Heartless is a 2016 young adult fantasy novel by Marissa Meyer. It serves as a prequel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, exploring the backstory of the Queen of Hearts, portraying her as a young woman named Catherine who is pressured into an arranged marriage but dreams of opening a bakery. The narrative follows Catherine’s journey from a hopeful, aspiring baker to the tyrannical ruler readers encounter in Carroll’s classic.
Meyer’s novel offers a fresh perspective on a well-known literary figure, humanizing a character often depicted as purely villainous. This reimagining allows readers to empathize with the Queen of Hearts, understanding the circumstances and choices that shaped her into the iconic antagonist. The book also explores themes of societal expectations, duty versus desire, and the consequences of unchecked power, resonating with contemporary audiences. Its popularity has contributed to the ongoing trend of retellings and reinterpretations of classic fairy tales and literature.
