Tim Manley

This wasn't at all what I expected. I thought it would be a full-on parody of Alice In Wonderland; however it was more like little drabbles of old fairytales.

I liked it.

Not all of them were funny. Some were kind of sad and gave me the feels. Some just made you think. At some point, when you grow up, you realize how bass-akwards children's versions of fairytales are. Like why did the princess always need some random dude to roll in and save the day?! Why did the princess never save the show more prince? Being swept off your feet is nice and all, and I fully endorse it, but I also endorse rescuing yourself. And why was it always happily ever after? Can't it just be, content, or okay ever after? LOL!

I kind of like this twisted, sort of cynical play on the old tales. Definitely a good read. show less

I got a copy of this to review through NetGalley(dot)com. This was a fun and darkly humorous read about all of our favorite fairy tale characters as they struggle through their lives with the aide of social media.

This was a quick and interesting read. There were a number of times I was laughing out loud. The book jumps between many fairy tale characters. We read about Robin Hood trying to make a difference though youtube, Red Riding Hood trying to find a good man on OKCupid, Chicken Little show more freaking out over what she finds on WebMD, and the Ugly Duckling facing her classmates at a high school reunion...along with many other stories.

These stories are woven together remarkably well and we go back and forth between the different characters as the story of their current lives is unraveled for us. The book does a good job of closing out everyone's stories on a surprisingly positive note. The stories are just very brief snippets, that at points leave you thinking “Uh, so what?” but then later they are revisited and make sense.

I was surprised at how well this book was done and at how much I enjoyed it. It is funny and does a good job of poking at the drama social media causes in society today.

There are also some very amusing pictures throughout. All of the pictures are done in an old traditional fairy style, but the content is more modern. The style of illustration is very ironic when compared to what it is depicting and makes for a lot of entertainment.

Definitely an adult’s only book. There is swearing and many sexual references in here. So, don’t buy this for your kid thinking it’s a fun fairy tale retelling. You also need a passing familiarity with fairy tales in order to appreciate all the humor in here.

Overall a fun and quick read. The stories of different fairytale characters are thrown into the modern day world are blended together to create a fun read. The book is remarkable cohesive considering it jumps between so many characters and that the stories are such small snippets. Recommended to those who enjoy fairy tales and humor. show less

Tim Manley’s Alice in Tumblr-land: And Other Fairy Tales for a New Generation tells the stories of fairy tale princesses and heroes, as twenty-somethings navigating relationships, friends, sex, careers and social media.

The Tortoise and the Hare Facebook-stalk each other down opposite career paths. Robin Hood worries if his killer social media campaign is fighting hunger or just slacktivism. Beauty’s new boyfriend plays videogames in his underpants. Ariel just doesn’t get pop culture, show more besides the episode of Hoarders with all the forks. Rapunzel posts a selfie with her short new do, and wonders, did everyone hate my old look without telling me? Ping’s father still calls him “Mulan” sometimes, but he calls the internet “AOL”, so Ping tries not to hold it against him.

Each story is told in a short blurb -- a bit longer that a tweet, shorter than my blog posts -- and then on to the next story, with the major narratives picked up again. The result is a magical Tumblr feed of fairy-tale characters living out their twenty-something adventures.

Read the rest (mild spoilers, I guess?) show less

Alice in tumblr-Land was interesting. It was laugh-out-loud funny in parts and really, really sad in parts, but only because I couldn't believe what we, as a society, look like when put into perspective. This book was quick to read, filled with great illustrations, and did not leave any Disney, fairy-tale, or children's story untouched. It placed each character into a situation that worked for them (at times, ignoring the end of the story in order to get them there) and poked fun at the show more current society in a way that was both painful and funny at the same time.

Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Nov. 22, 2013. show less