Perhaps you have seen this trailer for the film “Das Zeiträtsel” (A Wrinkle in Time in English).
The trailer doesn’t explain much about the film.
What is this film about?
What can we expect from this film?
That’s what I am explaining today.
Learn Intermediate German B1/B2 #41: A Wrinkle in Time
Meg Murry is a thirteen year old girl.
Her father disappeared five years ago under mysterious circumstances.
She lives together with her mother and three smaller brothers.
Sandy and Dennys, the two older brothers, are not really important in this book,
but Charles Wallace, the youngest, but smartest brother, is very important.
Through a few strange and confusing situations Meg and Charles meet three stars turned into people,
who call themselves Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which,
and an athletic boy from Meg’s school.
The three children and the three former stars travel through the galaxy in order to rescue Alexander Murry.
The stars explain to the children that there is a darkness in the universe
and the children can fight against this darkness.
In order to find Alexander, the children have to go to a planet that has already fallen victim to the darkness.
The people on this planet are controlled by a creature that they simply call “IT”.
Naturally the children find the father and go home with im.
At the end there are a few hints that there could be one or more sequel novels.
A little disclaimer: The book on which the new Disney film is based is also known as “die Zeitfalte”, b
ut the film is called “das Zeiträtsel” in German, so I will call the book that, too.
I believe I was in the fifth grade or so, when I read A Wrinkle in Time for the first time.
Since then I have read this book at least ten times.
I read it again this week to be sure that I didn’t say anything incorrect in this video.
It is my favorite book from my childhood.
I have not only read the entire series, but also the spin-off books.
They were all written by Madeleine L’Engle.
There are five books in the original series:
das Zeiträtsel (also known as die Zeitfalte),
Der Riss im Raum (A Wind in a Door),
Durch Zeit und Raum (A Swiftly Tilting Planet),
Die große Flut (Many Waters)
and An Acceptable Time.
The first book was written in 1962 and the last in 1989.
Although these five books make up the so called “Time Quintet”,
there are also three other books with a few characters from the first five books:
The Arm of the Starfish, Dragons in the Waters and A House Like a Lotus.
These three books are often sold together with An Acceptable Time as the Polly O’Keefe Quartet.
I don’t know why An Acceptable Time is used in both book series
or why there isn’t a German title, but that’s how it is.
A Wrinkle in Time has been sold more than 10 million times
and has won a few prizes.
This includes the Newbery Medal, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award and a second place Hans-Christian-Andersen-Prize.
Many people claim that this is one of the best books for children and for school instruction.
As you can see, this book is very popular.
Therefore it is not astonishing that a lot of people are excited that there is another film coming out about it.
I am a bit reserved, however, because there was already a film that was based on this book.
In 2003 Disney already made a film.
This film was so bad that Madeleine L’Engle herself said
“I have glimpsed it. I expected it to be bad, and it is.”
Hopefully the new film will be better than the one from 2003.
What do you think?
Will the new film be better?
Have you already seen it?
Good? Bad? Mediocre? Write what you think in the comments.
Bye.
Do you want to learn some German?
You should subscribe to this channel.
Click there. Then you can subscribe.
Subscribing is beautiful.
Subscribing is nice.