Melanie benjamins alice i have been is a richly woven fictional account of the life of the girl who became alice in wonderland. There are few sweeter novels about barely repressed pedophilia than melanie benjamins new victorian historical novel, alice i have been. Review of alice i have been by melanie benjamin good. Melanie benjamin blends the known with the unknown in a seamless tale of love, loss and myth. Few works of literature are as universally beloved as. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin penguin random house. Alice i have been book columbus metropolitan library. Melanie benjamin books list of books by author melanie benjamin. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit holeand the. Reading about charles lutwidge dodsons pen name lewis carroll life enriched the tenor of this book for me. Few works of literature are as universally beloved as alices adventures in wonderland. Click to read more about alice i have been by melanie benjamin. Benjamins novel based on the life of alice liddell, the inspiration for lewis carrolls alice in wonderland, is a gripping portrayal of a childs love caught in adult.
This edition contains an alice i have been discussion guide and an excerpt from melanie benjamins the autobiography of mrs. Alice i have been is based loosely on the life of alice liddell, the young girl who inspired charles dodgson better known as lewis carroll to write alice in wonderland. Alice i have been hardcover tattered cover book store. See all books authored by melanie benjamin, including the aviators wife, and the swans of fifth avenue, and. I had heard some talk about the aviators wife, and so i read that one first, and was impressed with it as well. How does benjamin take both the reader and alice from ignorance and denial to the selfrealization of her complicity in the ruptured friendship with rev. Melanie benjamin is the new york times bestselling author of the aviators wife, the autobiography of mrs. Alice i have been book more libraries bibliocommons. Published in 2010 by delacorte press, alice i have been was.
Now, in this jubilant new novel, benjamin shines a dazzling spotlight on another fascinating female figure whose story has never fully been told. Similar to treatments presented in the girl in the pearl earring, strapless, and the painted girls, alice i have been by melanie benjamin imagines the story behind the story of a piece of art or literature. What effects do these have on alice, and what are the consequences. Melanie benjamin s alice i have been is a richly woven fictional account of the life of the girl who became alice in wonderland. This book is beautifully written and i love how benjamin brings to life the many characters in the book such as alice, her sisters, and charles dodgson. Focusing on three eras in alice s life, benjamin offers a finely wrought portrait of alice that. Tom thumb is her second, and will be published in july 2011. The origin of lewis carrolls alice in wonderland from author melanie benjamins website on the golden afternoon of july 4, 1862, charles dodgson and his friend robinson duckworth rowed the three liddell girls ina, alice and edith down the isis or the thames, as its known as it nears london for a picnic lunch. In alice i have been by melanie benjamin, we see her as an irrepressible child, then a young woman who falls in love with a prince, and finally a mother and wife.
Melanie benjamin author visit amazons melanie benjamin page. 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. After having read the swans of fifth avenue, i was eager to discover some of melanie benjamin s other novels. In fact, there was, and her story is retold in this gripping fictionalized tale about alice liddell hargreaves, and her relationship with the books author, charles. Alice i have been lake county public library overdrive. Alice may have been immortalized as a girl but, as benjamin imagines, she grew up to be a great woman. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit holeand the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling. Its a mystery, and a love story, that follows alice into adulthood after both tragic and wonderful experiences.
Alice i have been by melanie benjamin published by random house llc on 20100112 genres. Before reading benjamins novel, had you already read alices. Alice i have been part love story, part literary mystery, melanie benjamin s spellbinding historical novel leads readers on an unforgettable journey down the rabbit hole, to tell the story of a woman whose own life became the stuff of legend. Pdf alice i have been book by melanie benjamin 2009. This edition contains an alice i have been discussion guide and an excerpt from melanie benjamin s the autobiography of mrs. Dec 09, 2009 alice i have been by melanie benjamin is a 2010 random house publication. In melanie benjamins alice i have been, she tells a convincing tale that the truth about alice and dodgson seems like it is in the pages of her. The first part is when she is a small girl living in oxford, uk. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit holeand the grown woman whose story. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin librarything.
Part love story, part literary mystery, melanie benjamins spellbinding historical novel leads readers on an unforgettable journey down the rabbit hole, to tell the story of a woman whose own life became the stuff of legend. Melanie benjamin s alice i have been is a fictionalized account of the life of alice liddell hargreaves, the real alice behind lewis carrolls aka charles dodgson alice in wonderland. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. When the novel begins, she is old, in financial straits, and left to reflect alone on her life and the legend that has followed her for most of it. Untold stories, that explore the hidden corners, the locked closets behind the known historical record. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin, paperback barnes. Alice i have been is an expertly woven story of alice pleasance liddells life that spans the victorian era to the first world war. Melanie benjamin is the new york times bestselling author of the childrens blizzard, mistress of the ritz, the girls in the picture, the swans of fifth avenue, the aviator. Alice i have been pdf book by melanie benjamin 2009. Nerd light books alice i have been melanie benjamin. From a pampered childhood in oxford to difficult years as a widowed mother, alice examines how she became who she isand how she became immortalized as alice in wonderland. Benjamin considers the back story of lewis carroll and his relationship with a friends daughters as an inspiration of the alice character. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Alice i have been discussion guide melanie benjamin.
