As a child I do not remember having any strong attachment to the story of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland. I am not sure that I was aware of it on any level outside of the Disney version. I do recall, however, a fascination with the idea of a hole in the ground leading to other realms. I remember having daydreams about this idea frequently. Thus I have had a kinship to Alice for years before ever becoming enamored of her story. It wasn’t until Neil Gaiman released the novel Neverwhere that I really started paying attention to Alice in Wonderland and how the ideas in that book are often replicated in other stories. I finally picked up the story when the book The Annotated Alice was published. This book, with its insight into Lewis Carroll’s brilliant use of language and the plethora of Victorian error inside jokes, etc., made my fascination for the stories grow. And the computer game American McGee’s Alice cemented Alice and her cohorts as one of my favorite literary characters. In fact, I have an homage to that world on one wall in my work office:
(click picture for a larger version)
I give all that as background to say that I have more than a passing interest in stories with the Alice construct. Thus I was excited when Jamie (a co-worker) came to my office one day to tell me that she had read Frank Beddor’s book em>The Looking Glass Wars, loved it, and was going to loan it to me. It did not take long for this book to grab me in its clutches and all other reading was laid aside until this one was finished.
The Looking Glass Wars tells the story of young Alyss Heart and her flight from the realm of Wonderland after her evil aunt Redd leads an assault to take over the queendom. Alyss’ escape through the Pool of Tears lands her in Victorian Oxford where she struggles to maintain her belief in a world that brings her ridicule. Her hope that she has finally found a believer is crushed when Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) takes her fantastical tales and turns them into a whimsical children’s story. Meanwhile the people and creatures loyal to Alyss Heart remain in Wonderland fighting to stay alive, holding out hope that one day princess Alyss will return to take her rightful place on the throne.
I really enjoyed the way that Beddor took Lewis Carroll’s novels and incorporated them into the plot of this tale when Alyss finds herself in England. It was an interesting twist on the origin of these stories that gave more depth to the idea of Wonderland being a real place. The story is filled with whimsical, fascinating creatures and Beddor shapes and molds Carroll’s world in an interesting way. Though marketed to younger children (at least here in America) there is a great deal of death and war and themes of revenge and sacrifice that may be more suitable to older children. I am also unsure as to how the book will be received by those who do not have at least a passing knowledge of the original source material. I believe the book is written well enough to stand on its own but having an idea about Carroll’s characters made this book much more interesting to me. Beddor does an excellent job of creatively reworking and retooling the most well known Wonderland characters into creatures that fit the mood of his story.
Despite its’ 358 pages, The Looking Glass Wars is a quick, adventure-filled read. One of the more interesting things about Carroll’s work is the symbolism throughout the stories. I am happy to say that Beddor works some of that into his retelling and I especially enjoyed the use of mirrors throughout the tale. This is the first in a trilogy and although I am disappointed that I cannot read them all right now I will anxiously await book two. The Looking Glass Wars is a very entertaining book and I highly recommend it.
And by the way, this is my third book completed (Grayson and Return of the King being the other two) for the From the Stacks Challenge.
I have never read Alice in Wonderland!! I really need to pull it out (I bought a copy a while back ) and read it. I wouldn’t mind reading the Annotated Alice. I’ll have to see if the library has it!
Sounds great.. and I love the cover.
There are some really great illustrations inside the book as well. I have heard that Beddor wants to market this for all its worth including doing a graphic novel which has the potential of being very cool depending on the artist chosen.
Danielle, I wouldn’t recommend reading Alice unless you read the annotated version simply because it is so fascinating to see some of the origins of Carroll’s stuff, etc.
Carl, you’ve got me excited to read Alice – I have it on my classics list. Then I can follow it up with The Looking Glass Wars. I bought the annotated Alice because I knew I would need help understanding the meanings.
Wow, this sounds really fascinating, and I’ve never had more than a passing interest in Alice in Wonderland before. I’m definitely putting The Annotated Alice on my list of TBRs and then The Looking Glass Wars will soon follow, I’m sure. Speaking of a fascination with holes in the ground leading to other worlds, have you ever read The Green Sky Trilogy or just Below the Root? They’re very much YA, but it’s a fascinating concept nonetheless.
Your office is decorated better than my home! I like that shelf.
Thanks Jules…and your house is decorated very nicely! Except your husband needs to get you new kitchen cabinets! 😉
Those sound interesting Camille, I haven’t heard of them. I like YA fiction quite a bit.
BL, the original Tenniel illustrations in The Annotated Alice are awesome as well.
I love Alice in Wonderland, and have introduced it to my children – in Robert Sabuda’s
excellent pop-up version – which they enjoy very much. This book sounds fascinating! I’
Wow! You want to come over and decorate my office?
