About After Alice
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (October 27, 2015)
Down the rabbit-hole, where adventures await . . .
When Alice toppled down the rabbit-hole 150 years ago, she found a Wonderland as rife with inconsistent rules and abrasive egos as the world she left behind. But what of that world? How did 1860s Oxford react to Alice's disappearance?
In this brilliant new work of fiction, Gregory Maguire turns his dazzling imagination to the question of underworlds, undergrounds, underpinnings—and understandings old and new, offering an inventive spin on Carroll's enduring tale. Ada, a friend of Alice's mentioned briefly in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, is off to visit her friend but arrives a moment too late—and tumbles down the rabbit-hole herself.
Ada brings to Wonderland her own imperfect apprehension of cause and effect as she embarks on an odyssey to find Alice and see her safely home from this surreal world below the world. The White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the bloodthirsty Queen of Hearts—droll and imperious as always—interrupt their mad tea party to suggest a conundrum: If Eurydice can ever be returned to the arms of Orpheus, or if Lazarus can be raised from the tomb, perhaps Alice can be returned to life. In any case, everything that happens next is After Alice.
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My Review:
So first off, full disclosure: I've always been a fan of the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland and even liked the Tim Burton movie a few years ago though I thought that all the characters - especially the Mad Hatter - weren't mad enough. I did finally get around to reading Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass this past year and I was slightly less enthusiastic. I enjoyed the story itself but it was a little too nonsense for me. I think it's perhaps because I read it as an adult and not as a child as well as in real life I tend to be pretty methodical and routine oriented so I just wasn't caught up in the nonsense that is so Alice.
I loved the part of the story that takes place in Wonderland. The writing tone is very similar to the original with the same almost sing-song quality but to me felt like there was a little more structure to it. I loved Ada though especially at the beginning she isn't the easy person to like but it was really fun watching her journey and her reasons for looking for Alice once she got past her initial apathy. Meeting all the weirdly wonderful creatures through Ada's eyes was delightful and it was fun to compare the somewhat shyer Ada's impressions with what the bold Alice saw.
There are two plot lines at work here. The first is Ada's story as she goes through Wonderland and the second is what's happening in the regular world as Alice and then Ada disappear. It took me quite a bit longer to connect to this story and since it had equal time it did bring down my enjoyment of the book. While I did really come to enjoy it in the last quarter of the book for the earlier part I really could have done with less Lydia and Miss Armstrong and much more Ada and her adventures.
All in all, this was a fun read and a fun compliment to the original Alice in Wonderland.
I loved the part of the story that takes place in Wonderland. The writing tone is very similar to the original with the same almost sing-song quality but to me felt like there was a little more structure to it. I loved Ada though especially at the beginning she isn't the easy person to like but it was really fun watching her journey and her reasons for looking for Alice once she got past her initial apathy. Meeting all the weirdly wonderful creatures through Ada's eyes was delightful and it was fun to compare the somewhat shyer Ada's impressions with what the bold Alice saw.
There are two plot lines at work here. The first is Ada's story as she goes through Wonderland and the second is what's happening in the regular world as Alice and then Ada disappear. It took me quite a bit longer to connect to this story and since it had equal time it did bring down my enjoyment of the book. While I did really come to enjoy it in the last quarter of the book for the earlier part I really could have done with less Lydia and Miss Armstrong and much more Ada and her adventures.
All in all, this was a fun read and a fun compliment to the original Alice in Wonderland.
About Gregory Maguire
I didn't really like the Tim Burton movie, for once. I thought the Madhatter wasn't mad enough, you're right, and I was disappointed that Alice ended up acting as a grownup at the end, I wanted more fantasy, more nonsense... I'm glad you loved that book !
ReplyDeleteI was okay with Alice being a grownup probably because the nonsense doesn't always appeal to me. I did enjoy the book and it was just different from anything I've read.
DeleteI haven't seen the Burton movie but I like the Disney version. I can't recall if I've ever read the book. I like the idea of seeing Wonderland through Ada and Alice's different personalities and perspectives, but other than that I'm not sure I'd enjoy this book.
ReplyDeleteThe Burton movie was a bit disappointing because there was so much potential for craziness that just wasn't quite realized. I liked Ada quite a bit and it was fun but perhaps not for everyone.
DeleteI read Wicked by Gregory Maguire years ago and really liked it. I meant to read more by him, but lost interest somewhere along the way. I admit to being really curious about this book. Alice in Wonderland has never really been a favorite of mine, at least not until recently.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Wicked but after this I'm definitely interested. This was a fun read and an interesting way of looking at Alice.
DeleteI tried to read Wicked once and it was very unusual to me. I likened Maguire to a Tim Burton in writing. Props to him for trying to tackle Alice and the world of Wonderland which was already complicated within itself.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one. I had tried one of his earlier books and couldn't get into it but I found this one really readable.
DeleteThat was my problem with one of my favorite Alice in Wonderland retelling series. The second book in the trilogy spent way to much time in the real world. If this shows up as an ebook special, I will grab it, but I am not into fairytales taking place in reality settings. I loved Wicked, but that story stayed in Oz. :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoyed the Wonderland part WAY better! I'm really curious to try Wicked now I enjoyed this one .
DeleteI was never a big fan of the original Alice in Wonderland books, probably because of the too much nonsense. I loved the retelling of Alice called Splintered, by AG Howard. I may or may not try this one. Like someone above said, Wicked was hard to get through, so not sure if this will be any easier. Great review though!
ReplyDeleteI've always loved the Disney version of the movie. I'm listening to the audiobook version of the original story now in preparation for reading After Alice.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour!