The Looking Glass Wars Review - The True Story Of Alice In Wonderland

Hey readers,

With April still feeling like February, I thought I'd spend more time curled up reading, then enjoying the Spring time air. My boyfriend lent me this, believing I'd like it and strangely enough I'd read Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass last month. I'd been meaning to write about them too, but I've fallen behind with posting up reviews, but they'll be written soon enough. I'd heard of The Looking Glass Wars before and been interested in them then. However, it's only now that I've got my hands on a copy and read it!

This is actually the first book in a trilogy and I do want to read the other two to see how Frank Beddor continues the story. Actually, as a person this author is pretty interesting, as he is a producer, an actor and a freestyle skier. He was inspired to write by a pack of playing cards he saw in the Museum Of London. He explains about this in the 'forward' to the novel and how he was actually told this story by a card dealer. Also that the true story of Wonderland 'involves bloodshed, murder, revenge and war.'1 So, yeah, a very different story to Lewis Carrol's then. 

To be honest, when I first started reading this, I found it hard to get into. Part of the reason might have been that I did have the Alice In Wonderland characters and plot in my head. I'd so recommend that you forget everything you've ever known about Carrol's stories before you start reading this. The Looking Glass Wars is not a re-telling of the classic story, more it uses Alice in Wonderland/Through The Looking Glass as a loose base for the main characters and the setting. Saying that, I was wondering that if this book didn't have the Alice connection, would it have been published and been able to have achieved the readership it has? 

Standing alone as a fantasy story, this novel does seem to work. The set up and introduction of Wonderland and characters is very clear. (You don't need to have read Carrol's stories either or even be aware of them! Which is a good sign of any novel using another as its base) The story has taken on its own life driven by the goals of the characters and it's very easy to become lost in the world of Wonderland. So, there is a lot more going for this novel then just the Alice connection. 

The other reason why I struggled to get into it, has to do with the way the narrative is written. Granted, most of the novels I read are aimed at adults, with the vocabulary to suit and unless I'm looking back on classics from my childhood, I don't really pick up children or teenage literature. (Maybe, I should start to though as there are good stories aimed at the under 16's out there). I thought from reading the forward, that this novel would be aimed at an only adult audience, but it's actually aimed at teenagers whilst including adults. This really does show in the way it's written because, there is a simplified feel to the tone of the vocabulary. The other problem I had with this is the Carrol-isms that appear. I understand that Beddor wanted to connect with Carrol's writing. It does work because of the setting and it is the narrative voice's language. However, in places I didn't think it was necessary and it stalled the flow of the narrative because it wasn't a constant feature in the vocabulary. Prepares, that's just how I feel about it and other people didn't have a problem with it.

That happens to be my only criticism about this novel, because the rest is great. The story is about Alice Liddell telling Rev. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carrol) about her true identity as Princess Alyss Heart Of Wonderland. Even though she has told this story to countless others, they've not believed her and dismissed her words as make believe. In Dodgson she is led to understand that she has found a believer at last, however and as the prologue tells us, this isn't the case and Dodgson has written her story completely differently. We then get Alyss' story, which leads into the plot of the novel. Alyss is celebrating her birthday, which gets interrupted by an attack from her Aunt Redd. Alyss escapes, but ends up in the Pool of Tears portal and arrives in 1800's England. From there she tries to get back to Wonderland, but as time passes she starts to believe that she made it all up. However, she does make it back to Wonderland with the help of her friends, but it's no longer the place she left behind. Under her evil aunt everything has changed and Alyss must fight to claim back her Queendom.

At the heart of the novel is the traditional good vs evil theme and this is the main plot. The good side is The White Imagination and the evil side is The Black Imagination. Sub plots and other themes help to make this novel stand out. One of the sub-plots is having a self-believe in the power of your imagination. This is the key to Alyss succeeding her goals in the novel and she is often questioning this power. The theme loyalty is an underlying presence throughout, because Alyss' followers try to stay true to her and keep the belief in White Imagination. War is a strong theme in the novel, because it grips Wonderland hard and brings a lot of unrest. Family and friends is an important theme, because most of the characters loss family and friends during the first half of the book and then forge new ones in the second half.      

I really enjoyed the story because it was a mix of reality and fantasy. Like Alyss, I was left question what was real and what wasn't. The narrative is split between Alyss and her friends points of views. This means that when Alyss returns to Wonderland, the reader already knows what has happened and this makes the switch back more easy. The narrative also has a good pace to it and I really liked the fighting scenes, which do appear often and are well written. There is also enough detailed description for elements to be pictured easily, but it still allows use of your imagination. I also found some lines very quotable and they stuck in my head, such as this one;

'It's unconscious. To will something into being, the willing of it must be so deep down that no self-doubt is possible. The imaginative power itself must be given, a thing already proven that cannot be disbelieved.'2   

The characters are very different, if not completely, from Carrol's story. Alyss does start off as a seven year old girl and she then grows into a young woman throughout the book. She is a strong willed character, who wants to do the right thing and stand up for her beliefs. She works well as the heroine, because she has to discover her true identity and embrace it. That's something readers can connect with. I hope in the next book she does a little more fighting, as I would have liked to have seen her doing that more then taking a back seat or being rescued from it.

