Alice’s story is exactly the one most readers are familiar with, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, but it is written in the style of The Bard himself, accurate to the last clever use of rhyme. William Shakespeare didn’t restrict himself to ending lines with such words as “moon” and “June.” He used visual “rhymes” such as “cough” and “rough”… rhymes within a line… Sweet Phebe, do not scorn me… and so many more literary scholars will recognize because Lit Fusion has used them all, and has remembered that Shakespeare used apostrophes to indicate missed letters. Many words in common use in Shakespeare’s day, such as “doth” and “thou,” are included, as are trisyllabic rhymes. One can admire this version of Alice in Wonderland even as one enjoys its magic.

I read Alice in Wonderland: If It Was Written by Shakespeare straight through, delighted to have found such a wonderful book. Lit Fusion has put a great deal of knowledge and expertise into creating Alice in Wonderland. And then? I reread it. The action is so vivid that I felt like I was watching a play at The Globe Theatre in London. Characters come to life, and they are such fun – mostly. Losing track of the rabbit and shrinking too much were sad scenes. As Lit Fusion says, “Relax, get out the snacks, and down down down the rabbit hole we go.” Absolutely! A beaming Cheshire cat, a Mad Hatter, and the dangerous Queen of Hearts are waiting. Children will love it, and so will the child in all of us.

Many children and an even larger number of adults are familiar with the famous classic story of Alice in Wonderland. With its unusual list of characters and their even stranger approaches to dealing with the most basic of issues, Lewis Carroll created the perfect children's story. Even today the mention of that title evokes a varied array of emotions from those who were influenced in one way or another by that work of genius. Can you imagine how this classic story would have sounded had it been written by one of the greatest playwrights ever to have lived? That is exactly what is on offer in Lit Fusion's Alice In Wonderland (If It Was Written By Shakespeare).

It is one thing to create a story but a completely different kettle of fish taking an original classic and recasting it in not just a different light but a completely unrelated era to boot. Lit Fusion's attempt at reconstructing this children's classic is commendable. From the first page, you are impressed with the extensive attention to detail that goes into keeping this story era-appropriate in every sense of the word. The way large segments of beautifully worded prose are converted into poetry is nothing short of magical. I daresay this is worthy of an in-depth study as the process is practically flawless. Even the Queen's tyrannical outbursts expressed in that trademark language of Shakespeare’s carry more than a hint of nostalgia in it. With Alice In Wonderland (If It Was Written By Shakespeare) Lit Fusion delivers a one-of-a-kind presentation which I am certain will attract the admiration of even the purists.