We all know what happened to poor Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole? Or do we?This is definitely not Disney's Alice in Wonderland or Tim Burton's wickedly awesome version of the tale. This is it... the real deal.
I've been meaning to read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for a few years now (you'd think I would've read it as a child, but nope, back then I was into Stephen King haha) and I chose this edition in particular because I fell in love with Camille Rose Garcia's illustrations. With it's fun-shaped narratives and two-page, colorful layouts scattered throughout. Originally I thought it was a shorter version of the novel, but to my joy and delight, it was the full story, so this is definitely one that I'm showcasing in my bookshelf at the moment.
As for the story, well, it's complete nonsense of course, but that's the great thing about it. There are talking cats who disappear all but their grin. There are sneezing babies that turn into pigs. There are mock turtles, dodobirds, gryphons and hookah-smoking caterpillars. There is painting the roses red, a queen who won't think twice before yelling "off with his/her head", there are dormouse's with sleeping disorders who hang with nutty hatters and crazy hares. Oh, and did I mention Alice's problem with height... yea, the poor girl.
Jibberish I tell you. But that's the fun of it. I would call it an organized mess. There really is no rhyme or reason to it, and that's exactly what makes it such a delight to read. Very imaginative, colorful and amusing - and I personally could not help feeling "curiouser and curiouser". I read it rather quickly too, as it's not very long.
All in all, this was a very peculiar read, one that I can say is fun, whimsical and a classic that should be read at least once in your life.
And one last thing, does anyone actually know:
Why IS a raven like a writing desk?!
20 comments:
My daughter read Alice in Wonderland I don't know how many times when she was a little girl. In fact, I still have her book and I plan to send it on to my granddaughter when she gets a little older!
I love the cover of this edition - can't wait to see the illustrations inside as well.
"Mustard! Don't let's be silly...... lemon, that's different!"
Ok. So I have a weakness for Alice in Wonderland. I was the Queen of Hearts in the ballet :)
I'm sure I read this when I was younger, but I really have to pick it up again! I simply love how crazy it is - it's nice to read something as silly as Alice in Wonderland! And that cover is so great.
Emidy
from Une Parole
I have never read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, either, but it looks like many have been inspired to pick it up by the movie and, for some reason, it surprises me that so many seem to like it! That is, of course, a positive :-)
FunFun, Delightful review
I, too, just read the original so that I could better assess the new movie version. I loved it! It was so fun and light compared to most of the YA stuff I read. And, maybe a raven is like a writing desk because raven feathers could be used as quills and quill ink is black? I don't know!
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1173/why-is-a-raven-like-a-writing-desk
"Lewis Carroll himself got bugged about this so much that he was moved to write the following in the preface to the 1896 edition of his book:
Enquiries have been so often addressed to me, as to whether any answer to the Hatter's Riddle can be imagined, that I may as well put on record here what seems to me to be a fairly appropriate answer, viz: 'Because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!' This, however, is merely an afterthought; the Riddle, as originally invented, had no answer at all.
Did this discourage people? No. They figured, that dope Carroll, he's too dumb to figure out his own riddle, setting aside the halfhearted attempt just quoted. So they ventured answers of their own, some of the more notable of which are recorded in Martin Gardner's The Annotated Alice and More Annotated Alice:
* Because the notes for which they are noted are not noted for being musical notes. (Puzzle maven Sam Loyd, 1914)
* Because Poe wrote on both. (Loyd again)
* Because there is a B in both and an N in neither. (Get it? Aldous Huxley, 1928)
* Because it slopes with a flap. (Cyril Pearson, undated)"
I had to google it - it's been bugging me, too!
I can't wait to get my hands on this one, I love the cover and the pictures inside! Great review, I've never read it either and I must :)
I just finished participating in the Alice in Wonderland Challenge over at Take Me Away (http://www.takemeawayreading.com/), so I've enjoyed various versions and spin-offs and tales that allude to Alice.
I just saw the Tim Burton movie.
Your book looks different than the one I read...as a child, I read one that had lovely illustrations, but the one I read recently didn't have that.
Yours looks good!
The cover of this edition is crazy good! Yes, it is a peculiar book and nothing like the Disney version! Lewis Carroll was an interesting fellow!
xoxo -- Hilary
I haven't read this but it is going on my list. Thanks for the review. That edition of the book looks beautiful.
Ps- Poe wrote on both a raven and a writing desk :)
I love Alice in Wonderland. And this cover is smashing..:)
Adore it, I saw it the other day, but it was way too expansive. Maybe next month. Thanks for the great review.
this book cover is totally my book cover crush right now... awesome!
I just read this--I can't believe I've read the original, Carroll's Alice! :) I got this very same edition, and that contributed a lot to why I enjoyed the book. To why I even had the guts to open the book. :)
Thanks for good article...
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