Jabberwocky: a novel

I really love the world that Carroll created when he penned down Alice in Wonderland. It's incredibly out there but holds tons of meaning, it's a story that requires thought without bogging you down. As a side thought, I hated Alice as a person. But that's not the point, the point is I really enjoy the world of Wonderland, so the thought of being able to see what another author thought about some of the Jabberwocky's origins as a monster is appealing to me and I can honestly say that I was not disappointed in the least.Coleman took the poem 'Jabberwocky' and created a whole story around it. If you've read the poem then you know it contains some rather confusing words that hold no true meaning to us and Coleman actually manages to come up with meanings and make them seem normal. At first it was a little uncomfortable reading words like "wabe" and expecting me to in-vision a field of grass that extends way behind...but after a few pages you begin to grasp it and it becomes easier to see. Each section/chapter begins with a stanza from the poem and it gives you some insight into what is going to happen within that chapter, I thought that it was the perfect tie-in both for those who are fans of the poem and those unfamiliar with it. The world that Coleman created was extremely fleshed out and felt like a 'real' place, the characters were likable and relate-able and the writing was excellent.I didn't expect to get much out of it since it was so short, I got it for free and I'd never heard of it before but this is one of those hidden gems that should get more attention then they do. I totally recommend this. If you've read Alice, or the 'Jabberwocky' you should definitely give this a try. I'm almost positive you'll enjoy it.

Reviewing the free Kindle version.Daniel Coleman has done a terrific bit of story-telling here in his re-imagined version of Carroll's 'Jabberwocky'. Like Carroll's writing, this is bright, imaginative, compelling, but there is darkness beneath the colorful surface. The characters are well-crafted people that you can understand and with whom you can sympathize. I especially liked the clever main character, a boy in his late teens who dreams of becoming an Elite military man, and who dedicates himself to developing the physical and moral character necessary, while remaining a warm and attentive friend and son. It is he and his beloved, a girl no less clever, who confront the dreaded and dreadfully angry Jabberwocky, and solve a decades-long puzzle. Throughout, Coleman brings to life the many absurdly funny and sometimes frightful creatures of "The Jabberwocky".This is 'family-friendly' book in that it can be enjoyed by any age level, but the author is never patronizing or condescending to his readers. He is straight-forward about the events, characters have honest and normal feelings and thoughts, and puzzling things are hinted at and revealed as time goes by. It's a bit of mystery on two levels- the plot is a mystery, but it's also an effort to make some sort of consistent sense out of Carroll's poem. Seeing how these creatures can be made to be a part of a realistic world is half the fun of reading the story.

The author took a clever conceit (Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky poem) and made it into a full story in its own right. He also obviously had fun with the nonsense words in the poem while creating a 'glossary' that's at the end of this book (it should've been at the beginning, but that's a tiny quibble).It's a coming-of-age story set in a fantasy world - NOT Carroll's - that is inhabited by humans in company with the fantastic creatures from the poem (and the Cheshire Cat). The characters are likeable and are fairly 3-dimensional. The world is well-drawn and very recognizeable. The author's interpretation of Carroll's creatures is entertaining. And like all coming-of-age stories, there's a love interest; a Quest; a battle won, a moral (very understated), and a hero's return.Recommended. This is probably a YA book more than anything, but it will also appeal to adults with its gentle fantasy.Note on Kindle formatting: Excellent. I did not note any issues.

I really enjoy Alice and Wonderland, and Jabberwocky, based off of Lewis Carroll's poem bearing the same name, is set in the same world many years before Alice arrives. So when I saw this book, I knew it was a must read, but would it be a good read?It was a great read. I found the the characters relatable and if I could change anything, I wish the book had been slightly longer. I wanted more time with Tjaden, his friends, and the world in which they lived. Overall, Tjaden's best friend Ollie was my favorite. I'm not expecting a Jabberwocky to come flying overhead or to be threatened by a Bandersnatch, but in the world that was created, I believed that these things could happen. That's important to me. The Cheshire cat makes a brief appearance, which I thought was a nice touch.Jabberwocky stays true to the original poem while providing a believable back story for the characters in the poem and the world created by it.

True love, friendship and a battle against evil area all packed into this beautifully written book. Daniel Coleman's story nicely slides into the world of Lewis Carroll making it his own as his book tells the story of the Jabberwocky, a terrifying creature with a tragic tale to tell. Wallowing in this fantastical world I clearly visualised the scenes set by Coleman's mesmerising prose, and raced through the pages as the hero Tjaden raced to do what all good heroes do. This book is a truly satisfying read and I highly recommend it to anyone. Even if you've never travelled down the rabbit hole with Alice you'll have a thrilling stay in this amazing world.