For those of  you who assume that tea drinking and the United Kingdom go hand in hand and that the custom originated there, it did not.  That didn't occur until 1661, when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II and brought the practice of afternoon tea with her from Portugal.  Nowadays, the average afternoon tea consists of a light meal, consumed somewhere between the hours of 3 and 5 pm.  On the other hand, high tea (also known as meat tea) more often occurs between 5 and 6 pm, and is more of a cross between afternoon tea and an evening meal.  Americans have come to use the term high tea to denote an elaborate afternoon tea, although the usage is discouraged by such guardians of public mannerisms as Miss Manners.

 

In Wonderland, tea can occur at any time of the day or night, and it is generally an unpredictable occasion.

Alice is at the Hatter's now, in the dead of night, having been invited to attend a midnight tea.  But time in Wonderland does not work the same way as time in our world, it is capricious – but at whose caprice?  Night becomes day in the blink of an eye, and back again.  One never knows what to expect.  (Must be hell on one's Circadian rhythms). Besides Blood Dupre and Alice, the guests also include Elliot March, Boris the cat, and the guards Dee and Dum.  Peter White's name is brought up by Blood, not in a pleasant way, and he begins to speculate that White and Elliott are related, both being rabbits and all, which upsets Elliott, who vehemently denies the accusation.  He insists that he is not a rabbit at all, that rabbits eat carrots, which he despises, even though it is pointed out that everything that Elliott does like to eat are all made of carrots, but he claims that that is not the same thing whatsoever.  Even when Alice points out that he does have long rabbit ears.  And when he twitches them, it makes her want to grab them, which does not please the sulky Elliott at all!

 

The conversation is diverted to that of the amusement park and its odd owner, Mary Gowland, who  has sent a message through Boris that as an apology for the horrific time which Alice last enjoyed there, she is entitled to a free pass, which leads Alice to speculate on the horrible violin playing of Gowland, and his variable violin.  When she mentions her own love of books, Elliott volunteers the information that Blood has many of those in his room, and that she should see them – and the room. Alice finds herself wanting to, but she feels that Dupre himself is less than enthusiastic at the idea – she surely doesn't understand him, even as she resists the attraction toward him that she feels.  

Everyone in this place professes to love Alice, which is something she does not comprehend, nor quite believe.  She finds all these attentions rather annoying – especially those of the perverted Peter White.  People are so childish here, they fall into quarrels at the drop of a hat, and over the silliest things!  And they are all obsessed with weapons, and shooting one another!  And yet she finds herself trying to please them, even in such trivial ways as the grinding of Julius Monrey's coffee beans.  Why is he so adamant about not letting her know about the true nature of the work that he does – he's a clockmaker, after all.  Isn't he?  And what does the scene she accidentally witnessed between Dupre and Vivaldi mean?  Why does she care so much?  Is it because he looks just like her ex – the one that in actuality loved someone else?  And what does Ace have to do with Julius' work?  Where do the clocks and the after images fit in? And is it wise to have an impromptu sleeping party with Ace?  Confusing, confusing, confusing….

 

Or, as Alice would say, curiouser and curiouser….

Overall

 

The second volume of Alice in the Country of Hearts continues to follow Alice on her journey through this strange world, where all she wants to do is to finish the game and go home.  Or is it?  She thinks this is but a dream, even though in her dream she finds herself dreaming.  A psychosis within a psychosis?  The more we see of the familiar characters within this well-known tale, the more enigmatic they become.  Every animal is brought to life in th guise of a bishounen, which is definitely easy on the eyes, turning the familiar into the not quite so familiar, and luring the reader into uncharted byways not touched by Lewis Carroll.  I am definitely hooked on this series, and everything about it.  The mangaka's art is wonderful, she has a good eye for detail, and her character's faces are so very expressive in relaying how they feel.  This version of Wonderland is an odd place, and yet strangely compelling too.  I can't help but wonder what the future holds in store for Alice, and her new-found friends.

 

ComicsOnline gives Alice in the Country of Hearts, Volume 2 4.5 out of 5 carrot cookies.