132,568
edits
Changes
From TheBookbag
Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Story of Alice: Lewis Carroll and the Secret History of Wonderland by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst (view source)
Revision as of 11:13, 8 August 2020
, 11:13, 8 August 2020no edit summary
Douglas-Fairhurst documents the birth of ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' precisely through the dichotomy between these characters and their complex, to say the least, relationship. ''The Story of Alice'' offers a biographical exploration of Carroll's journey from a peaceful childhood as Charles Dodgson to the subject of gossip in Oxford social circles, and an account of how Alice Liddell, through her acquaintance with Carroll, comes to lead a dual life, and ultimately to express frustration with Carroll's fixation about her.
The Story of Alice impresses in terms of both breadth and depth. It succeeds in its ambitious mission of covering two lives from crib to the grave, while entertaining ideas and alternatives about the murkier phases of these lives. By citing letters, diaries, and public opinions from the time, Douglas-Fairhurst delivers even the less well-established facts without ever veering into the domain of mere speculation. This is particularly successful in the discussion of the ever-present question of what Carroll's actual intentions were with respect to Alice Liddell. Was his interest in his child friend purely a matter of fascination about childhood innocence? What was the cause of the tensions between Carroll and the Liddell family? Douglas-Fairhurst skillfully avoids any sense of sensationalism and provides the reader with a nuanced overview of what can be assumed based on the available evidence.
Throughout ''The Story of Alice'', there is also a constant effort to situate the choices and opinions of its protagonists against a wider cultural and historical backdrop. Central to the narrative is conveying the Victorian fascination about children and childhood, and how Carroll's interest in portraying children in idealized situations in his writing and photography can be understood through this. As such, the book reads not only as a biography of two individuals but also as an intellectual history of a time and place.
However, this multilayered structure along with Douglas-Fairhurst's ornate narration does not lend itself to the clearest of structures. The narrative bounces back and forth, as themes are revisited and unexpected paths explored, so that the reader is at times left feeling like Alice trying to find her way around Wonderland.
Although a clearer structure would have done more justice to the author's expertise, ''The Story of Alice'' is a beautifully written and intriguing read. It takes the reader down a rabbit's hole into the wonderland that is the life of Lewis Carroll, and to the Mad Hatter's tea party surrounding the creation of ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''.
If this book appeals to you, then you might also like to try [[Dickens's Women: His Life and Loves by Anne Isba]]. You might also appreciate [[A Serious Endeavour: Gender, Education and Community at St Hugh's, 1886-2011 by Laura Schwartz]].
{{amazontext|amazon=009959403X}}
