Taken as a whole, this is a fascinating look at love in its many forms as well as people finding the courage to do the right thing.
++
It has been years since I read A Wrinkle in Time and it still holds up well on re-reading it. I care about Meg and her fierce love of her family. Calvin is there, steady and rock-fast. And Charles Wallace is so well drawn, with his intellect and his love. As I read the book as an adult, this quotation caught my mind:
“You mean you’re comparing our lives to a sonnet? A strict form, but freedom within it?”
“Yes.” Mrs. Whatsit said. “You’re given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you.”
I do like the message there and the message in the book. While written for young adults, the book is worth visiting or revisiting as an adult.
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A Wind in the Door had me in tears by the end. There was both sorrow and joy alike. There were many layers and messages to be explored. As is typical with this series, love is important. To that end I think this concept may be the most important: "Love isn't how you feel. It's what you do."
Older now than when I first read the book, this quotation resonated now: "The temptation for farandola or for man or for star is to stay an immature pleasure-seeker. When we seek our own pleasure as the ultimate good we place ourselves as the center of the universe. A fara or a man or a star has his place in the universe, but nothing created is the center."
There is much to enjoy and much to think about in this book.
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Never think that adults cannot learn from books such as A Swiftly Tilting Planet, or be reminded of truths. The book is especially appropriate for now with so much public posturing of brother against brother, love of power, and greed being portrayed. Lesson learned: “Hate hurts the hater more'n the hated.” Would that the power in these words would ease the hatred: At Tara in this fateful hour,
I place all Heaven with its power,
And the sun with its brightness,
And the snow with its whiteness,
And the fire with all the strength it hath,
And the lightning with its rapid wrath,
And the winds with their swiftness along their path,
And the sea with its deepness,
And the rocks with their steepness,
And the earth with its starkness:
All these I place,
By God's almighty help and grace
Between myself and the powers of darkness!
++
Many Waters suffers by comparison with the other books in The Quintet of Time series. Any reader familiar with the story of Noah knows the framework of the novel. Still, these themes are timeless: choices made have consequences, evil fears and tries to destroy good, love is essential, and doing good things is necessary to stem evil.
This quotation stuck with me: Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety. And I think this quotation sums up the book: Many waters cannot quench the thirst for love, nor can the floods drown it.
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I would suggest reading the O'Keefe series (The Arm of the Starfish, Dragons in the Waters, and A House like a Lotus) between the previous book and this one.
An Acceptable Time is another good book by L'Engle. Polly is still one of my favorite characters and she slips easily into this series from A House like a Lotus. I wonder about Zachary's eventual fate after this book; I am glad that Polly makes the decisions she does.
Favorite quote: "Whatever we give, we have to give out of love. That, I believe, is the nature of God.”
I am glad I read this series again as an adult. While appropriate for children and young adults, there is so much depth in these novels that I now have the maturity and wisdom to understand.
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Square Fish boxed set
I read this series many years ago, in seventh grade. I really enjoyed it but haven't read it since then. I have been meaning to reread it but keep putting it off because, like most readers, my To Read list is quite long and just keeps on growing.For that reason, my review will focus on this particular set of books (Square Fish paperback box set, 2007).I had purchased the first four books of the series (different edition) a few years back at the local used book store and was looking the complete the series. I was having trouble finding the correct edition of the fifth book to match my set when I saw this complete set for sale on Amazon. I've had it on my wish list for a while and had almost purchased it several times. I noticed that the price was at $10.99 and thought that was a great deal but I hesitated for a day or two and the next time I checked, it was up to $23 (still, technically, a decent price considering that each of these books costs over $5, individually). I was angry with myself for not jumping at the super low price, so I kept checking back. Well, a day or so later, it went back down to $10.99 and I went for it. It would be foolish NOT to, right?So, what I got is a VERY nice set of paperbacks. Normally, I try to get hardcover but I preferred the colors and artwork on these. They really are beautiful and I love the case, which is made of sturdy, glossy cardboard and has some of the same artwork from the covers. I had this delivered to my work and all of my coworkers and boss commented on what a nice set it was. The only drawback is that the case is a little tight. I can't just pull a book out while it's sitting on my shelf. I have to take the whole case out, turn it upside down and shake it a bit to pry a book out.(I am posting pictures to show which edition I am talking about because I've seen reviews from different editions get combined on one page. I am also including a picture of the set on my shelf to show size in relation to other books.)
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