Alice I Have Been

by Melanie Benjamin | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 9780385344135 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingLadyIndigowing of Orange, New South Wales Australia on 4/6/2010
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8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, April 6, 2010
http://www.melaniebenjamin.com/books.php

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole-and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.

But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?

Alice Liddell Hargreaves's life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she's experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only "Alice."

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice—he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice's childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.

Journal Entry 2 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Monday, April 12, 2010
It is not often I say I loved a book... I loved this book!
I loved the language, Benjamin's style and her take on what might have happened to Alice, what might have happened between Dodgson and Liddell family.

She has obviously done her research into the times, Liddell family and Charles Dodgson and then crafted a wonderful fictionalised story about Alice, the inspiration behind Alice in Wonderland. Knowing there are real facts within these pages, makes it a little difficult to believe it is really a 'what-if' story.

Mother Liddell was an impressive woman - in the early pages, Oxford is described as a Kingdom and mother as the Queen of the Kingdom... "Remarkable for a woman who bore ten children - one would have assumed she was perpetually in a state of bearing a child, or waiting for a child, or getting over a child - Mamma made certain the Deanery was the social centre of Christ Church, which was of course the social centre of Oxford."

It was interesting too for Benjamin to have included the changes in society, for women especially, during the course of this book. It ends with Alice at age 80.

The point of view continues to be Alice in the story, growing up as she grows up. Noone knows what exactly happened between her and Dodgson, all letters and diary pages have been destroyed.
If the speculation in this story is correct, how many lives have been changed or ruined forever based on assumptions made and spoken by people who hear or observe something out of context? And those same people go on to not recall nothing of the episode nor the words they spoke ill-informed.

I expect I shall read "Alice in Wonderland" in a different way next time I pick it up, knowing there is something more behind the whimsical tale.

I highly recommend this if just for its beautiful lyrical writing style.


you may also be interested in the reading group guidelines
http://www.melaniebenjamin.com/book-clubs.php

Journal Entry 3 by wingLadyIndigowing from Orange, New South Wales Australia on Monday, April 12, 2010
AU only Bookring participants
(happy to slot new readers into ring before it comes home)

1. wendyv - vic
2. charliewendy - vic
3. dancesports - tas
4. lunar73 - tas
5. amberc - nt
6. bekoh - nsw
7.
back to me <- back home


No rules really - read as you can and pass on; if it looks like you'll be awhile, just let me know.


Enjoy
Happy reading
;)

Journal Entry 4 by wingLadyIndigowing at -- Controlled Release, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, April 18, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (4/18/2010 UTC) at -- Controlled Release, New South Wales Australia

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CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending to first reader in AU Bookring

have fun
:)

Journal Entry 5 by wendyv from Blind Bight, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, April 21, 2010
This book arrived in the mail today with some lovely (and very ahndy in this house) bookcrossing pencils and a much appreciated welcome letter. Thank you LadyIndigo for your lovely welcome and thoughtful tips. I feel very welcomed. I am really looking forward to reading this book. I am just finishing one over the next couple of days and then I will be onto Alice....
thank you for including me!

Journal Entry 6 by wendyv from Blind Bight, Victoria Australia on Friday, April 23, 2010
Wow.
This was an impressive novel, one which will remain with me long after I send it off in the mail tomorrow. I found that it grew on me as I got more and more into it. I empathised with Alice, and also, despite myself and my own (I admit it) prejudice, Mr Dodgson... I also found the mother an impressive figure. It was good, in a way, that Alice gained a closer understanding of her mother towards the end of her own life.
I liked that she also realised her own love towards the end of her life. Regi was the true hero in this novel, I believe. He truly loved her for herself, not for the idea of 'Alice', even when she struggled with accepting herself, he did.
It was a fascinating, fictional account of her life...but added to that it was a complex love story (I refer to Alice and Leo), a portrait of a family, an examination of power and control, particularly with reference to social standing and gender politics. The dominant male characters were effeminate, inattainable, manipulative or absent/ineffective (her father, the boys off to war). The obvious exception was Regi, although Alice was still his pillar of strength. The central, driving characters were the women...particularly the three sisters and their mother. Each of them representing a different aspect of 'femininity'....wasn't Alice destined to remain a child forever? The jealous sister, the overpowering/cold mother, the beautiful sister...
I really liked it. Thnak you for including me in this ring. I have charliewendy's address so it will be posted off tomorrow...

