After Alice audiobook

I have a lot of thoughts, review TK

**I would like to start off by saying that I received After Alice by Gregory Maguire for free via Shelf Awareness in exchange for a review. Although I am super grateful and excited for any opportunity at receiving a book for free, I am also very strict with being honest. That being said, giveaways do not impact my reviews.**Actual Rating: 3.5/5Hmmm, not really sure why this book has such a low overall rating as I rather enjoyed it.. and for this reason I am glad I don't listen to what others think. I happily accept others opinions and do consider them beforehand and while reading but in this case, I happen to disagree with the majority.It definitely came across as a "wordy" type of book when I first started it and that almost scared me away and was not at all what I was expecting out if it, but the further in to the story I got, the less that seemed to carry on which made for a much more enjoyable experience.I'm reviewing this as a person who knows Alice in Wonderland - but like the Disney movie.. so I can't compare this book to anything that hardcore Alice fans might, take that as you will.I do believe if you can get past the first few chapters and really let yourself fall into this book, it's pretty fun and reminiscent.PLUS THE COVER/BOOK JACKET IS SOOO BOOTYFUL

Gregory Maguire, who reimagined Oz with his WICKED series now turns his attention to an Alice In Wonderland 'sequel'.In this highly imaginative and surreal novel, we find Alice's friend Ada searching for her missing friend. Even Alice's sister Lydia is concerned as the typically odd Alice has never disappeared for this long. During her search Ada finds the same portal Alice had discovered and finds herself in Wonderland. Although not nearly as bizarre as the land depicted by Lewis Carroll, Gregory Maguire still creates a version of Wonderland that will strike a familiar chord with readers. This story belongs to Ada, as Alice is not seen until the final pages.Mind you, this novel is to be appreciated by only true fans of ALICE IN WONDERLAND as Maguire focuses on not just the well-known denizens of Wonderland but some lesser known characters like the Tin Bear and Ballerina. A decidedly interesting work that fans of Carroll's will thoroughly enjoy and savor.

After AliceByGregory MaguireWhat I knew about this book before I read it...I knew quite a few things about this book and this author before I read it. I knew that this author wrote Witches. I knew that After Alice was about Alice in Wonderland but with a different view...a slightly different and unique view.My thoughts after reading this book...I really loved reading this book. The humor was so sweet...so unique...so perfect! I loved the two stories vying for my attention...one story above ground and one story below! What I loved about this book...I loved when Humpty Dumpty said that salt completes him...too funny! What I did not love about this book...Just a bit confusing at first...until the story was straight in my head! Final thoughts about this book...This book was a very cleverly written fun book about Ada...Alice's friend...trying to find Alice. Ada, too, has fallen into that amazing rabbit hole. There are very clever conversations with a myriad of underground characters. There are very clever conversations with the above ground characters. The combined worlds are tons of clever fun!

3.5 stars rounded up. I like Gregory Maguire's takes on well-known stories like The Wizard of Oz (the Wicked series). This time it's Alice in Wonderland. It didn't strike me as nearly as good as others. It took me a bit of time to understand what was going on, and it didn't seem to relate as well to the story we know as his earlier works, especially the Wicked series. Those were told from a point of view of characters we already knew. This one introduces totally new characters. That said, I enjoyed reading it. He is a witty writer and does a great job of setting the scene and telling the stories. I would have liked to learn more about the main characters, but, as I said, it was an enjoyable read.

This book peers through the looking glass of political and historical events of the 1860s, giving the reader an interesting view of Alice's Wonderland. In a way, this book serves as Maguire's own interpretation of the original story, bringing to the readers' attention the political climate in which the original story was written. With that frame of mind, it presses the reader to think beyond just the fantastical surface of Alice in Wonderland, but begs them to interpret themes and context. Additionally, Maguire is one of the most quotable authors I have thus encountered and he has such a delightfully eloquent way with words.

Jep, loved it.It wasn't what I expected, but very pleased indeed. Beware though, it's addictive and you'll need a quiet space to get into it (hello loud neighbors on the first real spring day of the year).And just look at the cover! Who wouldn't want a copy of this one on their bookshelf? *prrrretty book*

Just in time for the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, comes this novel After Alice from Gregory Maguire, (author of Wicked), who picks up the story after Alice falls down the proverbial rabbit hole. The title itself can be a bit misleading, because I had the notion it would be a sequel of sorts about what happened "after Alice" came back from Wonderland, but it is the story of Alice's best friend, Ada Boyce, who readers get a brief glimpse of in the original book. This is highlighted in the opening to this book where we find an excerpt from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland where Ada is mentioned. This novel on the other hand is what happens when Ada follows Alice quite unfortunately in an attempt to find Alice, thus the fitting of the title "After Alice" comes into play. She wasn't intentionally looking for her, but was headed out exploring and trying to avoid her nanny of sorts, Mrs. Armstrong, whom Ada refers to as Mrs. Armstrong Headstrong, who has lost sight of Ada and fears the repercussions from Ada's father when she returns without her. Mrs. Armstrong doesn't know quite where Ada has run off and spends the length of the novel attempting to find her as the chapters toggle between Ada's adventures in trying to find Alice while she herself is lost in the many wonders in Wonderland, and Mrs. Armstrong's attempt to find her with little help from Lydia, Alice's older sister. As Ada struggles to understand what is happening to her, we catch a sneak peek at some of our beloved characters from Wonderland like the Cheshire Cat, the Walrus and the Oysters, the talking roses and more as Wonderland rushes to make preparations for the Queen of Hearts garden party. Ada finds herself always a step behind where Alice has traveled and even finds herself accused of stealing a spoon from the Mad Hatter and March Hare when she sits down for tea, failing to realize she had the spoon in her pocket when she was in her home, trying to console her sickly baby brother. I received After Alice by Gregory Maguire compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review aside from the free copy of the novel and the opinions contained here are my own personal ones. While I wished this book would have stayed focused on Wonderland, I found the alternating chapters involving Alice's sister Lydia a bit distracting from the story. It was like having two very different stories in one book but alternating them. It was not something I preferred, but did enjoy the those chapters in which Ada's exploration into the mysterious world of Wonderland come to life again. I would rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion and fans of Gregory Maguire's novels such as Wicked would love this one as well.

