Alice, from Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' fame, is an old woman approaching her 81st birthday.
Being one who is forever drawn by the tie-ins of familiar characters, or historical settings, with a fictionalized story this little bit of information was enough to capture my attention. I have never read "Alice in Wonderland". I have never seen any depictions of the tale. I can't even say I know much of the story beyond the familiar aspects of a girl named Alice, a Mad Hatter, a white rabbit, a tea party, and a endless hole the girl fall into. So, frankly, what to expect from this book, I had no clue. I can say, a few chapters into it, it does not focus upon any of the 'magical' aspects of Carroll's story. There is no talking animals, no holes to fall into, no fantastical lands. It is pure historical fiction that prompts me to research the actual story moreso - if not even find the book itself to read for the first time.
As to this rendition, Alice is a young girl with two other sisters. There is a governess, Pricks, neither she nor her older sister Enid like. One reason for this is Mr. Dobson, whom I believe is a handyman of sorts who is a jack-of-all-trades - or, at least, such is my interpretation of who he is a few chapters in.
‘Inspired’ may not be appropriate in describing Alice’s affect upon Charles Dodgson, Carroll’s real name, as their relationship walked a fine line. That line is crossed – and yet, it is not – which creates a tension following Alice through her life. What is the relationship between them? What transpired when Alice was a child of ten? It is a question hardly capable an answer with a pair of 21st century eyes, as the 19th century English culture is deftly recreated here, demanding a reader examines relationships between adults and children. Until the end, the question wanders, with the reader, as to what actually occurred. I saw an exploration of the tension between the child and adult worlds, something that effortlessly propels the story forward, through Alice’s romance with Prince Leopold, the war involving two of her three sons, financial troubles following her husband’s death, and finally the pivotal event she has run from all her adult years: the truth of that train ride when she was ten.
Being one who is forever drawn by the tie-ins of familiar characters, or historical settings, with a fictionalized story this little bit of information was enough to capture my attention. I have never read "Alice in Wonderland". I have never seen any depictions of the tale. I can't even say I know much of the story beyond the familiar aspects of a girl named Alice, a Mad Hatter, a white rabbit, a tea party, and a endless hole the girl fall into. So, frankly, what to expect from this book, I had no clue. I can say, a few chapters into it, it does not focus upon any of the 'magical' aspects of Carroll's story. There is no talking animals, no holes to fall into, no fantastical lands. It is pure historical fiction that prompts me to research the actual story moreso - if not even find the book itself to read for the first time.
As to this rendition, Alice is a young girl with two other sisters. There is a governess, Pricks, neither she nor her older sister Enid like. One reason for this is Mr. Dobson, whom I believe is a handyman of sorts who is a jack-of-all-trades - or, at least, such is my interpretation of who he is a few chapters in.
The mere mention of this as a book, on what I presumed a fictional character, drew my interest in pursuing the story. In a small way, my uninformed approach distracted me from grasping the actual direction of the story actually. I expected something of the fantastical world in Lewis Carroll’s actual book. What I found was a historical fiction telling of one little girl’s life, Alice Liddell, and how she inspired a timid family friend into creating the imaginative world still known today.
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