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La casa del espejo
Una novelización sutil, brillante, y sorprendente de los orígenes de Alicia en el País de las Maravillas, de Lewis Carroll, escrita por Vanessa Tait, bisnieta de la Alicia Liddell, la niña que inspiró los libros de Carroll.Durante un día soleado de 1862 en Oxford, el Reverendo Dodgson, no conocido aún como Lewis Carroll, cuenta a la familia Liddell la historia de las aventuras de Alicia en el País de las Maravillas.Pero Mary Prickett, la extraña institutriz de las hermanas Liddell, tiene una obsesión y hará todo lo posible para llevarla a cabo: a Mary no le gustan los niños, y especialmente Alice Liddell. Su plan será reemplazarla como musa del escritor porque quiere compensar su aburrida realidad de institutriz con delirios románticos y ensoñaciones.
270 pages, Tapa dura
First published July 2, 2015
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1490 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Tait
3 books22 followersVanessa Tait is the great-granddaughter of Alice Liddell, the little girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The Looking Glass House is her first novel, inspired by family treasures and stories of the 'original' Alice.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
September 16, 2015
Read on Read the Bloody Book
Two things drew me to this book: 1) the GORGEOUS cover! and 2) the fact that it was written by Alice Liddell’s (the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland) great-granddaughter! Exciting!
I expected this to be a rich, dark, whimsical tale with some magical realism about the writing of my favourite children’s book. The cover also seemed to hint at this sort of story, but that if definitely not what this story is about. At all.
What’s it about:This is the story of the friendship between Lewis Carroll and young Alice Liddell, told through the eyes of the family’s governess, Mary. Mary is a fiercely ambitious woman who is strangely not fond of children at all, especially Alice, of whom she in intensely jealous. This is a book about the uptight standards of manners and propriety of the time and those things make people kind of insane.
“If society was made up of people speaking the truth, civilization might come to an end. We need manners.”
What I thought: Firstly, I was a bit disappointed that this wasn’t magical realism, it is a pure historical fiction (although inspired by real people and events). For the first half, I wasn’t such a fan of this book, I felt like nothing really happened, but then once things do start to happen, you realise that all those previous events that perhaps weren’t particularly exciting to you are becoming incredibly interesting as you watch Mary’s delusions grow and these previous events begin to twist as Mary falls further down the rabbit hole, so to speak, as she realises exactly what was going on.
“Women were supposed to want children more than anything else, Mary knew. Perhaps when she had her own she would feel the same way, though she could not imagine it. As far as she could see, children were like savages and it was her purpose to try to tame them until they could fit into the civilized world like everybody else.”
If you are the kind of person who cannot read a book unless you love the characters, this book is probably not for you, as every single character is awful. Even the children, especially little Alice. But although she’s a bit of a beast, I could find myself sympathizing with Mary. She is just a very unfortunate character as she just doesn’t fit societies ideal ‘woman’ of the time, and absolutely hates herself for it.
“But why is it rude to know someone’s age?”
“Because ladies are never meant to grow old, unfortunately for you. They are meant always to stick at one-and-twenty.”
There are also little sentences that are clearly meant to link the book to Alice in Wonderland which are like finding little easter eggs and I really loved those.
I did enjoy this book, but I am a die-hard Alice in Wonderland fan (with the tattoo to prove it!) and I am not sure whether this book would be exciting enough to keep a non-Alice-obsessed reader’s interest. I think this book was written for those of us who love Alice and crave more answers to those pieces of the puzzle that was the relationship between Alice Liddell and Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll’s actual name). So if you are a die-hard Alice fan, you may really enjoy this.
February 9, 2018
I'm the kind of person who feels the need to always finish a book even if I'm not enjoying it.
I really wish I wasn't one of those people.
I alternated between feeling bored and disturbed while reading this book. Mary, the lead character and governess to the Liddell children, is a contemptible person with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The embodiment of societal expectations and prejudices, she believes she has failed as a woman by being unmarried at the age of 28. Her only sense of identity comes from her interactions with men, leading her to claim that she had "lived for twenty-eight years thinking that she was a person, but she was not" (until she had the attentions of a man). She is resentful of other people's happiness and jealous of the children in her care, particularly Alice. At one point, she even admits that her favourite fantasy is that the entire Liddell family would perish in a biblical apocalypse, leaving Mr Dodgson free to pursue her. Her jealously eventually drives her to a despicable act of revenge for which she shows no hint of remorse. By the end of the book, my favourite fantasy was that I could enter its pages and slap Mary in the face.
Mary was not the worst aspect of the book, however. The interactions between Mr Dodgson and Alice were often disturbing. While there were no overt displays of inappropriate behaviour from Dodgson, many of his comments to Alice made for very uncomfortable reading, and the letters he sent to her made my skin crawl. The fact that her mother only took issue with the friendship once it became the subject of scandalous gossip made the whole thing even worse.
The author is the great-granddaughter of the real Alice Liddell (the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll, known in this story by his real name, Charles Dodgson). In the postscript to the novel, she states that much of the story was based in fact, including the letters featured in the book (although in reality Dodgson wrote these to other children, not Alice). She comments that there is no evidence that the real Dodgson was a paedophile, but, in my opinion, the fictional version was certainly portrayed that way.
This was, perhaps, a way for the author to explore her family history, but, as a reader, I'm very glad to have reached the end of this tale.
I really wish I wasn't one of those people.
I alternated between feeling bored and disturbed while reading this book. Mary, the lead character and governess to the Liddell children, is a contemptible person with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The embodiment of societal expectations and prejudices, she believes she has failed as a woman by being unmarried at the age of 28. Her only sense of identity comes from her interactions with men, leading her to claim that she had "lived for twenty-eight years thinking that she was a person, but she was not" (until she had the attentions of a man). She is resentful of other people's happiness and jealous of the children in her care, particularly Alice. At one point, she even admits that her favourite fantasy is that the entire Liddell family would perish in a biblical apocalypse, leaving Mr Dodgson free to pursue her. Her jealously eventually drives her to a despicable act of revenge for which she shows no hint of remorse. By the end of the book, my favourite fantasy was that I could enter its pages and slap Mary in the face.
Mary was not the worst aspect of the book, however. The interactions between Mr Dodgson and Alice were often disturbing. While there were no overt displays of inappropriate behaviour from Dodgson, many of his comments to Alice made for very uncomfortable reading, and the letters he sent to her made my skin crawl. The fact that her mother only took issue with the friendship once it became the subject of scandalous gossip made the whole thing even worse.
The author is the great-granddaughter of the real Alice Liddell (the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll, known in this story by his real name, Charles Dodgson). In the postscript to the novel, she states that much of the story was based in fact, including the letters featured in the book (although in reality Dodgson wrote these to other children, not Alice). She comments that there is no evidence that the real Dodgson was a paedophile, but, in my opinion, the fictional version was certainly portrayed that way.
This was, perhaps, a way for the author to explore her family history, but, as a reader, I'm very glad to have reached the end of this tale.
September 7, 2015
I read this book in 2 days. My first thought was that it was wonderful. Indeed the writing is subtle, and the flourishes in which Tait parallels this book with AiW are wonderful. That was my first thought. And my second: has this woman got some internalized misogyny issues or what? It's like every fictive trait of the scorned female is applied with a trowel. The governess is stereotypical, despite actually being a real person, and she is the typical governess nightmare--frigid, judgmental, with ideas above her 'station,' and dangerously jealous of her charges, Alice in particular. The writing is good, great even, but it deserves better characterization than this. The class issues are handled with a similar sledge-hammer: the working classes are florid, stocky and loud, while the upper classes are pallid and sylph-like. There isn't a single character who questions anything about this situation, and yes, before you say it, I understand that this is a fictionalization of these people's lives, but it's because it is a fictionalization that more care can and should be taken. Their lack of dimension makes them predictable, and the governess's revenge can be guessed long before it comes to it. The afterward states that there was no evidence that the governess fancied Dodgson in the way that she did in the story, and yet her character has been thoroughly smudged in the name of fiction. And yet I must come back to it: the writing is fantastic. Perhaps Tait was more worried about turning an,admittedly,great phrase than in creating something other than stock characters, but in fiction, one is as important as the other. Tait's relationship to the family (she is Alice Liddel's great-granddaughter) makes it all the more important, lest people consider that she has information that makes the fiction true.
July 15, 2018
This book is written by Alice Liddell's great-granddaughter. Yes, the great-granddaughter of that Alice, the one Lewis Carroll immortalized when she fell down a rabbit hole and into his book.
But while the front cover of this book promises fairy tales and wonders, playing cards and tea parties, the story itself is very devoid of Lewis Carroll's whimsical world and wordplay. Instead it is very much a historical novel, centering around the Liddell's governess who cares for the Liddell children and thereby meet the odd mathematics tutor who maintains an oddly close relationship with the children.
The governess is the main character, and her attraction/fascination/repulsion towards Lewis Carroll is the main subject of the novel. The surreal world of Wonderland doesn't take up much space until the end, where everything moves rather quickly towards Lewis Carroll's conflict with the Liddell family.
While I liked the book, the pacing felt off. And I would perhaps have liked a more complex exploration of Lewis Carroll's writing and the effect it had on the Liddell family/Alice herself. Vanessa Tait seemed like someone who had the unique opportunity to explore that particular story further, but alas! Anyone could have written this story. The promise of a personal perspective is an empty one.
But while the front cover of this book promises fairy tales and wonders, playing cards and tea parties, the story itself is very devoid of Lewis Carroll's whimsical world and wordplay. Instead it is very much a historical novel, centering around the Liddell's governess who cares for the Liddell children and thereby meet the odd mathematics tutor who maintains an oddly close relationship with the children.
The governess is the main character, and her attraction/fascination/repulsion towards Lewis Carroll is the main subject of the novel. The surreal world of Wonderland doesn't take up much space until the end, where everything moves rather quickly towards Lewis Carroll's conflict with the Liddell family.
While I liked the book, the pacing felt off. And I would perhaps have liked a more complex exploration of Lewis Carroll's writing and the effect it had on the Liddell family/Alice herself. Vanessa Tait seemed like someone who had the unique opportunity to explore that particular story further, but alas! Anyone could have written this story. The promise of a personal perspective is an empty one.
May 30, 2015
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 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.
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 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.
May 7, 2019
Me ha parecido un libro realmente malo. La trama no engancha ni es inteligente y la protagonista es aburrida y tonta. El retrato que nos presenta de la mayoría de personajes es absolutamente negativo, como si no hubiera un solo ser humano en toda la novela que mereciese la pena conocer, casi todos son bastante egoístas. Uno de los peores libros que he leído en mucho tiempo, porque no le he encontrado ningún contrapunto positivo.
September 29, 2022
« Me doy cuenta de que, cuánto más me alejo de la infancia, más ganas tengo de volver a ella. ¡Pero todos envejecemos día trás día!»
Vanessa Tait es en realidad la bisnieta de Alicia Liddell, la pequeña niña que inspiró a Charles Dodgson mejor conocido como Lewis Carroll. A escribir la obra Alicia en el país de las maravillas, con el fin de divertir a la pequeña niña quién en ese entonces (1862) era amigo de ella y muy cercano a la familia Liddell.
Es interesante conocer entre la trama; la ficción y la verdad en lo que sucedió en el periodo de amistad de 7 años.
No existen pruebas de que Lewis era una persona pedófila pero su comportamiento deja dudas, es carismático con las pequeñas sobre todo niñas con quiénes frecuentemente intercambiaban cartas y fotografías, pero en la época victoriana era una actividad normal.
Sin duda, en la actualidad si es una práctica de un comportamiento inapropiado.
La escritora usa de recurso: las cartas y diarios de su familia para hacer el relato de la creación del cuento Alicia en el país de las maravillas y dejar ver la personalidad de la verdadera Alicia que curiosamente es algo distinta a la pequeña del cuento.
Por último la portada del libro es bonita con el uso de los colores y los personajes en primer plano que se mezclan con la novela y el cuento.
Vanessa Tait es en realidad la bisnieta de Alicia Liddell, la pequeña niña que inspiró a Charles Dodgson mejor conocido como Lewis Carroll. A escribir la obra Alicia en el país de las maravillas, con el fin de divertir a la pequeña niña quién en ese entonces (1862) era amigo de ella y muy cercano a la familia Liddell.
Es interesante conocer entre la trama; la ficción y la verdad en lo que sucedió en el periodo de amistad de 7 años.
No existen pruebas de que Lewis era una persona pedófila pero su comportamiento deja dudas, es carismático con las pequeñas sobre todo niñas con quiénes frecuentemente intercambiaban cartas y fotografías, pero en la época victoriana era una actividad normal.
Sin duda, en la actualidad si es una práctica de un comportamiento inapropiado.
La escritora usa de recurso: las cartas y diarios de su familia para hacer el relato de la creación del cuento Alicia en el país de las maravillas y dejar ver la personalidad de la verdadera Alicia que curiosamente es algo distinta a la pequeña del cuento.
Por último la portada del libro es bonita con el uso de los colores y los personajes en primer plano que se mezclan con la novela y el cuento.
December 22, 2017
No sé, esperaba otra cosa. O tal vez, no es el libro, sino yo que no estoy en mi mejor momento lector.
June 26, 2020
La autora del libro es bisnieta de Alicia Liddell quien inspira las aventuras de Alicia en el país de las maravillas y su secuela, por esta razón me pareció un libro entretenido y muy prometedor, ademas de que la autora informa que se baso en cartas privadas entre Alicia y Lewis Carroll pero que también llena huecos con fantasía.
Este relato no habla con gran exactitud de la relación que tenia Carroll con Alicia ni como esta lo inspiro, te dice a grandes rasgos que el autor iba a visitar a Alicia y sus hermanas a la casa de los Liddell, como eran sus juegos, como el interactuaba con las niñas y te deja ver su peculiar personalidad de igual forma te muestra a grandes rasgos como era la familia Lidell pero en su mayoría se basa en como la institutriz de estas busca acercarse a Carroll y como este a su vez de las pequeñas; el ambiente y la atmósfera están bien dirigidos al siglo XIX, la historia concuerda en ese aspecto en acciones y pensamientos.
En lo personal el libro no me gusto, me fue muy aburrido, considero que tiene muchas partes innecesarios o irrelevantes y la trama no se me hace importante... en realidad es muy simple, muy lineal, el final era lógico, en ningún momento me causo emoción alguna. En cuanto a los personajes no tienen ninguna evolución, lo único que me agrado es que tienen carácter y me parece que si lo demuestran pero hasta ahí, no es un libro que recomendaría si no le tienes aprecio al Lewis Carroll.
Yo recomendaría se lo recomendaría a las personas que aman y son fan de este clásico.
Este relato no habla con gran exactitud de la relación que tenia Carroll con Alicia ni como esta lo inspiro, te dice a grandes rasgos que el autor iba a visitar a Alicia y sus hermanas a la casa de los Liddell, como eran sus juegos, como el interactuaba con las niñas y te deja ver su peculiar personalidad de igual forma te muestra a grandes rasgos como era la familia Lidell pero en su mayoría se basa en como la institutriz de estas busca acercarse a Carroll y como este a su vez de las pequeñas; el ambiente y la atmósfera están bien dirigidos al siglo XIX, la historia concuerda en ese aspecto en acciones y pensamientos.
En lo personal el libro no me gusto, me fue muy aburrido, considero que tiene muchas partes innecesarios o irrelevantes y la trama no se me hace importante... en realidad es muy simple, muy lineal, el final era lógico, en ningún momento me causo emoción alguna. En cuanto a los personajes no tienen ninguna evolución, lo único que me agrado es que tienen carácter y me parece que si lo demuestran pero hasta ahí, no es un libro que recomendaría si no le tienes aprecio al Lewis Carroll.
Yo recomendaría se lo recomendaría a las personas que aman y son fan de este clásico.
January 27, 2024
I am uncomfortable.
I unearthed a truth in this book that is just disturbing and I will NEVER look at Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland the same again. I was glad to turn the final page of this book…
I unearthed a truth in this book that is just disturbing and I will NEVER look at Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland the same again. I was glad to turn the final page of this book…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2022
A pesar de la calificación, no descarto una relectura.
