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The Looking Glass Wars
The Looking Glass...
The Looking Glass Wars books are a spinoff of Alice In Wonderland, and very clever. Reuben recommended them to me, and now that I'm halfway through the first book in the trilogy I can give one completely worthwhile reason to read this series.
Redd. That Is All.
Redd, who represents the Queen Of Hearts, is completely epic. From what I've heard of Vetrinari from Discworld, "practically every time he opens his mouth is a Crowning Moment of Awesome." Well, Redd is like TLGW's version of Vetrinari. Come to that, almost every scene with her in it turns into a CMoA. Which means, essentially, every second or third chapter.
There are other good parts too. Hatter Madigan, for instance, is cool, and what very little I've seen of Lewis Carroll so far is kind of amusing. The writing is definitely well done. And Dodge is kind of sweet, and Alyss is endearing. (Not Genevieve, though. And I'm not just saying that because of Redd ((although maybe sort of)). Genevieve is FLAT. No personality.) I mean, for me, Redd is basically the reason to read the rest of the book/series, but I recommend these books on all accounts. ...Especially because of Redd.
submitted by Mary W., age 12.22, NJ
(February 12, 2010 - 2:31 pm)
(February 12, 2010 - 2:31 pm)
Sounds good.
(February 12, 2010 - 7:43 pm)
Top, top.
I love Redd's head fetish. And call me insane, but I think The Cat is cute. :) Dodge is a Tragic Hero by this point... I think I like LeopoldxAlice a little more than DodgexAlyss, truth be told.
(February 13, 2010 - 10:15 am)
I love those books!
(February 13, 2010 - 11:32 am)
About a year ago, I read the second book. I didn't really like it (although that was probably because, being the second book, it was rather hard to follow—I hadn't read the first), but I think it seems like the kind of book that I would like now. My taste has changed a lot since then. So, anyway, I plan to read the entire series soon.
I agree that Redd was asolutely awesome. And there was another queen thatI absolutely hated, ut I forget her name. It was probably Genevive, though, because I remember that she was extremely flat. And that's pretty much all i remember about the series, besides one more character and some sortof conflict over a mirror...
(February 13, 2010 - 11:38 pm)
*squee!* I found LGW music on the website! Do you have any idea how much this means to a nerd like me? ;)
Also, rather pathetically, I now /really/ want one of those Redd posters. XD
(February 14, 2010 - 4:19 pm)
Wait, you're already 12.22? Wow, time sure does fly. I didn't realize almost 3 months had passed since you turned 12!
(February 14, 2010 - 6:56 pm)
Sssshh, Ima, my math is bad at times. I'm off by about 1.5 months. Don't tell Crice. ;)
(February 15, 2010 - 12:06 pm)
I'm officially obsessed with Redd... I love the things about her from the Timeline in the back of the book.
"Redd declares all art must use the colour red."
"Redd moves orphanages underground, according to the new law: Children should be heard screaming, not seen." (Okay, that made me crack up for a good minute or so.)
"The Redd Flag, Wonderland's premier nespaper, proclaims a new public holiday, called Alyss is Dead Day. Celebration is mandatory."
"Redd commissions a rock opera dramatizing her victimization at the hands of her malevolent family."
"First execution under Redd's law outlawing silence. Silence breeds independent thought, which breeds dissent."
"Redd declares the new holiday Reddtopia, where all the children have to give her presents."
I also completely forgive the pointlessly cliche murder of her parents when she was like, a teenager, because she way she killed them was so ingenious and creative. Not that I'm encouraging it. But you know what I mean. And in much the same way, her ordering that every house in Wonderland erect a statue and shrine of her in it is so megalomaniacal and cliche and crazy that I just had to love it. XD
(February 15, 2010 - 8:28 pm)
*giggle* "Off with their heads! Off with their stinking, boring heads!"
(February 16, 2010 - 11:27 am)
*grin* I think that from that sentence on I positively loved her. :D
Yes, I'm reading Seeing Redd now *happydance* I love the cover a lot. And I was literally crying by the first page, because it's from Redd's POV and it's so sad in a twisted kind of way. *sheepish grin*
Also--- pathetically--- my mindset is now such that if I was writing the name Alyss, I'd first think "a-l-y-s-s" and then "a-l-i-c-e." Along similar lines, today in social studies the textbook said "imperial" several times and all I could do was poke Gianna repeatedly and mutter, "Her Imperial Viciousness, squee!"
(February 17, 2010 - 8:14 pm)
Heehee. I'm reading ArchEnemy. At least, I'm partway through it, I'm reading something else right now. Besides Redd, I really like the scenes with Charles Lutwidge Dodgson -- ie Lewis Carroll. I think he's funny, at least, it's funny the way he reacts, say, to meeting Hatter. *grin*
(February 18, 2010 - 7:24 am)
I checked out The Looking Glass Wars (the first one, I'm assuming) from the library today. I'll read it the day after tomorrow and post my opinion the following day.
Mine doesn't have a blurb, unfortunately. Or is that on the back of Seeing Redd? I don't feel like checking at the moment, though; sorry. Anyway, it was hilarious.
(February 18, 2010 - 10:26 pm)
Oh my gosh! These sound really good! And Redd sounds so cool. :) I looked it up and my school has The Looking Glass Wars, but it's checked out!! AND it says estimated wait of 21 to 22 days!!!!!!!!! *is very quite frustrated* This sounds really mean, but at the moment I am seriously annoyed with people who take forever to read things! *sigh* I need to learn how to be patient . . . Can't wait 'til it's back! Eeep!
(February 22, 2010 - 10:30 pm)
Oh my gosh! These sound really good! And Redd sounds so cool. :) I looked it up and my school has The Looking Glass Wars, but it's checked out!! AND it says estimated wait of 21 to 22 days!!!!!!!!! *is very quite frustrated* This sounds really mean, but at the moment I am seriously annoyed with people who take forever to read things! *sigh* I need to learn how to be patient . . . Can't wait 'til it's back! Eeep!
(February 22, 2010 - 10:44 pm)
Sorry for taking so long. I didn't have time to post when I said I would.
Anyway, I've read TLGW, and I'm in the middle of Seeing Redd. They're great books! I hope to post tomorrowm when I'm done with SR, but I may not have time to post—again—so I won't make any promises.
How many books are in this series?
I know what you mean about people who take forever to read. And I can't even request books from my library! Every time I try, it says that the website is using false information, even though I know it's not. At least there's always the public library.
(February 23, 2010 - 10:50 pm)