A peculiar and intriguing assembly of material that demonstrates the diversity of responses to Lewis Carroll's books.
A must for all Carrollians who like to have everything and for those of us who do not have all the continuations. This book could be used to start a good debate on Alice imitations.
This collection demonstrates the chord that Alice struck for Victorian and later writers and the symbolic place it has assumed in popular culture.
Studies in English Literature
Visions and revisions of Lewis Carroll's Alice books are presented in a study which is recommended for any college-level student of Carroll's influences
Sigler collects some jewels of literature by writers as diverse as Christina Rossetti, Frances Hodgson Burnett, E. Nesbit, Saki, and Edward Hope. Some of the pieces smack of Carrollian fantasy more than others, but all belong in this long-needed gathering of rare and sometimes difficult to locate texts.
"A peculiar and intriguing assembly of material that demonstrates the diversity of responses to Lewis Carroll's books." AB Bookman's Weekly
"Sigler collects some jewels of literature by writers as diverse as Christina Rossetti, Frances Hodgson Burnett, E. Nesbit, Saki, and Edward Hope. Some of the pieces smack of Carrollian fantasy more than others, but all belong in this long-needed gathering of rare and sometimes difficult to locate texts." Choice
"A must for all Carrollians who like to have everything and for those of us who do not have all the continuations. This book could be used to start a good debate on Alice imitations." Lewis Carroll Review
"Sigler has collected a group of stories and excerpts that use the ALICE books of Lewis Carroll as a starting point. Some are imitations, some are parodies, some are satires, but all follow the basic 'Alice' model of the fantasy-dream, episodic structure, nonsense language, sudden shifts in identity, appearance and location... this is an interesting collection of pieces to have within the covers of one book." Library Journal
"Visions and revisions of Lewis Carroll's Alice books are presented in a study which is recommended for any college-level student of Carroll's influences" Midwest Book Review
"This well-conceived anthology reprints generous extracts from notable revisions of Carroll's 'Alice' stories, together with the illustrations accompanying these works." Nineteenth-Century Literature
"Among the 20 selections, written between 1869 and 1930, Sigler finds several gems: delightful homages, determined imitations and devotional sequels to Carroll's works." Publishers Weekly
"This collection demonstrates the chord that Alice struck for Victorian and later writers and the symbolic place it has assumed in popular culture." Studies in English Literature
"Off with her head!" The queen would have been furious at this chaotic tea party of an anthology, hosted by an editor who seems to think more of Lewis Carroll's admirers and disciples than of the honoree. To any grownup reader unfamiliar with Carroll's Alice books, Sigler would give the impression that the more socially enlightened and politically correct spin-offs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were superior to the original. "Unlike the anxiously polite Alice who, like a good Victorian child, attempts to please and placate adults," she comments, Juliana Horatia Ewing's Amelia (of "Amelia and the Dwarfs") "is powerful and aggressive." In fact she's just plain bad; what makes Ewing's naughty character worth renewed attention is that she's funny. "`You seem to think things clean and mend themselves, Miss Amelia,' said poor nurse one day. `No, I don't,' said Amelia, rudely. `I think you do them; what are you here for?'" Amelia isn't the collection's only engaging alter-Alice. Among the 20 selections, written between 1869 and 1930 (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland came out in 1865), Sigler finds several gems: delightful homages, determined imitations and devotional sequels to Carroll's works by E. Nesbit, Tom Hood, Anna M. Richards, E.F. Benson and Charles E. Carryl, among others. Unfortunately, Sigler doesn't always distinguish excerpts from full works; even when one reads a piece that seems complete, one still wonders. Illustrations. (Sept.)
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Editor Sigler (English, Kansas State Univ.) has collected a group of stories and excerpts that use the Alice books of Lewis Carroll as a starting point. Some are imitations, some are parodies, some are satires, but all follow the basic "Alice" model of the fantasy-dream, episodic structure, nonsense language, sudden shifts in "identity, appearance, and location," anthropomorphic fantasy characters, and a return or reawakening to the conscious world. Some of the authors represented include Christina Rosetti, Frances Hodgson Burnett, E. Nesbit, and Saki, as well as others less well known today. All the works reprinted here were published between the 1860s and 1920s, the period of Carroll's greatest influence. Some of the excerpts have little background information and may be difficult to follow, but this is an interesting collection of pieces to have within the covers of one book. Recommended for all libraries where interest and/or curriculum indicate usefulness.Katherine K. Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh