616ece's review against another edition
5.0
Enchanting!!! I literally left little pieces of my heart on each passing page.
el_entrenador_loco's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
acton's review against another edition
5.0
What is the use of a book without pictures or conversations? I agree--especially conversations. And the conversations in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are some of the most famously fabulous confabulations. (Don't mind me, I just like how that word sounds). These pictures, by illustrator John Tenniel, were very important to Lewis Carroll and his story.
It's been many years since I've read these stories, and I am surprised to find them both profound and hilarious. (But then, I am not the same person I was yesterday.) It now seems obvious that Alice's shifting size, discomfort, and confusion simply describe being--a child. By the way, Alice is seven and a half years old, and she is always the voice of intelligence and innocence in the rather insane, more adult world around her.
The sequel story, Through the Looking Glass, has a darker, more serious tone, in my opinion. I know that the first time I read this, the fact that there is a chess game on the entire time was lost on me. Alice begins as a pawn, and that train ride she takes at the beginning is her first move--a big one, since pawns are allowed to move two spaces in their first turn. And the way the queens move so fast (making Alice run and get out of breath) corresponds to the way a queen is allowed to move. Near the end, the white knight who rescues her, and is so clumsily falling off his horse, left and right, is demonstrating his L-shaped moves, as well. After her encounter with the knight, Alice has only to cross over one more brook before reaching the eighth rank promotion to queen. She wakes up after capturing the red queen.
Note: evidently, back in Lewis Carroll's day, most chess sets were red and white, instead of black and white. I don't know much about chess, so this would be what I notice. :)
Another thing lost on me was the famous conversation with the white queen, when she says, The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday - but never jam to-day.' I took for granted that that was pure silly nonsense, but it was actually meant as a pun. It is a rule of Latin grammar (which I don't remember learning myself in Latin class) that "iam" means "now," but only in past and future. In the present, the word would be "nunc." (i and j are interchangeable in Latin.) Evidently, this quote became so famous that it became an expression for asking for too much, as in "I suppose you want jam on that."
What was not lost on me the first time was the poems. The Jabberwocky and The Walrus and the Carpenter, especially. And Alice's conversation with Humpty Dumpty, and how he translates some of the words in the first poem is fun. (He's quite the egg head.)
There is so much to love, here--and I know it's all been said before. I am very glad that I picked it up again!
It's been many years since I've read these stories, and I am surprised to find them both profound and hilarious. (But then, I am not the same person I was yesterday.) It now seems obvious that Alice's shifting size, discomfort, and confusion simply describe being--a child. By the way, Alice is seven and a half years old, and she is always the voice of intelligence and innocence in the rather insane, more adult world around her.
The sequel story, Through the Looking Glass, has a darker, more serious tone, in my opinion. I know that the first time I read this, the fact that there is a chess game on the entire time was lost on me. Alice begins as a pawn, and that train ride she takes at the beginning is her first move--a big one, since pawns are allowed to move two spaces in their first turn. And the way the queens move so fast (making Alice run and get out of breath) corresponds to the way a queen is allowed to move. Near the end, the white knight who rescues her, and is so clumsily falling off his horse, left and right, is demonstrating his L-shaped moves, as well. After her encounter with the knight, Alice has only to cross over one more brook before reaching the eighth rank promotion to queen. She wakes up after capturing the red queen.
Note: evidently, back in Lewis Carroll's day, most chess sets were red and white, instead of black and white. I don't know much about chess, so this would be what I notice. :)
Another thing lost on me was the famous conversation with the white queen, when she says, The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday - but never jam to-day.' I took for granted that that was pure silly nonsense, but it was actually meant as a pun. It is a rule of Latin grammar (which I don't remember learning myself in Latin class) that "iam" means "now," but only in past and future. In the present, the word would be "nunc." (i and j are interchangeable in Latin.) Evidently, this quote became so famous that it became an expression for asking for too much, as in "I suppose you want jam on that."
What was not lost on me the first time was the poems. The Jabberwocky and The Walrus and the Carpenter, especially. And Alice's conversation with Humpty Dumpty, and how he translates some of the words in the first poem is fun. (He's quite the egg head.)
There is so much to love, here--and I know it's all been said before. I am very glad that I picked it up again!
mariahreadit's review against another edition
4.0
This beautiful leather bound, gilded edition contains both of Alice's adventures.
I read this when preparing to go study abroad with my most beloved English tutor.
This will always mean the world to me. RIP Lawrence.
I read this when preparing to go study abroad with my most beloved English tutor.
This will always mean the world to me. RIP Lawrence.
stuckinthesky's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I hated A Tangled Tale and Phantasmagoria and Nonsense From Letters.
tarq1's review against another edition
2.0
The majority of the selections contained within this collection are solid though not without fault. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is herein truncated to Alice in Wonderland, however, its sequel Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There retains its complete title.
Tenniel's illustrations are large and boldly displayed through the two aforementioned selections. The Hunting of the Snark, A Tangled Tale, and Phantasmagoria, though they contain illustrations elsewhere, and by other artists, do not herein retain said illustrations.
Speaking of Phantasmagoria, therein lies the rub. In this "Best of" collection, section two is simply labeled: Phantasmagoria. This section could be more accurately labeled: Selections from Phantasmagoria and Other Poems, Sylvie and Bruno, and Sylvie and Bruno Concluded. This, however accurate, is far less concise. You be the judge.
