AnnA H. (stormchaserblue) reviewed Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Puffin Books) on + 43 more book reviews
It was interesting to read them as an adult. Knowing the nonsense and not being able to accept the possibility of the craziness with that child like wonder.
We all know the stories so I will not bore with the summary, but try and entertain with some facts that at least I did not know.
It is believed that it was written for one girl but it is actually based off a story told to three girls, the Liddell sisters, in a row boat on the River Thames. Alice was the main character and asked for it to be written down for her. The original title was Alices Adventures underground. Since its first publication the book has never been out of print, saying much for the love of its readers.
The author is Charles Dodgson, a minister who used Lewis Carroll as a pen name, appears in the story as a Dodo during the Caucus-Race. In fact all the members of the boating party are represented at the race. The duck is Canon Duckworth, the Lory refers to Lorina Liddell, and the Eaglet to Edith Liddell. Alice is, of course, herself. The sisters are again referenced in the Dormouses tale. The Liddell sisters: Elsie is L.C. (Lorina Charlotte), Tillie is Edith (her family nickname is Matilda), and Lacie is an anagram of Alice.
In Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There I was most amused to discover that when the white queen was shouting about "crabs" and "feathers" she was actually using rowing jargon, and thusly actually speaking logically!
The characters of Hatta and Haigha (pronounced as the English would have said "hatter" and "hare") make a reappearance, and are pictured to resemble their Wonderland counterparts, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.
We all know the stories so I will not bore with the summary, but try and entertain with some facts that at least I did not know.
It is believed that it was written for one girl but it is actually based off a story told to three girls, the Liddell sisters, in a row boat on the River Thames. Alice was the main character and asked for it to be written down for her. The original title was Alices Adventures underground. Since its first publication the book has never been out of print, saying much for the love of its readers.
The author is Charles Dodgson, a minister who used Lewis Carroll as a pen name, appears in the story as a Dodo during the Caucus-Race. In fact all the members of the boating party are represented at the race. The duck is Canon Duckworth, the Lory refers to Lorina Liddell, and the Eaglet to Edith Liddell. Alice is, of course, herself. The sisters are again referenced in the Dormouses tale. The Liddell sisters: Elsie is L.C. (Lorina Charlotte), Tillie is Edith (her family nickname is Matilda), and Lacie is an anagram of Alice.
In Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There I was most amused to discover that when the white queen was shouting about "crabs" and "feathers" she was actually using rowing jargon, and thusly actually speaking logically!
The characters of Hatta and Haigha (pronounced as the English would have said "hatter" and "hare") make a reappearance, and are pictured to resemble their Wonderland counterparts, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.