Journal Entry 7 by wendyv at Blind Bight, Victoria Australia on Friday, April 23, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (4/23/2010 UTC) at Blind Bight, Victoria Australia

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CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Will be posted off tomorrow from our local shop. Please enjoy it!

Journal Entry 8 by charliewendy from Yarra Glen, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Book received. This is next in line for reading so I shouldn't be long getting started.
Thanks WendyV for sending it on and LadyIndigo for sharing it!

Journal Entry 9 by charliewendy from Yarra Glen, Victoria Australia on Monday, May 17, 2010
I've enjoyed this book so much. I read it thinking it was a total work of fiction so I was really interested at the end to read how many of the incidents were documented fact. It made me think that at least some of the story must be pretty close to the truth.

There are some interesting articles on the net if you look for them and the gypsy girl photo is available too. I tried to post a link but without success. (Hanging my head in shame at my lack of tech savviness.)

I was interested to read of the "real Peter Pan" and how he was affected by that book and according to a friend of mine the "real Christopher Robin" had similar strong feelings towards AA Milne - his father apparently.

I will be contacting dancesports now and I plan to pop this in the post tomorrow. Thank you Lady Indigo for sharing another great read!


Journal Entry 10 by charliewendy from Yarra Glen, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Off to dancesports today. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 11 by Dancesports from Petcheys Bay, Tasmania Australia on Monday, May 24, 2010
book has arrived safely, will get to it as soon as I can, I have a few bookrings in front, but I can't wait there are good reviews here

Journal Entry 12 by Dancesports at Petcheys Bay, Tasmania Australia on Monday, June 14, 2010
I was very glad to read this book, an interesting supposition of Alice's life.

Journal Entry 13 by Dancesports at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, June 28, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (6/28/2010 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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The book is on it's way to the next reader

Journal Entry 14 by Lunar73 at Sheffield, Tasmania Australia on Saturday, July 3, 2010
Alice arrived a couple of days ago. My apologies for my tardy entry. I am currently halfway through a book, so I'll get to this one as quick as I can. Thanks Dancesports for sending it my way.

Journal Entry 15 by Lunar73 at Sheffield, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, July 14, 2010
What a beautifully written book! I really enjoyed reading Alice although I thought it was a sad story. Thanks so much for sharing LadyIndigo.

Journal Entry 16 by Lunar73 at Sheffield, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (7/14/2010 UTC) at Sheffield, Tasmania Australia

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On its way to Amberc

Journal Entry 17 by amberC at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Thursday, July 22, 2010
Arrived today. It will be next to be read.

Journal Entry 18 by amberC at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Monday, July 26, 2010
A beautifully written book that is hard to describe. It draws you in and won't let go.

PM'ed bekoh for her address.

Journal Entry 19 by amberC at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (7/27/2010 UTC) at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia

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In the mail to bekoh.

Journal Entry 20 by bekoh at Salamander Bay, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Received today. After reading all the positive journal entries I'm looking forward to reading this book.

It took a while to get into this book but once I did I loved it. I had no idea of the story behind Alice & I was quite shocked at how some of the people behaved.

I had a good chat with an friend at work about this book too & she agreed with me. Parts are quite confronting & uncomfortable. A great book!

Journal Entry 21 by bekoh at Orange, New South Wales Australia on Friday, October 22, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (10/20/2010 UTC) at Orange, New South Wales Australia

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Posted home. I forgot to journal it (sorry).

Thanks again for sharing this book.

Journal Entry 22 by wingLadyIndigowing at Orange, New South Wales Australia on Monday, November 1, 2010
alice has returned home; thanks everyone for your comments - it was a most interesting and confronting read in terms of story and well written in style

off to the shelves for a while
what shall we read next???

:)

Journal Entry 23 by wingLadyIndigowing at Orange, New South Wales Australia on Monday, August 10, 2015
After spending several years languishing on my shelves, i have decided to move this novel on - sharing it for the southern cross book exchange

It remains one of my favourite reads, but given I have not taken it from the shelf and dusted it off in all these years, it really must be shared.

May you enjoy it as much as I, and everyone in the bookring, did...

;)

Journal Entry 24 by wingLadyIndigowing at BookObsessed.com, A book trading site -- Controlled Releases on Monday, August 10, 2015

Released 8 yrs ago (8/10/2015 UTC) at BookObsessed.com, A book trading site -- Controlled Releases

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happy reading mz august

;)

Journal Entry 25 by alice2623663 at Wollongong, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, September 19, 2015
Just catching up on some book journalling - arrived safely, thanks!

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