(Re)Visions: Alice

(re)Visions

by Kaye Chazan, Amanda Ching, Hilary Thomas

In 1865, an English author and scholar with an abiding interest in mathematics and logic published a tale originally told for the amusement of a friend's young daughter, Alice.

The resulting novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was largely ignored at first, but then rapidly rose to fame, with such prominent admirers as Queen Victoria and Oscar Wilde; its nonsensical language and endearing characters have made it beloved of generations of children and adults alike, and the escapades of young Alice have inspired writers the world over. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has never gone out of print.

With such universal appeal, it's no wonder that the quasi-logical tricks and banter of Wonderland have cast a long shadow on modern fantasy. Echoes of the Queen, the Cat, and others can be found in tales old and new, and the idea of falling into a strange, bewildering world is one of the favorite tropes used by authors of the fantastic.

The (re)Visions series seeks to bring classic works of speculative fiction back into the modern consciousness, examining how tendrils of the fantastic spiral through all that we think and do, even decades after a work was penned. First, read Lewis Carroll's (extremely) original work; then, let your mind wander through the gardens and passages of Wonderland, guided by four very different modern authors.

And don't forget your flamingo.

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Retellings, Short Stories, Fiction

342 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Author of speculative fiction.

Reviews

[April Steenburgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of covers when it comes to music. I enjoy mash ups- one artist being inspired by another, taking bits and pieces here to tell another story, to expand upon the original idea. It allows everything involved to grow and become so much more. I have similar tastes when it comes to writing. I love shared worlds as well as retellings. And I really, really, enjoy re-imaginings of Alice in Wonderland. This makes me both the target audience for (re)Visions Alice, as well as one of its more difficult customers.

The collection starts with a visit by Lewis Carroll himself, setting the mood, reminding us all of that first time we ran across a White Rabbit, a Queen of Hearts, and a horrifyingly beautiful world of talking animals and relentless riddles. From there, it is like picking up pieces of a puzzle and trying to decipher the hidden bit of Wonderland that lingers and languishes throughout each of the contained stories.

They are not all obvious- (re)Visions is refreshingly devoid of bland recitations of a familiar plot. We have a runaway who finds out he is more than he ever imagined and is fumbling his way through a city caught in the terrifying grip of Jack the Ripper. We have a shadow of Wonderland that is cast in film noir. The Queen of Hearts is given a history and a fearsome opponent. We have a mouse that would rather be a man. Through it all there are glimpses of the Wonderland we all remember, and that recognition brings to the reader a sort of fascination that keeps them reading, looking for more of the pieces they can remember being played.

It is a wonderful collection- each story sings out strongly and stands well on its own. They are all memorable and mesmerizing. As I finished the final page, I found myself grasping for more- not of any of the stories I had read as they all stood their ground quite well- but I wanted the collection itself to continue. It will appeal to avid fans of Wonderland, as well as those who merely remember it fondly from childhood stories or movies.

[Emily Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

only four stars because the only good story was amanda ching's. her vision into the mad queen's past is incredibly creative and very well-written. worth the $5 kindle price!!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received this book through the Early Reviewers program on Library Thing and from the publisher Candlemark & Gleam

Before I get to the main review I just have to say this, because to be honest I can't hold it in. This book was brillant! The stories are so original and more then once did I find myself smiling like the Cheshire himself.

Okay okay, now hopefully I can do this without gushing my love and adoration all over.Not likely.

The book opens with it's first story and it's one I've read several times, the original Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Which I found to be wonderful for those who haven't read it or need to brush up on all that happened during her first visit to Wonderland. It also let's you see how the other authors have evolved the idea for their own stories.The first thing you need to know is that these stories are not innocent and full of the whimsy that comes with said innocence. The second thing you need to know is that you know little, at least about the ways of Wonderland anyway. (I've been reading this far too long, I'm starting to think I can talk like them)

The first story, What Aelister Found Here by Kaye Chazan, is more cryptic then the other three stories and really calls for you to think about the connections and what may be happening more. It's not hard to understand really it's just hard to see where it's going, which for a short story related to the world Wonderland I think that's perfect. I enjoyed the main character Aelister, and the way he thinks as the book progresses. The Duke was also really cool. I enjoyed how as the story progresses the way things are explained are slowly changed, and what Aelister sees and thinks changes too. I don't know if this was a good story to start the book off on, i personally found it really strange and it didn't grip me right away. So maybe if this were the second or third story it would have been better.

