Alice in Brexitland
by Leavis Carroll (aka Lucien Young)
(I received an ARC from NetGalley, in return for an honest review.)
A clever little satire that sums up Brexit in witty and not too pessimistic terms.
As a young voter, still developing a political opinion, there is a lot to be confused and frustrated by in this political climate. Reading a satirical take on Brexit just before bed could have been a really bad idea. It could’ve thrown me into a funk of existential, millennial depression. But thankfully, Young’s clever little satire is the perfect amount of cynicism and optimism. Often satire errs very hard on the side of pessimism, but I am grateful to Mr Young for avoiding that pitfall… or rabbit-hole. It succeeds in being entertaining and not just another series of clever traps and ruses designed to confuse or to lull you into a fall sense of security – as others are wont to do…
The illustrations are apt and really add to the entertainment value, giving a feel for the original Lewis Carroll. The playful use of verse was also very Carrollian, and by bookending the story with his poems, the piece feels rounded and satisfying. Thanks to the eponymous Alice, trademark bluntness and plain-faced frustration is a refreshing change in Brexitland. In the absence of sanity and honesty, it isn’t harsh attack that is needed but plain speaking and legitimate indignation. (I know how Alice feels!) Carroll’s Alice is just the ticket, and Young has done well to remind us that it doesn’t all have to be doom and gloom. You can read it in the hour before bedtime, and happily doze into your own wonderland.
Sharp-tongued but also sympathetic, I found Alice in Brexitland to be a highly enjoyable read. I hope Young is planning to write another for the approach of this snap election in June, so that he might continue to be the balm for this particular citizen of the world.
Nonetheless we can resist:
Though the liars tweet and twist
Light still penetrates the mist(P101)
Alphabetty Spaghetty 