Description
If you enjoyed Lewis Carroll’s books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there, this is the book for you! Finally, there is a third story in the Alice series – written in Carroll’s familiar style, but packed with a great number of completely new puns, poems, and satire!
This time, Alice explores an under-water world, in which she meets new characters who again make her wonder about their strange logic and behaviour.
The story can be enjoyed by everyone, even those who have never read Carroll’s tales. However, the more familiar you are with them, the more references you will recognise in this exceptionally clever story…
Listen to me read parts of the book aloud!
“Ms. de Rooy captured the essence of Alice and her adventures beautifully. This tale contained all of the magic that was included in the original Alice books. I especially loved the subtle modern twists the author added in her references to public figures, songs, and more. She struck the perfect balance between copying the original tone of this series and including things that would appeal to the sensibilities of twenty-first century readers. […] Alice’s Adventures Under Water was an incredible adventure I’d recommend to kids and adults alike.”
– Long and Short Reviews; 5 star rating
“I have rarely (if ever) read anything that so closely hews to Lewis Carroll’s style as this book. This continuation of the adventures of Alice is playful, vibrant, and very committed to its setting, bringing a life and a joy that is uncommon when building on a deceased and world-renowned author’s work.”
– R. Owens, Lewis Carroll Society of North America
“It takes courage to attempt a sequel to a popular book but De Rooy’s work could have come from Carroll himself. The poetry is strategically placed and whimsical, scenes are outrageous and fabulous, and the writing is perfectly balanced. […] This book is as perfect for bedtime stories as it is for curling up with a cup of tea after a long day at work.”
– S. Bhamjee, Readers’ Favorite; 4 star rating
“Alice’s Adventures under Water is a timeless piece that will be read and studied for years to come. […] Although a debut novel for Lenny de Rooy, it reads like it was written by a seasoned author, perhaps even in consultation with Carroll himself.”
– B. Allen, British Lewis Carroll Society
“The risk of writing a work of this kind is certainly that of falling into a pure exercise in style, ending up with something sterile and uninteresting. De Rooy’s novel is remarkable because it avoids this trap and, while fully reproducing the Carrollian atmosphere, manages to reconcile it with current and original themes.”
– V. Tenga, Lewis Carroll Society d’Italia
“Lenny has masterfully managed to revive Carroll in all aspects of form and content of the two ‘predecessors’, and that is unbelievably, extremely clever: ‘In this style 10/6’!”
– F. Koksma, Dutch Lewis Carroll Society
Bas –
I really enjoyed reading this book.
For some of the poems I could easily see where they came from and that made me smile.
Several references to the original books also brought me a bright smile.
I think that the book is quite good, though of course it could have been even better.
At some points it feels a little bit serious.
I am not sure whether Carroll would be content with this book, I think he might be, but he would surely have a list with things that could be better. Carroll was quite perfectionist…
Mathew Biadun –
Hello!
I have recently stumbled upon this book. I will confess to not being a lifelong Alice fan. I’ve only read the books for the first time this year, and watched the movie a little while later. However I immediately fell in love with the stories. I think their pure nonsense and whimsy is something honestly missing in a lot of children’s literature these days, which seems intent on pressing a theme rather than just teaching kids how to read.
Your book I think carries that spark equally well. It brought an unavoidable smile to my lips many times. I think it brings a lot of the key parts of the originals over very well. I do think that the puns are top notch and chuckle-inducing. Additionally, I think the Battleship mechanic that ties the stories together is very ingenious. It continues the game motif of the prior books, but in a more relevant way than chess and cards, which I wouldn’t say are very popular amongst kids anymore. While this isn’t your doing, the art is also stellar.
The reason I withheld the star is mainly because of the poetry. I feel it just doesn’t hold up to what was in the real Carrol books. However, that’s a very high bar, and this is nonetheless impressive for someone whose English wasn’t even their native tongue. Additionally, I thought the ‘political commentary’ mentioned in the intro was essentially moot. Perhaps it was just done so well and subtly that I simply didn’t notice. But apart from the pie scene I didn’t come across any. Though as I’m writing this, perhaps the ‘permit’ scene was intended to be one as well?
Most importantly however, your book convinced me that an Alice adventure can absolutely still work in the modern day. It was immensely enjoyable and I adored every second. Honestly, I’d love it if you wrote another one! If the author ever comes across this, I’d love to perhaps send a few emails back and forth for further discussion. To any potential readers who see this; please, buy this book as it is absolutely worth it!