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carolynlynlyn's review against another edition
2.0
You know...I have wanted to read this book wince college. Something about a man fascinated by a child intrigued me. Yes, I know it was fiction, but still, I wanted to read it. I was disappointed. Basically, it's predicatable (the family doesn't want him coming around anymore...shocker!). So, yes, I was disappointed, but at least I tried!
onucfs's review
I'm not about to read through a less well-written version of Lolita
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia
bethadele's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book in a 50cent throw out bin (I kid you not!)
Whilst I am not a fan of Roiphe's NYT contributions, I adored this book.
She quite remarkably wrote beautifully and lyrically of a topic that has a tremendous amount of cringe factor to it. Though really, by the time you realise where she is going with her fictionalised version of events, you are far too wrapped up in the story to worry about it.
Despite the creep factor, long time fans of the fictional Alice and her creator will love this tale of where it might have all began.
Whilst I am not a fan of Roiphe's NYT contributions, I adored this book.
She quite remarkably wrote beautifully and lyrically of a topic that has a tremendous amount of cringe factor to it. Though really, by the time you realise where she is going with her fictionalised version of events, you are far too wrapped up in the story to worry about it.
Despite the creep factor, long time fans of the fictional Alice and her creator will love this tale of where it might have all began.
leiaslegacy84's review against another edition
1.0
I'm ashamed to have read and liked this book as a teenager. When I look back through its pages, it is far more sympathetic to and romanticizing of a pedophilic, obsessive relationship between a child and a grown man than I remembered. As I have seen Katie Roiphe's woman-shaming, antifeminist voice develop over the years, the problems with this book stood in starker relief. The prose was fair but the subject matter was as poeticized as any of Humbert Humbert's justifications - and at least Lolita was framed by the knowledge that Humbert was an unreliable narrator. A story of pedophilic obsession from a woman who regularly blames feminism for any harm that comes to women and girls? I'm not even giving this book away, I'm recycling it.
eberico's review
3.0
I loved this book, an imagined exploration of the relationship between Charles Dodgson and his muse, Alice Liddell.
meli65's review against another edition
3.0
I've long been fascinated by the Charles Dodgson/Alice Liddell story (author and muse of "Alice in Wonderland") so was pretty pleased to learn of this book. It was pretty good -- very dreamily written -- but not great.
yangyvonne's review against another edition
4.0
A fictionalized account of the true life of Lewis Carroll and the girl who inspired "Alice in Wonderland" and "Thru the Looking Glass", Alice Liddell. We see how Charles Dodgson becomes obsessed with the young Alice and how her family cuts-off ties to win when she is eleven.
A fascinating read and so believable! The blend of real letters, journal entries and events makes you forget that no one really knows what happened. One missing element was the under-developed sister of Alice, Edith - a missed opportunity.
A fascinating read and so believable! The blend of real letters, journal entries and events makes you forget that no one really knows what happened. One missing element was the under-developed sister of Alice, Edith - a missed opportunity.
lacunaboo's review against another edition
2.0
Meh.
That about sums up how I feel about this book.
Some of the writing was very fine, but the story itself was a bit lacking. In the beginning I thought it had potential, but ended up being rather underwhelming and kind of sordid. It dwelt too much on the seedy points of speculation on the relationship between Lewis Carroll and the girl who was his muse for [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass|24213|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass|Lewis Carroll|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327872220s/24213.jpg|2375385].
That about sums up how I feel about this book.
Some of the writing was very fine, but the story itself was a bit lacking. In the beginning I thought it had potential, but ended up being rather underwhelming and kind of sordid. It dwelt too much on the seedy points of speculation on the relationship between Lewis Carroll and the girl who was his muse for [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass|24213|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass|Lewis Carroll|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327872220s/24213.jpg|2375385].
jsl's review
4.0
I thought that this book did all the things that historical fiction is supposed to do: make you curious about the actual story, personalize history, entertain, and bring up questions...
I knew the basics of the Alice in Wonderland story- that it was written for a family friend and yadda yadda.
Had no idea that Lewis Carroll was a creeper.
I loved how this book was written. It flowed well and I couldn't put it down. I liked knowing from the get-go that there was going to be a falling out, because the whole time I was trying to figure out what it was going to be.
A short little book, but it packs quite a punch. There were parts (several actually), that were kind of disturbing to read because they were slightly graphic and it's hard to read about a grown man's fantasies of an 11 year old girl.
Worth a read, for sure.
I knew the basics of the Alice in Wonderland story- that it was written for a family friend and yadda yadda.
Had no idea that Lewis Carroll was a creeper.
I loved how this book was written. It flowed well and I couldn't put it down. I liked knowing from the get-go that there was going to be a falling out, because the whole time I was trying to figure out what it was going to be.
A short little book, but it packs quite a punch. There were parts (several actually), that were kind of disturbing to read because they were slightly graphic and it's hard to read about a grown man's fantasies of an 11 year old girl.
Worth a read, for sure.