Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

Lewis Carroll’s „Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland“ has long been heralded as a whimsical masterpiece, but upon closer inspection, it reads more like a nonsensical fever dream than a coherent novel. The book’s biggest flaw is its utter lack of structure — Alice stumbles from one bizarre scenario to the next with no real plot to tie the events together, making the entire experience feel more like a random collection of absurd vignettes than a satisfying story.

The characters, while often quoted in popular culture, are little more than caricatures with no depth. The Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts exist solely to spout riddles or display exaggerated quirks, but there’s no real emotional investment in any of them. Even Alice herself is frustratingly passive, serving as little more than a vehicle for Carroll’s surrealism rather than a character with actual development.

Carroll’s wordplay and logic puzzles, often praised as ingenious, quickly become tiresome. What may have once been seen as clever now feels self-indulgent, as though the author were more interested in showing off his linguistic gymnastics than telling a compelling story. The dialogue is riddled with non sequiturs that serve no purpose beyond confusing the reader, making it clear that the book’s primary goal is whimsy for whimsy’s sake—at the expense of readability.

Furthermore, the novel’s dreamlike nature ultimately undermines any potential stakes. Nothing Alice does truly matters, as everything is conveniently erased by the “it was all a dream” ending, making the entire journey feel pointless. There’s no real lesson, no moral takeaway—just a chaotic, directionless string of events that frustrates more than it delights.

While „Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland“ may have historical significance, it’s hard to ignore that it relies far too heavily on nonsense, leaving little room for narrative satisfaction. More of an exercise in eccentricity than a compelling read, it’s a book that may charm some with its whimsy but will leave many others wondering why they bothered at all.

Content Warnings

phvntomstvrs's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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lonelylooper's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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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

4.0

I decided to read this book because I bought a poster with 100 books to read in your lifetime. This is the eighteenth book I've read on this list. Compared to the previous book, this was fun and easy read and very different compared to the other classics I've read.

This book is based on Alice, she has gone down a rabbit hole without the least idea of what was going to happen afterwards. In the world of nonsensical Wonderland and the back-to-front Looking Glass kingdom depict order turned upside-down: a baby turns into a pig; time is abandoned at a disorderly tea-party and a chaotic game of chess makes a seven-year-old girl a Queen. But amongst the anarchic humour and sparkling word play, puzzles and riddles, are poignant moments of nostalgia for lost childhood.

This book is so fun and so nuts, but I loved how cuckoo it was. I didn’t realise because they made her older in the films, but I cannot believe that Alice was only seven! I was so shocked when I read that. I enjoyed Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland compared to Through the Looking Glass because it felt more fun and less serious, and I wanted more of the prequel of Alice’s life. Through the Looking Glass was a bit more intense and a bit confusing times, I lost the storyline a bit throughout it but managed to recover to enjoy and understand it.

Overall, I loved the drawings throughout the book, and it was a very enjoyable read and I’m glad that I finally enjoyed a book from the poster. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum up and I can enjoy the next book on the poster.

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rafacolog's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

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annapox's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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