Reviews

Eu Sou Alice by Melanie Benjamin

kelldozer's review against another edition

4.0

Fact and fiction weave a very engaging, yet somewhat disturbing, story of the real-life girl who inspired Alice's Adventures in Wonderland... and how that story impacted her entire life.

The book was a little slow to start, but once it did I was hooked.

Spoiler

Underlying the plot is a love story between two main characters. At times I would forget that the two are a 10 year old girl and a 30(-ish) year old man. When that fact would hit me.... eww. I would have to put it down for a few minutes until I stopped shuddering. However, I kept coming back because I wanted to find out what eventually happens to them.

novelette's review against another edition

3.0

I can only imagine how much of this was fact verses conjecture

krista_billings's review against another edition

5.0

Lovely

rosellareads's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

ultimatekate's review against another edition

4.0

Having taught "Alice's Adventure's In Wonderland" for several years, I was familiar with the backstory of the novel. And I really enjoyed Benjamin's take on Alice's life, her relationship with Lewis Carroll, and her relationship with Alice in Wonderland. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.

willbefunorelse's review against another edition

1.0

For the full review (and to see how this book may have damaged Alaina's childhood), follow the link to That's What She Read.

candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition

5.0

I was very moved by this novel, which I simply could not put down. What was the relationship between Alice Liddell, the 7-year-old girl who was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, and Charles Dodgson, the Oxford don who was a family friend and who took such disturbing photographs of her and her sisters? What was it about Alice that drew so many adult men to her when she was just a child?
Melanie Benjamin's novel looks through Alice's eyes at her life and her own inability to remember what--if anything-- happened between her and Mr. Dodgson that caused him to be removed from the family circle. That single event has influenced her entire life, costing her one man she loved and maybe two.
This is a five-star novel indeed, and highly recommended.

booktrovert_crystal's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I was intrigued by this concept as an avid fan of Alice in Wonderland. However, the idea of Dodgson (aka: Carroll) and Alice having a relationship that wasn’t completely innocent made me uneasy. That said, there is no concrete proof that Dodgson was a pedophile; people only guessed at this due to some pictures he took of Alice and other young girls. Were the pictures innocent, or were they a way to mask a fixation? 

The beginning of this novel follows Alice as a young girl, spending time with her sisters and Dodgson. But Alice and Dodgson seem to have a special relationship that he doesn’t have with the other girls. Reading about this from Alice’s point of view, you’re almost convinced that Alice’s affection for Dodgson is real and not the confused feelings of a young child. Even as an adult, Alice seems to understand that Dodgson’s relationship with her wasn’t completely innocent, but she still seems to have regrets that she grew up to leave him.

As the novel goes on, I found myself losing interest as Alice lives her life as an adult. Learning about her grownup relationships, her children, and her many losses and grievances as she grew older was not nearly as interesting as the parts when she was a child. The writing was also very melodramatic without much depth.

It would be interesting to know how the real Alice and Charles Dodgson would take to this version of their history. Would they be offended that people turned their relationship into something perverse, or would they recognize and accept that their relationship was darker than it appeared?

authoraugust's review against another edition

5.0

Ohhhhh my god. Oh my heart. I was just remarking the other day how it's been since Hunger Games that I found a book so compelling it ate up my weekends and didn't let me stop thinking about it. Then this book came along. I was swept away into the sort of society world I normally avoid like the plague, with dear little Alice and her wild heart. Rich, sad characters populated the Deanery and its nearby destinations, and though in the grand scheme of things not much happened in the way of plot, the emotional journey was breathtaking. I'll leave the rest to the reader, as it's a much more tangible journey when not recounted, but suffice to say: read this book. Especially if you've ever been afraid of yourself.

ptothelo's review against another edition

4.0

I've never really given much thought to the real people that were involved in the stories. A sense of discomfort just sort of hangs over their lives like a cloud. But the story is lovely and well-told and paced.