House of Cards by Amanda Ching, is the second story and not quite as cryptic as the first. Only enough so that it becomes more of a slightly twisted mystery. At first it is much like Aelister in the fact that while you see the connection you can't quite grasp exactly where it is going. Part of this has to do with the way it is told, and that should taking into account. It's written in several point of views which switch but it also has a non-liner progression. Basically that means that it doesn't flow from past to present but rather picks up in several different places. It's not as confusing as it sounds, but it is confusing enough that it delays you drawing a direct conclusion. About half way through I understood basically what was going to happen with the main character Mary Ann, and thought the idea was genius. I don't want to give anything away because that might ruin some of it for you so I can't say too much, but this story has a really creative 'introduction' to Alice. This is the most similar to the actual story.

Knave by Hilary Thomas, is a really clever piece of work. It's Wonderland, but it's Noir style. So not only is it dark and slightly convoluted, it's also gritty and more realistic. I don't' honestly know where I stand with Noir, because I have so many bad experiences with it in written and movie form but I have enough a few enough that it doesn't make me dislike the genre. However I know exactly where I stand with this one, I love it. I think I smiled the whole way through this one because I thought the connections to Carroll's Wonderland were genius. This one is narrated by the Knave himself as he works his way through trying to figure out just who this mysterious girl is that's disrupting the on goings of Wonderland.

And lastly, but certainly not least as this one was probably my favorite, is The World in A Thimble by C.A. Young. This one focuses on the main character Toby who much like Alice is abruptly introduced to Wonderland. His journey while similar is also drastically different, and the story itself presents more of a moral then the original does. This one is more of a symbolic of what can happen when you loose yourself to what Wonderland 'has' to be, instead of it being what you personally want it be. Of course I may be off base on that but that's how I felt toward the end. Just because something is given to you a certain way doesn't mean you have to accept it that way. I loved the creative use of the characters and the world of Wonderland, and more then that I loved the symbolism.

I'm not sure if it's because of the reading order but as I read I liked the next story more then the previous. It just kept getting better for me. I definitely recommend that older fans of Alice in Wonderland find this book when it comes out, it's worth the time and it's such a fun read. You are bound to like at least one of the stories. I'd hesitate to let a younger reading, say under 16, read this though just because of a few moments of sexual activity (tasteful), some violence, and a large amount of cursing in Hilary Thomas' story. These are not kid's stories but I definitly that makes them far more delightful.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this. Collections can be hard to review, but this was great.

We start with the original Alice in Wonderland. Obviously, we all know the story, but it had been years since I last read it and disneys version had slowly replaced it in my imagination. Rediscovering the original was a delight.

What Aliester Found Here is a gender-swapped, urban fantasy version of the Alice tales, combining elements from both Wonderland and Throught the Looking Glass into a unique and wonderful tale. The writing was top notch, the characterisation was excellent, and though it went slowly at times, it was a great read.

House of Cards was a darker, more bizarre retelling. The time jumped around all over the place, fitting the confused nature of the narrative. The secret at the heart was as nasty as any reader could wish, though I thought it was a little cliche and obvious.

Knave was glorious, a retelling set in a modern crime syndicate. Pitch perfect and refreshing amongst more straight-forwardly 'magical' tales.

The World in a Thimble was perhaps my least favourite, which shouldn't be taken to mean 'bad', jsut 'not amazing'. The idea was nice, but I felt like it had been done before, many times, by better writers. Still a nice finish to the collection, though.

