Madeleine L'Engle, Wrinkle in Time

Alkisti Kallinikou (University of Edinburgh)

Ed. by Dainy Bernstein, University of Pennsylvania
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Nicole Kennedy (University of Newcastle), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1962

Places

America - North (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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First published in 1962,

A Wrinkle in Time

is the first book in Madeleine L’Engle’s

Time Quintet

series

Few novels blend science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy as seamlessly, challenging readers with their unconventional protagonists and ambitious themes. While it defies easy classification,

A Wrinkle in Time

is perhaps best categorized as “science fantasy”, a hybrid genre that blends elements from both science fiction and fantasy.

A Wrinkle in Time

won the Newbery Medal in 1963 and has been a landmark of children’s literature ever since, with a lasting influence over generations of both readers and writers.

The story follows Meg Murry, a bright but insecure teenage girl who struggles to fit in. Meg is isolated at school due to her atypical thinking and her strong-willed

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1582 words

Citation: Kallinikou, Alkisti. "Wrinkle in Time". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 February 2025 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=41678, accessed 29 March 2025.]

Madeleine L'Engle, Wrinkle in Time

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