June 27, 2015
http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
The Looking Glass House is one of those novels that seem to be one thing, yet turns out to be something completely different. Sometimes this leads to a delightful surprise, other times these wrong expectations result in disappointment – as was unfortunately the case in this instance.
Written by the great-granddaughter of Alice Liddell, the girl who was the inspiration behind the classic character of Alice from the Wonderland novels, The Looking Glass House is a fictionalised retelling of Alice's true childhood. The lives of the Liddell sisters is seen through the eyes of their governess, Mary Prickett, who becomes fascinated by a family friend, Charles Dodgson, who in turn seems incredibly fond of the three young sisters, Alice in particular. He always takes the girls' photographs and asks them away on trips and one day Mary hears him tell an absurd yet enchanting story about Alice in a magical land.
Dodgson is nowadays of course better know as Lewis Carroll, the author of the aformentioned Alice in Wonderland, and from the moment that this became clear within the novel I felt incredibly intrigued by the hints to the wondrous tale that were sprinkled throughout and served as the seeds for Dodgson's classic novels. It wasn't only the three sisters I recognised from within the pages of the children's classics, but family acquaintances too and even the governess central within The Looking Glass House made an appearance. It was a marvelous treasure hunt through Victorian England and Dodgon's imagination – and one that with my love for the original Wonderland tales and whimsical characters I wish could've been the sole focus of the novel.
Unfortunately this wasn't the case. As the story progressed it took a more bizarre turn, one that seemed to come completely out of the blue considering the novel's cover and blurb, and it really wasn't something I felt interested in reading. It didn't help that Mary slowly but gradually turned into the unlikeable creature befitting the nickname so cruelly given to her by Dodgson and Alice, as it was difficult to continue to care for a character and story that made me feel so deeply uncomfortable and shattered my childhood illusions about a magical land and charming cast of characters to match.
Admittedly, I'm generally not a big fan of historical fiction nor reading about Victorian times, so perhaps it's partly my own fault for being led by an intriguing synopsis and magical cover, but The Looking Glass House just wasn't what I expected and hoped it to be. Instead of letting me return to the wondrous tales I grew up with, it has now forever changed my perspective in an unfavourable way – and that's a shame.
2.5 stars.
The Looking Glass House is one of those novels that seem to be one thing, yet turns out to be something completely different. Sometimes this leads to a delightful surprise, other times these wrong expectations result in disappointment – as was unfortunately the case in this instance.
Written by the great-granddaughter of Alice Liddell, the girl who was the inspiration behind the classic character of Alice from the Wonderland novels, The Looking Glass House is a fictionalised retelling of Alice's true childhood. The lives of the Liddell sisters is seen through the eyes of their governess, Mary Prickett, who becomes fascinated by a family friend, Charles Dodgson, who in turn seems incredibly fond of the three young sisters, Alice in particular. He always takes the girls' photographs and asks them away on trips and one day Mary hears him tell an absurd yet enchanting story about Alice in a magical land.
Dodgson is nowadays of course better know as Lewis Carroll, the author of the aformentioned Alice in Wonderland, and from the moment that this became clear within the novel I felt incredibly intrigued by the hints to the wondrous tale that were sprinkled throughout and served as the seeds for Dodgson's classic novels. It wasn't only the three sisters I recognised from within the pages of the children's classics, but family acquaintances too and even the governess central within The Looking Glass House made an appearance. It was a marvelous treasure hunt through Victorian England and Dodgon's imagination – and one that with my love for the original Wonderland tales and whimsical characters I wish could've been the sole focus of the novel.
Unfortunately this wasn't the case. As the story progressed it took a more bizarre turn, one that seemed to come completely out of the blue considering the novel's cover and blurb, and it really wasn't something I felt interested in reading. It didn't help that Mary slowly but gradually turned into the unlikeable creature befitting the nickname so cruelly given to her by Dodgson and Alice, as it was difficult to continue to care for a character and story that made me feel so deeply uncomfortable and shattered my childhood illusions about a magical land and charming cast of characters to match.
Admittedly, I'm generally not a big fan of historical fiction nor reading about Victorian times, so perhaps it's partly my own fault for being led by an intriguing synopsis and magical cover, but The Looking Glass House just wasn't what I expected and hoped it to be. Instead of letting me return to the wondrous tales I grew up with, it has now forever changed my perspective in an unfavourable way – and that's a shame.
2.5 stars.
September 27, 2015
A strange little book. I'm not sure what I expected, but it twists and turns in so many directions that I almost certainly didn't get whatever it was I expected.
The book starts focused on the governess of the Liddels. Her name is Mary, and it's clear from the start that she has aspirations of becoming more important than her low born status. Very well. Many heroines have begun in the same way. Unfortunately for her, it's also clear very quickly that it's the children she looks after who are important. Not her. With these hopes dashed so early, the story sort of meanders for a little while.
Enter Mr Wilton. I thought, for a time, that this was set to be an unconventional romance between Mary and this Mr Wilton who went to a strange kind of church where the rumors were that the devil was. However, that too ended up being misleading as Mary's distaste for Mr Wilton became quite clear. Her distaste of Mr Dodgson was marked from the start as well but, somehow, that lessened over time as his intellect and kindness overrode her early reservations of him.
Ah. Then it was to be a romance between Mr Dodgson and Mary. I don't know much about the real life Mr Dodgson, except that he is often portrayed in fiction as not being a very nice man for whatever reason. But here he seemed perfectly nice, including the children whenever he wanted to see Mary; a stark contrast to Mr Wilton who seemed almost repulsed by having to see the children Mary worked with so often.
Of course, that didn't end up being the case either. Quite the opposite. Mr Dodgson turned out to be quite kind enough to invite Mary along whenever he wanted to see Alice.
The way that this is written, I completely understand and am empathetic to Mary's plight. Even with the ways that we can delude ourselves into thinking someone is interested when they aren't, it became clear in the writing that Mr Dodgson had used Mary to get closer to the Liddels, and to Alice in particular. That maddened me, so much so that when it came that Mary had her small bit of revenge, I was very happy for her to get away with it.
The story finishes predictably with Alice moving on, Mr Dodgson writing Alice in Wonderland with a mind to publish, and a postscript by the author separating the factual information from the fictional. I have to say, though, I have no idea what it is about Mr Dodgson that makes him so unlikeable in all Alice stories I've read about him, but the factual aspects of story that were included here makes me not like him for new and varied reasons.
The story itself, however, was fairly simply written. Not a lot of depth went into the characters. I felt as though people who did not recognise these figures from history would have been a lot less interested in the story.
The book starts focused on the governess of the Liddels. Her name is Mary, and it's clear from the start that she has aspirations of becoming more important than her low born status. Very well. Many heroines have begun in the same way. Unfortunately for her, it's also clear very quickly that it's the children she looks after who are important. Not her. With these hopes dashed so early, the story sort of meanders for a little while.
Enter Mr Wilton. I thought, for a time, that this was set to be an unconventional romance between Mary and this Mr Wilton who went to a strange kind of church where the rumors were that the devil was. However, that too ended up being misleading as Mary's distaste for Mr Wilton became quite clear. Her distaste of Mr Dodgson was marked from the start as well but, somehow, that lessened over time as his intellect and kindness overrode her early reservations of him.
Ah. Then it was to be a romance between Mr Dodgson and Mary. I don't know much about the real life Mr Dodgson, except that he is often portrayed in fiction as not being a very nice man for whatever reason. But here he seemed perfectly nice, including the children whenever he wanted to see Mary; a stark contrast to Mr Wilton who seemed almost repulsed by having to see the children Mary worked with so often.
Of course, that didn't end up being the case either. Quite the opposite. Mr Dodgson turned out to be quite kind enough to invite Mary along whenever he wanted to see Alice.
The way that this is written, I completely understand and am empathetic to Mary's plight. Even with the ways that we can delude ourselves into thinking someone is interested when they aren't, it became clear in the writing that Mr Dodgson had used Mary to get closer to the Liddels, and to Alice in particular. That maddened me, so much so that when it came that Mary had her small bit of revenge, I was very happy for her to get away with it.
The story finishes predictably with Alice moving on, Mr Dodgson writing Alice in Wonderland with a mind to publish, and a postscript by the author separating the factual information from the fictional. I have to say, though, I have no idea what it is about Mr Dodgson that makes him so unlikeable in all Alice stories I've read about him, but the factual aspects of story that were included here makes me not like him for new and varied reasons.
The story itself, however, was fairly simply written. Not a lot of depth went into the characters. I felt as though people who did not recognise these figures from history would have been a lot less interested in the story.
July 30, 2016
Fulll Review: http://ellesbellesbookshelf.blogspot....
I really wanted to read this book - mostly because of the gorgeous cover - but also the concept of learning about the Liddell family before the stories of Alice in Wonderland. However this was the story of the pedantic, slightly-mentally abnormal governess who see's things differently, based on the family tales heard by Alice's own great granddaughter Vanessa Tait.
The writing is very prettily done but it is let down by a lack of punchlines which forces the reader to suffer through a lot of exposition and character changes before the big climx which is neither big nor climatic.
It's an interesting attempt and I liked that it was tried. Tait is a good writer but her choices weren't the best. Writing in 3rd person rather than 1st made the story very weak to me. I kept forgetting who Mary was before it clicked that it was the governess. Since we never leave Mary's side I would have rather read her thoughts rather then being told her actions. It makes us distanced and so uninterested and uninvested in the story.
Overall it was a disappointment to me, prettily written with some lovely lines and setting but the narrative just didn't work. A shame.
I really wanted to read this book - mostly because of the gorgeous cover - but also the concept of learning about the Liddell family before the stories of Alice in Wonderland. However this was the story of the pedantic, slightly-mentally abnormal governess who see's things differently, based on the family tales heard by Alice's own great granddaughter Vanessa Tait.
The writing is very prettily done but it is let down by a lack of punchlines which forces the reader to suffer through a lot of exposition and character changes before the big climx which is neither big nor climatic.
It's an interesting attempt and I liked that it was tried. Tait is a good writer but her choices weren't the best. Writing in 3rd person rather than 1st made the story very weak to me. I kept forgetting who Mary was before it clicked that it was the governess. Since we never leave Mary's side I would have rather read her thoughts rather then being told her actions. It makes us distanced and so uninterested and uninvested in the story.
Overall it was a disappointment to me, prettily written with some lovely lines and setting but the narrative just didn't work. A shame.
July 7, 2020
1.5 stars
Well, apparently the deeper you dig into something, the darker it gets...
warning: you WILL see Alice in wonderland and Lewis Carroll differently after reading this book.
The only thing that kept me going here was that I knew this book was based on a lot of truths. Truths that I naively thought would make Alice in wonderland make more sense.
