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Alice Beyond Wonderland: Essays for the Twenty-First Century
Alice beyond Wonderland explores the ubiquitous power of Lewis Carroll’s imagined world. Including work by some of the most prominent contemporary scholars in the field of Lewis Carroll studies, all introduced by Karoline Leach’s edgy foreword, Alice beyond Wonderland considers the literary, imaginative, and cultural influences of Carroll’s 19th-century story on the high-tech, postindustrial cultural space of the twenty-first century.
The scholars in this volume attempt to move beyond the sexually charged permutations of the "Carroll myth," the image of an introverted man fumbling into literary immortality through his love for a prepubescent Alice. Contributions include an essay comparing Dantean and Carrollian underworlds, one investigating child characters as double agents in untamed lands, one placing Wonderland within the geometrical and algebraic “fourth dimension,” one investigating the visual and verbal interplay of hand imagery, and one exploring the influence of Japanese translations of Alice on the Gothic-Lolita subculture of neo-Victorian enthusiasts. This is a bold, capacious, and challenging work.
The scholars in this volume attempt to move beyond the sexually charged permutations of the "Carroll myth," the image of an introverted man fumbling into literary immortality through his love for a prepubescent Alice. Contributions include an essay comparing Dantean and Carrollian underworlds, one investigating child characters as double agents in untamed lands, one placing Wonderland within the geometrical and algebraic “fourth dimension,” one investigating the visual and verbal interplay of hand imagery, and one exploring the influence of Japanese translations of Alice on the Gothic-Lolita subculture of neo-Victorian enthusiasts. This is a bold, capacious, and challenging work.
- GenresNonfiction
264 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 31, 2025
When I saw this book, I was immediately hooked by what it could be about—and it turned out to be a truly worthy adventure to read! Alice Beyond Wonderland: Essays for the Twenty-First Century is a fascinating exploration of how Alice’s story continues to evolve in modern times. This collection of essays examines Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass through fresh perspectives, touching on everything from gender and identity to philosophy, pop culture, and even science.
What I loved most is how this book shows that Wonderland isn’t just a relic of the past—it’s still shaping the way we think about the world today! Some essays are more academic, while others are playful, much like Carroll’s own writing. It’s a thought-provoking and engaging read for anyone who wants to see Alice’s adventures through a 21st-century lens.
Highly recommended for Carroll lovers who enjoy diving deeper into other Wonderlands.
What I loved most is how this book shows that Wonderland isn’t just a relic of the past—it’s still shaping the way we think about the world today! Some essays are more academic, while others are playful, much like Carroll’s own writing. It’s a thought-provoking and engaging read for anyone who wants to see Alice’s adventures through a 21st-century lens.
Highly recommended for Carroll lovers who enjoy diving deeper into other Wonderlands.
February 19, 2015
For advanced Alice readers only.
Lewis Carroll's work has far-reaching influences, and the furthest reach of this influence gets explored in this compilation of essays, ranging in subject from Charles Dodgson's photography, to Japanese Gothic-Lolita fashion, and the mathematical implications of Lewis Carroll's nonsense logic. Casual readers may be lost in the academic tangents radiating from the Wonderland novels, though those patient enough to carry on will find rewards enough to keep reading.
The text is dense, and it helps to have studied the Wonderland books and Lewis Carroll's life beforehand to fill in some of the gaps. While not heavy on jargon, the tangential nature of each essay makes the reader wonder what the essay has to do with Alice in the first place. None the less, BEYOND WONDERLAND rewards repeated readings. The reader slowly absorbs the text rather than hanging on each word.
Casual readers of ALICE and LOOKING GLASS may find themselves lost in the high-level analysis, but there are rewards to be had for anyone daring to pick up this book.
Lewis Carroll's work has far-reaching influences, and the furthest reach of this influence gets explored in this compilation of essays, ranging in subject from Charles Dodgson's photography, to Japanese Gothic-Lolita fashion, and the mathematical implications of Lewis Carroll's nonsense logic. Casual readers may be lost in the academic tangents radiating from the Wonderland novels, though those patient enough to carry on will find rewards enough to keep reading.
The text is dense, and it helps to have studied the Wonderland books and Lewis Carroll's life beforehand to fill in some of the gaps. While not heavy on jargon, the tangential nature of each essay makes the reader wonder what the essay has to do with Alice in the first place. None the less, BEYOND WONDERLAND rewards repeated readings. The reader slowly absorbs the text rather than hanging on each word.
Casual readers of ALICE and LOOKING GLASS may find themselves lost in the high-level analysis, but there are rewards to be had for anyone daring to pick up this book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews