The Looking Glass House by Vanessa Tait
Oxford, 1862: As Mary Prickett takes up her post as governess to the daughters of the dean of Christ Church, she is thrust into a strange new world. Mary is desperate for change, but there is a problem: Mary does not like children, especially the precocious Alice Liddell. When Mary meets Charles Dodgson, the Christ Church mathematics tutor, she is flattered by his attentions, and Mary begins to believe that she could be more than just a dowdy governess.
One sunny day Mr Dodgson tells the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But Mary is determined to become Mr Dodgson's muse - and will turn all the lives around her topsy-turvey in pursuit of her obsession.
My Review:
An imaginative glimpse into a portion of time within Alice Liddell's life, the little girl who was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and who also was the great-grandmother of the author, Vanessa Tait. The story is told in the third person mainly from the viewpoint of the governess, Mary Prickett.
It is very cleverly and beautifully written, but also quite whimsical and surreal. It touches on the weird and wonderful topsy turvy world of Lewis Carroll (pseudonym for Charles Dodgson) and the writing harks back to him in a certain way. I found the tale engaging and interesting. I loved that it combined fact with fiction. I thought the author did a fantastic job of reading between the lines. However, I did not particularly find any of the characters particularly likeable. Alice was a precocious, spoilt child and Mary a fool, in my opinion.
The Looking Glass House is to be published in July to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. An engaging and unusual read which I am sure will appeal to those who love fairy tales and all things magical!
Many thanks to Lovereading.co.uk for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Welcome to the Historical Fiction Online forums: a friendly place to discuss, review and discover historical fiction.
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You will have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing posts, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You will have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing posts, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
The Looking Glass House by Vanessa Tait
- Vanessa
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 4378
- Joined: August 2008
- Currently reading: The Farm at the Edge of the World by Sarah Vaughan
- Interest in HF: The first historical novel I read was Katherine by Anya Seton and this sparked off my interest in this genre.
- Favourite HF book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell!
- Preferred HF: Any
- Location: North Yorkshire, UK
The Looking Glass House by Vanessa Tait
currently reading: My Books on Goodreads
Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind
Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind