Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

By Lewis Carroll and John Tenniel

Bored with reading a book with no pictures, Alice looks up and sees a white rabbit in a waistcoat. Curious, she follows. Tumbling down a rabbit hole after him, Alice leaves the rational world behind and enters a world of nonsense. A drink that makes you shrink and a cake that makes you grow, a floating cat that can turn invisible, a tea party stuck in a perpetual time loop, and an angry queen of playing cards all make Alice's head spin as she works her way through her confusing surroundings. This unabridged version of Lewis Carroll's fantastical English novel was first published in 1865 and includes original illustrations by John Tenniel from the 1897 edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781467749626

Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) was an English children’s writer. Born in Cheshire to a family of prominent Anglican clergymen, Carroll—the pen name of Charles Dodgson—suffered from a stammer and pulmonary issues from a young age. Confined to his home frequently as a boy, he wrote poems and stories to pass the time, finding publication in local and national magazines by the time he was in his early twenties. After graduating from the University of Oxford in 1854, he took a position as a mathematics lecturer at Christ Church, which he would hold for the next three decades. In 1865, he published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, masterpiece of children’s literature that earned him a reputation as a leading fantasist of the Victorian era. Followed by Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871), Carroll’s creation has influenced generations of readers, both children and adults alike, and has been adapted countless times for theater, film, and television. Carroll is also known for his nonsense poetry, including The Hunting of the Snark (1876) and “Jabberwocky.”

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CHAPTER I.

Down the Rabbit-Hole

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 pictures or conversations in it, ‘and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice ‘without pictures or conversation?’

So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so VERY much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!’ (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually TOOK A WATCH OUT OF ITS WAISTCOAT-POCKET, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled ‘ORANGE MARMALADE’, but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it.

‘Well!’ thought Alice to herself, ‘after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How brave they’ll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn’t say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house!’ (Which was very likely true.)

Down, down, down. Would the fall NEVER come to an end! ‘I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?’ she said aloud. ‘I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think—’ (for, you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a VERY good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) ‘—yes, that’s about the right distance—but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I’ve got to?’ (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)

Presently she began again. ‘I wonder if I shall fall right THROUGH the earth! How funny it’ll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think—’ (she was rather glad there WAS no one listening, this time, as it didn’t sound at all the right word) ‘—but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?’ (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke—fancy CURTSEYING as you’re falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) ‘And what an ignorant little girl she’ll think me for asking! No, it’ll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.’

Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. ‘Dinah’ll miss me very much to-night, I should think!’ (Dinah was the cat.) ‘I hope they’ll remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah my dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, I’m afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that’s very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder?’ And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, ‘Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?’ and sometimes, ‘Do bats eat cats?’ for, you see, as she couldn’t answer either question, it didn’t much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, ‘Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat?’ when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.

Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage, and the White Rabbit was still in sight, hurrying down it. There was not a moment to be lost: away went Alice like the wind, and was just in time to hear it say, as it turned a corner, ‘Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!’ She was close behind it when she turned the corner, but the Rabbit was no longer to be seen: she found herself in a long, low hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.

There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again.

Suddenly she came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice’s first thought was that it might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but, alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!

Alice finding tiny door behind curtain

Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head through the doorway; ‘and even if my head would go through,’ thought poor Alice, ‘it would be of very little use without my shoulders. Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only know how to begin.’ For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.

There seemed to be no use in waiting by

Reviews for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

[klarsenmd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't feel like the modern illustration fits with the classic work for some reason. Otherwise the images are beautifully done.

[jerry.yoakum · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good way to introduce a child to the idea that words and sentences can have multiple meaning depending upon the context. A sort of point-of-view pontification.

[deckla_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The problem is this particular edition (Bookbyte digital), which is not complete, and does not include the introductory poems.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Ugh, I hate nonsense books. I get that this is for kids and the whole premise is fun nonsense. When Alice falls asleep she goes down into a rabbit hole and enters Wonderland, a place where everything is fun and nonsense. There is no point to anything and everyone is weird and can you tell how much I dislike this book. There is no plot, just a dumb kid named Alice, wandering around Wonderland talking to animals and packs of cards, playing croquet with flamingos and the like. Totally bonkers.

[brightman-4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great Illustration

[teharhynn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Strange, but interesting. I was not as profoundly moved as I thought I was going to be.

[bexaplex · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?"Through the Looking Glass is much better, but you'd have to be an unfeeling clod to not like Alice in Wonderland. Or perhaps have had unfeeling clods for parents who didn't introduce you to Alice before you were old enough to think the puns were a little overboard.

[mikalina_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Addressing strange and difficult issues as time, size and perspective, transformation and introducing the game theory almost a hundred years before it was presented as a mathematical idea in the conventional way, amongst other philosophically difficult ideas - and then engage children successfully, is a great achievement - leaving the readers of all ages curious about the nature of our existence - as compared to other living matter - as well as the nature of our observation of ourselves and everything outside ourselves. Carroll made a sensible, highly readable, enjoyable story out of (what for most people) is nonsense, no less.Wonderful reading.

[alexandraarose · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was okayy..

[amberlynn0avery · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my boyfriend's favorite book, but quickly became one of mine, as well. I think that it was well written, funny, and there's a lot to take from it. In the end, I could go on and on about how much Alice seemed like a little brat, or how the mad tea party is my favorite scene, but that would make this review much bulkier than I would like. However, I would have to say that the story is able to be read over and over, which I have done.

