I chose this book as I had enjoyed another of this author's The Aviator's Wife. I am not a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland but wanted to read another of Benjamin's books. This is set in Oxford prior to and including WW1. The story involves multiple generations of dysfunctional affluent educated people. How the parents failed to notice " inappropriate" attentions paid to their young daughter by a professor at Oxford who had endeared himself to the family. This professor used the pen name of Lewis Carroll. Father was Dean and Mother spent her whole time plotting for suitable marriages for her daughters and hosting social occasions. This is supposedly based on the girl who was the model for Alice and who also supposedly was courted by Prince Leopold, the youngest son of Queen Victoria. I checked into the background and it seems as if the story is largely a fantasy, with little documentation. One of the other reviews said that the reader will not look at Alice in the same way again. Alice is definitely overbearing and not very likable. Such a shame. this book leaves me a little foggy, as if I've returned from wonderland. when really I've just left Victorian England following the frustratingly stubborn alice liddle as she recounts her entire life beginning with her intimate friendship with lewis carroll. I originally wanted to give it 2-3 stars simply because I was mad at every situation in the book and depressed by such a sad life and era in history. I guess I just wanted to be whisked off to wonderland. but after some thought realised that's what makes for good writing; the author teases you with snippets from "Alice's adventures in wonderland" and its characters while making you uncomfortable for empathising with a "might be" pedophile engrossed by the sadness of broken hearts and loss of loved ones. you really can't help yourself checking what is fact or ficton
Disturbing but an interesting read. Didn't know it's based on a true story.
—banany
This book left "Heroes" by Jill Sobule in my head for days.
—SweetheartNica
Audio by Samantha Eggar was reccomended.
—jjuicooooooo
