Alice in Wonderland

Worth a read. There is so much cleverness missing from the Disney version. An easy, quick read for a short flight.

Long time ago, I should have read this story as a child, but I don't remember how come I didn't, but I don't remember either how I came to know Alice so intimately, as if this was a legend that had leaked out to me and never to be forgotten. No doubt, this is one hell of a legend. The title itself belies it to be just a fantastical childhood tale but it is actually a book that will get adults curiouser and curiouser until all the puns that are intended to taunt the deluded adult world will boil down to giving you a crazy smile. I swear by a mouse's tail- this Alice book is charming, and so full of funny, far-out characters. I cant resist being crazy with the mad tea-party, and the wacky game-story of cards and chess, of the chesire cat, and of course, Alice who is smart, proud and always snappy. Although my favorite of all is the wise caterpillar who smokes a hookah and sits on a mushroom. Alice in Wonderland is actually a story of growing up, or more like a child's discovery of wisdom, or maybe an exploration of wisdom in a child's perspective. The setting of cards and chess is an allegory of the world of chance and determinism, and the pervasive foreshadowing of death seems silly but anyway childish. Sometimes I don't understand why the book is one of the most quoted. Perhaps because aside from being popular, I am sure this tale really brings out the child in anyone. Lewis Carroll might have only told this story to put a loquacious girl in silence but fortunately, he has not made a very simple fantasy. He has invented an Alice in a lot of us.

This classic children's story is the whimsical tale of Alice, who falls down a rabbit hole and has many odd and humorous adventures. Alice is a rather innocent and naive little girl, sometimes given to a little temper (who isn't?). She has now iconic dealings with the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and her roving pack of cards, and the White Rabbit who leads her into this strange dream world. The story is a bit episodic but has such delightful word play strung throughout. Lots of puns and plays on words are in evidence and made me chuckle. I was caught short a few times as I read this on Kindle, since the text refers to the illustrations (e.g. when the gryphon appears, the text says, "IF you don't know what a Gryphon is, look at the picture") which were not available in the free ebook I downloaded. I do have a physical copy with illustrations by A. E. Jackson, though many different illustrated editions are available. Oddly, the physical copy doesn't have the text referring to its own picture of the gryphon. The book is fairly short and a very quick read. I may pick up a better edition (like the one linked below, which includes all the subsequent Alice tales). It would be fun to reread. Also, as I am writing this (early March 2013), Heather at CraftLit has a recording with commentary of Alice in Wonderland (she does great commentary) on her premium podcast. Check it out! I've listened to the first two episodes and they are very well done. Also she has a video feed that shows a variety of the illustrations, which is excellent.

Great read. In perfect condition. Thanks.

Okay, I admit to reading this after playing Alice: Madness Returns. I was in the mood for some classic literature too! Having never read this, I didn't know what to expect. Rather than having a cohesive story with a beginning, middle and end, like the nature of the writing, things are a little bit...bizarre. We have a collection of scenes which Alive stumbles her way through with (let's face it) atrocious intro and conclusion tacked on. These are so brief (a few paragraphs) that do nothing. In fact, I know this is an older story, but the ending is awful. Maybe it hadn't been done to death in Carroll's day? Despite my contemporary complaints, I actually feel the story would be better off without the intro and conclusion, and be left as a collection of very strange conversations. Okay, there are dialogue heavy with some great images and everything is twisted and fired back and forth, but even this gets a bit...repetitive. It's easy to see why the tea party scene is so famous however, as the writing and humour here is superb. Though I have problems with this, I can recommend the book for this scene alone! In summary, it was good to read something a bit different and the language is approachable and it's all very, very silly. Good to dip into. Just ignore the after-thought ending.

This design is gorgeous and comes same as pictured. I loved it so much I got one for a friend too!

Having an American read the character of Alice in the story of Alice in Wonderland seemed like a big mistake to me when I set out to listen to Scarlett Johansson read this classic. I underestimated her skill as a reader and performer, and what a pleasant surprise that was. The story of Alice in Wonderland isn't a new one. It's been animated and acted and animated again, and released in a hundred formats. Filled with whimsical characters and a fulfilling plot of a little girl coming into her own (say what you will about Lewis Carroll's hidden agenda in the story) it's a surefire win for both kids, and imaginative adults alike. If you enjoyed this book as a kid, you'll enjoy the version performed by Scarlett. Scarlett truly offers a transcendent performance in this. While her British accent might not be perfect her ability to bounce between all of the characters in the story and give them unique life is wonderful. I especially enjoyed her performance with the mock turtle and the griffin. Alice in Wonderland is a short listen at less than three hours, but one that I think anyone will enjoy. I don't recommend speeding the narration. Her voice is well suited for the style of the story and the pace she reads at, and you'll lose some of her nuance if you accelerate the pace. Lots of fun from a new voice telling an old story. Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR. Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog [If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]

As many of us already know, Alice's journey begins after following a large rabbit 🐇 wearing a waistcoat down 👇 an seemingly endless hole filled in wonders. After finally touching the bottom, Alice finds she is another 🌎 world. It is a colorful world with talking insects insects and animals, a flying and disappearing wide-grinned Cheshire cat, a Mad Hatter, a Dormouse, a Mock Turtle, the Knave of Hearts, and the King and Queen of Hearts and their court. It is a wild adventure, so imaginative, and made vibrant and real in my mind's eye by its description. I didn't realize that the story contained so many short rhymes and songs in between the story. This is definitely a great book made for children and all other ages who love reading about a fantasy world that has been extremely popular since the late 1800's.