Like a lot of people my introduction to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was through various films or TV adaptations especially the Disney version. Before sitting down to read this for the first time one evening I tried to clear my head of any preconceptions and just sat back and tried to enjoy the ride.
Well I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, the world in which Alice finds herself is so bizarre and 'mad' I was quite prepared to be swept up along with it all. There was also a huge amount of charm with this book which I was not expecting so much and the wonderful illustrations added to this.
I then went on to read 'Through the Looking-Glass' and was surprised to find that most of my favourite moments from the film like the Walrus and the Carpenter, Tweedledum and Tweedledee and the bread and butter-flies, were featured in Though the look-glass and did not feature at all in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In fact only three characters including Alice feature in both books.
Despite this I still preferred Adventures in Wonderland, I can't say why for sure but it just seemed to have more charm and innocence within the pages when compared to Through the Looking-Glass when Alice is a bit older and slightly less 'curious'. Aside from the Walrus and the Carpenter, I also preferred the rhymes in Adventures in Wonderland some of which made me laugh.
There's a lot of essays and analysis out there dissecting this book and a lot of people (like me) first read this book as an adult. But I'll keep my copy for my son when he's older as I was stuck by how much I think a small child would enjoy it.
Would I recommend it? Yes, but lets not let the adults hog this one for themselves.
Posted by Jess
Glad you enjoyed it. I feel the same way about the two books. Sequels rarely match the power of the first book.
ReplyDeleteI think kids should enjoy this one too, we are hanging on to a bunch of books to read to our kids. Not the normal kid lit stuff.
I actually haven't read this yet - I will add to it my to-read list!
ReplyDeleteA long time since I've read this - it has been one of my fvourite reads since childhood. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI consider myself lucky to have first enjoyed Alice's Adventures as a child.
ReplyDeleteLeah - yes I we have also put away quite a few books for our son, I just hope hes a reader.
ReplyDeleteZara - if you see it its worth picking up and alot of it will be familiar to you.
Petty & Lindy - I wish I had read this as a child, I think I would have loved this, ah well never too late.
I have never read this and I want to. This cover you have here is gorgeous. I am now committed to reading this yet this year. Thanks for the push :D
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