Reviews

An Acceptable Time, by Madeleine L'Engle

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desirosie's review

2.0

This was a relative disappoint for me, particularly as part of the “Time” grouping of L’Engle novels. I’ve encountered Polly in previous stories, but everyone in the book seemed whiney.

I thought it was time to finally tackle this book again. A little backstory. Back about ten years ago when I was doing a L'Engle re-read (of my favourites - Wrinkle, Wind, Planet, Waters), I was in Scotland and didn't have my copies and so had to buy them anew. What I ended up buying was a box set, which...also included An Acceptable Time, something I was confused by as I'd never read it and wasn't aware it was connected to the first four. I am now a little more knowledgeable of L'Engle's writings and now know that most of her fiction is connected in one way or another. At the time though, no clue. I ended up reading Acceptable Time and was...not impressed. Not at all a book I enjoyed, the characters, plot and everything just annoyed me. I think I ended up throwing it away as it definitely didn't make the move back to the US with me! Fast-forward ten or so years. I was talking to a friend who read this and she seemed to think it was a decent book. So...maybe I should give it another try? During a trip to used book shop, saw it on the shelf and knew it was time. Back-story over (pardon and thanks for reading), I've now read this book. What do I think of it now? Well, I don't think I hate it quite as much as I did when I first read. Helps having lowered expectations, I suppose. I still don't know if I much enjoyed it though. Yes, L'Engle's prose is beautiful and there are some lovely scenes in it. But the characters...still annoyed me. Even the characters that I know and love (like Meg's parents!) felt like pale grouchy imitations of the characters I know from the other books. Might be the point I suppose - but they just seemed off. Polly's characters was probably the most full-formed, but I think she annoyed me as well, mainly because she was into my fav character of all (NOT) - the wonderful Zachary Gray, who I thought I didn't have to read about anymore after finishing Endless Light. Well, lucky for me, he's a main character in this book! And somehow very randomly, this book is set pretty soon after Endless Light, so those references made perfect sense to me. I did enjoy hearing his remorse over his actions in that book, even though it didn't seem like he'd learned that much from them. His actions in this book, by and large, are terrible and I just wanted him gone from the book. Perhaps that's part of the point of this book though - L'Engle wanting to demonstrate that every person deserves our compassion and mercy. Not just the people we like. The plot of this book still felt a bit wonky and while I should like a plot in which the characters travel 3000 years into the past and interact with the inhabitants of that time, it felt a bit forced - everyone loves Polly and think she's fantastic, yes we get it. Ah well, I'm being very harsh with this one and it's probably not all deserved! Like I said above, this book did have some wonderful moments and it was well written. And it's one of those books with lots of call-backs to previous books. Those made me smile. I'm glad I read this one, even though I don't think it will be one I revisit often. But it can stay on my shelf. For now.

metaphorosis's review

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2.0

I enjoyed the first three books in this series when I was younger. The fourth book, Many Waters, I read more recently, and it was good, if not with the same spark as the earlier ones. The fifth book, unfortunately, doesn't stand up.

An Acceptable Time is about Polly, a teenager staying with her grandparents. For reasons that are hinted at but never really explained, a gate opens to a time 3,000 years before, where Polly and her neighbour the bishop interact with the natives (who are led by a wise European).

It's a pleasant enough read in some ways, but much of it seems haphazard. The plot seems more of a sketch than a final product, full of inconsistencies and lucky coincidences. The science is decorative but vague and not very logical. Religion obtrudes more awkwardly than in the previous books. Characters are black or white, and fairly flat. At the same time, the tone is light and fun, and some of the animal characters are nice companions.

All in all, a disappointing book. Fans of L'Engle and her various interconnected series will no doubt want to read this. For others, I advise stopping after A Swiftly Tilting Planet.