Happy Tuesday Bookworms!
I can’t help but notice random things, and I’ve noticed that I’ve met very few people in real life who are named Alice even though I seem to run into them in literature ALL THE TIME. When I saw that this week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, as always) was “Top Ten Characters Who…” I had to do it. Today I’m listing characters who are named Alice. Curiouser and curiouser, my friends.
1. Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll- Ah yes, the original Alice. Her adventures are the stuff of legend. She is and will remain my homegirl.
2. Alice Liddell Hargreaves from Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin- The fictionalized story behind the “real” Alice, or Lewis Carroll’s supposed muse. This book is kind of disturbing… If you want your view of Alice in Wonderland to remain untainted, maybe skip this one. It makes some suggestions about some of the more disconcerting aspects of Lewis Carroll’s unusual relationship with Alice. (It’s a well researched book, but certainly takes some license in the conclusions it draws.)
3. Alice Cullen from the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer- Okay, I KNOW. But my inner 13 year old loved these books (when my outer grown up shut up long enough) and Alice was by far my favorite character. I mean, she’s psychic, but psychic in a way that allows you to change things before disaster strikes. Sweet, right?
4. Alice Love from What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (review)- I kind of thought that part of the reason Moriarty chose the name Alice for her protagonist was because said protagonist had amnesia and was in something approaching her own confusing version of Wonderland. Good book, though. I’m rather fond of the name Alice under any circumstance.
5. Alice Quinn from The Magicians by Lev Grossman (review)- Alices tend to be some of the coolest characters, don’t they? I loved Alice the brilliant, feisty magician. She deserved better. Siiiigh.
6. Alice Howland from Still Alice by Lisa Genova (review)- My heart broke into thousands of tiny pieces reading Still Alice but it was so brilliant. Of course, part of me felt that the Alice’s name was chosen yet again in homage to my homegirl the original Alice, but I digress. Again.
7. Alice Foxman from This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper (review)- desperate to conceive a baby, this Alice goes a wee bit off the deep end… I shall not spoiler you, but I’ve heard the movie isn’t faithful to the book during a crucial scene.
8. Alice from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (review)- What gang of high school misfits would be complete without an Alice? So what if she is from a wealthy family and still insists on shoplifting? I mean, Winona Ryder, you know?
I couldn’t come up with any more fictional Alices, but Alice Walker, Alice Hoffman, and Alice Sebold are all awesome authors. Are you tired of me saying “Alice” yet? Alice, Alice, Alice!!! Alright, Bookworms. I’m SURE I’ve forgotten a good many fictional Alices. Name some of your favorites!
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tanya (52 books or bust)
Five or ten years ago I would have totally agreed with you about not actually knowing any Alices, but now all the sudden I know a ton of them. It seems to be a popular name nowadays and even more so in the UK. And yes, an unbelievable number of them are named for Alice in Wonderland.
Words For Worms
I’ve always been fond of the name Alice, though I’ve only met two in my whole life. I know more Junes than Alices.
Shannon @ River City Reading
The name does seem like it’s picking up in popularity again, but definitely not as much as you find in fiction! Love seeming them all collected like this 🙂
Words For Worms
It’s got sort of a hipster chic what’s old is new again vibe to it. Still, even with the little kids I’ve seen named lately, there have been oodles of Violets and Lilys but nary an Alice. At least in my circle.
Sarah's Book Shelves
My neighbor has a new baby and the middle name is Alice! But, I’m devastated to hear that Alice’s scene in This is Where I Leave You is left out of the movie – WHAT?! That was one of the best moments in the book!
Words For Worms
They didn’t (apparently) leave Alice’s scene OUT, per se, they just didn’t, uh, bring it fully to fruition…
Megan M.
I know a toddler Alice… the name is definitely on an upswing in popularity! Now that we’ve all said Alice so much it doesn’t seem like a real word anymore.
Akilah
Great topic! You forgot Alice from Go Ask Alice!
Jennine G.
Wow – never realized there were so many Alice characters! We named my car Alice, after the Alice in Twilight. Because it has sparky blue paint in the sun! Lol
Leah @ Books Speak Volumes
Love this roundup 🙂 I can’t think of any other Alices, but it’s amazing how many of them there are in literature! (My name is just as uncommon in books as it is IRL, and fictional Leahs are always slutty brats, for some reason?)
guiltless reading
Alice oh Alice! Interesting Alices, indeed. I still like the one who went down the rabbithole though 😉
Lindsay
I’m reading “Still Alice” right now and it had definitely not occurred to me that Alice’s name might be an homage to Alice in Wonderland. That’s so fitting, though!
Daddio
You can probably find these Alices on Netflix…
Alice Cramden (Honeymooners, Ralph’s wife)
Alice the waitress (Alice Dosnt Live Here)
Alice the housekeeper (Brady Bunch)
Melinda @ The Book Musings
Alice was my favourite in the Twilight books too!
Words For Worms
Easily the coolest of the Cullens, right?