Novelist Kate Quinn presents an irresistible premise in her new literary fantasy, The Astral Library: there's an archive where bibliophiles can enter their favorite stories. Her characters leap into classics such as Jane Eyre and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, because the books must be in public domain--for ethical reasons. So that begged the question: Given the chance, where would I leap?
My first thought was Moby-Dick, adventure on the high seas! But then again, I'm certainly not rugged enough to last very long on the Pequod. Another idea was The Age of Innocence, but I'm much too uncouth to rub elbows with Newland Archer and the countess Ellen Olenska. At last, it struck me like a croquet mallet. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland might be the only setting in the public domain where I could imagine spending the day, wandering aimlessly, nibbling on suspicious snacks, and pondering life's essential questions, like, Why is a raven like a writing desk?