novel shining along with it.
Reviewed by John Hogan on June 12, 2012
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novel, Science Fiction
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Hope Larson
Madeleine L'Engle