This book is what is says, a review of Alice and the way people understand it. If that interests you, this is a good book. For a Carolinian who just wants to see about the effects, but not get too far into the detail, this book is too dry.
Too much time spent on American Mcgee's Alice, and the nuances are borderline psychobabble. This might be better for a research document on the subject as the points are valid, just not that interesting.
I'm almost done reading the book. I'm trudging through more to "finish it" for the sake of finishing it, rather than out of interest.
I'd recommend this book for skimming.
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1/23/10 Finally finished the book. The last two chapters are more interesting. In the penultimate, he analyzes responses from society members. It's odd, but it rings true. The final chapter is interesting, in that it has a different feeling than the rest of the book. Whereas in the rest of the book he studies from the outside--even when joining the society it is for the book--the final chapter is his tour of Alice sites. Will Booker is no longer the researcher, but the interested patron. It's as if before he left the scene, he decided to get into it once himself, just to have done it.
But the sites he visited were lackluster, and the interest was just not there. His tone is sort of bittersweet, and i almost wished i was there to share it with him. In a strange way, he was going on his pilgrimage for our sake, and found nothing worth our time. His final analysis of what he would tell Carrol (not what he said he would actually say, but his study of it when he thought about it) seemed so true.
This doesn't change my impression of the book overall. But i do think the final chapter is ironic. It is doubtful it will mean anything to anything who hasn't read the rest of the book, but i read the entire book and i finally got to the last chapter, and what i found was as unrewarding as the very pilgrimage he himself recorded there.
I don't mean to knock the author. If i saw him, i'd thank him for the book and (hopefully) have a good talk with him. But for the book itself, it's interesting but dry.
Alice's Adventures: Lewis Carroll in Popular Culture Paperback – 30 September 2005
by
William Brooker
(Author)
Will Brooker, author of "Batman Unmasked" and "Using the Force", turns his attention to Lewis Carroll and Alice. He takes the reader through a fascinating and revealing tour of late 20th Century popular culture, following Alice and her creator wherever they go. Brooker reveals the ways in which this iconic character has been used and adapted, taking in cartoons, movies, computer games, theme parks, heritage sites, novelisations, illustrations, biographies, theatrical performances, toys and other products, websites, fan clubs and much more. The result is a remarkable analysis of how one original creation has expanded over time to symbolize many different things to many different people.
- Print length400 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication date30 September 2005
- ISBN-10082641754X
- ISBN-13978-0826417541
Product description
Review
"'...Brooker grounds his critical work in shrewd common sense, writes clearly and explores an impressive range of Carroll and Alice-related phenomena-biographies, newspaper articles, novels, films, computer games, new editions of the books, tourist sites and fan groups.' The Washington Post 'Highly recommended' Choice 'Will become a classic of its genre' Lewis Carroll Review"
About the Author
Will Brooker is Assistant Professor of Communications at Richmond, The American International University in London.
Product details
- Language : English
- Paperback : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 082641754X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0826417541
- Customer reviews:
Customer reviews
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