A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel

Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel

Adapted and Illustrated by Hope Larson

4 ½ Out of 5 Covers

For the fiftieth anniversary of Madelein L’Engle’s Newberry Award novel A Wrinkle in Time, this wonderful graphic novel adaptation was produced.  The story follows Meg Murry who, with the help of her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin, help Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Whatsit in their battle across space with the gathering darkness, represented by IT.  L’Engle mixed in a little bit of everything in this tale: science fiction, fantasy, mystery, etc., along with a hefty dose of social commentary.  The story would have been unique fifty years ago and has stood the test of time because of the basic truths its portrays.

It is the sort of story that can greatly benefit from visuals, which Hope Larson masterfully brings to life in this adaptation.  Larson’s style can be described as cartoony and in this work she uses a limited color pallet of black, white and blue.  It can be argued that creating these illustrations takes away from the reader’s imagination, and that may be true for the occasional panel, but for this adaptation it is a strength.  The style makes it much easier for the reader to project and empathize with the characters (what Scott McCloud termed “amplification through simplification”).  Larson gives each character a unique appearance so they are easily distinguishable and also makes sure their posture and movements reflect their emotions.  And since there are some strange descriptions in the novel, these illustrations help the imagination rather than limit it.

And the production values are amazing.  It is noticeable different from other graphic novels.  This is meant to feel like a book with its size and high quality pages.  And the publisher wisely gave Larson as much space as she needed to tell the story. 

My one complaint is that a little splash of color could have gone a long way to dramatizing certain portions.  I think particularly of the chapter “The Man with the Red Eyes,” where giving the man red eyes would have been appropriate and really highlight his danger in contrast with the rest of the coloring.

This was one of the best graphic novels I read last year.  I cannot recommend it enough.