Caroline Lewis is a pen-name, that of the team of Edward Harold Begbie, J. Stafford Ransome, and M. H. Temple, who wrote both "Clara in Wonderland" and a sequel, "Lost in Wonderland." These two novels deal with British frustration and anger about the Boer War and with Britain's political leadership at the beginning of the twentieth century. -- But this book is not a stuffy study in early twentieth-century British politics -- it is a splendid parody, amusing as much for what it parodies as for its reflection of Lewis Carroll's originals, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass." Now, in 2010, more than a century from the book's first publication, "Clara in Blunderland" has to stand on its own in a way that it didn't in 1902. But it spans the century surprisingly well... Politics and politicians haven't changed much -- it seems -- in a century. That may be regrettable -- but at least Caroline Lewis can still make us laugh about it

Caroline Lewis is a pen-name, that of the team of Edward Harold Begbie, J. Stafford Ransome, and M. H. Temple, who wrote two novels dealing with British frustration and anger about the Boer War and with Britain's political leadership at the beginning of the twentieth century. "Clara in Blunderland" details the adventures of Arthur Balfour while being groomed to become Prime Minister -- "Lost in Blunderland"'s Clara is Balfour once he got the job. But you don't need to be an expert in early twentieth-century British politics to enjoy either book -- the story's parody of Lewis Carroll's "Wonderland" books is still fresh and funny even more than a century later. Politics and politicians haven't changed much, it seems, in a century. That may be regrettable -- but at least Caroline Lewis can still make us laugh about it!