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books_tea_and_fantasy's review against another edition
1.0
✨REVIEW✨
⭐️
Where do I begin. Reading this book has been quite a rollercoaster of emotions, and not in a good way. When I saw this edition (Penguin Clothbound Classic) for the first time I knew I had to add it to my collection. Since this story has been the inspiration for so many, including an entire film franchise, I thought it would be a pretty enjoyable read. Boy was I wrong.
At the very start I was intrigued by all the fantastical elements and the worldbuilding. However, the further the story progressed, the more I came to realize that there was no clear structure, no character development and no clear plot. Furthermore, I found it extremely difficult to relate to the protagonist and found her unlikeable.
Taking all of this into consideration, this book would have gotten a solid 2 stars. That was until I did some research on the writer which caused me to lower my rating and unhaul this book despite still loving the cover.
If this book has taught me anything, it’s that nonsensical literature is just not for me.
1/60
⭐️
Where do I begin. Reading this book has been quite a rollercoaster of emotions, and not in a good way. When I saw this edition (Penguin Clothbound Classic) for the first time I knew I had to add it to my collection. Since this story has been the inspiration for so many, including an entire film franchise, I thought it would be a pretty enjoyable read. Boy was I wrong.
At the very start I was intrigued by all the fantastical elements and the worldbuilding. However, the further the story progressed, the more I came to realize that there was no clear structure, no character development and no clear plot. Furthermore, I found it extremely difficult to relate to the protagonist and found her unlikeable.
Taking all of this into consideration, this book would have gotten a solid 2 stars. That was until I did some research on the writer which caused me to lower my rating and unhaul this book despite still loving the cover.
If this book has taught me anything, it’s that nonsensical literature is just not for me.
1/60
heddas_bookgems's review against another edition
4.0
Lewis Carroll set out to write Alice in Wonderland as a children’s novel, which was quite the bold move in its day, given its break from the usual moralizing, educational fare. Instead, he offered up a whimsical, dreamlike world with a hint of sophistication that made it equally delightful for adults who know a thing or two about the absurdity of life.
What really stood out for me were the bizarre, unpredictable moments that pulled readers into a surreal dreamscape, where things felt oddly familiar yet utterly strange, sometimes in a rhyme, no less. Take Alice, for instance, suddenly pondering life’s bigger questions one moment, trying to stay calm amid chaos the next, and then inexplicably going from browsing a shop to rowing a boat with the shopkeeper. Just a typical day in Wonderland.
The dreamlike quality was definitely the book’s high point, though it wasn’t without its hiccups, occasionally, the plot wandered like Alice herself, and some parts lacked a clear direction. As for Through the Looking Glass, while it didn’t quite capture the same spark as the original, it still provided a delightfully quirky, whimsical adventure.
In the end, Alice in Wonderland remains a timeless classic, blending eccentricity, humor, and magic with just enough nonsense to make you feel right at home in its topsy turvy universe.
What really stood out for me were the bizarre, unpredictable moments that pulled readers into a surreal dreamscape, where things felt oddly familiar yet utterly strange, sometimes in a rhyme, no less. Take Alice, for instance, suddenly pondering life’s bigger questions one moment, trying to stay calm amid chaos the next, and then inexplicably going from browsing a shop to rowing a boat with the shopkeeper. Just a typical day in Wonderland.
The dreamlike quality was definitely the book’s high point, though it wasn’t without its hiccups, occasionally, the plot wandered like Alice herself, and some parts lacked a clear direction. As for Through the Looking Glass, while it didn’t quite capture the same spark as the original, it still provided a delightfully quirky, whimsical adventure.
In the end, Alice in Wonderland remains a timeless classic, blending eccentricity, humor, and magic with just enough nonsense to make you feel right at home in its topsy turvy universe.
drrb_bk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Will always be my favourite.
jitka_c's review against another edition
4.0
Je trochu ostuda, že jsem se k Alence dostala až před dvacitkou, ale lépe pozdě než nikdy :)
laxmipriyam's review against another edition
5.0
“She’s in that state of mind,” said the White Queen, “that she wants to deny something—only she doesn’t know what to deny!”
mve94's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
zbmorgan's review against another edition
4.0
I've already reviewed Alice in Wonderland, so this is really a review of Through the Looking glass.
This story is charming, if possibly slightly less coherent. There is a bit of a plot- Alice arrives at the chessboard and must get to the other side (8 squares) in order to be crowned queen. The chess metaphors are fantastic here, and moviegoers will appreciate the fact that parts of the Disney movie contain chunks of both stories (Tweedledum and Tweedledee are from Looking Glass).
The benefit of the annotated version is huge- there was more to this story and so e of its vocabulary than meets the eye, and especially if you're not familiar with chess, British words for fish and other foods, and Punch, this version is worth a look. Plus, the original illustrations really were the best.
This story is charming, if possibly slightly less coherent. There is a bit of a plot- Alice arrives at the chessboard and must get to the other side (8 squares) in order to be crowned queen. The chess metaphors are fantastic here, and moviegoers will appreciate the fact that parts of the Disney movie contain chunks of both stories (Tweedledum and Tweedledee are from Looking Glass).
The benefit of the annotated version is huge- there was more to this story and so e of its vocabulary than meets the eye, and especially if you're not familiar with chess, British words for fish and other foods, and Punch, this version is worth a look. Plus, the original illustrations really were the best.
matthewew's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
idratherbereading542's review against another edition
4.0
I really wish I would have been introduced to Alice as a child because these stories were so magical and I really think they would've made me love reading more when I was younger.
