Monday, December 10, 2012

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel . . . it has pictures


I FINISHED A BOOK.

It only took me a month. And it was a graphic novel . . . adaptation . . . of a children's book.


Moving on.

A Wrinkle in Time seems to have played a prominent role in my generation's collective childhood. I, personally, was convinced that I WAS Meg Murray. I had mousy brownish/blondish hair. I wore glasses (more accurately, I was prescribed glasses that my mom purchased and that I promptly stored in a junk drawer). I was grievously misunderstood by my peers. MY NAME WAS MEG.

In short, this book resonated with me when I was an overachieving member of the school orchestra whose favorite clothing item was a Mr. Bubble T-shirt and whose go-to hairstyle was Princess Leia buns. (WHY wasn't I more popular in middle school?)

But NOW? If this graphic novel adaptation is any indication of how my grown-up self connects with A Wrinkle in Time . . . not so much. And that's a giant bummer.

I already sort of talked about how I was disappointed that this adaptation wasn't designed to appeal to a more mature audience. That's not really a thing. I mean, it's a thing, but it's not a thing. Because I can definitely see what Hope Larson was going for by keeping the adaptation of a kids' classic in the realm of . . .  well, kids.

No, my REAL problem with this is that I kiiiind of hated Meg.

WOMAN I WILL SMACK YOU.

Could this whiny, stubborn, impatient, childish girl really have been one of my most prominent literary role models? I know a lot of her faults were part of the character and part of the story---the overarching message being, "Embrace your faults because they are what make you a special snowflake who will one day save the world."

But Adult Me is not buying that malarkey. And maybe that's because I know Things about The World now.

Thanks a LOT, World. You jerk.

Something that DID remain exactly as I remembered? Calvin O'Keefe.

Total. Dreamboat.

18 comments:

  1. Wait, wait, wait...you're telling me that "Granger" isn't an assumed name? I thought you really were Meg Murray, too.


    I didn't love the graphic novel the way I loved the book. I disliked the palette overall. And you're right: Meg is less likeable this time around.

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  2. HA! Poor jack-in-the-box baby. The world is a cruel place.


    It is SO tough to go back to childhood favourites. Do you think if you read the wordy-text novel that you would have connected with it more? I definitely need to read it again - I hardly remember it now. Just random, strong images. And hey, have you read When you Reach Me? It's very Wrinkley.


    Also, kid you and kid me could have been BFFs.

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  3. WELCOME BACK. You were missed. And graphic novel adaptation of a kids book still counts!

    So yeah, I unfortunately do not have anything good to add about this cos I never read a Wrinkle in Time so yeah. I have nothing to share other than I would really like to see a picture of you in your Princess Leia buns

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  4. I never read A Wrinkle in Time when I was lickle (it is perhaps an American book) and it kiiind of seems like I might be too old for it now. It's like Disneyland all over again. Hmph.

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  5. *sad face* I loved this book when I was (much) younger too...and I've been wanting to reread it for ages now - I even have an old copy on my bookshelf. Sometimes I wonder if it's better to just keep that vague memory of loving a book from childhood rather than rereading it and thereby taking the chance that you will no longer love the book?

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  6. I'm curious about that myself, but now I'm SCARED to read the wordy-text novel because at least, as it is, I can say, "Oh, BOO, graphic novel adaptation...the original was sooooo much better." Maybe it's wiser just to cling to our random strong images.

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  7. No such pictures EXIST. Total mystery.

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  8. It is NOT an American book, silly Brit. But I don't know, maybe you're too world-weary now to properly appreciate it. Maybe we're all OLD and RUINED. *scowls* *smokes pipe*

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  9. This is a real question. I have a few other favorites waiting for rereads...like Redwall! Did you ever read that one? Talking mice and badgers! But...what if they're not as clever as I remember? I would be crushed.

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  10. Hard to believe, I KNOW. But I don't want to be THIS version of Meg Murray. Calvin would have left her whiny behind on Camazotz.

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  11. I forGOT about Calvin. Also Meg was always kind of annoying, but I liked her anyway, because she told me that like and equal are not the same thing. Also she rode on a magic centaur lady, and that's awesome.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQqq3e03EBQ

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  12. I totally know *OF* Redwall, but I don't think I actually read it - although I feel like I owned it when I was a child...Yes, I don't want to crush my childhood memories, cause then what do we have left?!

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  13. HOW could you forget about Calvin? He was the best...with all his freckles and his tumultuous home life.


    But I'm starting to think Meg didn't deserve to ride that centaur. Centaurs are too cool for Meg. (Now I know how Laura felt when we repeatedly disparaged "Woman in White Laura.")

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  14. Don't tell Laura, I think her world-weariness may come from her love of that most famous of wet blankets, JOHN STEINBECK.


    And no one is too cool or too old for Disneyland. *puts on plastic princess tiara*

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  15. Turns out we wore dueling Princess Leia buns in middle school. Our friendship was meant to be!! I... have never read this book and I don't know why. I should fix that.

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  16. For some reason, that doesn't even surprise me. The matching Leia hair, not the you-not-reading-this-book-yet.

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  17. Before I cut my hair off last year, I was known to sport Leia buns fairly regularly. I think there's photo evidence on FB... hmm.

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