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

Very nicely read. Enjoyable audiobook.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ya, I know it's a children's book. But certain children stories transcend age and have something to say to people of every age. Such is this one. Tightly written the character and plot develop right away, the humour is also quite amusing this story takes a little thinking on what it actually means

[sararomancelove · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The author of this book was either crazy or a genius, maybe both as they tend to walk in pairs.
Well, this is a classic fable set in a fantasy world where everything could happen. There are so many extravagant characters that you'll lose count. It's is impossible not to fall in love with this book.
I think I'll rename one of my cats Cheshire.

[readingwolverine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was such a whimsical vacation read. It was funny and crazy and strange and amazing. The world that Lewis Carroll created was so believable despite its obvious absurdity. The characters are interesting despite only brief encounters with some of them. The crazy poetry and songs were literary works of art in and of themselves. The best part of the book was the ability to lose yourself in Wonderland and allow your imagination to run along with Alice on this fantastic adventure. It was a light read with no deep thought required...perfect for summer vacation!

[virago77 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

An Exercise in Insanity

This book was insane. The adventures she had and the creatures she met...It all sounded like what a bad acid trip would be like.

I'm honestly not sure I enjoyed it. This may require a re-read in the future.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic children's story. Lots of fun nonsense. The very last paragraph is really sweet.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is an enjoyable read for all years from 2 to 99 years old. It is a fantastic and fun read and should be read to children and grandchildren and handed down from generation to generation. Reading it as an adult, the symbolism is very noticeable in the narration. If you haven't read Alice before, you should not hesitate as it should not be missed!

[adzebill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I used to think the iconic Tenniel illustrations could not be bettered, but Jansson's are wonderful. The only edition of Carroll that contains a glyptodont (Doedicurus). Bonus fact: the first country mentioned in the text is New Zealand.

[andyray_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Arthur Dobson, a gentlemen reputed to like VERY little girls and who woiuld probably be photographed and put among the "unclean" today. This is arguably the most imaginative childhood story ever written that does not involve violence (the Red Queen is no exception! She yells off with their heads" a lot, but note she never actually does it.

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

This marks the first book I've read on my iPod Touch.

[salisb27 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A book about a girl's adventure into an unknown world, experiencing many new and different things while making friends and enemies along the way. Taking the reader into this fantasy world, the book also leads the reader through Alice's journey through her identity crisis and self-discovery.

[ehasler_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

no matter how hard i tried, i couldn't get past thinking that this book just really wasn't written for children. It was so frustrating...everyone was so mean to Alice.

[ninacaramelita · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To celebrate the release of Alice Through the Looking Glass, I thought of rereading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as well. At the thrift store, I've found this beautiful Russian/English edition from 1967 with gorgeous illustrations in black, red and white. A neat addition to my collection! ~ June 2016

[mariasavva_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love this book. It's complete nonsense of course, but that's the great thing about it. Alice, a little girl, falls down a rabbit hole and enters Wonderland, filled with talking animals and strange creatures, and a pack of cards that has a life of its own. It's a dream, and like most dreams it makes absolutely no sense at all. It was one of my favourite books as a child, so I decided to re-read it after 30 odd years, and I'm glad I did. It made me laugh out loud.

[richard015 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alice in Wonderland is a classic book. One day Alice sees rabbit and she runs after it. She follows it down a rabbit hole and she arrives in the Wonderland. Then many exciting things happen. I think this book is read by many people of many ages. This book made me so exciting. This story is one of my favorite books!

[unlikelyaristotle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think this book is the epitome of English eccentricity, which is why I loved it. There are several stories around the author, one that he was an epileptic, and that the falling down the hole was a description of one of his seizures, another one which my sister insists on was that he was a drug addict, which sort of taints my view of this as a children's book. I prefer to think he was a brilliant man with a vivid imagination, why is that so hard for people to believe? It's the perfect book to read to a child to spark their own imagination and give them a love of books and reading.

[adpaton · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The most over-rated book of all time in my opinion - in the face of stiff opposition from Pilgrim's Progress and Catcher in the Rye, to name but a few. I was both bored and disturbed by the claustophobic and nightmarish nonsensity of this messy fever dream of ghastly characters. The mad hatter, that terrible queen, all those odd substances saying eat me and drink me, then swimming through the sea of dormouse tears - most off-putting. Mind you, that might have been 'Through the Looking Glass', possibly the only book I hated even more than Wonderland.

[kurumi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The genre of this story is classics.I know this story but I haven't read this story ever.So I enjoyed reading this story.Alice falls down a hole and go to The Wonderland. There are lots of unique character,for example the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter and so on.The character of this book is very unique and I like them.This is very interesting story for me.

[hemlokgang · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Johansson is an absolutely delightful narrator for this iconic children's story. She brings all the characters to life. Enough has been written about this. I just loved listening to the story. As an adult I can hear the poignant straddling of childhood's joys with childhood's fears, in a manner which endears and delights!

[robert.zimmermann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This edition contains both "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland" and "Through The Looking-glass" As with the general understanding of the two stories is mainly presented to today's culture through the Disney's animated classic, most people know of both these stories. Upon reading them both, I noticed the elements that were used from each of them. A majority of it was obviously from "Alice's Adventures" with only some pieces from "Looking-glass" added.
In my opinion "Alice's Adventures" was much more enjoyable when I read it. I enjoyed the poetic elements in "Looking-glass" but for overall likability, I side with "Alice's Adventures"