A good collection, and worth a shot for people especially into Alice and her story.

4 out of 5.

Provided free through Netgalley.

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book includes the original Alice in Wonderland and 4 new stories inspired by it. Honestly, I found the original story a bit tedious, but the new stories were just great. The first 3 stories were especially imaginative, and I feel like I need to read them again to truly appreciate them. They definitely left me wanting more!

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5

I find it difficult and sad to write this review.

I can't generally answer the question "What's your favorite book" because the answer might depend on what I'm currently reading, what my current mood is, or some other outside factors. And so usually I would say "The Alice in Wonderland" books. Because, really, they remain a constant for me: interesting characters, great conflict, and an incredible imagination. I love absurd fiction and the Alice books strike me as an epitome of absurdist fiction - impossible situations made to seem ordinary.

Along with my interest in Lewis Carroll's stories, I've sought out Alice-related fiction. Sometimes that works out really well (as with Christina Henry's very dark Chronicles of Alice series) and sometimes, as with this, it's a dud.

The concept for this book, according to the book's Goodreads page, is:

The (re)Visions series seeks to bring classic works of speculative fiction back into the modern consciousness, examining how tendrils of the fantastic spiral through all that we think and do, even decades after a work was penned. First, read Lewis Carroll's (extremely) original work; then, let your mind wander through the gardens and passages of Wonderland, guided by four very different modern authors.

That seems a bit ... cryptic. The four stories included here are neither re-tellings or off-shoots of the original? They are 'simply' speculative fiction stories and we're meant to see how an early. classic speculative fiction story such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland may have helped shape modern writing? Not only is that how I understand the above statement, but that's also my impression after reading the works. The connections to 'Alice' are tenuous at best. I don't see these (with one possible exception) as 're' visions of the Alice story. Perhaps that's why this is the only book in the (re)Visions series?

The first story, by Kaye Chazan, titled "What Aelister Found Here," is perhaps the strangest of the four additional pieces and therefore, in my mind, a strange way to begin the collection of new works (though, on the other hand, it did prepare me for the strangeness and lack of real connections to come. The story follows Aelister, a teenage boy in Victorian London who forges a new life for himself.

"House of Cards" by Aanda Ching is the next story. Sometimes speculative fiction means playing with form, and that was the case here. Different perspectives and jumping timelines headline the story. It's a puzzle, meant to be pieced together by the reader. Okay ... I can see an Alice connection here if I work at it. But should I have to?

Hilary Thomas's "Knave" was fun. It's a dark, noir-like story in which Jack Knave is head of the Queen's security and always seems to walk on eggshells around the constantly angry royalty. The connection to Carroll's work is at least obvious, but again I didn't feel anything "re" about it.

Perhaps the best story here, for me anyway, was C. A. Young's "The World in a Thimble" which felt a lot like what it might be like if one were to visit 'Wonderland' today. Wonderland may change just as our cultures and mores change with each generation. If the stories here were all more akin to this I would have liked this collection much better.

Looking for a good book? (Re)Visions: Alice is a collection of short works by four different authors, plus Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. As four, unique, speculative fiction stories go, it isn't bad. As four stories connected to, re-imagining, or paying homage to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it does not work.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Mieneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candlemark and Gleam's new (re)Visions series, is a concept in which classic works of speculative fiction are reinterpreted by modern authors. I think this is a very interesting idea, especially as they also include the original work, so the reader can read both the original and the inspired works in sequence. The first work tackled in the series is Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

In (re)Visions: Alice, in addition to Lewis Carroll's original Alice in Wonderland, we find novella's by Kaye Chazan, Amanda Ching, Hilary Thomas and C.A. Young. They each provide wildly different takes on Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, but each of them has their own charm and originality. From works set in what seems to be Carroll's time, to a Noir thriller, to a story set in contemporary times, each of them succeeded in drawing me in, even if some did so more fully than others.

The first novella is Kaye Chazan's What Aelister Found Here. Set in London, in 1888, it tells the tale of a young, adventurous boy, who runs away from his rural home to the big city of London. There he meets a mysterious Duke, who becomes his benefactor, seemingly driven by amusement at Aelister's insistence he wants to learn to be like him and by kindness. Or is he? The story moves from being a straightforward story about a runaway to a more and more magic filled narrative; nothing is as it seems at first glance. Chazan manages to make Aelister both an unpleasant little boy and a sympathetic protagonist. I enjoyed this story, especially its descriptions of 1888 London. At the same time, there were some elements to the story that couldn't be developed as much as I would have liked, due to the length of the novella format. Chief of these were the card magic that Aelister and the Duke share and the connection to Jack the Ripper. I truly would have liked to have seen more of both. But I enjoyed Ms Chazan's writing and story a lot and the final reveal of the novel made me smile in an aha-moment.

The second novella is House of Cards by Amanda Ching. Again set in Victorian times, we visit the house of the Liddell family, get to know the person behind the Red Queen and the reason why Alice shouldn't be in Wonderland. A mix of three POV's, that of The Red Queen, Mary Ann, servant to the Liddells and that of the village's gravedigger, the story consists of a narrative interspersed with flashbacks. At first it wasn't clear to me that some parts were flashbacks, but as the story reached its conclusion, it became clear. While I enjoyed reading the Red Queen's POV and seeing a more sympathetic portrayal of her, I found Mary Ann's perspective less enjoyable, both because of what she is put through (rape and rejection) and the choices she makes afterwards. Despite this, the story was interesting and especially the incorporation of the Cheshire Cat in the real world was very clever. In the end the question remains whether magic is real or whether a delusion of insanity.

The third novella, Hilary Thomas' Knave, is set in a Noir Wonderland and its protagonist is Jack Knave, head of security for the Red Queen. Delightfully noir and gritty, the story reminded me of a 1940's detective or the atmosphere of the film The Black Dahlia. I really enjoyed this take on Wonderland. All the characters were turned into a part of the criminal society of Wonderland. The story was action-packed and wryly funny. Jack was a strong protagonist, bordering on a caricature of the gruff private eye, but never quite crossing the line. The Alice of this tale is the strongest one I've seen so far in fiction or film, she's a 'dame' who knows her mind and she plays the game beautifully. While the shortest of the bunch, for me Knave was the one with the most impact. I really enjoyed Ms Thomas' writing and would love to read more of her work.

The final novella in (re)Visions: Alice is C.A. Young's The World in a Thimble. The story of gallery owner Toby, who finds himself stuck in an unfamiliar version of Wonderland. One where there is carnivorous furniture, a talking fountain and lots and lots of cats that are capable of the 'Cheshire' trick. This story is most unlike Carroll's Wonderland, because it has the clearest 'moral', where Carroll wrote a story devoid of the ubiquitous Victorian moral to a children's story and just wanted to entertain his little readers. During his adventure in Wonderland Toby learns to be a man, not a mouse and finally learns to stand up for himself. I liked this aspect of the story. I thought Mr Young's vision of Wonderland delightful and very unique as it has the same whimsical feel, but shows us no locations we've seen before. Another well-written and engaging story to round out the anthology, The World in a Thimble is a satisfying final story to a very satisfying book.

As a whole, the (re)Visions: Alice anthology works very well. As with any collection of stories, there are highlights and less brighter lights, but as far as I'm concerned, no true duds. While Hilary Thomas' Knave was my absolute favourite, all the other stories were good reads as well. Of course, favourites will vary for every reader, but the stories are definitely worth reading. In all, Candlemark and Gleam have hit upon an interesting concept for a series and I'm curious to see where they will take it and who they'll tackle next.

