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7.53k reviews for:
Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
Eva Mason, Dan Andreasen, Lewis Carroll
3.83 AVERAGE
7.53k reviews for:
Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
Eva Mason, Dan Andreasen, Lewis Carroll
3.83 AVERAGE
I loved that the book added history on Victorian England, the history of food, and how both of those relate to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. However, the book also had no illustrations despite saying it is illustrated on the front. Taking out the illustrations also took away from part of the book when it tells you to look at the illustration. I think if it had these it would be 5/5 stars for me.
I am an avid Alice in Wonderland collector and that means collecting every little copy I can get my greedy hands on. Even little kid versions like this. If it's Alice? I want it. And OF COURSE I had to have the copy with a little Black girl on the cover. I've never seen Black Alice, or any other POC for that matter. So I got it. What I got was a beautiful copy of Alice that's both embodies the whimsical story but delivers on absolutely gorgeous artwork I am OBSESSED with. I know very little about art, I just enjoy it. And while books are an art form of their own without illustrations, these take it to another level. Gledhill is so amazing. I want to check out their other books with illustrations because I'm excited to see what they do!
I listened to the audiobook in the audible app. I purchased the version performed by Scarlett Johansson and it was phenomenal! First time i ever read the story although i have seen the movies before. The book was peaceful and curious to listen to. Quick, easy read while still being very enjoyable.
4.2 stars. This is,, not what I expected or remembered.
PT: Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge, books that have been on my TBR for too long, children's lit, classics
What I Liked
1) Math jokes. I love that Carroll built this entire story from math jokes. He's a math nerd, and it *shows.* The logical traps and simple *silliness* of so many plot points boil down to some universal math axiom. Things like the Cheshire cat who leaves only his smile behind, Alice's grappling with her reduction and restoration in size (as a pun on the literal translation of algebra: "al jebr e al mokabala" as "restoration and reduction), and the inconsistency of Alice's own memory in recalling her times tables all reflect Carroll's time/context of increasingly abstracting math ideas. In Wonderland, nothing feels solid or sure in the world anymore, nothing can be trusted to remain as itself and *wholly* itself. Brilliant. For more on this, I highly highly recommend this page on the hidden mathematics in Alice in Wonderland: https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/devlin_03_10.html
2) Abstract Math, meet pre-teens. RE previous comment of mabstract math: "In Wonderland, nothing feels solid or sure in the world anymore, nothing can be trusted to remain as itself and *wholly* itself." The same is true of adolesence and growing up. I am AMAZED at Carroll's ability to draw that connection. Again, Brilliant.
3) Sheer creative value. Honestly, Carroll's ability to write such *surreal* concepts is remarkable. I want to understand *how* he managed this. What's his creative process? How did this idea come about? Are his dreams like this? How much of this was simple creative storytelling nonsense that he then applied math concepts to after the fact? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS
What I Didn't Like/What I Learned
1) Abstraction = Missing Something. This is one of those stories that steps so so far back into the world of abstraction that it loses some of its heart. Alice is defined primarily by her sheer confusion and uncertainty, which, while Relatable TM, creates something of a disconnect between herself and readers. The aura of surrealism forces readers to recognize the absurdity of Wonderland and their own world rather than connect on any real emotional level to the character. This isn't *necessarily* a bad thing and is certainly a feat, but for a children's story, the tone is a little too detached.
PT: Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge, books that have been on my TBR for too long, children's lit, classics
What I Liked
1) Math jokes. I love that Carroll built this entire story from math jokes. He's a math nerd, and it *shows.* The logical traps and simple *silliness* of so many plot points boil down to some universal math axiom. Things like the Cheshire cat who leaves only his smile behind, Alice's grappling with her reduction and restoration in size (as a pun on the literal translation of algebra: "al jebr e al mokabala" as "restoration and reduction), and the inconsistency of Alice's own memory in recalling her times tables all reflect Carroll's time/context of increasingly abstracting math ideas. In Wonderland, nothing feels solid or sure in the world anymore, nothing can be trusted to remain as itself and *wholly* itself. Brilliant. For more on this, I highly highly recommend this page on the hidden mathematics in Alice in Wonderland: https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/devlin_03_10.html
2) Abstract Math, meet pre-teens. RE previous comment of mabstract math: "In Wonderland, nothing feels solid or sure in the world anymore, nothing can be trusted to remain as itself and *wholly* itself." The same is true of adolesence and growing up. I am AMAZED at Carroll's ability to draw that connection. Again, Brilliant.
3) Sheer creative value. Honestly, Carroll's ability to write such *surreal* concepts is remarkable. I want to understand *how* he managed this. What's his creative process? How did this idea come about? Are his dreams like this? How much of this was simple creative storytelling nonsense that he then applied math concepts to after the fact? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS
What I Didn't Like/What I Learned
1) Abstraction = Missing Something. This is one of those stories that steps so so far back into the world of abstraction that it loses some of its heart. Alice is defined primarily by her sheer confusion and uncertainty, which, while Relatable TM, creates something of a disconnect between herself and readers. The aura of surrealism forces readers to recognize the absurdity of Wonderland and their own world rather than connect on any real emotional level to the character. This isn't *necessarily* a bad thing and is certainly a feat, but for a children's story, the tone is a little too detached.
Blurb: Alice in Wonderland is an 1865 novel by English author Lewis Carroll. It tells of a young girl named Alice, who falls through a rabbit hole into a subterranean fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children.
My thoughts: There is a reason that Lewis Carroll’s novel remains a bestseller and a beloved book - a beautifully creative, slightly bonkers, literary classic.
There are so many beloved characters; the Mad Hatter has always been a firm favourite of mine; and now when I read the voice of the Caterpillar, I always read it in the voice of Alan Rickman
My thoughts: There is a reason that Lewis Carroll’s novel remains a bestseller and a beloved book - a beautifully creative, slightly bonkers, literary classic.
There are so many beloved characters; the Mad Hatter has always been a firm favourite of mine; and now when I read the voice of the Caterpillar, I always read it in the voice of Alan Rickman
Read it forward recommended the version illustrated by pop artist Yayoi Kusama. Couldn't find that edition listed in goodreads.
I really loved this story. It's so wonderfully written, and the pictures in my copy of the book brought me back to a time when pictures were in all of the books I read. Still, despite how fun the story was, I think I came into the book with expectations that were too high. I was left a tiny bit disappointed when I finished the book.