But man... history is dark. I will now proceed to try and block this book out of my memory whenever I think about how much I love Alice in wonderland. There was a lot of disturbing stuff here.
However, I do appreciate the author’s intention and I’m glad for Alice’s sake that this book exists.
Everyone deserves to speak their truth. And I guess there are some mysteries about Alice that we will never know...
Well, apparently the deeper you dig into something, the darker it gets...
warning: you WILL see Alice in wonderland and Lewis Carroll differently after reading this book.
The only thing that kept me going here was that I knew this book was based on a lot of truths. Truths that I naively thought would make Alice in wonderland make more sense.
But man... history is dark. I will now proceed to try and block this book out of my memory whenever I think about how much I love Alice in wonderland. There was a lot of disturbing stuff here.
However, I do appreciate the author’s intention and I’m glad for Alice’s sake that this book exists.
Everyone deserves to speak their truth. And I guess there are some mysteries about Alice that we will never know...
August 16, 2016
"La casa del espejo" nos cuenta, desde el punto de vista de la institutriz de las hermanas Liddell, la historia de Lewis Carroll y Alice Liddell, la niña que inspiró al autor para escribir el cuento de Alicia en el País de las Maravillas; así como la polémica y peculiar relación que los unió durante tantos años. La narración es una maravilla, cuidada, amena y con un estilo absorbente; y la historia es muy interesante, repleta de anécdotas, detalles y curiosidades que todo amante del cuento disfrutará.
Puedes encontrar la reseña completa aquí: http://dondestamilapiz.blogspot.com.e...
Puedes encontrar la reseña completa aquí: http://dondestamilapiz.blogspot.com.e...
July 9, 2015
This book is not even worth 1 star. ot was so boring, it dragged on and on about pointless stuff and after 42% of the way through all it seemed to be was God and religion, hardley anything to do with Charles Dodgson. The write up on this book must be mis leading unless you can survive pages of drivel to get to I assume some good stuff. Unfortunately I got so board at 42% and have called it a day. I am so glad I wasted money on this. I will not recommend this book to anybody. I may attempt again at a later date.
May 15, 2015
I can't say too much, as this is yet to be published,
It is a great story, and one that every fan of Alice In Wonderland needs to read,,
Love it !!!
It is a great story, and one that every fan of Alice In Wonderland needs to read,,
Love it !!!
June 20, 2023
This book is like a 2.5 stars, and I have a lot of conflicting feelings about it. On the one hand, the writing is skilled, if a little wattpadesque at points (orbs was used), and the unsettling atmosphere created was pretty intense. But on the other hand, the book is such an ick.
The characters all feel like caricatures and are very stereotypical - frigid governess, airhead upper class wife, rough, rowdy, working class guy. The mc’s only motivation is that she is a simp, and that’s it. It almost feels a little misogynistic, with sentiments like she never felt alive before she loved a man. Also the church subplot was odd af and never resolved.
However, the worst part by far was the fact that these characters were real people. The mc is being represented as obsessive and deranged, but she was a real person and there was no historical evidence she liked the guy she did in the book. With scenes such as her wanking to him in front of a cross involved, I feel like that’s very disrespectful to the real person. If that were me, I’d be pissed. Additionally, Charles Dogdeson was pretty much written as a nonce, when in real life, there is limited evidence that he was a nonce. It was just weird af.
If this book hadn’t been based on real people, it would be a 3.5 star read - I just wish the mc’s motivations and character were more than down bad. But because these were real people who were nothing like this, I dunno man. Doesn’t sit right with me.
The characters all feel like caricatures and are very stereotypical - frigid governess, airhead upper class wife, rough, rowdy, working class guy. The mc’s only motivation is that she is a simp, and that’s it. It almost feels a little misogynistic, with sentiments like she never felt alive before she loved a man. Also the church subplot was odd af and never resolved.
However, the worst part by far was the fact that these characters were real people. The mc is being represented as obsessive and deranged, but she was a real person and there was no historical evidence she liked the guy she did in the book. With scenes such as her wanking to him in front of a cross involved, I feel like that’s very disrespectful to the real person. If that were me, I’d be pissed. Additionally, Charles Dogdeson was pretty much written as a nonce, when in real life, there is limited evidence that he was a nonce. It was just weird af.
If this book hadn’t been based on real people, it would be a 3.5 star read - I just wish the mc’s motivations and character were more than down bad. But because these were real people who were nothing like this, I dunno man. Doesn’t sit right with me.
June 2, 2017
I really enjoyed this story, I liked Dodgson's character in him self but the way he was portrayed in terms of his relationship alice to be slightly disturbing. I have read a lot about the life of Lewis Carroll aka Charles Dodgson which included watching the BBC documentary "The secret life of Lewis Carroll", if you find Lewis Carroll to be an interesting character that documentary I believe can be found on YouTube.I found Mary almost infuriating, she had to no right to act the way she did at the end of a book, so Dodgson perhaps used her, having someone labeled in that way is inexcusable. But the whole story kept me hooked and j would recommend this to others.
June 20, 2018
3.5*
Really enjoyed this novel but it felt quite truncated. By condensing the 7 years of their friendship into 1 the Alice Liddell-Charles Dodgson story felt a little rushed. It would have seemed less so if the book had been longer. Overall though, a good read made all the more intriguing by being written by Alice's great grand-daughter.
