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Mario the lone bookwolf's Reviews > Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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Try to avoid hyperactive white rabbits
How did Caroll get his ideas?
Many questions arose both around Carroll´s alleged drug consumption and the mental state of the author and besides himself, nobody will ever know. But it has been used to argue for pro drug consumption by hippies, for damnation by all of their political and ideological opponents, and as part of
The myth of how authors find inspiration
The idea of how the mental state of a writer, or artist in general, influences her/his works is even more fascinating, because the line between sane imagination and creativity and madness or getting lost in a world one created her/himself is thin. Just genetic luck or pure coincidence may make the difference between a world-building, ingenious, and very successful author superstar and severe, lifelong mental illness. Being in the zone and flow state of positive creative overkill or of uncontrollable mindfucks one really isn´t into. Mental strength and self-discipline, to let the demons work for one instead of killing them, or a small pharmacological help may make the difference between world fame and mental asylum and completely blocking or losing the controllable and not harmful symptoms might destroy the ability to make such works, take away the needed basis of dreams, hallucinations, and loss of reality necessary to create unique works. A manifestation of how precious and fragile those human egos, fictional surrogates of what the brain wants, are.
One of the first comedic fantasy works with depth
At a time when there was close to no fantasy literature available, Carroll wrote a precursor of today's bizarro fiction/fantasy/ crossover/horror/comedic whatever genre, focussing on the hero´s journey of one main plot with the strangeness and surreality of the other characters and environment as main driving engines.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
How did Caroll get his ideas?
Many questions arose both around Carroll´s alleged drug consumption and the mental state of the author and besides himself, nobody will ever know. But it has been used to argue for pro drug consumption by hippies, for damnation by all of their political and ideological opponents, and as part of
The myth of how authors find inspiration
The idea of how the mental state of a writer, or artist in general, influences her/his works is even more fascinating, because the line between sane imagination and creativity and madness or getting lost in a world one created her/himself is thin. Just genetic luck or pure coincidence may make the difference between a world-building, ingenious, and very successful author superstar and severe, lifelong mental illness. Being in the zone and flow state of positive creative overkill or of uncontrollable mindfucks one really isn´t into. Mental strength and self-discipline, to let the demons work for one instead of killing them, or a small pharmacological help may make the difference between world fame and mental asylum and completely blocking or losing the controllable and not harmful symptoms might destroy the ability to make such works, take away the needed basis of dreams, hallucinations, and loss of reality necessary to create unique works. A manifestation of how precious and fragile those human egos, fictional surrogates of what the brain wants, are.
One of the first comedic fantasy works with depth
At a time when there was close to no fantasy literature available, Carroll wrote a precursor of today's bizarro fiction/fantasy/ crossover/horror/comedic whatever genre, focussing on the hero´s journey of one main plot with the strangeness and surreality of the other characters and environment as main driving engines.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
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Finished Reading
January 24, 2023
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Georgia
(last edited Feb 20, 2023 07:59AM)
(new)
Feb 20, 2023 04:29AM
Due for a reread. But I won't be reviewing under the influence of anything but large doses of caffeine. My experience of anything else is akin to writing on trains. What seems brilliant turns out to be indecipherable later on.
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I read the Alice novels because so many modern occultists from Aleister Crowley onwards interpret them as a metaphor for the Kabbalah's initiation process - the entire "protagonist encounters a series of increasingly eccentric characters who put them through increasingly weird challenges that each require a new skillset to solve" narrative structure
Georgia wrote: "Due for a reread. But I won't be reviewing under the influence of anything but large doses of caffeine. My experience of anything else is akin to writing on trains. What seems brilliant turns out t..."As you say, sober and totally caffeinated, maybe with guarana and green tea too, is the best way to quickly get much out of books
Simon wrote: "I read the Alice novels because so many modern occultists from Aleister Crowley onwards interpret them as a metaphor for the Kabbalah's initiation process - the entire "protagonist encounters a ser..."I have to thank you for that one: " occultists from Aleister Crowley onwards interpret them as a metaphor for the Kabbalah's initiation process" I´ll definitively check that out, sounds funny
The trope/ creative writing concept you describe too.
I should mention that the Greek/Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche follows a similar narrative. As does Alfred Jarry's "Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll" and quite a few of Leonora Carrington's short stories as compiled in "The House of Fear" and "The Seventh Horse". Even more interesting is that the sequence of real life events chronicled in her memoir "Down Below" fit into such a structure too.
I´m just diving into your reviews and realizing that they´re as complex as your comments. And on top of that some "Underground art movements, obscure historical trivia, cryptozoology and ufology", what else can one wish for
