The Looking Glass Wars

Alright, Isis made for a good placeholder, but a one hour read as the only read in such a span is pretty poor. My time back in the world of gaming is starting to stabilize though. After being without a decent computer for years, I will freely admit that I got carried away for awhile with online gaming again(no MMO’s) since I missed that social element to gaming in particular. Plus, there were games I’ve had that I’ve been meaning to play through and couldn’t, so now I have. I’m still having fun on the computer, but it’s reached a point now where an hour or two is fine and then I’m back to my usual patterns, such as reading.

So now that the last book of this trilogy has been released, I decided it was time to pick it up and start reading. I’ve always loved Lewis Carroll’s work, particularly his two masterpieces. When I heard about Beddor’s re-imagining, I hopped right on that one, and it’s been on my shelf for quite awhile. I was waiting until the whole trilogy was out, as I prefer to read back to back instead of with long gaps, so I delay reading a series if I can and if I have something else to read. I can’t always abide by that rule though since there are authors like George R.R. Martin who take so long to release each book that it could be another decade before their series is done. This one has had its third release now, so I started it late on Wednesday and easily mopped up the 30 or 40 pages I had left Friday evening. This one really flew by quite quickly, but I was busy yesterday so I wasn’t able to post this until now.

Story

I will start off by saying that this book did little to impress me at the very start. I’m a fan of Carroll’s works, and it actually kind of makes me dislike the re-imaginings of other authors and writers who seem to think this series is ripe for gothic spinoffs like the American McGee game and Tim Burtons upcoming film, as well as the cable two-parter coming up. This book opens with a prologue that initially annoyed me in how it portrayed Carroll and his works, but after a bit I realized this is a re-imagining in which Carroll himself is part of the story, though a small part. Sadly, to tell a story like this and incorporate Carroll, it has to be indicated that his version was somehow false. It was a kneejerk reaction on my part, but I still think it could have been handled a little better by Beddor. He made up for it somewhat later in the book though.

What annoyed me most was Redd’s coups and how it followed one of the most annoying cliches in storytelling. It was a completely one-sided and quick battle that was resolved in a short time. I understand surprise was used, but it just seems a bit much to believe that an entire kingdom could be attacked and fall in a matter of hours. It reminds me of that infamous shower shootout scene in “The Rock”, which is equally annoying and frustrating. I understand good guys lose now and then, and that’s what makes the story what it is and sets the stage, but why do writers always feel that it has to be so one-sided even when both sides are supposedly powerful and competent? This wasn’t a bunch of riders storming a village of peasants, it was an army invading a capital held by another army, just like the scene from “The Rock” was group of Seals versus Marines. This idea where the enemy needs to be unstoppable and all powerful, and that the good guys are incompetent cannon fodder is overused and somewhat lacking in imagination. It’s simply too convenient and contrived, and I’ve always hated this type of plot device.

Aside from that though, I actually found the book got much better once the dust settled from the initial events, and I was quickly drawn in to Beddors richly crafted story and world. Carroll’s work and life creates a wonderful foundation for Beddors creative storytelling that mixes the world of Wonderland as Carroll tells it with the historical world of London during Carroll’s time. It also blends the interesting fantasy world of Wonderland with the darker side of society, such as war, drugs, violence and rebellion and so on. Much of the world presented in this book is definitely based on what Carroll presented in his work, but is much darker and more based on reality than Carroll’s storybook style fiction. Best of all, it doesn’t go the gothic direction that most Carroll adaptations seem to, and it gets extra points for that.

This story is definitely not a kids story, unlike its source material. I wouldn’t say this is an adults only story, but I’d say the reader should be a teen at the very least. It is violent, and it is bloody, and some of the darker themes are definitely adult in nature. It’s not sex or anything like that, but Wonderland under Redds rule is not a pretty place, and the book describes this dystopian world quite well, violence and crime and drug problems, among other things. There’s also the antagonist herself, who is anything but kind. In fact, I’d say Redd is one of the crueler and evil villains I’ve read about for awhile. Then there’s the war, and everything that comes with it, including deaths and sacrifice. All in all, it makes for a dark story that wouldn’t work well for children, but would be great for teens looking for a re-imagining of Carroll’s work that isn’t your typical dull and drab gothic or storybook adaptation. Beddor created a real story out of it, instead of just twisting the one already written. It could have worked on its own, but it only benefited from mixing in with Carroll’s world.

There’s also a strong psychological side to the story. We go through Alyss’(this books spelling) life after her escape and exile to the real world, as well as Hatters attempts to find her. We see the effect of a controlled and conquered populace by someone who only cares about ruling, and nothing about the people she rules, and how that effects their society. Other things are touched on like the nature of revenge, rebellion against a stronger power and how it effects those involved. Everyone in the story is facing annihilation of all they care about in one way or another, and it eats away at them all and really molds the characters over the course of the book. This part of the story really dominates the middle of the book, and plays a role straight through to the end. As a result, people looking for action might be a bit disappointed when they hit the midpoint, but those who like a story with good story and character development, I think this is the portion that will really work for them.

Fans of Carrolls work on the other hand may well be split. I imagine, in fact, that they will either love or hate this book. Those who aren’t rigid or prefer adaptations that stay generally true to the source material will likely not appreciate this book at all. This isn’t a retelling, or a gothic adaptation, this is even darker than those gothic adaptations because it explores human nature and violence and the other things I mentioned above, instead of just giving everyone black clothes, makeup, and a twisted personality. On the other hand, if you’re a Carroll fan and are open to a different adaptation like this, then I strongly recommend this book. That is, of course, if a story of this nature is your cup of tea or not.

Characters

The center of the story is Alyss, or Alice Liddell as she was known during her time in our world. When we’re introduced to her she is something of a brat, but she goes through a transformation over the course of the book. She goes through a lot over the course of the book, and much of the book involves the effects of these events on her as a person, particularly the middle portion that I mentioned.

Dodge Anders is the second major protagonist, who also goes through a great deal over the course of the book. He’s a stand up young man who also loses a great deal when Redd comes to power, and struggles with his own demons over the course of the book. He sees less development though, and I have a feeling the next two books will see more of Dodge as far as character development is concerned. This book touches on his demons, but his portion didn’t feel entirely resolved, although his development wasn’t entirely idle over the course of the book.

Then there is Redd, the antagonist and queen bitch of the book. This lady is one of the most insane and evil characters I’ve read in a book in some time. Heck, she almost gives Voldemort a run for his money. At least Voldemort thought he was enforcing a puritanical way of life, and that he was part of a superior society, in a Hitler like way. Redd is almost evil just to be evil, fueled by hatred and jealousy, primarily wanting everything for herself but honestly caring little for any of it. She’s self-centered to the darkest degree, and it’s that which drives her evil nature more than anything, to a frightening degree.

For other characters we get Hatter Madigan, who obviously plays the role of the Mad Hatter. In this case he was Alyss’ mothers personal guard, and has sworn to protect Alyss. He’s one hell of a fighter, incorporating his hat even in his fighting style. General Doppleganger acts as the leader of the Alyssians(rebels), and seems based off of Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Then there’s Bibwit Harte, the usual wise individual, but he serves little other purpose in the book aside from a few bits of humor now and again.

Another character is Jack of Diamonds, a complete and total pompous jerk that manages to weasel his way in to a small role in the story. He’s really somewhat of a typical evil sort, and serves only as a minor linking character in the story who just drives a few plot elements but doesn’t matter all that much in the end. There’s potential there though, so it may well end up that he plays a bigger role later, as well as the other suit families. Then we’ve got Homburg Molly, a young girl who eventually plays the role of Alyss’ guardian along with Hatter, and who uses her hat as well as both a shield and a weapon. Her role in this book is small, and she doesn’t appear until late in the book, but I’m certain her role will expand in the coming books.

Then there are a number of real world characters, such as Carroll himself and the Liddells and Prince Leopold. Their roles are pretty small though, and they’re touched on only slightly, even when the book focus’ on Alyss’ life in the real world. Most of those chapters focus on her, and the others are just pretty much there to fill the roles, so there isn’t much to say about them honestly.

Writing

Beddor did a great job of weaving a classic storybook tale in to a more mature and darker story. As I’ve repeatedly mentioned, he did this without resorting to the typical and common methods other writers in various mediums have used. He took Carroll’s world and reworked it as his own, and did a great job with it. He could easily have managed this story without the attachment to Carroll’s work, but I really thing it added something to the story having that link there. It gave the story a sort of Jekyll and Hyde feeling too it. You had the good side that still resembled what Carroll presented, and you had the dark side that incorporated all the dark elements in to that world.

The writing wasn’t perfect though, and it felt a bit rushed at times. It is a young adult book though, and it reads like one to be honest. The pace is quick and there’s little exhibition or artistic flair in the writing style. It’s a very straightforward tale, though the story still comes across well. He obviously doesn’t reach the level of Rowling with her more articulate style for young adult literature, but he still brings life to his story quite well, even if it’s a bit more simplistic in how it’s told. That’s not always a bad thing, and I don’t want anyone to come away from this with the impression that I’m bad mouthing the book or the author. Sure, I appreciate a more in depth and artistic writing style, but I can still appreciate and enjoy books like these or the Ember series that aren’t told that way, it’s just a preference.

Illustrations

The book is pretty light on illustrations, as most are, but it still has a few. The cover is the most obvious, which depicts Hatter, Dodge and Alyss crossing the desert with Redds fortress in the background. Redds creatures are depicted flying in a swarm above as well. It’s a decent illustration, but certainly not the best. The detail isn’t the greatest, and for some reason it just seems a little off to me, though I can’t entirely say why. What really works for me though is the symbol on the cover, which shows the four card suits in gold over the picture. That’s the part you notice most, and that’s the part I really like. On the back you have the mushroom forest where the caterpillars reside, which is a much nice piece of art then the one that resides behind the symbol on the cover. The detail doesn’t look off, and it reminds me of some various fantastic concept art you might see for a film or game or something.

Inside the book there are no illustrations mixed in the with the text. There are, however, some illustrations before and after the text that show the transformation sequence of one of Redds card soldiers. It’s a pretty nice illustrations that shows how one of her cards flips open and turns in to one of her robotic soldiers that make her cybernetic army referred to as “The Cut” in the book. The major sections of the book are also divided by full page greyscale images that are, honestly, somewhat lacking in quality. The first shows a warped image of London, likely to signify reaching it through the pool that Hatter and Alyss use. The second shows Redds fortress, and is really the only one of the three part separating images that I thought was decent. The third shows what I believe to be the halls of the maze that Alyss must travel through, though it’s hard to say for certain since there’s little real detail involved. All in all though, the illustrations are decent, but nothing truly fantastic in the book. The best part, I think, is the logo that dominates the cover.

Closing Comments

I had my criticisms about the book, but it was well worth it overall. While it’s an easy read, the fact that I read it so fast should still indicate that it definitely held my interest. I definitely think that I’ll be making my way through the next two books in short order, especially if they’re as good as this one.

Sure, these books don’t present anything profound or amazing, but they are still quite enjoyable even if they’re a bit flawed at times. Still though, if you’re a Carroll purist or a big fan of his works then you may want to approach this series with care. This is not Carrolls Wonderland as he put to paper, but a darker and more down to earth one, with all the downsides the real world presents, like crime and war and good and evil and so on. If you’re the type of fan that would find such an imagining to be an abomination, then skip this one.

© 2009, Keonyn. All rights reserved.

Tags: Dial Books, Fantasy, Frank Beddor, Penguin Group, The Looking Glass Wars