While reading this book, it's important to remember the title. Everything you read and "see" is After Alice in more than one sense. Yes, Ada's adventures into Wonderland happen after Alice has fallen down the rabbit hole. But this novel is written 150 years after Carroll's classics. Maguire's Wonderland is slightly different than Carroll's because of the narrating voices. Ada isn't quite as accepting as Alice, which makes her stay in Wonderland a little more strenuous. I'm trying to choose my words carefully because I don't want to spoil anything. If you've read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the the Looking Glass, you know that there are very subtle happening that make those novels much more enveloping compared to a straight-faced reading. Wonderland is still populated by the characters that you loved (or hated) from the classics. However, Maguire adds new characters to Wonderland and offers new sides to existing characters. One of the best aspects of this novel is the dual narrative of Wonderland and Oxford. While Ada is in Wonderland trying to make sense of the topsy-turvy world, Lydia (Alice's sister) is in Oxford trying to navigate the patriarchal world that is 186_ England. She's no longer a child, but she is also not fully a woman. Here, the novel reads as historical fiction. If you're on the fence about reading this novel, my suggestion is to pick it up. In all likeliness, you read Carroll's novels in high school and maybe picked them back up when Burton's adaptation came out a few years ago. That means that you're more than ready to jump back into Wonderland and experience it from a new perspective. While reading this book, I found that I tended to agree with Ada quite a bit when she conversed and challenged the Wonderland natives. I truly believe that those returning to Wonderland will see the world from a different angle as well. If you're still on the fence, feel free to ask me anything about the novel. Or just read some more comments. :)

I suppose problem is that I will always be looking for Gregory Maguire to produce the next Wicked, and that may be an impossible task. In this case, After Alice is a play on words. Not only does the story occur after Alice plunges down the rabbit hole, but it falls to her sister, Lydia, and most importantly, her friend, Ada, to plunge down the rabbit hole themselves, pursuing their strong-willed sibling and friend on her journey through wonderland. Actually, this just presents the original tale in a new voice for the first half of the book. Ada, newly released from the tortures of her scoliosis -correcting corset, is able to move through the same paths and similar adventures as Alice in her pursuit. Somehow, the story in the beginning, does not intrigue. Still, the second half comes more alive with the introduction on Siam, formerly Samuel, an escaped slave from the American south. Comparisons to Fyero may be made since this boy of color develops strength in unexpected ways and colorations. The introduction of period-appropriate characters such as Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin give historical relevance but not much else. Pursue the book to the second half, if you are a fan. Also, rejoice that Ada finds her freedom from her physical limitations much as Elphaba defied gravity. It's a good read, just not "Wickedly" wonderful.

I loooved this book - it was witty, and deep deep deep. Set in 1863/4 - an "in between time" the world has lost its compass - Evolution has supplanted God as the source of meaning, and grown ups wrestle with meaning coming from Apes not God, in the wake of Darwin's Origin of the Species. It humbles people as they grapple with meaninglessness of cruelty, slavery, and death, without ever throwing it in your face. The book could also signify 1967 or 2017 for many of us who are coming to terms with the political shifts in this country and a sense of topsy turvy meaninglessness. At the end of the novelette (it was pretty short, after all) Maguire raises his ultimate question where all this has been leading: the evolutionary significance of imagination. It's not for everyone. But this book was exactly what I wanted today: witty, some of the best writing I have ever read - although in places he tips into purple prose, challenging, and made me slightly uncomfortable. Go there if you dare. If not, all's well, there's always something else with smaller words.

Gregory Maguire is either a complete hit or a complete miss for me. This one was absolutely a hit. A different take on "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass", this book makes Alice a minor character (really, nearly an invisible character, other than her ACTUAL character as a person) and instead focuses on her friend, who is mentioned but once in the "Alice in Wonderland" book.Even after a lot of serious thinking, I really couldn't decide if this book was better (finally decided: yes) and if it was better BECAUSE I had read the "Alice" books, or in spite of the fact. I think those who have read the Lewis Carroll books will find "After Alice" a real treat, but if you've never read the craziness that is "Alice in Wonderland", I think you'll find the craziness in THIS book easier to manage, with a faster pace and more "real" characters (although we must have the Mad Hatter).Highly recommended.

3.5 starsI didn't get into this one as much as Maguire's other books, which was a shame, because I'm a big fan of his writing! It felt a bit disjointed. I really enjoyed the Wonderland parts, and the concept was great, I just felt taken out of the story at about every chapter break.

4.5 stars, maybe? Full review to come, but I loved the thematic elements of this book. It took a little while to see how it would all tie together, but I ended up loving it much more than I expected.