Really enjoyed this novel but it felt quite truncated. By condensing the 7 years of their friendship into 1 the Alice Liddell-Charles Dodgson story felt a little rushed. It would have seemed less so if the book had been longer. Overall though, a good read made all the more intriguing by being written by Alice's great grand-daughter.
May 18, 2019
2.5
I wouldn’t say this was a bad book. Just so many of the characters were unenjoyable. And since the story centered around the characters. It was all just ok. Solid writing though.
I wouldn’t say this was a bad book. Just so many of the characters were unenjoyable. And since the story centered around the characters. It was all just ok. Solid writing though.
February 26, 2018
Actually 3.5
August 3, 2018
En realidad es un 2,5 , quizás esperaba algo más del libro
August 25, 2016
This is not your contemporary Alice in Wonderland themed novel. Oh, the story has the usual and most recognizable elements of course, until you start reading. For instance, author, Vanessa Tait introduces real Liddell family governess Mary Prickett. From her perspective and ever so direct vantage point, she takes us along on a journey inside the deanery, Christ Church, Oxford where we meet sisters Ina, Edith and Alice Liddell. Oxford is the main setting where all the action takes place because the sisters are the daughters of Dean of Christ Church, Oxford Henry Liddell and his wife, Mrs. Liddell, Lorina Hanna Liddell.
What I enjoyed most about, The Looking Glass House is how involved Mrs. Liddell was with her daughters. She was at times overbearing in nature but Vanessa Tait brings her to life interestingly enough with the same 'pricklyness' of character as governess Mary Prickett. You get a good sense of the father of the house, Henry Liddell who for the most part is mentioned in name and title only. He serves as a spectre almost coming and going to serve the purpose of setting, place and time.
This novel is a story based upon real people, places and events. Yet, there is no clearly structred chronological timeline to the narration. Even though a year 1862 is mentioned in the opening, you will not find any other years specifically mentioned; not as chapter headings and not even throughout them. I am so accustomed to having these types of novels including a date and a year next to each chapter heading that it is refereshing not to have them. It makes the reader's mind wander and wonder when certain events start to happen to the main focus Alice Liddell. This does not mean that you have to be familiar with Alice Liddell's real life but if you do just take note that nothing is clear cut for the reader. Just use your imagination and enjoy reading the story.
Another aspect of the novel that I truly loved reading about was the subject of photography. As the novel progresses, Mr. and Mrs. Liddell come to meet 'Dodgson' a young man with a stammer when he speaks and a lilt to his walk. He catches the eye of governess Mary Prickett who seems to be a bit keen on him but dare not admit it. She is not the most attractive of women, plain and still a spinster! She has her prospects though but I shall leave it to the reader to see what happens to good old 'Pricks' as the girls call her.
At the climax of the novel, Vanessa Tait addresses the 'questionable' aspect of Alice Liddell's life related to her 'friendship' with Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll. She does this cleverly and through Mrs. Liddell we see some tough love family mother-daughter moments. My heart broke along with Alice but I believe Mrs. Liddell did what a mother does to keep her family in tact.
What I enjoyed most about, The Looking Glass House is how involved Mrs. Liddell was with her daughters. She was at times overbearing in nature but Vanessa Tait brings her to life interestingly enough with the same 'pricklyness' of character as governess Mary Prickett. You get a good sense of the father of the house, Henry Liddell who for the most part is mentioned in name and title only. He serves as a spectre almost coming and going to serve the purpose of setting, place and time.
This novel is a story based upon real people, places and events. Yet, there is no clearly structred chronological timeline to the narration. Even though a year 1862 is mentioned in the opening, you will not find any other years specifically mentioned; not as chapter headings and not even throughout them. I am so accustomed to having these types of novels including a date and a year next to each chapter heading that it is refereshing not to have them. It makes the reader's mind wander and wonder when certain events start to happen to the main focus Alice Liddell. This does not mean that you have to be familiar with Alice Liddell's real life but if you do just take note that nothing is clear cut for the reader. Just use your imagination and enjoy reading the story.
Another aspect of the novel that I truly loved reading about was the subject of photography. As the novel progresses, Mr. and Mrs. Liddell come to meet 'Dodgson' a young man with a stammer when he speaks and a lilt to his walk. He catches the eye of governess Mary Prickett who seems to be a bit keen on him but dare not admit it. She is not the most attractive of women, plain and still a spinster! She has her prospects though but I shall leave it to the reader to see what happens to good old 'Pricks' as the girls call her.
At the climax of the novel, Vanessa Tait addresses the 'questionable' aspect of Alice Liddell's life related to her 'friendship' with Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll. She does this cleverly and through Mrs. Liddell we see some tough love family mother-daughter moments. My heart broke along with Alice but I believe Mrs. Liddell did what a mother does to keep her family in tact.
May 23, 2022
I was super excited for this book ever since I saw it in the bookstore. Mind you, I live in a not so big city in the Netherlands where the bookstore only has 1 shelf of English Literature so believe me, I was EXCITED. It also arrived a week before the release date?? WAHEY
from this point on there may be SPOILERS so ye be warned.
The summary on the back of the book sounds very promising. I was so ready for drama. Yet, only at around page 200 of 300, the story reached the end of the summary, so there wasn't much space for drama left.
This book is not overly dramatic. This book is more about Mary Prickett's character, the unlikable governess who has yet to find a man in marriage. I could identify with Mary both physical appearance wise and emotionally, so I found reading about her character development intriguing. I loved the little quotes and hints to the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland book very amusing.
