I have always liked the idea of Alice in Wonderful. The madness, the invention, the inherent threat of a place that doesn't hugely consider consequences or compromise; there are characters in there like the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts that I love. However I have always hated Alice. She is a brat. Together it's always seemed a waste for all that imagination and potential to be yoked to such an unlikable character. It means I've been waiting for someone to take up the story and give these character the attention they deserve. American McGee did a twisted dark job of it in their computer games (which I love!) if someone could have done that in a illustrated book I'd happily sleep with it under my pillow next to a vorpal blade to deter thieves.
Now for Gregory Maguire. In high school I was severely dyslexic. I could barely read, my spelling was so bad my writing was a hieroglyph. I worked extremely hard to enjoy books because I knew there were good things between those covers. I came to Wicked somewhere between growing confidence and fluid with my reading and still struggling a little. It's a hard read, but I stuck with it and felt accomplishment when I finished it (not enough magic for my tastes, no idea how they turned it into a musical!) and went on to read Son Of A Witch.
So I knew what I was getting myself into when I picked up After Alice. Gregory Maguire writes densely. He clearly has a love of language and is far from afraid to use it. After Alice is perhaps more lyrical then his other books. Like a dream, akin to the book this is based on, but with a slightly dark note, a hint of adult themes and threat and philosophy. A Midsummers Night Dream is referenced and it's that that feels the biggest influence. There is a chance the narrative could become lost within the verbal gymnastics but he comes across playful and it lets you role along with it rather than acting as an obstacle. This is played up by the narrator, a voice that takes this story as a time capsule out of it's setting giving it a timeless parable air..... yet still very light and playful.
I will say I lost my way a few times, there were lines of story that didn't hold my attention, but overall I enjoyed this book for a two reasons. It's lyrical nature made me feel good and I liked Alice's counterpart Ade were as I've never liked Alice.
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