2021 EDIT: 'The Other Alice' remains an explosively creative and gorgeously written fantasy book. The last few pages are rather rushed and abrupt, and there is some exoticism surrounding Romany people; in that they are depicted as being all about magical powers and curses. But I was enjoying myself too much whilst reading, and I couldn't bring myself to be largely bothered by it. It's a small issue in an otherwise completely enchanting, contemporary fairy tale.
It is more violent and grisly than I remember it, too. What a villain - a smart, self-aware, deliciously evil female teen serial killer! She's like the Joker of fantasy! How daring for children's lit! Each character is complex and sympathetic, or if not, then they are entertaining and memorable enough as is.
'The Other Alice' is a must for fantasy readers.
I'll never forget how the author praised my original review in a Goodreads comment, saying how much my words mean to her. What joy there is for writers and readers to have a positive and healthy relationship.
(Also, I could've easily finished the book in two days instead of three, but I was busy the other day with moving my bookshelves and other furniture in my room. I possess too much stuff!)
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
I was hooked from the first page, and 'The Other Alice' never let me go.
Oh how long has it been since a fantasy novel enchanted me? Made me want to start writing fantasy myself again?
'The Other Alice' has the "characters from fiction books come to life in the real world" premise that's rarely been done well, in my experience. Oh my goddesses, Michelle Harrison's expertly planned-out and wonderful children's book did it justice so, so well. I didn't like '13 Treasures', but 'The Other Alice' drove the sceptic out of me; Harrison can execute her ideas in a way that's not just clever in writing, but which succeeds in making me care about the characters and the perils they are in.
Here, the idea is about the unfinished stories of the world, and what happens if the characters of those stories want their ending, and demand it of their writer who's abandoned them or is suffering from writer's block. Or if the characters want to write their own destinies, uncontrolled by an author, who is like their god, planning their whole existence...
'The Neverending Story' is one of my favourites, and 'The Other Alice' reminded me of it, in that it really pulled me into the fantastical, atmospheric, storytelling-meta-based world the author created; exploring narratives, themes, character archetypes and plot devices typical of the fantasy genre. Dolls, talking cat familiars, fairy tale imagery, libraries, and the power of imagination, reading and writing - 'The Other Alice' is abundant with these magical gifts and more.
The 'Inkworld' books really set the stage for the concept of bringing fictional characters to life and seeing how they live in reality - pretty exciting stuff, and full of story and character potential. I mean, who wouldn't want to actually meet their favourite characters, or the characters they created themselves? But on the other hand, what happens when the villains of a story come to life as well? In fact, how would any character react and feel when they realise they are not real, just figments of someone else's imagination put on paper in ink? A fun wish-fulfilment premise can easily turn dangerous. This plot can be deconstructed in so many different ways, and explored so thoroughly; there are no limitations.
In my opinion, 'The Other Alice' achieves all of this beautifully, making up for the setbacks of the 'Inkworld' series, where a great idea cannot hide other flaws such as dry and unlikeable characters.
Another, more recent novel with a similar concept is 'The Untold Tale' by J. M. Frey. But this time it's in reverse: Where a contemporary reader and fan of a fantasy book series is transported into that same world. The book intends to bring light to and deconstruct the problematic tropes of the fantasy genre, by contrasting them with real life subjects and issues. I was loving and praising it - at first. However, the ending of 'The Untold Tale' - the last 90 pages - completely botches everything it had been trying to do, and is an utter insult which makes me angrier the more I think about it. All that hype, all that promise; needless to say, I was heartbroken.
Thankfully, 'The Other Alice' didn't disappoint me, even as I was expecting it to towards its end. I grew more fascinated as I read it, but I kept my guard up, staying cautious, and was careful not to pass judgement until I had finished it. And while the ending is rather rushed - burnt out by its substantial build-up to great potential - the charm is never lost.
I could go on until twilight talking about the characters; such as the ardent, brilliant teenage writer Alice Silver who possesses unlimited bouts of imagination; her eleven-year-old brother Midge who is the narrator of the book and with whom Alice shares her stories; Tabitha the sarcastic, lazy, tea-loving talking black cat; and the deliciously evil serial killer Dorothy Grimes, created from Alice's worst fears (obsessively writing and no longer being able to differentiate fiction and reality anymore).
Another thing to adore about 'The Other Alice' is it doesn't talk down to its readers. Aside from the darker elements, the narrative structure is complex and multi-layered, like when it's telling stories within a story, containing a variety of themes concerning free will, wish-fulfilment, how much we can really know a person and their mentality, one's place in existence, and family.
I can picture 'The Other Alice' being adapted for the big screen: A children's fantasy film layering in psychological components, set pieces and subtexts, with thrilling action sequences and emotional, human touches throughout.
I only wish it could have been longer so that it goes further with its ideas (it could in a movie), instead we get a slow build-up and an abrupt ending. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing, for it demonstrates how no story truly ends, as long as we keep reading them and connecting to the characters in their external and internal journeys, spiritually.
'The Other Alice', if nothing else, taught me to keep on reading and writing. The imagination is a powerful tool, exciting and important and inspirational, or dangerous, depending on how it is used. Right up there on the bookshelf with 'Harry Potter', 'The Neverending Story' and 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone', this other story about an Alice character is what I read fantasy for. It is what I read books for.
Enchanting.
Final Score: 4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment