The Illustrated Alice in Wonderland (The Golden Age of Illustration Series)

By Lewis Carroll

Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice, immerse yourself in Lewis Carroll’s marvellous world, and meet the surreal and mysterious characters of Wonderland.

First published in 1865, Alice in Wonderland is one of the most treasured children’s stories of all time. Discover Lewis Carroll’s brilliant verse and incredible characters as young Alice muddles her way through the curious fantasy world. This classic tale has been adapted many times for the page, stage, and screen, and is a universally-known story full of wonder and magic.

Part of the Golden Age of Illustration series, this edition of Alice in Wonderland features over 200 illustrations from the likes of Arthur Rackham, Gwynedd M. Hudson, John Tenniel, W. Heath Robinson, Milo Winter, and many more. Each artist brings a different light and meaning to Carroll’s tale. From character to character, scene to scene, there is always something new to discover.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Sep 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781473378100

Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll (1832–1898), was an English writer, mathematician, logician, deacon and photographer. He is most famous for his timeless classics, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. His work falls within the genre of ‘literary nonsense’, and he is renowned for his use of word play and imagination. Carroll’s work has been enjoyed by many generations across the globe.

Book preview

Golden Age of Illustration Series

Copyright © 2015 Pook Press

An imprint of Read Publishing Ltd.

Home Farm, 44 Evesham Road, Cookhill, Alcester,

Warwickshire, B49 5LJ

Introduced by Amelia Carruthers.

Cover design by Zoë Horn Haywood.

Design by Zoë Horn Haywood and Sam Bigland.

This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or

copied in any way without the express permission of

the publisher in writing.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A

catalogue record for this book is available from the

British Library.

www.pookpress.co.uk

Contents

Golden Age of Illustration Series

Introduction: The Illustrators of Alice

Down the Rabbit-Hole

The Pool of Tears

A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale

The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill

Advice from a Caterpillar

Pig and Pepper

A Mad Tea-Party

The Queen’s Croquet-Ground

The Mock Turtle’s Story

The Lobster Quadrille

Who Stole the Tarts?

Alice’s Evidence

Biographies

Index

Lewis Carroll

Frank Adams

Charles Folkard

Bertram Goodhue

Bessie Pease Gutman

Gwynedd M. Hudson

A. E. Jackson

Gertrude A. Kay

Maria L. Kirk

Blanche McManus

Chas Pears

Willy Pogany

Arthur Rackham

Charles Robinson

Thomas Heath Robinson

Harry Rountree

George Soper

Millicent Sowerby

Margaret W. Tarrant

John Tenniel

Milo Winter

Alice B. Woodward

Illustrations

The White Rabbit.

Ada Bowley

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank.

Millicent Sowerby

Down a large rabbit hole-hole under a hedge.

Arthur Rackham

When the rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat pocket, Alice started to her feet.

Margaret W. Tarrant.

The White Rabbit was still in sight.

George Soper

She was just in time to see the rabbit pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

Millicent Sowerby

She had plenty of time as she went down to look about her.

Willy Pogany

Alice and Dinah.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

Orange Marmalade.

Blanche McManus

She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed.

M. L. Kirk

Alice opened the door, and found it led into a small passage.

W. H. Walker

A little bottle with words ‘Drink Me.’

T. H. Robinson

Drink Me.

Blanche McManus

She tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery.

Margaret W. Tarrant

She tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table.

Charles Robinson

Eat Me.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

Curiouser and curiouser!

John Tenniel

Curiouser and curiouser!

Charles Robinson

Curiouser and curiouser!

Arthur Rackham

The rabbit started violently, dropped the white gloves and the fan.

Harry Rountree

The rabbit started violently and skurried away.

A. E. Jackson

The rabbit started, dropped the white kid gloves and the fan, and skurried away into the darkness as hard as he could go.

M. L. Kirk

The rabbit started, dropped the white kid gloves and the fan, and skurried away into the darkness as hard as he could go.

Millicent Sowerby

And welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws.

Charles Robinson

And welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws.

Willy Pogany

She had put on one of the rabbit’s little white gloves.

Walter Hawes

She was up to her chin in salt water.

Charles Robinson

O mouse, do you know the way out of this pool?

T. H. Robinson

The mouse gave a leap out of the water.

George Soper

The mouse gave a leap out of the water.

Harry Rountree

The pool of tears.

Arthur Rackham

Alice led the way, and the whole party swam to the shore.

Willy Pogany

Sit down, all of you, and listen to me!

Charles Pears

Ahem! said the mouse, with an important air.

Charles Robinson

Sit down, all of you, and listen to me!

John Tenniel

But who has won?

Blanche McManus

I beg your pardon! said the Mouse, did you speak?

Harry Rountree

They all crowded round it panting and asking, but who has won?

Arthur Rackham

Alice handed them round as prizes.

T. H. Robinson

What else have you got in your pocket? said the dodo.

Millicent Sowerby

It is a long tail, certainly.

Arthur Rackham

Mine is a long and sad tale, said the mouse.

George Soper

I beg your pardon, said Alice very humbly.

Charles Robinson

Come away, my dears!

Harry Rountree

Why, Mary Ann, what are you doing out here?

Harry Rountree

It was the White Rabbit, looking anxiously about as if it had lost something, and muttering to itself, The Duchess! The Duchess! Oh, my dear paws! Oh, my fur and whiskers! Where can I have dropped them, I wonder?

Margaret W. Tarrant

Why, Mary Ann, what are you doing out here?

Arthur Rackha

Why, Mary Ann, what are you doing out here?

Willy Pogany

Alice uncorked the bottle and put it to her lips.

Millicent Sowerby

She found her head pressing against the ceiling.

John Tenniel

She went on growing and growing, and very soon had to kneel down on the floor.

Margaret W. Tarrant

I hope I shan’t grow any more.

Bessie Pease Gutmann

She heard a little shriek and a fall and a crash of glass.

John Tenniel

She heard a little shriek and a fall and a crash of glass.

George Soper

After waiting till she fancied she heard the rabbit just under the window, she suddenly spread out her hand, and made a snatch in the air. She heard a little shriek and a fall, and a crash of broken glass.

Margaret W.Tarrant

Sure, it’s an arm, yer honour!

Harry Rountree

So Bill’s got to come down the chimney, has he?

Milo Winter

No more, thank ye; I’m better now.

A. E. Jackson

What happened to you?

Charles Robinson

The poor little lizard, Bill, was in the middle, being held up by two guinea pigs, who were giving it something out of a bottle.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

Hold up his head - Brandy now don’t choke him. How was it, old fellow? What happened to you? Tell us all about it!

Margaret W. Tarrant

She picked up a little bit of a stick, and held it out to the puppy.

John Tenniel

Alice dodged behind a thistle.

T. H. Robinson

She leant against a buttercup to rest herself.

George Soper

She picked up a little bit of a stick, and held it out to the puppy.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of the mushroom, and her eyes immediately met those of a large, blue caterpillar.

M. L. Kirk

Alice and the caterpillar.

Frank Adams

She stretched herself up on tiptoe.

Blanche McManus

She found her head pressing against the ceiling.

John Tenniel

Who are you?

Willy Pogany

You! said the caterpillar contemptuously. Who are you?

Gertrude A. Kay

Come back, Sir Caterpillar called after her; I have something important to say.

W. H. Walker

Keep your temper, said the caterpillar.

Harry Rountree

Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose.

Margaret W. Tarrant

It is a very good height indeed. said the caterpillar, angrily.

A. E. Jackson

It is a very good height indeed. said the caterpillar, angrily.

Milo Winter

Her chin was pressed so closely against her foot, that there was hardly room to open her mouth.

Arthur Rackham

A large pigeon had flown into her face.

Charles Robinson

Serpent! Screamed the pigeon.

George Soper

All she could see . . . Was an immense length of neck.

Charles Robinson

A large pigeon had flown into her face.

T. H. Robinson

A large pigeon had flown into her face.

Margaret W. Tarrant

It was opened by another footman.

Bessie Pease Gutmann

Pig and Pepper.

Willy Pogany

They both bowed low, and their curls got entangled together.

Margaret W. Tarrant

Alice went timidly up to the door and knocked.

Millicent Sowerby

I shall sit here.

Harry Rountree

The Duchess was sitting on a three-legged stool.

John Tenniel

The Duchess was sitting on a three-legged stool, nursing a baby.

Milo Winter

Then followed a shower of saucepans, plates and dishes.

George Soper

An unusually large saucepan flew close by it, and very nearly carried it off.

Arthur Rackham

Oh, please mind what you’re doing!

Willy Pogany

Speak roughly to your little boy and beat him when he sneezes.es.

Charles Folkard

She began nursing her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it.

Charles Robinson

Here, you nurse it a bit.said the Duchess, flinging the baby as se spoke."

K. M. Roberts

There could be no doubt that it had a very turn-up nose.

Alice B. Woodward

The cat only grinned when it saw Alice.

Harry Rountree

The cat only grinned when it saw Alice.

Gertrude A. Kay

The cat only grinned when it saw Alice.

Milo Winter

The cat only grinned when it saw Alice.

Arthur Rackham

The cat vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail and ending with the grin.

Blanche McManus

The cat vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail and ending with the grin.

George Soper

By-the-bye, what became of the baby.

John Tenniel

The cat only grinned when it saw Alice.

Margaret W. Tarrant

Did you say pig, or fig?

Charles Robinson

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Ada Bowley

No room! No room! they cried out, when they saw Alice coming.

Alice B. Woodward

There was a table set out under a tree . . . and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it.

Millicent Sowerby

Alice sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.

Milo Winter

The March Hare and the hatter were having tea.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

The March Hare and the Hatter were having tea.

Willy Pogany

A Mad Tea Party.

W. H. Walker

I believe I can guess that; she added aloud.

M. L. Kirk

Then he dipped it into his cup of tea.

Bessie Pease Gutmann

The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily.

Blanche McManus

The Dormouse is asleep again, said the Hatter.

Harry Rountree

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat! How I wonder what you’re at!

W. H. Walker

Here the dormouse shook itself, and began singing.

Harry Rountree

A Mad Tea Party.

Arthur Rackham

It goes on in this way.

T. H. Robinson

They were very ill.

Walter Hawes

The White Rabbit was still in sight.

George Soper

What did they draw? asked Alice.Treacle, said the Dormouse.

Margaret W. Tarrant

I want a clean cup, Interrupted the Hatter; Let’s all move one place on.

W. H. Walker

I want a clean cup, Interrupted the Hatter; Let’s all move one place on.

Willy Pogany

Alice looked all round the table.

Charles Pears

A Mad Tea-Party.

Frank Adams

They were trying to put the dormouse into the teapot.

Harry Rountree

They were trying to put the dormouse into the teapot.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

The last time she saw them, they were trying to put the dormouse into the teapot.

Alice B. Woodward

She found herself at last in the beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the cool fountains.

Margaret W. Tarrant

The roses were white, but there were three gardeners busily painting them red.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

Busily painting them red.

Charles Robinson

First came ten soldiers carrying clubs.

Willy Pogany

Who are these? said the Queen.

Frank Adams

And who are these? asked the Queen, pointing to the three gardeners who were lying round the rose-tree.

Margaret W. Tarrant

Nonsense! said Alice, very loudly and decidedly.

M. L. Kirk

Off with her head!

Charles Robinson

The White Rabbit was peeping anxiously into her face.

Walter Hawes

She boxed the Queen’s ears— the rabbit began.

Gertrude A. Kay

The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo.

Arthur Rackham

Alice thought she had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in her life.

Harry Rountree

It may kiss my hand, if it likes, said the King.

Milo Winter

How do you like the Queen?

