Adding to the generation of books based on blogs is Alice in Tumblr-land by Tim Manley, based on his Tumblr Fairy Tales for Twenty-Somethings. Filled with illustrations and matching blurbs a few sentences long, the book reimagines familiar fairytales like Peter Pan, who becomes internet-famous, and Rapunzel, who chops off her hair. Despite their new lives, Manley’s protagonists are lonely, insecure and insomniacs—each one lost or confused in some way. Every illustration tells a story, but there’s also an overarching journey by each character. Like the book itself, the drawings are a twist on a classical style and the sepia-tone the book is printed in fits perfectly. A quick read, Manley’s writing is funny and dark, although sometimes a bit uncomfortable. Alice in Tumblr-land may make you laugh, but beneath the satire there is a painfully accurate portrayal of the 20-something struggle that resonates throughout the book.
This article appears in Dec 12-18, 2013.