Though Carrol hardly appears, I feel that his character was spot on. For some reason, I can just imagine him actually being like that and it was nice for Beddor to deeper the connections too. In a way Carrol is actually the reader of the novel, because Alyss is the narrative voice which tells him the story. It also shows the nature of writers and how they change and adopt things to suit their needs!

Dodge is Alyss friend and also love interest. I liked his character because after the major turning point in the story, he dramatic changes and this feels very realist. He becomes fixated on revenge and very little else. It might show that he is one track minded, but for the nature of his character this works. He's also more stable then Alyss as he trusts in himself to reach his goals, whilst she is often doubting her abilities.

The Mad Hatter has always been my favourite character and then tea party scene is my favourite part of the book. Beddor has given the Mad Hatter and the March Hare very important roles as the Hatter is in charge of royal security as it were and the Hare is Alyss' tutor and explain-er for the readers. Hatter reminds me of a steampunk styled character has he is full of hidden weapons. Hare does come off a bit boring, but his role as a tutor suits this. These characters are good supporting ones and help to move the plot along.  

Overall, I really enjoyed The Looking Glass Wars as it wasn't what I expected. It felt like a refreshing read, even though in some ways it was re-telling the good vs evil story. The plot of the story is really good and it does allow readers to question the power of their imaginations. The characters are well written and I enjoyed their development. I'm so looking forward to reading the next two!   

Quotes from:

1. Beddor Frank, The Looking Glass Wars (London, Egmont Books, 2005) pg. 0
2. As Above. pg. 274


Image from;
http://bookmonkeyscribbles.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/the-looking-glass-wars-by-frank-beddor/

Websites:
http://frankbeddor.com/
http://www.lookingglasswars.com/home.html

The Lake District - An Inspirational Place

(The Lake District) 

Hi readers,

I've just got back from a week away in the Lake District and now I'm feeling inspired to write again. Problem is I am also feeling a bit unwell. Granted I am refreshed and in a more positive state of mind then I've been during the last few weeks, but my body feels like it's coming down with another cold. Hopefully, it's just the tiredness from having an active week! I doubt I'll get all I want to say about my holiday down in one, so I'll write as much as I can and return to it later. This post is going to be pack with photos too and that should mean that there is less writing to be done, but my mind doesn't seem to agree with that.

There really is something inspiring and awe creating about the Lake District. Even on a terrible day, something can always be discovered about the place that draws you in more. On a hot, sunny day that becomes ten times as drawing and in some ways no words can describe the beauty of the place. I think that it's just one of those spots on Earth that just attracts people because of the landscaping and the nature. For creative people its the perfect place to go if they want to get back in touch with themselves and find something inspiring to write, paint and create about.

Whilst it didn't rain once, beside from a small attempt on Wednesday afternoon, the Lakes were still caught in the embrace of winter. There had been a heavy snowfall the week before we were due to go and because of the cold temperature, the snow was still on the ground in some places. It could be seen capping the peaks and hills around us. Though this added to the beauty and power of the views, I would rather have liked to have seen the plants starting to awaken and cover the landscape. Beside from the evergreen pines and dull green of some fields, the only thing 'springy' about the lakes were the baby lambs. However, there wasn't as many as one would expect to see at this time of year and due to the cold weather they were huddled by their mothers on the ground. I am hoping that if I return in the summer time as planned, that I will see much more of the Lakes' nature.

I think the most exciting thing about this holiday was that I went on it with my boyfriend. I've only once been on holiday without my parents before and this was also the first time I was going away with a boyfriend. I was interested to know how it would effect our relationship and if it would feel different being away from my family. Though we weren't actually alone, because his dad and his dad's girlfriend had invited us to join them. So, it was a little different in that sense. However, things went great and we had a wonderful week together.

We stayed at a timeshare run by the Langdale Hotel and Spa. We had a lodge built for six people, in a woodland area with some okay views the surrounding peak tops. It was really nice and quiet and the beds were big and soft. The place felt miles from anywhere else, though there were houses, pubs and farms around. I had to try out the swimming pool, which I was expecting to be a bit bigger, but it was great fun. The food they had in the restaurant was good too and they have a few different places where you can eat.   

(Langdale spa hotel lodges)

 

 

The nearest village of Ambleside was a 15 minute drive away and it's a mix of tourist and local shops. I love the chocolate makers shop there and they even sold my mum's favourite chocolates which have become a lot harder to find over the years as they have almost stopped making them. There was also a lot of hiking equipment shops, which is something you get use to and they must do a good business in this area! There is also a lot of tea rooms and cafes which seemed forever busy to me. They have a really odd cinema too, because it's divided up into three different buildings. One of which is the old school house where the smallness of the room was a bit of a shock. We still managed to watch a movie though. They have a park, golf course and tennis court area too. My interested was in the church and the graveyard though!