This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start this review by saying that I am a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland. (And by that I mean I have many copies of the book including a copy of the original Alice’s Adventures Underground and most of the movie versions) This is probably not very surprising as I would assume that the first type of readers to pick this book up would have at least a passing interest in Alice. What I wound up enjoying the most about the book was that it was not just set up for an Alice fan. Editor, Kate Sullivan includes not just a forward but the original text of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. So often, it seems to me that stories that reference other works or rewrite them for modern audiences are written with the assumption that the audience has more than just a passing knowledge of the original story. By including the original text, Sullivan opens up the pool of audience members.

As to the modern stories themselves, I thought it was a great collection. The first story, What Aelister Found Here by Kaye Chazen was my favorite. Aelister and the others in the story consider themselves “displaced” in our world as though they are from somewhere stranger with different rules. Aelister is a young boy who escapes his life that doesn’t feel right to London where he meets other people who are displaced. There is also a reference to Jack the Ripper that adds intensity to the story. Of all of the stories, this was the only one I thought could almost stand alone. There are references to Alice that you might miss but I think the story would stand up on its own power.
The second story is House of Cards by Amanda Ching. This was an interesting look at the Queen of Hearts. This one more than the others I don’t want to say too much for fear of giving something away. I will say this one should be read in one sitting because it jumps back and forth in time so much it would be hard to know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been. But that could be intentional.

Hilary Thomas wrote the third story, Knave. I found this the most humorous. The whole thing felt, to me, like a mix between and old Private Investigator novel and Alice in Wonderland. It is narrated by The Knave and his voice just struck me as very Sam Spade.

The last story is The World in a Thimble by C.A. Young. I enjoyed this story but it felt incomplete to me. It has a great premise. Young takes time to introduce the audience to Toby, the main character, before dropping him (literally) into Wonderland. The situations he gets into feel very Wonderland like without repeating any of Alice’s adventures. Unfortunately the ending felt rushed, as though Young realized it was supposed to be a novella a little too late. I felt this could have been a much longer story.

All together, I really enjoyed this book and not just because it was Alice. I actually keep searching for (re)Visions hoping that Sullivan will edit another anthology. This time maybe Wizard of Oz? 5/5 stars

[Gecky Boz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesomely Authentic Alice

* ARC read/received from the publisher Candlemark & Gleam

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
5 out of 5 gnomes

I've never actually read this story before. I was surprised how much of the Disney movie was just like it was in the story. Surprisingly I think I like the original story better then the Disneyfied cartoon. I just seems better put together and more dreamlike then the movie. Alice is much more determined in the story then I thought she would be. Her curiousity is both good and bad and she's really not afraid to speak her mind. A truly classic story that I'm very happy to finally have read.


What Aelister Found Here by Kaye Chazan
5 out of 5 gnomes

Wow, now this is a short story that really packs a punch. It's the kind of story where I'm really not a hundred percent sure what just happened. It's definitely re-readable and will have you going back and scouring for all the details you might miss the first time. I love all of the different twists and turns and how dreamy everything feels. This is a quite the take on the whole Alice in Wonderland story.


House of Cards by Amanda Ching
5 out of 5 gnomes

Intense, really intense. This story will leave you rotting for a character that you might not expect to be rooting for. I love the chronology of this story and how the pieces all slowly come together. There's a sense of foreboding throughout the story. A much darker tone then I thought it was going to be at the start, it just has so much depth to it and lots of little details to discover.


Knave by Hilary Thomas
4 out of 5 gnomes

I like the noir like quality of this story. Having all the well known characters be a part of a rough kind of mafia style world is fun. There's a big mystery to solve when a new girl comes to town causing trouble. Jack Knave may have just met his match and because of this he might just lose his head.


The World in a Thimble by C. A. Young
4 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes

Lovely creepy poem at the beginning of the story. More about just an ordinary guy trying to discover who he really is. It explores the whole saying, "are you a man or a mouse?" This is a great version of a never ending Wonderland, it has fantastical elements but it's also about being able to stand up for yourself and be who you want to be.

5 out of 5 gnomes overall for the whole collection. These stories are beautifully written and are chock full of surprises. The stories go in unexpected directions that you'll find yourself gladly going along with. There are different tones, settings, and characters but they all form one stupendous collection that is a truly great homage and re-imagining of a classic story. I loved this (re)vision concept of Candlemark & Gleam's and can't wait to see what the next collection is.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I know the editor and a couple of the authors.

Alice in Wonderland is so influential a bewildering phantasmogoria that it makes a perfect base for this clever concept. I'd actually forgotten how truly bizarre this story is to begin with. (You made a children's movie out of this, Disney? Really?) From the baby-that-is-really-a-pig to the rabbit's missing serving girl Mary Ann to Alice's truly atrocious manners and inability to navigate without breaking things or insulting people, I'd forgotten most of the details. Everyone remembers the Mad Tea Party and the Cheschire Cat and "off with her head", but the peppery cook and the Lobster Quadrille get left out. The endless number of details leave a million loose ends and entry points to be explored by the modern writer.

All four of the modern stories are clever and well done, although I do have my favorites.

Arguably, "What Aelister Found Here" is the least directly connected to the original work. But a careful reader with find dozens of layered references, both direct and thematic, in this lyrically written, almost surreal novella. History and mysticism blend in with the Alice allusions in this story of a runaway boy in Victorian London who seeks freedom and finds power in mannered card parties and bloody streets.

"House of Cards" has a confusing timeline that eventually made itself clear, but I still found frustrating. It's ambitious, but I'm not sure it quite worked for me. Here, though, is the answer to the question that bugged me most on this read-through of Alice--what happened to the missing Mary Ann?

For chutzpah and hilarity, "Knave" wins. Jack Knave is the classic noir anti-hero in a seedy city called Wonderland. The blond in the blue dress will be nothing but trouble.

"The World in a Thimble" might be the most literal of the retellings, as a modern day gallery owner without much of a spine tumbles into a Wonderland that is rather more Americanized than he remembered. The prose is less dreamy than the others, which I think highlights the absurdities that characterize Wonderland and keeps it from quite gelling as much as the others do.

I preferred the first and third, but all are interesting and worth a look. Don't skip reading the original, though, even if you've read it before. It's quite likely that you've forgotten much of the strangeness, and it's the strangeness that make these stories tick.

[Gaele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit that I am a huge fan of “reimagined” classics: whether simply revamping characters and placing them in new and modern situations or reworking the story for a modern reader. When treated with the author’s individual spin, the potential for the newly imagined story with characters known since childhood is endless. This book is a stellar example of the idea in action, taking Alice into a far more adult themed Wonderland and bringing four new short stories for you to enjoy. Cleverly starting the book with a reprint of the original tale by Lewis Carroll, refresh your brain and revisit the characters, the stories to come will be that much richer for it.

As you start on the stories, you find a series of cleverly incorporated although not always obvious elements from the original to the new. None are a simple retelling of the story; each brings a unique voice to the table absent recitations of plot, character or climax points. From the gender bending urban fantasy of What Aliester Found Here to the more moralistic and symbolic The World in A Thimble, the stories are memorable and stand alone as beautiful works. House of Cards is most similar in feel to the original tale, with multiple point of view and intersecting time and plot lines it requires careful concentration to the final and ultimately satisfying conclusion. Lastly for me, was Knave, done in noir style with a sense of playfulness that comes from the characters that seemed to smooth the grittier edges of the genre into a read more welcoming to all. I say lastly, as it was fractionally my favorite in a book of 4 short stories that were all brilliantly conceived.

As I read, each story became my new favorite: the more I read, the easier it was to find the connections between the new and the classic, and allowed me to appreciate and treasure the original story by Lewis Carroll more than I had before I started this book. While this is not a ‘younger readers’ version: there is sex, violence and swearing: this is a book that will have you revisiting Wonderland with a new appreciation for the skill and talent that first brought it to print. If you think you don’t like reimagined classics or short stories, this may be the book that changes your mind.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Re)Visions: Alice is a collection of five stories, including the original Alice in Wonderland. The remaining four stories are retellings, some more easily recognized than others, as a spatiotemporal amalgams of the original. They are all twisted and surprising, but in different ways, and the final judgment will depend on the reader's taste.

What Aelister Found Here by Kaye Chazan is about a boy, who escapes from home, and finds himself as the young protégé‎ of a Duke in London. The world he sees and the world he lives are strangely related, but separate, with what he learns to be Magic. Like the original tale, Aelister's is not one easily understood or made sense of, but the dark, twisted story leaves the reader with goosebumps.

House of Cards by Amanda Ching is ultimately about a servant and the mysterious disappearance of the corpse of the master of the house form its grave. A more realistic take on the magical aspects of the tale, House of Cards is perhaps the most upsetting and sad retelling in the collection. It is about love lost, life wasted in service to undeserving people, and Alice, lost.

Knave by Hilary Thomas is a perfectly crafted noir take on Wonderland, where crime bosses flaunt their powers and their men do the dirty work behind closed doors, and a daring newcomer, Alice, steals the show, and our main man's heart, as she guns her way out of Wonderland.

The World in a Thimble by C.A. Young is as slippery as the original tale, a bit too surreal and confused, and a crazy acid trip from beginning to end. Perhaps the best of the tales to make use of the shrinking, shape-shifting aspects of the original, Thimble is humorous and entertaining, though ultimately existentialist.

The collection is a successful bundle of widely ranging styles and takes on the original Alice in Wonderland, each story adding a distinct flavor to the classic, and taking the multi-layered experience to another level.

I highly recommend (Re)Visions: Alice to anyone who likes the original tale, and enjoys short stories that bend and twist the imagination.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

[Lanae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Included in the anthology are the following stories:

Lewis Carroll’s "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” - yeah, the classic story is here. Good luck to the other authors in the collection trying to compete with that. Surely everyone knows at least a bit of this story. Alice falls down the rabbit hole and ends up in another world, one filled with magical mushrooms, sneaky cats, hatters that are mad…

Kaye Chazan's "What Aelister Found Here” - This one tied with “Knave” for my favorite story (excluding Alice, as I said, good luck competing with that one). A young man breaks his arm, runs away, and winds up in Jack the Ripper’s London.

Amanda Ching's "House of Cards” - A bit more abstract than the other stories making it felt the closest to the original, albeit a bit darker.

Hilary Thomas's “Knave” - A crime noir story with hints of Wonderland thrown in (mainly names but there are other little hints here and there). One of the best of the 4 tribute pieces.

C.A. Young's "The World in a Thimble”. - The story of a young art gallery owner who is thrown into Wonderland while waiting for an artist to show up at the gallery. He won’t be the same if he finds his way out.

Not every story here is a 5 but it is a solid collection / tribute / re-telling.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

(re)Visions–the retelling of classic tales with a modern twist–is such a great idea for a series of books. Each story was imaginative and fantastical. With Jack the Ripper, a Cheshire cheese, familiar characters reimagined as seedy gangsters, and a roving pack of street-tough cats, these stories aren’t derivative or faithful retellings, but fun and definitely adult additions to the mythology of Wonderland.

(re)Visions: Alice begins with the original Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Including the original book gave me a chance to get reacquainted with Alice, the Queen and the whole cast of quirky characters; and each time I read it, I’m reminded of just how strange and weird Alice in Wonderland really is. I probably would have missed most of the subtle touches (of which there were many) in the following stories without it.

In the 4 stories we: meet a runaway who shoots down the proverbial rabbit hole, explore the unexpected origins of the Queen, watch as Jack Knave, a hard-boiled detective, solves a gritty who-done-it, and finally, root for a timid church mouse working his way across a Wonderland overrun with cats and anthropomorphic furniture.

While it was slightly jarring going from the eloquent writing of Lewis Carroll to the first story in (re)Visions, after a few pages I was able to settle into the new rhythm. Some were stronger and more exciting than others, but collectively, they were worth reading.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this copy from the publisher.

I usually don't read collections of short stories anymore. Having said that, this is the best I've read in quite some time and has ultimately made me think twice about why I stopped reading them.

First of all, it was nice to start the book off with the classic Lewis Carroll story.

Secondly, I won't go into detail with each story, but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed "What Aelister Found Here" and "House of Cards" the best, and "The World in a Thimble" the least. I think what pulled me to the Aelister story was that it had a very Victorian feel to it, and, let's not forget the Jack the Ripper character. The "House of Cards" story grabbed me because of its more thrill-inducing plot. It had me widening my eyes in fright or disbelief every other two seconds! With "The World in a Thimble," I'll be honest, I just wasn't interested in the story--and this had a lot to do with the slow writing.

Lastly, as an entire book, it was an easy read with unexpected humor at times (which was nice), horror (which was doubly nice), and magic galore! I definitely wouldn't recommend this to kids, though, even though it is loosely based around the adventures of Alice.

[Thoughts in Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book I was unsure as to what to expect. The first quarter of it is the original story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, while the rest of it are short stories inspired by Lewis Carroll's work. But what does that mean?

It became clear as I read through it that the authors interpreted Alice through their stories, some used the literal Wonderland world, while others took less obvious motifs. In a way there is no all-encompassing summary of this book because there were so many wonderful interpretations.

Kaye Chazan's was my favourite, spinning together a magical-realism world that read and felt like Alice's Adventures. Amanda Ching created a more horrific tale, explaining the background behind major Wonderland characters. Hilary Thomas provided grit, an underworld of code names and underhanded deals. C.A. Young put us back into the Wonderland world, this time with a character who knew of Alice's Adventures but had not yet been as introspective about himself.

All in all I am glad to have read it, to have encountered other people's love for such a classic story. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland.

[Deb Novack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved the Original Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. When I read it again and then read the updated stories you just know that it will become a well loved book also. I found myself giggling out loud and really enjoying reading this book. I wish more people would take the classics and maybe give them a new life as most of our children have never even seen or read one of the many classic books. Keep up the good work all of you good authors.

[Alessandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

All four novellas are true to the spirit of Alice. Each one carries hints of Wonderland throughout, some more noticeably than others. More importantly, the well written and imaginative novellas would all do wonderfully if they were stand alone. I have a great love for all things Alice and thoroughly enjoyed these renditions. I read it for kindle, but I'm considering buying it in paperback to add this wonderful collection to my library.

A must-read for all lovers of Alice!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge Alice fan, and therefore am drawn to re-workings and imaginings of the original stories. And I usually have to steel myself for disappointment, as most of the time they don't live up (in my mind) to the creativity of the original. These stories, however, were super creative, and super fun to read. Highly recommended, if you like Alice, and crave a darker version of Wonderland than any Disney-fication available.

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stories riffing off Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with the original in there first as a reminder of all the details. I loved them all for very different reasons, although it took me a while to get into the first of the new stories for some reason. My favourite may have been 'Knave', or it may have been 'The World in a Thimble'.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is a wildly imaginative grouping of original takes on the Alice mythos. This also contains the Lewis Carroll original which is a personal favorite. Each addition to this collection is truly an original and will entrance, stun, and intrigue the reader by turns. This is one that I will be recommending to readers who enjoy retellings of classic stories.

[Krizia Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this collection were all good. Stories that were adapted from Alice in Wonderland. All the stories kept up with the surreal and weird characters from Wonderland. Actually, they are more adult versions of the beloved Alice in Wonderland. Anybody who loved Alice will also love (re)Visions.

[Excalibur Snape · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has five adult version of Alice in wonderland or stories of wonderland. The book should have been called wonderland.
The stories were interesting.
There was a lot of swearing and some sex.
There was lots of drama and some action.
All in all it was an entertaining read.

[ceeeeg · Rating 2 out of 5]

did not care for this at all....a rehash of the Carroll classic and not a good one