Look, I don’t like bringing this up in public. But did you know Alice (of Wonderland fame) was a sexual deviate? Right from the get-go, in the original version of Alice, she is shown to be a thoroughly dirty damsel. Here is the first paragraph from Alice In Wonderland.

“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?’ So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up. . . .“

Did you see it? The ‘daisy chain’ reference? Check out the Urban Dictionary for the definition: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=daisy+chain

I know. The earliest cite for that definition is 1927, according to the Historical Dictionary of Regional American Slang, and Alice was written long before that date. But who knows what depravity, what licentiousness, existed, unspoken, in 19th century England? Just because it was a sin not spoken doesn’t mean it wasn’t a sin not done of, or to, or with, or between, or corkscrewed together on top of. Nope, she’s just a slut, beyond redemption.

With all the concern today for Zero Tolerance, in its many unthinking aspects, how long will it be before some parent convinces a school to ban Alice from the classroom for lewd behavior? Will Alice then be forced to offer her services to Huckleberry Finn, another fictional character already banned in some places? Will Danielle Steele create a steamy novel based on her peccadilloes? Will she become another Madame Bovary or Paris Hilton?

A revised, rewritten “modern” version of Alice isn’t any better, notably because modern writers should be aware of her overt sexuality:

‘I wonder,’ she thought, lazily, “if the pleasure of making a daisy chain is worth all the effort of getting up . . . .”

I foresee little if any hope for Alice. She’ll soon be required to bear at least an “R” rating, maybe even “X,” or some scarlet letter. Kids will have to ask their librarian if she has Alice in a brown wrapper hidden under the counter. Mothers will look under their sons’ mattresses, expecting to find Playboy, and instead find a dog-eared Alice.

Other questions about Alice abound. Exactly what was in that “tea” at the the party? What strange sex play was going on between Tweedle-dum and -dee? Were the Queen of Hearts’ commands orders for castration? And don’t even get me started on the sexual symbolism of the White Rabbit going head-first into the hole.

Wonderland? It’s more like the Neverland Ranch. That book is filthy.

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It takes all sorts.

If you can find ANY book that isn't (using these criteria) I'll give you sixpence.

I don't know if it has been mentioned here before, but I was thrilled when I found Turning the Pages a few years ago. I even made a couple of suggestions to the guy in charge, which he took.

The original Alice is there. Another favorite is the Da Vinci notebook, with the neat-o reversing viewer.

The graphic (extremely so) novel Lost Girls includes a grown-up Alice as an enthusiatic lesbian.

The book also includes the sexual shenanigans of adult versions of Wendy from Peter Pan and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.

quote:

Originally posted by arnie:
The graphic (extremely so) novel Lost Girls includes a grown-up Alice as an enthusiatic lesbian.

The book also includes the sexual shenanigans of adult versions of Wendy from Peter Pan and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.

Have you read it? Given the Alice connection and the fact that the writer is Alan Moore (and no other reasons, honest guv) I considered buying it, but at £50 it's a bit pricey so I haven't yet. Is it worth adding to m collection?

No, I've not read it, Bob. I only know about it because of the Comics Britannia BBC documentary series. The third part spoke about it at quite some length and showed some of the pages, along with interviews with Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie.

BTW, there's a preview of some of the pages at http://www.topshelfcomix.com/preview.php?preview=lostgirls&page=1

Amazon has it for £30.

Speaking of graphic novels, Bob, have you read Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot? That was also praised by the programme and refers to the Alice books.

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I've read the first issue of Lost Girls but I wasn't too impressed. It was a long time ago, tho, and I can't remember much about it. I'm currently reading Alice in Sunderland and finding it hard going.

Alice and Carroll are the main characters in comic book writer Grant Morrison's play Red King Rising, published in Lovely Biscuits by Oneiros Press. It's quite a disturbing play.

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I saw the Comics Britannia program which was where I first heard of it.

And, although I agree it's not an easy read, I thought Alice In Sunderland was a terrific piece of work, an absolute tour-de-force. I must watch out for Red King Rising.

I didn't think Lost Girls had been published in episodic format. I thought it was only available as a three volume hardback graphic novel (and only recently at that).
Are you sure that's what you read?

the first 6 chapters were published in the Taboo anthology in 1991. The first issue of that must be what I read. I still have it, so I'll check.

OK, what I have is "Lost Girls book one", published in 1995 by Kitchen Sink Press.

I also have Wallace Wood's Malice in Wonderland (Not Safe for Work!!)

Click here at your own RISK

quote:

Originally posted by goofy:
OK, what I have is "Lost Girls book one", published in 1995 by Kitchen Sink Press.

I also have Wallace Wood's Malice in Wonderland (Not Safe for Work!!)

And now that it's readilly available in all good bookshops, do you think it's worth adding to my collection?

quote:

I'm currently reading Alice in Sunderland and finding it hard going.

I suspect that one reason is that it's the story of a British city. I'd imagine that a British reader would be more likely to understand many of the references; a Mackem even more.

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:
And now that it's readilly available in all good bookshops, do you think it's worth adding to my collection?

I'd say so, depending on the price.

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