White Rabbit

Entree **** of ***** 4.5 of 5
I thought that White Rabbit was a lengthy and intriguing read, somewhat like an Alice in Wonderland for adults.  Simon Cadwallader  has really made a mess of his life. We meet him on his birthday, visiting his ex wife and children. In the years before, he has been celebrated and appreciated by his family but on this year's birthday, Simon finds himself visiting children who could frankly care less about him and an ex wife who is giving him the bum's rush because she has a date. He's angry and arrogant but Cadwallader has brought this misery on himself. Feeling trapped by his family, he decided to pursue and more thrilling and fulfilling life. His plan backfired and he is now facing a life without love and commitment and a failed business. After he leaves the unwelcoming bosom of his family, Cadwallader has a car accident and finds himself cold, isolated and at a crossroads. When he comes to his senses, he has fallen down the rabbit's hole and is in an alternate universe, searching for himself and meaning. The most substantial part of this book is in the alternate universe, a place where nothing is as it seems, teeming with color, challenges, and oozing with sexuality and sensuality. The alternate universe is portrayed vividly with some humor but primarily filled with scathing indictments of business, religion, government and our horrible and unnecessary sexualization of every aspect of human life. The author skillfully uses every literary device, piles on adjectives and metaphors to create a complex journey that Cadwallader must undertake and complete to find his way home. This is a heavy, lengthy tome about one man's search for meaning. It's well written but the length makes it a little cumbersome. If I had written it, I would not have been able to cut out sections of this either because the imagery is incredible, but it does make it somewhat cumbersome for the reader.