Wonderland

Reviews

“Wonderland is a witty and unflinching novel about life, love, art, and sound checks. A deep howl and a bittersweet song, this is D’Erasmo’s best yet.”

“D’Erasmo’s prose is lyrical and alive—this is a vital, powerful novel—and Wonderland will strike a chord with anyone who’s ever dreamed of getting a second chance.”

“The world of Wonderland is authentic, vibrant, and genuine. Stacey D’Erasmo explores the delight and terror of second chances. A great read!”

“Briskly addictive…Some sentences dance like wind chimes in a hurricane; others evanesce…D’Erasmo expertly conjures the seductive uncharted space that lures the sculptor, the musician.”

“D’Erasmo’s writing exhibits a life-and-death intimacy that grabs at us.”

“Her story reads like an unusually lucid travel journal...In Brundage, D’Erasmo has created a wry, questioning, sensual artist.”

“Stacey D’Erasmo’s most impressive accomplishment in her fourth novel, Wonderland, is to write about music well…Implicitly, the lesson for Anna is that artistic vitality should never be taken for granted, must be seized while still within reach...D’Erasmo is a gifted and skillful writer.”

“Stacey D’Erasmo’s exquisite Wonderland...succeeds, not through bombast but with beautifully measured, understated writing and meticulous characterization...Wonderland is a distillation of what it means to be a working artist in the early twenty-first century and also of what it means to grow up in the shadow of a great artist…Wonderland is a striking evocation of the artist’s quest.”

“Heartbreakingly intense…[a] dramatically satisfying, philosophically complex novel.”

“Dreamy...[with] finely tuned prose…Given the book’s sensual imagery and magnetic heroine, it’s hard not to wonder what Anna would sound like—I pegged her as some combination of Björk, Florence and the Machine, and Janis Joplin.”

“A story of second chances, D’Erasmo has meticulously crafted a work that…constantly builds, yet often feels incredibly casual. Days and shows pass, but within this routine, a transformation slowly creeps into the narrative: that of commitment, and, perhaps, hope for the future.”

“D’Erasmo avoids clichés in this rhapsodic portrait of a rock-and-roll diva like a champion slalom skier racing downhill without touching a single pole…Close to excruciatingly observant, often lonely, sharply funny, and prone to problematic love, Anna is an irresistible narrator. D’Erasmo brings us inside the music and the musician’s psyche in this transfixing song of a self evolving through discovery, loss, and renewal.”

“Narrator Xe Sands’ whispery soft voice is a good match for this introspective novel about Anna Brundage…Sands’ performance adds to the surreal quality of life on the road, and she’s especially good at handling the numerous sexual encounters…Sands’ narration is near flawless.”

“D’Erasmo’s fourth novel tells the story of fictional musician Anna Brundage. Anna is in her mid-40s and touring Europe for what may be the last time, promoting an album recorded on her own dime after a seven-year hiatus…The tour gives Anna a chance to reflect on her career and childhood, which was itself a sort of world tour with her artist parents. These vivid recollections create a kaleidoscope of magical experiences and colors, from the black water of the Baltic Sea at night to Anna’s wild red hair.”

“An aging rock singer heads to Europe for one more attempt to reckon with her music, her father, and an old flame…A better-than-average rock novel that thoughtfully addresses aging, art and relationships.”

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