Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865)

This book was so much fun. I listened to the audio version narrated by Jodie Comer, and I laughed out loud at some passages. I wonder that the theatrical quality of this book makes it particularly better when read aloud.

This was a re-read, but I cannot recall the impressions from that reading experience so many years ago. I read it then in Portuguese, which now listening in English, made me think if some of the word play could be fully translated: “the reason they’re called lessons,’ the Gryphon remarked: ‘because they lessen from day to day.”

Then, the witticisms are both deeply intelligent and naïve, spot-on to make one ponder and smile:

“Where do you want to go?" was his responce. "I don't know" Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter.”

“A dream is not reality but who's to say which is which?”

“I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,’ said Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”

There are certainly political undertones that were completely over my head. So many beheadings and a court scene out of a Kafka novel. I wondered about googling its deep meanings, but I decided to let it be. I did learn that Lewis Carroll was a pen name for an accountant that first wrote the story to amuse his younger daughter, Alice. I will stay with that. ( )

I tried to like it, and even though there some good little lessons about life and all, I could not fully appreciate it... ( )

I have read this book a few times before, but this time I was a bit surprised how fast that I was able to read it. I read a copy with the original illustrations, which were beautiful. I love the fun that this book is, and how at one point Alice is playful, and then will turn on a dime and be serious, and how easily offended the creatures are over the most trivial of points. Another of my favorite themes is twisting the intention of a word spoken, such as this statement:

"That's the reason they're called lessons, the Gryphon remarked: 'because they lessen from day to day'"

Lot's of fun and little hidden laughs and nonsense. ( )

Having so recently seen prime examples and reprintings of Arthur Rackham's work, I found this edition to be rather disappointing. Clearly the printers his a poor job, since I know Rackham's line and colour to be much more delicately wrought than this! For shame, since Rackham was an artist who attempted to ensure that his work was printed with integrity, and it is clear that this reprint is not doing his memory justice! ( )

Arthur Rackham’s illustrated version of the Alice adventures may be my ultimate favourite, but this luscious edition illustrated by Greg Hildebrandt is a very close second. The book is oversized, so the full-page reproductions of Hildebrandt’s paintings reveal the lifelike details in his artistry as well as lets readers revel in the brightly coloured palette that he is known for. Each illustration depicts a scene from the book rather eloquently, utilizing details from the text to ensure a believable realism. Hildebrant’s layouts are a mix of stationary and more imaginative compositions, which strikes a careful balance between the more fantastical elements of the Alice story without becoming too strange. I’ve seen versions of the story which attempt either too much realism or head straight into chaos, but Hildebrant’s depictions utilize the same semi-realistic painterly techniques throughout to create a unity of image and flow to the narrative, even when depicting such strange scenes as Alice with the snake neck.

The accompanying text is laid out neatly alongside and edged with a golden border with inset playing card motifs, so even when we get a visual rest from the fullpage illustrations we’re still surrounded by glamour. Unlike most reworkings of classic novels and fairytales, there are often points where the illustrations don’t quite match up with the text, but I didn’t notice a single instance of this occurring while reading. The only thing I couldn’t quite tell was whether the text was abridged or not, as the copyright page did not mention that it was, but I also feel like the story can’t be contained in a mere 100 pages (even if they are oversized). Either way, it doesn’t really matter, since the main gist and whimsy of the original story was retained throughout, and Hildebrandt’s illustrations paired with it wonderfully. ( )