I recently reviewed Becoming Madeleine written and narrated by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy (Listening Library, 2018)
At less than 3 hours, you can easily fit this in before the movie release. Becoming Madeleine covers Madeleine L'Engle's early years up to the point when she sold the Wrinkle in Time manuscript for publication. (It originally had a different title!) She had always planned to be a writer, and the book relies heavily on L'Engle's own words—in addition to books, she was a prolific writer of letters, journals, and postcards. Well worth a listen!
You can read my full review at AudioFile Magazine. [https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/136192/]
And here's a re-posting of the A Wrinkle in Time audiobook review that I featured in 2011, on the eve of the book's 50th anniversary:
L'Engle, Madeleine. 1993. A Wrinkle in Time. Read by Madeleine L'Engle. New York: Listening Library.5 hours, 17 minutes.
It's been many, many years since I've read A Wrinkle in Time, and actually, I'm not sure that I liked it as a kid. I was never much of a sci-fi fan. In any case, after reading last year's, When You Reach Me, I was inspired to read it again, but forgot about it until recently, when I downloaded the audiobook version.
I remembered some of the story, but had forgotten much. I didn't remember the religious overtones in the latter half of the book (or perhaps I never realized that Mrs. Who was quoting 1 Corinthians); I certainly can't understand why this book has been challenged by various groups over the years. I remember A Wrinkle in Time as a sci-fi, fantasy, time-traveling book, which, it is. Although it was written in 1962, Madeleine L'Engle did not record the audiobook until the 1990s, when she was well into her seventies. At first, I wasn't sure that I would like her narration - the voice perhaps too old, too flawed - but that initial perception quickly faded. There is something special about hearing an author read her own book. There is less room for personal interpretation, but the listener can be sure that she is understanding every nuance that the author wishes to convey. Minor details cannot be misconstrued as important ones. Ambiguity only exists if the author wishes it so. It was great to revisit this old classic.
And finally, here's the movie trailer. Enjoy!
