Basic Reason of Interest: I forget if it was Darren, from Bart’s Bookshelf, or Kailana, from The Written World who made me put this on my wishlist. But it’s about the history behind Lewis Carroll and the Alice books, books which have always been dear to me. So when I finally found myself a copy, of course I couldn’t say ‘no’ to it…

Full review here.

Book Rereadability: This is definitely a book to dip in and out of. It’s filled with tidbits and facts and loads of goodness. But a complete reread might not be for Shanras.
Author Rereadability: While I’m not rushing out to get the other books by Talbot mentioned at the end, I’m certainly also not against it per definition. I quite enjoyed this.
Recommendation: Truthfully? This will appeal to anyone interested in Lewis Carroll and the North-East of England. This will not appeal to anyone who hates the Alice books with a passion. ( )

Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment by Bryan Talbot (2007)

I didn't actually know what this was about before I bought it - my own fault, I guess. I was expecting a story involving Alice, and maybe information on how the book relates to Sunderland. I had a quick flick through and it seemed OK. However, taking it home and reading it - I was definitely disappointed. I only got halfway before I got fed up and gave up.

I didn't like the author's disjointed way of writing - he switches between topics constantly. I also found the endless local history of Sunderland very dull - as someone who has never been to Sunderland, and has no plans to go, it just didn't interest me at all. At times it did feel like a travel guide. It's a good idea, and I'm sure (judging by all these positive reviews) that if you have been there/are going there/live there, it is a great, entertaining read as you can engage with the material. As it was, I just got bored and didn't care.

My own fault for not doing research before buying, but it was an impulsive buy - I saw it in a shop and it intriuged me. I regret that now! ( )

Superb, multi-layered book. Very difficult to define, so just read it! ( )

i pretty much agree w/ the both the takes that the Emperor and toohotty have on Alice in Sunderland. It IS a slow book, esp. for a graphic novel, to get through - it's very dense, in terms of information, and you really don't know how much of what you're reading is the author's fantasy/story as opposed to "fact." I rated it a bit higher, in part because I did keep coming back to it. On the other hand our son, who's both an Alice and graphic novel fan found it tedious..and i can understand that POV too..In the wrong mood, it would be very easy to get tired of Talbot's constant self-referencing - even though the book IS about him and his place in Sunderland (among much else) ( )