Below I have detailed what is actually contained in this section of the collection.
Legend:
POP = Phantasmagoria and Other Poems
SB = Sylvie and Bruno
SBC = Sylvie and Bruno Concluded
Collection, in order of appearance (Section breaks for clarity, brackets mine):
[Selections from Phantasmagoria and Other Poems: Part 1]
Dyscomfyture (POP: Canto 7 Excerpt) [Cantos 1-6, 8 and most of 7 are in nowise represented]
Poeta Fit, non nascitur (POP)
A Sea Dirge (POP)
Ye Carpette Knyghte (POP)
Atalanta in Camden-town (POP)
[Selections from Sylvie and Bruno and Sylvie and Bruno Concluded]
The Professor's Song: The Little Man That Had a Little Gun (SBC: Ch. 17 Excerpt)
Doll Song (SBC: Ch. 5 Excerpt)
King Fisher Song (SBC: Ch. 1 Excerpt)
There Be Three Badgers on a Mossy Stone (SB: Ch. 17 Excerpt)
The Gardener's Song (SB/SBC: Various Excerpts)
The Pig-tale (SBC: Ch. 23 Excerpt) [The first line should read: "Little Birds are dining", not drinking]
What Tottles Meant (SBC: Ch. 13 Excerpt)
[Selections from Phantasmagoria and Other Poems: Part 2]
Hiawatha's Photographing (POP)
The Three Voices (POP)
Tema Con Variazioni (POP) [accents committed, originally: Tèma con Variaziòni]
The Lang Coortin' (POP)
So, if you are looking for a collection that includes the entirety of the poem Phantasmagoria, this is not it. You only get less than 1/8 of that poem in its entirety and a handful of the "Other Poems" from that collection. Nowhere in this collection is this information detailed. I would have liked to have been informed of that before purchasing this collection.
Nonsense from Letters is incidental and amusing at best.
I would find it hard to recommend this collection to anyone over other Carroll Collections, however, if "Phantasmagoria" was retitled to say "Poems from Phantasmagoria & Sylvie and Bruno" and given a proper introduction I might be convinced to change my mind. Maybe.
Tenniel's illustrations are large and boldly displayed through the two aforementioned selections. The Hunting of the Snark, A Tangled Tale, and Phantasmagoria, though they contain illustrations elsewhere, and by other artists, do not herein retain said illustrations.
Speaking of Phantasmagoria, therein lies the rub. In this "Best of" collection, section two is simply labeled: Phantasmagoria. This section could be more accurately labeled: Selections from Phantasmagoria and Other Poems, Sylvie and Bruno, and Sylvie and Bruno Concluded. This, however accurate, is far less concise. You be the judge.
Below I have detailed what is actually contained in this section of the collection.
Legend:
POP = Phantasmagoria and Other Poems
SB = Sylvie and Bruno
SBC = Sylvie and Bruno Concluded
Collection, in order of appearance (Section breaks for clarity, brackets mine):
[Selections from Phantasmagoria and Other Poems: Part 1]
Dyscomfyture (POP: Canto 7 Excerpt) [Cantos 1-6, 8 and most of 7 are in nowise represented]
Poeta Fit, non nascitur (POP)
A Sea Dirge (POP)
Ye Carpette Knyghte (POP)
Atalanta in Camden-town (POP)
[Selections from Sylvie and Bruno and Sylvie and Bruno Concluded]
The Professor's Song: The Little Man That Had a Little Gun (SBC: Ch. 17 Excerpt)
Doll Song (SBC: Ch. 5 Excerpt)
King Fisher Song (SBC: Ch. 1 Excerpt)
There Be Three Badgers on a Mossy Stone (SB: Ch. 17 Excerpt)
The Gardener's Song (SB/SBC: Various Excerpts)
The Pig-tale (SBC: Ch. 23 Excerpt) [The first line should read: "Little Birds are dining", not drinking]
What Tottles Meant (SBC: Ch. 13 Excerpt)
[Selections from Phantasmagoria and Other Poems: Part 2]
Hiawatha's Photographing (POP)
The Three Voices (POP)
Tema Con Variazioni (POP) [accents committed, originally: Tèma con Variaziòni]
The Lang Coortin' (POP)
So, if you are looking for a collection that includes the entirety of the poem Phantasmagoria, this is not it. You only get less than 1/8 of that poem in its entirety and a handful of the "Other Poems" from that collection. Nowhere in this collection is this information detailed. I would have liked to have been informed of that before purchasing this collection.
Nonsense from Letters is incidental and amusing at best.
I would find it hard to recommend this collection to anyone over other Carroll Collections, however, if "Phantasmagoria" was retitled to say "Poems from Phantasmagoria & Sylvie and Bruno" and given a proper introduction I might be convinced to change my mind. Maybe.
melaniebopp's review against another edition
4.0
What can you say about Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass? Other than I now have the first two stanzas of the Jabberwocky poem memorized. Classic children's literature, complete with highly drugged author (and to some extent, child). Alice's travels through Wonderland and the Looking Glass World are highly entertaining nonsense.
bookschaimusic's review against another edition
5.0
I only read Alice's adventures in wonderland. It brought back some beautiful childhood memories :)