 

We were also close to Windermere which was the busiest town I saw. We didn't really stop to wonder around there, but I did see some good views from the car windows. We visited a few places and once took the road along the peaks, which was both scary and fun.

(Ambleside and Windermere)

 

 

One of the places I really wanted to visit was Rydale Mount, the last home of William Wordsworth. My plan had actually been to let my boyfriend take me to some of his favourite places, but when I found out how close we were to Wordsworth's house, I just had to go. I had fallen in love with his poetry as a teenager studying the Romantics in college. When we arrived at Rydale Mount, I could see why Wordsworth had liked the place. Seeing the gardens, I felt it even more so because the views of the surrounding area were very pretty.

 

Inside the house has had little changed to it, beside from the removing of a wall which now opens the living and drawing rooms up. The walls are covered with paintings of Wordsworth, his family, friends, other connecting people and landscapes. There is also a whole wall of books too and lots of windows to look out on the gardens. The bedrooms were fun to explore and it made you feel like you were peeking into this unseen world, where the people had only just left it. The last room of the house is the attic, which was Wordsworth's study. His desk sits under the window and is scattered with the writing tools and books. Along the back wall was a big empty space where the family tree had been removed for upgrading. There is a massive glass display in the middle which houses bits and pieces of writing and family history.

 

It was far too cold to wonder around the gardens for long, so we just did the front one and also the side one which led down to a view of the river. There was also the field full of daffs which were planted in memory of his daughter further down. In the summer the place will look a lot pretty and it'll be nicer to walk around.

 

We also visited the graveyard were Wordsworth was buried. We had no trouble finding the headstone because of all the people standing before it! Wordsworth is buried with his family behind the church, in a spot that over looks a small remembrance garden. I would have stayed longer and looked at some of the other headstones, but the smell of freshly made gingerbread was drifting on the breeze. Right outside the church yard is a small shop selling homemade Lake district style gingerbread and fudge. It tastes so good and is different from any ginger biscuits I've had before.  

(Rydle Mount- Wordsworth's last house)

 

 

Due to the weather, we didn't do that much walking. Though of course going to the Lakes means you'll be doing just that! Long walks have never applied to me though and climbing peaks has never been my thing. However, I would have liked to have done some short walks and really taken in the scenery. Maybe in the summer! We found other things to do instead though, including a small place in Keswick called The Puzzle Place, which my boyfriend really likes. It's based on optical illusions and had lots of different puzzles, art work and interactive thing. It boggles the mind and gets you thinking about how we look at the world.

 

We also played the crazy golf course at Keswick. The back drop of the peaks was really nice and the course itself was fun. Been ages since I last played though and it took me awhile to get into it. Watching other people play is also half the fun, I think. We didn't keep score and just went by hole in ones. We had ice cream after and wondered around the high street as there were a lot of shops here.

   

(Playing crazy golf)

 

We had a day out at Lakeside and when to see the Lakes Aquarium. I like animals and I find watching fish to be really relaxing and interesting. I really enjoyed my wonder around here because it wasn't just fish that they had, they had snakes, toads, turtles, otters and monkeys! They had a tunnel walk through too and I spend a bit of time in here watching the fish swimming above me. The sea shore section they had was pretty interesting, though I didn't spot any seahorses and they are my favourite. I got to hold a snake though and that was pretty cool. Took my back to my animal care course days and cleaning out the snakes there. The flatfish and stingray pool was the last thing we saw and we joined a talk about them.

 

There was a lot to do at Lakeside and my boyfriend really wanted to drive a boat around the lake, but it was far too cold for that and the water looked really choppy. Instead we took a steam train ride down the tracks. That was a lot warmer, but I wish it could have been longer! The trip to the end of the line and back again was far too short for me. Eating gingerbread was good though and watching the landscape go by couldn't be knocked. Only problem was my camera had run out of battery, so I missed out on taking photos! 

(Big fish)

 

 

I did managed to take some pics whilst we are driving around, but these really don't do justice to the Lakes. You can see what the snow was like on these pics though and also some of the views we did enjoy whilst driving around. I'm hoping to get some better ones in the summer, though the internet is full of them, so finding photos is very easy. 

(Road trip into the peaks)

(Peak view)

 

Images from:
The Lake District - http://www.bestwestern.co.uk/destinations/lake-district-hotels/attractions.aspx
Langdale lodges - http://www.langdale.co.uk/stay/timeshare/lake-district-timeshare.htm
Ambleside and Windermere - http://www.lakedistrictwalks.com/ambredq.html
Rydale Mount - Author's own.
Playing crazy golf -Author's own.
Big fish - Author's own.
Road trip into the peaks -Author's own
Peak view - Author's own.