I also love the fact that the autor is Alice Liddell's granddaughter <3
I would totally recommend this book to anyone who is an Alice nerd like me, but otherwise I think you'd find it quite boring.
from this point on there may be SPOILERS so ye be warned.
The summary on the back of the book sounds very promising. I was so ready for drama. Yet, only at around page 200 of 300, the story reached the end of the summary, so there wasn't much space for drama left.
This book is not overly dramatic. This book is more about Mary Prickett's character, the unlikable governess who has yet to find a man in marriage. I could identify with Mary both physical appearance wise and emotionally, so I found reading about her character development intriguing. I loved the little quotes and hints to the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland book very amusing.
I also love the fact that the autor is Alice Liddell's granddaughter <3
I would totally recommend this book to anyone who is an Alice nerd like me, but otherwise I think you'd find it quite boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2016
Probablemente lo más interesante de todo el libro es el hecho de estar escrito por la bisnieta de Alice Liddle, la inspiración de Lewis Carroll.
El personaje principal, la institutriz Pricket, difícilmente provoca simpatía, aunque por otro lado, se presenta como un personaje congruente: una mujer de clase humilde, con varios complejos que su posición y disposición le provocaron, que entra a trabajar con una familia de renombre, para estar a cargo de tres niñas que poco le interesaban.
Los puntos buenos de la historia: un buen desarrollo de personajes, sobretodo la que respecta a Alice, el señor Dodgson y la misma protagonista. Y las descripciones que facilitan recrear lo pretendido por la autora.
Los puntos que no me permitieron subirle la calificación: el ritmo lento de la historia, el que pase tan poco y la repetición del estado anímico de Mary Pricket, el cual difícilmente se matiza.
El personaje principal, la institutriz Pricket, difícilmente provoca simpatía, aunque por otro lado, se presenta como un personaje congruente: una mujer de clase humilde, con varios complejos que su posición y disposición le provocaron, que entra a trabajar con una familia de renombre, para estar a cargo de tres niñas que poco le interesaban.
Los puntos buenos de la historia: un buen desarrollo de personajes, sobretodo la que respecta a Alice, el señor Dodgson y la misma protagonista. Y las descripciones que facilitan recrear lo pretendido por la autora.
Los puntos que no me permitieron subirle la calificación: el ritmo lento de la historia, el que pase tan poco y la repetición del estado anímico de Mary Pricket, el cual difícilmente se matiza.
July 1, 2015
Best I can say is that it goes down about as easily as an aimless summer afternoon in the garden, disturbed only by the occasional threat of beesting.
The author grounds the story in historical and indeed herstorical detail; her great-great grandmother was Alice Liddell, who inspired Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll to write the famous eponymous tales. Would one anticipate some effort at illuminating Carroll's character and dramatizing the tales' inspiration, in the loose genre, say, of Shakespeare in Love? This one would. Instead, the focus is on the Liddells' governess (rescued under her true name from the dustbin of history), her struggles and intrigues: ultimately wan riffs on the traditional marriage plot. The low-stakes game is disappointing, and to add insult to injury, the protagonist is very thinly drawn, further frustrating our efforts to give a good goddarn.
The author grounds the story in historical and indeed herstorical detail; her great-great grandmother was Alice Liddell, who inspired Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll to write the famous eponymous tales. Would one anticipate some effort at illuminating Carroll's character and dramatizing the tales' inspiration, in the loose genre, say, of Shakespeare in Love? This one would. Instead, the focus is on the Liddells' governess (rescued under her true name from the dustbin of history), her struggles and intrigues: ultimately wan riffs on the traditional marriage plot. The low-stakes game is disappointing, and to add insult to injury, the protagonist is very thinly drawn, further frustrating our efforts to give a good goddarn.
September 13, 2019
13th of September, 2019.
Read till page 53. This book is a definite DNF! I really couldn’t stand the writing style from the get go and just a note, even though I have not read Jane Eyre I had a feeling that the main Character “Mary” has been kinda based on her.
Also, what I didn’t like about this book is the interactions between the characters and all.
Further more, I have seen a lot of “negative” reviews for this book. And I won’t say it effected me but I will say that when I bought this book last year in a book book sale I was exited cause I thought it will be an “Alice” story and not something else. And now I have tried to read it, I really didn’t enjoy it.
If you think that this book is based on Alice it’s not it’s all about the Governess Mary.
Read till page 53. This book is a definite DNF! I really couldn’t stand the writing style from the get go and just a note, even though I have not read Jane Eyre I had a feeling that the main Character “Mary” has been kinda based on her.
Also, what I didn’t like about this book is the interactions between the characters and all.
Further more, I have seen a lot of “negative” reviews for this book. And I won’t say it effected me but I will say that when I bought this book last year in a book book sale I was exited cause I thought it will be an “Alice” story and not something else. And now I have tried to read it, I really didn’t enjoy it.
If you think that this book is based on Alice it’s not it’s all about the Governess Mary.
October 2, 2019
The Looking Glass House was an interesting take on a familiar tale- I love books that retelling old stories or shed light on the creation of famous tales. This book focused on Charles Dodgson AKA Lewis Carrol and his creation of Alice in Wonderland as told through the narrative of Mary Prickett the governess of Alice Liddell who inspired the story. I found Mary to be very likeable by the end of this book. Dodgson was very unlikeable to me especially considering the undertones of suggested pedophilia that were in his character. I liked the historical element of the book as I love Victorian literature and the time period itself. It was really interesting to learn more about the girl who inspired Carroll and learn more about the author himself.
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