Madeleine L’Engle: Dead at 88. An Apt Time to Pass.
When I was a kid, the thing I dreaded most were those damned summer reading lists. I had to read at least 5-10 books over the summer and provide next year’s teacher with book reports for five, and brief summaries for the rest. Ploughing through Johnny Tremain wasn’t as bad as I’d expected, but those James Herriott books petered out by chapter six. Don’t get me started on The Yearling. It was awful.
But there was on book that was always a pleasure to read: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle. It was the story of three children transported to the planet Camazotz to rescue their father, who (like the rest of that poor planet) was in the clutches of a malevolent intelligence simply called IT. Camazotz had been enveloped in something called The Black Thing, a terrifying shadow that represented pure evil. All the inhabitants of Camazotz performed their daily rituals in IT’s rhythm, and those who strayed from the group mind were dealt with swiftly and harshly.
“Are you examiners?” the boy asked a little anxiously. “Everybody knows our city has the best Central Intelligence Center on the planet. Our production levels are highest. Our factories never close; our machines never stop rolling. Added to this, we have five poets, one musician, three artists, and six sculptors, all perfectly channelled.”
What are you quoting from?” Charles Wallace asked.
“The Manual, of course,” the boy said. “We are the most oriented city on the planet. There has been no trouble of any kind for centuries. All Camazotz knows our record. That is why we are the capital city of Camazotz. That is why CENTRAL Central Intelligence is located here. That is why IT makes ITs home here.”
Madelaine L’Engle chose a good time to check out. We are rapidly becoming Camazotz.
What you will soon realize it that there is no need to fight me. No only is there no need, but you will not have the slightest desire to do so. For why should you wish to fight someone who is only here to save you pain and trouble? For you, as well as for the rest of the happy, useful people on the planet, I, in my own strength, am willing to assume all the pain, all the responsibility, all the burdens of thought and decision… Our decisions will be one, yours and mine. Don’t you see how much better, how much easier for you that is?
One Response to “Madeleine L’Engle: Dead at 88. An Apt Time to Pass.”
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September 8th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
She’s a fave of mine too - started with A WRINKLE IN TIME but read plenty of others. Hope she left peacefully.