Arthur Rackham

A Cat may look at a king, said Alice.

Margaret W. Tarrant

There was a dispute going on between the executioner, the King, and the Queen.

Charles Robinson

The King and the executioner ran wildly up and down looking for the Cat.

W. H. Walker

Tut, Tut, Child! Said the Duchess.

Gertrude A. Kay

Alice did not much like the Duchess so close to her.

Gwynedd M. Hudson

You dear old thing! said the Duchess.

Charles Robinson

She was exactly the right height to rest her chin on Alice’s shoulder.

W. H. Walker

Just about as much right, said the Duchess, as pigs have to fly.

Margaret

Reviews for The Illustrated Alice in Wonderland (The Golden Age of Illustration Series)

[m.belljackson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Many of the reviews on this site do not relate to the Salvador Dali illustrated book, but rather to another illustrator. Very Confusing.I love Alice's imaginative adventures and her increasing confidence as she accepts her changing size and bizarre circumstances.Yet, just as I did not enjoy the treatment of animals in a cruel way - the flamingoes, hedgehogs, guinea pigs - when I first read the book as a child and, although I was happy with the final resolution of the Queen and her deck of cards, the constant "Off with their heads!" was and is still annoying.Dali's paintings remain dramatic and an eternal evocative mystery. So good that this book has come to all of us!

[nodosaurus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I plan to read Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy and thought it might be interesting to reread the book, this time in French. >My first observation was that the translator did a good job and most of the book was translated well - at least to the limits of my memory. Then I did notice some shortcomings, for instance the wordplay in the mouse poem relating the mouse's tail to the tale being told just didn't work in French. However, the translator did include good footnotes. Here, he explained differences in the French and English version. He also added some historical notes that I found added value to the story. This included some symbology that I was completely unaware of. Some of the jokes and puns were, if my memory serves, and perhaps were replaced with new or similar ones taking advantage of the language differences.Overall, it is a quick read, delightful and imaginative and well worth some time spent.

[lkernagh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightfully fun, whimsically amusing and what an imagination! Between the outlandish characters, the silly puns and the play with logic, it is easy to see how this book is such a great story for both children and adults. Obviously, a reader needs to love - or at least appreciate - the nonsensical fun to fully enjoy this story, especially given the caricatures and the mayhem that is Wonderland. I can see where some adult readers may revisit this one for nostalgic childhood reasons, but I think I probably appreciate the story more as a adult reader, than I would have reading it as a young girl. Overall, very happy to have finally read this children's classic.

[bnielsen_30 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dette er den originale håndskrevne version af historien "Alice's Adventures under Ground", urmanuskriptet. Den blev oversat til dansk som "Maries Hændelser i Vidunderlandet" allerede i 1875, men den var dårligt oversat og vakte ikke større begejstring. Der er et efterskrift, der fortæller bogens historie og fx at "How doth the little busy bee, improve each shining hour..." er et digt fra 1715 af Isaac Watt.Historien kender vi jo: Alice følger efter en kanin, falder ned i et hul, havner i en sal med døre, drikker af en flaske og bliver mindre, men kan nu ikke længere nå nøglen. Hun spiser af en kage, der gør hende for stor. Hun har grædt en stor vandpyt og falder selv i den sammen med en mus, en and, en dum dodo, en dværgpapegøje og en ørneunge og en masse andre dyr. Den hvide kanin dukker op igen og hun følger efter den til dens hus. Indenfor drikker hun igen en flaske og bliver kæmpestor. Peter Kanin truer med at brænde huset af, da firbenet Ole ikke kan få hende ud, men hun når at blive lille igen. Hun stikker af og møder snart efter den blå kålorm. Hun læser en underlig version af "Du er gammel, far Vilhelm" op for kålormen. Derfra går det via Filurkatten over til gartnerne, der maler hvide roser røde. Den Røde Dronning har let ved at dømme folk til døden, men Alice redder gartnerne ved at stikke dem i lommen. Dronningen spiller kroket med Alice, men snyder groft. Næsten alle bliver dømt til døden, men faktisk er det indrettet så ingen bliver henrettet. En forloren skildpadde og en grif bliver afbrudt i deres historie af en retssag, hvor Dronningen vil have først dommen og så beviserne.Netop da vågner Alice.Fremragende historie oprindeligt fortalt til Alice Liddell. Historien er både bundet til Carrolls egen tid og alligevel stadig holdbar.

