Peter Hunt explores the real-life parallels to elements of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass in this fun, short work. Alice's Oxford brings to life the Oxford in which Carroll and Alice Liddell, the "real" Alice, lived. With plenty of illustrations, maps, and quotations from the books, this is a treat for Alice fans and Oxford lovers alike.
Hunt begins with an introduction to Carroll's Alice books, their connections to a Victorian childhood and academia, their author, their original illustrator, John Tenniel, and the child whom the "Alice of the books was clearly a very affectionate portrayal" of. Though most of the book assumes more than a passing familiarity with the texts and their contexts, this introduction provides enough information for amateur Alice aficionados to join Hunt's exploration of Alice-related aspects of Oxford as well. In three sections focusing on city, church, and river, Hunt progresses along the streets of Oxford with stops at buildings and locations that may be referenced in the Alice books. Under each location heading, Hunt provides a description, historical context, occasional gossip, and possible connections to the Alice books, like the hatter and hosier who became a grocer and might have inspired the Mad Hatter, as well as the marmalade jar that Alice finds at the start of her Wonderland journey.
In addition to engaging wonderfully with Carroll's work, Alice's Oxford could serve as a literary tourist's guide to the city. Filled with amusing and insightful anecdotes, including the real-life Alice’s adult perspective, it will delight Alice enthusiasts and keep them returning to the texts for more. --Dainy Bernstein, freelance reviewer