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luke_hartman's review against another edition
5.0
Alice In Wonderland is a huge classic, and is very well written. It combines adult themes in a child-like fantasy world. I love the characters, especially the dodo bird, the Cheshire cat, the white rabbit, and Alice, of course. Through the Looking Glass has some parts that I like more, and some parts less. Some of it really bores me, and other parts are wonderfully interesting. All in all, both books, but especially Alice In Wonderland, are must-reads for those who love timeless classics.
win_monroe's review against another edition
4.0
Alice in Wonderland is playful, imaginative and exciting, but ultimately it is children's literature in a way that Through the Looking-Glass surpasses. Through the Looking-Glass is children's literature as well, but it is also more than that. It is an exercise in logic and language games that Wonderland only begins to play with. Lewis Carroll's writing is a pleasure in both and perhaps even more fun in Wonderland, but TTLG has more facets, depths and other dimensions, which makes in my opinion a far superior work. While I would recommend both to a child, TTLG asks to be returned to and studied and turned over and discussed in a way that Wonderland does not.
bimblinghill's review against another edition
4.0
I read these as a child and I remember them working as novels for children, but they're so much more than that.
I've since had a science education and I see quotes and scenes from these books coming up all the time as we search for analogies of the weirdness we uncover as we grow our understanding of the universe. I'm not sure of the truth of this but I did hear that Carroll specifically set out to critique some of the ideas that were at the time of writing coming out of the study of quantum mechanics.
All that goes to say that these are among the select classics that expand the conceptual vocabulary of your mind. Absolutely worth re-reading as an adult.
I've since had a science education and I see quotes and scenes from these books coming up all the time as we search for analogies of the weirdness we uncover as we grow our understanding of the universe. I'm not sure of the truth of this but I did hear that Carroll specifically set out to critique some of the ideas that were at the time of writing coming out of the study of quantum mechanics.
All that goes to say that these are among the select classics that expand the conceptual vocabulary of your mind. Absolutely worth re-reading as an adult.
marybethmoore2319's review against another edition
2.0
You know, at some point, I think I liked this book. Maybe it was when I was 7. Now, I just think it's very, very strange. I believe my girls agree with me and probably liked it even less than I did.
sydneyklecker's review against another edition
4.0
I want to start rereading all my children’s literature with more of an adult brain and this was a great start! It’s just so wonderful! Not as amazing as I remembered but there were little things I appreciated more during this reading.
santraginusv's review against another edition
4.0
Oh the way Carroll plays with language. Delicious. I must say that reading it out loud might even be the best way to read it.
kittenluver54's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Alice in Wonderland is timeless. It is my favorite children's classic. It isn't like anything else. The adventure is so attention-grabbing and has lots of interesting characters we don't see in the movie. It's a must-read and brings me so much joy.
kimfishies's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
arinoyume's review against another edition
5.0
I don't think I could give this literary work less than 5 stars, could I.
In all honesty, after reading it for the first time at 28 years-old, I can't help but feeling both ashamed, for I should have read it years ago and unfortunately didn't, and particularly accomplished.
All throughout my reading, I was animated with that 'will to know'. I wished to know how the original work was like, but also what Disney left out, and how much the other adaptations did not comprehend enough to depict on screen. I wasn't disappointed. From my perspective, it turns out Disney's adaptation was the best ever made, in terms of atmosphere and general feeling, but it still left quite a fair bit out (the most nonsensical?).
In my opinion, these works are certainly not for every audience, and I dare say I would think twice before giving them to read to my child, or any other child for that matter. Just because they are so impressive, I think they will necessarily leave a mark, and I'm not sure yet whether that would be a positive or a partly negative one. I would have to give time to time, and reassess it within my own perception in a few months or years.
I'd like to end this review by quoting a very short passage of the introduction which I find particularly fitting and which I want to remember: "If a story is like a dream, who is the dreamer?"
In all honesty, after reading it for the first time at 28 years-old, I can't help but feeling both ashamed, for I should have read it years ago and unfortunately didn't, and particularly accomplished.
All throughout my reading, I was animated with that 'will to know'. I wished to know how the original work was like, but also what Disney left out, and how much the other adaptations did not comprehend enough to depict on screen. I wasn't disappointed. From my perspective, it turns out Disney's adaptation was the best ever made, in terms of atmosphere and general feeling, but it still left quite a fair bit out (the most nonsensical?).
In my opinion, these works are certainly not for every audience, and I dare say I would think twice before giving them to read to my child, or any other child for that matter. Just because they are so impressive, I think they will necessarily leave a mark, and I'm not sure yet whether that would be a positive or a partly negative one. I would have to give time to time, and reassess it within my own perception in a few months or years.
I'd like to end this review by quoting a very short passage of the introduction which I find particularly fitting and which I want to remember: "If a story is like a dream, who is the dreamer?"
levilov's review against another edition
Did not read through the looking glass yet