See all books authored by melanie benjamin, including the aviators wife, and the swans of fifth avenue, and more on. Can you come up with a modern day version of alice. Melanie benjamin took a few facts that were known about alice and mr. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin united for libraries. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin is a firstperson fictitious account of the alice who inspired lewis carrolls, alices adventures in wonderland. Melanie benjamin born november 24, 1962 is the pen name of american writer melanie. Her third novel, alice i have been, was inspired by alice liddell hargreavess life. Alice i have been book durham county library bibliocommons. Part love story, part literary mystery, melanie benjamins spellbinding historical novel leads readers on an unforgettable journey down. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin few works of literature are as universally beloved as alice s adventures in wonderland. In her national best seller alice i have been, melanie benjamin imagined the life of the woman who inspired alice in wonderland. Review of alice i have been by melanie benjamin good books. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the yo. What social forces motivate each of the characters to deny dodgsons inappropriate attention to alice.
Deeply personal stories, because history only comes alive when we remember that it was made by real people, people just like us. Alice i have been book charlotte mecklenburg library. Amazon kindle 0 editions audible 0 editions cd audiobook 0 editions project gutenberg 0 editions. The origin of lewis carrolls alice in wonderland from author melanie benjamins website on the golden afternoon of july 4, 1862, charles dodgson and his friend robinson duckworth rowed the three liddell girls ina, alice and edith down the isis or the thames. The main characters of alice i have been novel are alice liddell, emma. The real nature of the relationship between the child alice and the oxford don charles dodgson is a onehundred and fiftyyear old mystery. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit holeand the grown woman. The book has been awarded with booker prize, edgar awards and many others.
The author of this book blends fantasy and fiction to bring alice liddell into the spotlight and share the story of how she could never truly leave wonderland behind. A s an armchair historian, ive always been drawn to stories from the past, stories that still resonate todaystories we may not know or remember. Melanie benjamin books list of books by author melanie. She was born in 1852, daughter of the dean of christ church college, oxford.
Now in her twilight years, alice liddell looks back on a remarkable life. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin is a firstperson fictitious account of the alice who inspired lewis carrolls, alice s adventures in wonderland. Melanie benjamins novel is called alice i have been and, though it occasionally stumbles into melodrama, most of the time its a nuanced. Dec 09, 2015 in her incredible novel alice i have been, melanie benjamin, author of the aviators wife, introduces us to the woman behind the girl frozen in the pages of a book, alice liddell hargreaves. If you enjoyed reading alice in wonderland and if you also enjoy the genre of historical fiction, you will definitely enjoy alice i have been by melanie benjamin. Alice refuses to read alice in wonderland until she is well into her 80s. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit holeand the grown woman whose story is. Have you ever wondered about the real alice, the one who inspired the story. By incorporating her passion for history and biography, melanie, now writing as melanie benjamin, has finally found her niche writing historical fiction, concentrating on the stories behind the stories. Few works of literature are as universally beloved as alices adventures in. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin booksamillion. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin book club discussion. Her third novel, alice i have been, was inspired by alice liddell hargreaves s life.
Alice i have been by melanie benjamin about the book part love story, part literary mystery, melanie benjamin. About reading in the dark a new york times notable book winner of the guardian fiction prize winner of the irish times fiction award and. In 2011, benjamin fictionalized another historical female. Alice i have been by melanie benjamin is a 2010 random house publication. Buy alice i have been by benjamin, melanie, eggar, samantha from amazons fiction books store. Her name is alice liddell hargreaves, but to the world. Part love story, part literary mystery, melanie benjamins spellbinding historical novel leads readers on an unforgettable journey down the rabbit hole, to tell the.
Published in 2010 by delacorte press, alice i have been was a national bestseller and reached the extended list of the new york times best seller list. The novel doesnt just fill in the blanks of a literary life, but tells the story of someone who was more than a muse. Few works of literature are as universally beloved as alice s adventures in wonderland. Jan 01, 2010 alice i have been by melanie benjamin. In interviews about this book, benjamin relates her interest in the actual liddelldodson work and social relationship. What part of the book speaks to you and your experiences in life. But melanie benjamin begins alice i have been not where carroll supposedly left off, but by simply imagining a muchchanged and often haggard alice who grows up and defiantly turns her back on the blondhaired, dimpled storybook heroine who shares her name in favor of forging a life unimpeded by secret glances once exchanged between a. The book is divided into three parts, each introduced by an authentic photograph of the real alice at various stages in her life. Melanie benjamin is the author of the new york times bestselling novels the swans of fifth avenue and the aviators wife, as well as the national bestseller alice i have been, and the autobiography of mrs. Benjamin lives in chicago, where she is at work on her next historical novel. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose. Because not all is known of that actual relationship, she builds alice i have been as a work of fiction.
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