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An occasional review will focus on this point. Alice in Wonderland is no more children's book than, "The Lord of the Rings".The reason this five star book gets less stars occasionally is not because of its contents or purpose; it is because of either being mistaken for a kids book, in which case one wonders why it is forced on kids, or it is so dated that even the reader thinks it is gobbledygook.You will find the book full of references to items of the time and play on words of the time.If you fall into either of these categories then you need to first purchase "The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition"; this will clear this understandable confusion. Be aware that every sentience is a play on words for a jab at the culture of that time.I will not go through the story, as that is why you are buying this book. However I will say that it is a classic and should be part of everyone's cultural education.When you make it through this book and enjoy it the next challenge should be "Alice's Abenteuer Im Wunderland" German Translation.If you are also interested in sci-fi then try to get a copy of "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Henry Kuttner.Best of Henry Kuttner "Mimsy Were the Borogoves"
In my retirement, I've taken up creative writing and enjoy it very much. The teacher suggested we read "Alice in Wonderland" as a good example of imaginative story writing. In the last five years, I've written over 150 short stories. Had a few published and others read on our local PBS station. I don't remember reading it as a child, and it was fun delving into Lewis Carroll's mind as he dreamt this up for Alice, his young friend. The introduction to the book, about Carroll, did a good job of setting the story up as well as provide biographical information about the author.
That said, I think our success with the book depends a good deal on the edition we choose. By contrast, most editions contain JOHN TENNIEL's classic/original drawings. DO buy the original Lewis Carroll text (unabridged, not rewritten). Don't buy an annotated version unless you're already hooked on Alice. Frankly, I think they're a bit dated and dreary. In another episode, my first experience with Alice was a very bad one.
Mr. I'm not sure which one. Purists will certainly adhere to them, but other illustrators have done far better. Sadly it's out of print. A new edition that looks quite promising is illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Alice Through the Looking-glass: Walker Illustrated Classics.
Such marvelous pictures. But, even so, my six year old and I had good fun with the tale. I'm sure that aficionados can appreciate Carroll's deeper humor, but for most of us this is just a kids' tale. True, there are a good many dated notions and difficult puns. I made the mistake of buying an annotated version. Weevers really brought Wonderland to life for us. Especially if you are reading to a young one: DO NOT buy a Tenniel illustrated edition. One option is the unique artwork of Alison Jay (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland).
After more than a century, young Alice's adventures in Wonderland are still fun. Perhaps: The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition. I got so completely tripped up, looking up 19th century references to English politics and what not. All things considered, here is my advice. Not to everyone's taste, but more alive and child-friendly than Tenniel. Try to find a used copy of Weevers' version or take a chance on the an Oxenbury edition, such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. By luck we stumbled upon Peter Weevers' illustrated version (Alices Adventures In Wonderland). And lastly DO read Alice.
My suggestion is that you search for Alice and find one with another illustrator. Another option is the Cooper Edens' edition (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland -A Classic Illustrated Edition). It's lively and fun. Her travels through Wonderland are still lots of fun.
This edition is missing a line. Look on page 37, in the "Fury said to a mouse" poem. It says "I'll be jury" when the real line is supposed to be "I'll be judge, I'll be jury". What other mistakes have they made.
There, she meets all sorts of strange characters and discovers the queen of hearts, as well as other card-themed characters. Is it a children's story or a primer on logic or even a work of wit and wisdom.Maybe it's all three.Alice in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass make up the two Alice books by Lewis Carroll. The queen, it seems, is obsessed with displacing people's heads, and Alice must take every precaution to not upset her majesty.The second book takes Alice through a looking glass into a chess-themed world. And in these books, Carroll paints a strange world in which logic has a strange way about it, mostly consisting of folk who interpret things quite literally.This, being a classic of children's literature, has been mimicked by many, and by many, unsuccessfully. Though, I will admit that many adaptations of this work have been made satisfactorily.The first book takes Alice down a rabbit hole and into wonderland. Here the cruel magnate is the red queen. Alice learns many new poems and logical quirks before returning back through the looking glass.This book is sure to be enjoyed by bright children as well as adults who are kids at heart.
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