(you’d have to get through all the clutter, first, of course.)
The book sounds fascinating. Thanks for the recommendation. I love it when authors take classics and do a really unique twist on them.
And I love the cover.
I love Alice so much; always have. Wonderland is one of the best fantasy realms that have been created thus far, in my extremely humble opinion. I’ve read a couple of books based on Alice in Wonderland, but none of them really stood out. I’ll have to keep a look out for this one though, it sounds fabulous.
Wasn’t it a fun book? have you been to the website and looked at the art? I loved Hatter Madigan what a wonderful transformation from the Mad Hatter!
Yes, Stefanie…the website is really fun. It was a great book. I LOVED the last line in the book…fantastic!
Colleen, I’d be glad to decorate your office…maybe once you’re rich and famous you can fly me in for some interior decorating! 😉
Heeheeee! Carl the Interior Decorator~I love it!
I’m sure others could argue but I think I have fairly good taste. I do most of the decorating of our home and I’ve done both mine and my bosses office. I come cheap! 😉
I am pretty sure I’ve never read the story – obviously I’m familiar with it and probably have seen the movie or some such thing. Now I have another group of books to add to my growing pile of unreads – classic children’s books!
Hey Carl…I sent you those interview questions (twice; once yesterday and once this am after you emailed me). I hope you got them.
I just got them this time. I am going to email Comcast as I’ve lost a bunch of email this week and it is getting annoying!
I was wondering if this was any good. Sounds interesting! (And now I want to go read the annotated Alice, too!)
RB, knowing this was part one of a trilogy I was really curious if this would have a definitive and satisfying end as a stand alone book and it really does. Not to say I can’t wait for the next one, but I was very happy with the way this ended.
The Annotated Alice has been part of the furniture of the inside of my head since I was seven (yes, I read the annotations too, though I didn’t understand all of them). I loved Alice’s strictly logical way of dealing with the world of madness around her – and the implication that it was no more mad and illogical than the waking world of lessons and governesses. (I thought the world I lived in was mad a lot of the time, too.)
These days, my copy is falling to bits.
I agree that the Tenniel illustrations are amazing – I have one of them as my Livejournal avatar!
I just bought this one last night. I’m really looking forward to reading it.
I think you’ll enjoy it and, like the rest of us who’ve read it, be waiting not too patiently for the sequel.
I’ve always adored the Alice books (especially Through the Looking Glass), so you’ve got me very excited to check out The Annotated Alice and The Looking Glass Wars.
And I love your Alice homage.
I think you’d enjoy them both poodlerat, and thanks!
I was really into Alice as a child. I haven’t thought much of it in recent years though… I will definatly check into the Looking Glass Wars.
As an aside, what are your wall plaques made of? They look like they are High-Fire Ceramic. Who made them? The ball also looks ceramic; what does it symbolize? I guess I am a just a nosy ceramic artist, but they really caught my eye.
Actually, the wall ceramics feel like plaster and they were things I bought on sale at Hobby Lobby. The ball is made out of wood, bought at the same place. The symbolism of my Alice display is partly obvious in that the plaques and the ball have card suit images on them, which to me are representations of the whole playing cards theme in Alice. The watch and hour glass are reference to the rabbit. The less obvious stuff are things that remind me of the computer game, American McGee’s Alice.
All the objects coordinate well together. Well done.
Thanks Michelle! Do you have pics of the stuff you make on your site?
Not right now, but I think I will put one up this next wednesday. I thought it would be fun to combine Wordless Wednesday and the Once Upon a Time Challenge (My stuff is often about mythology.)
Cool, make sure you come back and let me know when you’ve posted pics.
I decided not to do the Wordless Wednesday, however, I do have a gallery at elfwood. It is at: http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/art/c/o/coyotebones/coyotebones.html I haven’t updated it for a while.
Great stuff, I left you a comment over there.
I just finished reading this one, Carl, and I have to say I wasn’t that impressed. I didn’t like how he really distanced himself from the source. Obviously with such a different story he had to explain why it’s so different but I felt he did it in a very disrespectful way. but I’m glad you liked it!
I am crazy about The Looking Glass Wars (reality not exaggerating!) and love you idea about the Alyss/ Alice relationship. I wanted to do something like that for a long ime and your book is perfect for this kind of idea. Love the cover too!
Sorry! I thought it was written by the author! Impressive decoration though!
Nope, not the author. Just a fan!
I love your books.But im only 9 and i understand your books.I also have a qestion, where did you get the great idea?ceep on writing!
Sorry to say Scott that I am not the author nor does the author read this site. I am just a person who wrote a review of a book I really like. I’m glad you like his books though.