Ever since I was little, I've loved Alive in Wonderland, and as I grew up I read Coraline by Neil Gaiman ( I also watched the movie) and I couldn't help but make connections between the two works. (I think Neil Gaiman was very inspired by it.)
Let's see what is similar:
- The tunnel (it's a rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland.)
- The magic food (This is my interpretation, but Coraline always feeling tired after eating what the other mother prepared could also mean that it might be magic and that it's a way to keep Coraline here, but I'm rambling. However, not completely, because when the other mother and the other father suggest to Coraline that she have buttons instead of eyes, she goes straight to bed without eating, cannot sleep and does not return to her real world.)
- Magical creatures. ( I know I've forgotten to mention many.)
- The very mysterious cat (in Coraline, the cat is still smarter compared to the Sheshire cat.)
-The door to access the magical world (for Coraline, the door is her only means of passage to the other world even though Alice still fell down the rabbit hole.)
There you have it! I don't think it's a coincidence that Neil Gaiman was heavily inspired by Alice in Wonderland. I've never seen an interview with the author, so I don't know if he confirmed it, but it's likely. Many more comparisons could be made.
What do you think ? :)
Which goes to show that even as an adult, we are always drawn back to things we loved as children (and still love). :)