[srineet-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very nicely read. Enjoyable audiobook.

[alexandraarose · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was okayy..

[longhorndaniel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

hard to believe i've never read this but wonderful story

[beammey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I once read Alice in Wonderland when I was younger and I thought it was okay. Not amazing, but okay. I reread it now a few years later in this edition and I think it was the illustrations that did it for me. I really enjoyed the story. The pictures brought so much to the story. I would recommend this edition. 5 out of 5 stars.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alice in Wonderland vertelt het verhaal van de kleine Alice die in slaap sukkelt bij een uitstapje en in haar droom een wit konijn achterna rent door een pijp. Ze komt in een volledig andere wereld terecht en wordt geconfronteerd met de meest vreemde schepsels: eigenaardige dieren en levende kaarten, enzovoort. Allemaal zijn ze druk met zichzelf bezig en niet echt er op uit Alice beter te leren kennen. Die vraagt zichzelf trouwens geregeld af wie ze eigenlijk is. De gekste gebeurtenissen doen zich voor en de gekste teksten worden de lezer voorgeschoteld, tot Alice uiteindelijk weer ontwaakt.Achter de spiegel borduurt voort op dat thema, zelfs in een nog hogere versnelling. Alice geraakt in een spiegel en komt buiten het zichtsveld weer in een vreemde wereld terecht. Vooral de schaakfiguren beheersen hier de zaak. Er zijn andermaal tal van zonderlinge figuren. De dialogen hebben nog meer dubbele bodems dan tevoren. Maar het geheel geeft een zo mogelijk nog verwarder en daardoor ondoorgrondelijker indruk dan het vorige verhaal. Op de duur wordt het - zeker bij een lectuur voor kinderen - gewoon ontoegankelijk. Het einde is vrij abrupt.

[lostvampire_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book! Wonderfully illustrated!

[tanya8dogearedcopy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the Classic nonsense tale of an English girl falling down a rabbit hole, there to encounter the strange world of absurdly anthropomorphized animals and playing cards, enigmatic messages and, well, sizing issues :-D

A Classic is usually a novel that has become so ingrained in the collective memory or culture, that one might not be sure whether one has read it or not. The reputation of the book itself precedes the actual experience of reading it and the characters are often the prototypes of later iterations and any number of adaptations. If you've never experienced Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, or read it once before, or even if you've read it multiple times, it bears (another) reading. As familiar as many are with the tale, to actually read or hear the original, un-Disneyfied tale is a pleasure as the nuances of the language surface and fade in ephemeral logic and gently wry humor. The subtlety, whimsy and detail of Wonderland, its inhabitants and their language lends itself to repeated discoveries.

Michael York as the narrator of this audiobook edition brings a nice range of character voices to the story, never sounded absurd himself as he renders the tale of Alice with obvious affection and a master storyteller's grace. His smooth, somewhat effete British voice evokes the romance of an afternoon spent on the Thames and brings the curiouser and curiouser world of Carroll's creation to life.

Redacted from the original blog review at dog eared copy, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; 07/12/2011

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was fun and bizarre and I'm happy I read it.

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” The Chesire cat to AliceWhat delightful wonderous nonsense. To spend 2 hours and 44 minutes listening to Scarlett Johansson’s joyful narration of "Alice in Wonderland" was like a breeze of fresh air for my overworked brain.“Well! I’ve often seen a cat without a grin… but a grin without a cat! It’s the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!” Is it subversive nonsense? Filled with hidden meanings? Cleverly organised and meticulously metered out nonsense? Maybe…I don’t know - overblown psychoanalytical interpretations kill the wonder of it all - and it’s original intention: The enchanted nonsense of a child’s imagination. As the forever tea party - where Alice ponders:“The Hatter’s remark seemed to have no sort of meaning in it, and yet it was certainly English.”And it’s certainly a “curious dream” I will revisit again and again. Scarlett, we have a date next year for another 2 hours and 44 minutes.

[sasham-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Its been many years since I last read this and it was better than I remember it being and more nonsensical. I think my memory of the book had been warped by the movies (just a bit crap especially the most recent Johnny Depp one!).

[glennbell_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While the story is creative, it is also a lot of nonsense. Albeit is supposed to be a dream, it is rather bizarre. I find it odd that the story has such renown. I mildly recommend this book mainly for the value of being familiar with the story because it is so well known.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had never read the original despite being familiar with multiple movie versions. The narration of the production I listened to was first rate, and there were definitely some humorous bits, but in the end the cleverness wore thin for me. This story is definitely full of originality.

[jechtshot · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alice, a young potentially schizophrenic British lass, is transported to a world of wonder upon following a white rabbit down the rabbit hole. What follows is a disjointed series of events as Alice explores Wonderland, the world of her dreams. Your reaction to this book probably varies based on where you happen to be on life's journey. A small child may view this is to be an amusing story full of talking animals and fantastical situations. Someone a little further on in their years may view this as a handbook of things not to do. For example, if there is a cup on a table with a sign that says "drink me"... don't. If there is a piece of cake next to aforementioned drink with a sign that says "eat me"... don't. Aside from Alice's somewhat poor decision making skills, this is a fun children's classic that everyone should read at least once.

[heduanna · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After reading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, I realized I was long overdue for a look at Alice in Wonderland – and what a short little book! And quite perfect for my level of mental energy the morning after a fever (though I didn't finish it all then). Might have to read Through the Looking-Glass, too. More as background & cultural education than as entertainment, though. It's very light and easy reading, but I didn't really find it terribly engaging or interesting. Then again, I've kinda grown out of the target age-group. Still...

[vwhitt_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the first installment of this classic story. It’s one of those movies that has been depicted in film for years, and will be interesting for children to read. This curious tale of Alice encourages children to glimpse a new world full of fun and exciting things. Things most would never even think of. It begins when Alice sees a White Rabbit running across the bank wearing a vest and holding a pocket watch. She decides to go on an adventure and follow this rabbit down his hole where she falls for what seems like ages. After growing and shrinking several times, she gets through a small door which leads to a whole different world. This world includes talking animals and cards. On this adventure through Wonderland, Alice comes across many strange circumstances and in trying to be polite gets caught in some people's company that is less than desirable (like the caterpillar, the Duchess, the Pig, the Mock Turtle, and the Red Queen). Alice enjoys exploring the world she entered through the White Rabbit’s hole that is so different from her own. But Alice finds these creature lack manners and sometimes run confusing circles with their conversation. This book is great for introducing children to the fun of poetry (which there is plenty of) and how manners were extremely important to children in 1865. This is a great and interesting read for children both young and old. Details: This novel was written to interest children in grades 3-6 and is on a 5.9 reading level.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This follows largely the same plotline as the unpublished Adventures Underground I have just read, with the welcome additions of the Cheshire cat and the Mad Hatter's tea party. Wonderful stuff, though if pushed I would say that this seems to drag a bit in one or two places (to the extent that such a minor criticism is relevant to literary nonsense) and that Underground is probably a tauter piece of writing. John Tenniel's depiction of Alice in his illustrations here has become iconic, though I thought Carroll's own original illustrations are a little more haunting. 4.5/5

[katherinec032 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Timeless, relatable story for many young readers. Fosters and an amazing sense of imagination. Student learn that whenever they face an obstacle they can overcome it. One theme in this book is life being a puzzle. This story is similar to how a child might think. I think it would be a very good book to use in the classroom.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Ugh. Alice is ridiculously annoying. I did not enjoy the plot of this, the poetry, the constant repetition of ideas (the shrinking and growing). None of the characters were in any way interesting. I don't understand the universal love of this book.

