Vincent in Wonderland

By: C.E. White

Narrated by: David Pickering

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Eleven-year-old Vincent van Gogh discovers a curious new world through a tunnel on the moor. A mysterious white rabbit introduces Vincent to Alice, and their quest begins - defeat the dreaded Jabberwock before it consumes all of Wonderland.

A slithy tove, an ill-tempered caterpillar, and the Cheshire cat meet them along the path as their adventures take them through fields dancing with flowers, tangled forests, and looking-glass pools.

But all is not what it seems in Wonderland, and Vincent may not have - and may not want - what it takes to succeed. Destroying the Jabberwock may cost more than he’s willing to give.

©2019 C.E. White (P)2019 C.E. White

A wonderful retelling of a classic tale

Vincent in wonderland is, as you would expect, a retelling of Alice In Wonderland. But it is also a companion tale to C.E. White's other book, The World's Nextdoor. A say companion, because even though this is chronology a prequel, they can be read completely separate and in either order.

Rather than Alice the main character of this story is Vincent Van Gogh. Yes the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh went to wonderland as a boy. Alice is there too. Only like Vincent she is also a historical person. Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Carroll's Alice.

I normally disagree with using historical people in fiction because you can Google them and it ruins the illusion. This is sufficiently fantastical enough to not be confused for fact.

But the brilliant life loving young man we meet in this story is somewhat over shadowed by the unfortunate way that Van Gogh's real life ended. Interestingly enough the story also seems to account for that darkness and maybe explains it a little.

This is such a neat story, it plays on the wonderfully whimsical art of Van Gogh while also keeping the logic based whimsy of Carroll's children's book.

So many references to Alice in wonderland appear that you will want to go back and read the classic just to be sure you got them all.

David Pickering, is a wonderful narrator. He reads clearly and makes each word understandable. He also differentiates his voice between characters so that you can tell who is talking just by his voice alone. He also has an amazing british accent that is really soothing to listen to.

This would be a great story for a family reading night. Enjoyed best after a family read along of the OG Alice books for maximum reference catching.

Delightful!

That was so much fun! One of the best Wonderland-ish things I've read, for sure, and while I may have enjoyed it more if I'd known more tidbits about Vincent van Gogh, they both seemed to blend admirably. A perfect combination!

I loved young Vincent and Alice and their friendship, all the different creatures--familiar and new but all with great twists--that they come across, the vividness of the "Wonderland" they find themselves in, and quite a lot of fun but also deep/encouraging/touching moments. Several times I wanted to "highlight" quotes, which makes me think I'll have to get a readable version of this one at some point!

I might have wished for a slightly different ending but it was far better than I was afraid it might be near the end there, so I'm content--and I know it's based on real people AND also a prequel to a different book which I haven't read, so I presume there are only so many possibilities within all of that. XD (Also, the Jabberwock is pretty scary and the aftermath it causes might distress some very young readers, but otherwise it's suitable for all ages to enjoy.) But really, I don't have real complaints. It was simply all delightful!

Ack, I just loved this book! It was so fun and a marvelous adventure and often humorous and all the characters were simply delightful.

The narrator was SUPERB! He brought each character to life with a versatility of voices that was delightful to listen to, plus the marvelous British accent was perfect for the light tone of the book and reminded me of a lot of some of my favorite audiobooks I grew up hearing as a kid.

A sheer delight! (I know I keep using that word. Shush. It's a perfectly suitable word for this book and I can't help overusing it.) I absolutely recommend this book, and highly suggest the audiobook version if you like audiobooks, because this one is marvelous!

(Many thanks to the author who provided me with a free Audible code of this book. I was not required to write a review but I simply wanted to share my--honest--thoughts because I loved the book so much!)

A touching story and unique combination.

This is the second story I have read by this author. This is my favorite of the two. The writing created beautiful imagery in my mind as I listened. I really liked the characters and the themes. The story is a worthy tribute to both the artist and Alice in Wonderland.

Magical and deep.....

Vincent in Wonderland is a marvelous, magical tale that is both captivating and thought provoking. It’s an amazing adventure that will captivate readers of any age.

Imaginative Reimagining

A young Vincent VanGogh wanders into Wonderland where he meets Alice on her own journey through this magical world. Wonderland seen through the eyes of an artist. Vincent encounters many familiar residents of Wonderland and battles the Jabberwock. The author’s voice lends it a classic children’s literature flavor. An enjoyable middle grade book. Note: it could be a bit dark/scary for young or sensitive readers in that age range, but there is hope, always hope.

Delightful!

This was such a delightful story, and be still my creative-loving heart! It had two of my favorites--Alice (in Wonderland) and with Vincent vanGogh, encountering the Cheshire cat (okay, three favorites) and the jabberwock. A fun, lighthearted read!

Escape with Vincent van Gogh into Wonderland

One of my favorite books (pair of books, rather) is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I was thrilled with this reimagining of the classic tale to include Vincent van Gogh as a young man joining Alice on an adventure. The story had all the electic, magical feel of the original while adding its own flare and twists. I'm very impressed with the author and the writing style. The narrator was excellent and I highly recommend this book to fans of both Lewis Carroll and Vincent van Gogh.

Unique and well done

A very thoughtful, introspective type book. Good for most ages. Unique, clever concept and very well narrated.