[tiffanyak_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The edition I read was actually an online version with the same illustrations and everything. It is a rather fun book, and is certainly far deeper than the "children's book" that it is depicted to be on its surface. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was certainly worth finally reading the book behind a story I have heard so much about. The language twists alone made it well worth it, as there is definitely a lot of creativity there.

[gbsallery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a child, I read the stories of Alice in Wonderland (and, later, Through the Looking Glass) with a sense of wonder and amusement. Alice shows that it is possible to engage with a world which makes no sense on her own terms; she is not overwrought at her lack of understanding of the improbable and bizarre happenings around her. She brings reason to bear in narrow, specific cases (such as when arguing with the Red Queen), but is not paralysed by the irrationality of general occurrence. In this, she is like all children - dealing with reality not by knowing, but by exploring and engaging. This sense of innocent inquiry creates great sympathy in the younger reader.As an adult (older, grizzled and perhaps wiser), re-reading these stories once again provokes wonder and amusement - but this time, the wonder is at the ingenuity of the author and the amusement is if anything greater. This shift in reaction is because, as an adult, I know a few things: I know that it is impossible (in general life!) for soldiers to be playing cards, for Cheshire cats to disappear from the tail and for children to shrink and grow at the slightest provocation. Knowing this increases my admiration for Lewis Carroll, as he has constructed a world where the impossible occurs, but not without its own logic.While there is nonsense, there is structure - and the impossibilities have the common feature that they are all things which might occur to an imaginative young child while daydreaming. Thus they are not simply random (which would be nowhere near so satisfying to read), they are linked and interlocked to form a thoroughly pleasing structure. The underlying structure of the poem Jabberwocky has been analysed at length in [Hoftstadter], which elicits further wonder at the interlinked meanings and senses in the work. The amusement, of course, comes from understanding more of the jokes!

[berthashaver · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Listened to this on CD. Alice's adventures after she falls down a rabbit hole chasing the white rabbit. She runs into several other characters, the cheshire cat, the queen of hearts, the tortise, and has quite an imaginative adventure in wonderland.

[benjamin.duffy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a lot of fun! Gleefully absurd, thick with wordplay and puns (some of which I had to go back and re-read in an English accent to "get"), and a quick, joyful little read. I highly recommend this to anyone, whether or not you've seen any of the film adaptations - I've seen most, and I was still missing out until I read this.

[ccookie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First line:~ Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictiures or conversation, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice 'without pictures or conversation?~I found this book intriguing and boring at the same time. I think that I have been contaminated by the movies and television shows so the book seemed too 'plain'. Not enough colour. It is one of the few times that I can say that I enjoyed the movie more than the book; usually it is the other way around.I did find that the change of topics from chapter to chapter was inconsistent but when you see that the whole thing is a dream, well, that is how dreams work isn't it? Not much connection between one thing and another, jumping from scene to scene. If I was going to read this to my children I would choose some kind of a Disney version because I think that the graphics, in this case, add a valuable dimension to the reading experience.I am glad that I read it but it will never be a re-read, unless I have a grand-child!

[aubreycs-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book but in the 1865 version. It was a great and very enjoyable. It was originally written for the entertainment of children but its wittiness and written points of view attracted adult readers as well. The nonsense in the story allows adult readers to think as a child does as well as thinking outside the box. The story is filled with different characters and personalities, which have been thought to represent the different personalities of Lewis Carroll.

[mrscoleman17 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

At first I thought that this was a story that I would love to read to my children. However, after reading this I am not so sure. There were times when I laughed at the child-like humor and then there were times when I was just like what? Some of the logic and the tales told in this story were hard to follow, so I am pretty sure it would be hard for children as well. I do understand the moral behind the story though. If you ever need to take a step back from stressful everyday life then this may be the story for you.

[rrainer-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Recently reread and remaining one of my best beloved books of all time.