Even so, I'm glad I've finally discovered them and it's easy to see why Lewis Carroll made a name for himself through little Alice, who is an imaginative and playful girl who I'm convinced could make pretty much anything you could find in your junk drawer into a fun game.
I read both Wonderland and Looking-Glass back-to-back and literally couldn't put them down -- they were so fun to dive into. Very different from anything I've ever read and easy to see why so many people have fallen in love with them. I'd love to re-read both of these again in the future (probably more than once) because I'm pretty sure I could find something new within their pages every time.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (4 stars)
Read November 7, 2013 - November 8, 2013
I've always loved the Disney movie and also other adaptations of Alice in Wonderland so I'm happy to have finally gotten around to reading the original tale by Lewis Carroll.
In a lot of ways it was as you would expect it to be: a little bit out there, a lot of loopy, and even more loads of crazy. But fun. Let's not forget fun.
I was never quite sure if the original story hinted at the entire thing being real or simply Alice's dream/imagination. I figured it would be the former, but it actually was pretty clear (even with Alice's own words) that it was all a dream. That part was a little disappointing, I have to say. I think it would've been kind of neat to leave the reader guessing.
But, I was actually pretty surprised that a lot of the story remained pretty in-tact throughout the years. I mean, it's been A LONG time since I've seen the Disney adaptation, but just based on the newest movie about Alice going back to Wonderland, I was impressed that the movie stayed pretty true to the book, even though I think several of the stops she made within Wonderland were cut out.
I was a little surprised that the Hatter and tea party bit was actually a really small portion though. I thought for sure that it would have played a larger role given the popularity of that single scene. But I can definitely see why that scene sticks with a lot of people because it was probably one of my favorites and was truly charming in it's madness.
As for the "meaning" behind the story, it's kind of hard for me to say what I think honestly. This was kind of a disorienting thing to read, and I read Through the Looking Glass right after it so even more so. I suppose you could say it felt like I was stumbling through Wonderland right along with Alice, so that's a good thing.
But for awhile there I kind of got this feeling that it was about Alice struggling with schizophrenia. I mean, she herself seemed pretty loopy even compared to some of the madder creatures in Wonderland. But seeing as it's all a dream in the end, who knows. I don't think I could analyze it at this point but perhaps if I read it again I might have a better opinion about what I think it means between the lines.
On the surface though it is truly a magical story and I can easily see why it's stood the test of time. It's like nothing I've ever read before and I doubt I'll ever read anything quite like it again. My only wish is that I would have discovered this as a child because I think I would have appreciated it even more (even though I did really enjoy it now, as an adult). Definitely one I'll be reading to my children (when we have them one day) :).
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Through the Looking Glass: (4 stars)
November 8, 2013
I read this for the first time right after reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, so I was already in "Alice-mode" when I dived in, but I did start this one with the assumption that Alice goes back to Wonderland and has adventures with the same creatures she met there.
However, this one is about Alice going into a land within the Looking-Glass (mirror). So a lot of things are kind of backwards and upside down, especially with the way things are done. Like the White Queen screaming about getting cut on a broach before being cut and then not screaming after being cut. Those kinds of things.
This one, as opposed to Wonderland, was even more crazy if that's even possible. Honestly, of the two this one I probably liked more because it had my head spinning. Everything was SO. MESSED. UP. in this one. It's a total mind-f*ck is what it is. I mean, it's still children-friendly so you could totally read this to your kids. It's imaginative and creative, but everything is so crazy.
Let's just say that Alice has one hell of an imagination (or well, Lewis Carroll as it were).
I liked that we were kind of tipped off in the beginning where the various elements from her dream were coming from (ie. the poetry book inspired the creatures she met and the songs they sang, the chess set inspired the queens and kings and pawns, etc.). I've had some pretty wacked-out dreams that consisted of strange things I had been doing just before dozing off so that's totally likely. But it's definitely imaginative the adventures she got into.
I'm still kind of reeling from this one so I can't really add much more. Like I said in my review for Wonderland, I'm not really sure what I feel like the underlying meaning could be (if anything). I felt like with this one Alice's seven-and-a-half-year-old stresses bled into the dream in the form of knowing her math and being scolded by her elders and such. But I don't know if I can really take any meaning from that per se. I just think that happens to anyone who's dreaming, no matter their age.
Either way this was one fun book. It definitely had my brain spinning trying to keep up with the non-logic within it, because this one more than Wonderland felt so dreamlike what with jumping between scenes so abruptly and things fading away and all, it was just too fun. Disorienting at times, but so much fun.
Even so, I'm glad I've finally discovered them and it's easy to see why Lewis Carroll made a name for himself through little Alice, who is an imaginative and playful girl who I'm convinced could make pretty much anything you could find in your junk drawer into a fun game.
I read both Wonderland and Looking-Glass back-to-back and literally couldn't put them down -- they were so fun to dive into. Very different from anything I've ever read and easy to see why so many people have fallen in love with them. I'd love to re-read both of these again in the future (probably more than once) because I'm pretty sure I could find something new within their pages every time.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (4 stars)
Read November 7, 2013 - November 8, 2013
I've always loved the Disney movie and also other adaptations of Alice in Wonderland so I'm happy to have finally gotten around to reading the original tale by Lewis Carroll.
In a lot of ways it was as you would expect it to be: a little bit out there, a lot of loopy, and even more loads of crazy. But fun. Let's not forget fun.
I was never quite sure if the original story hinted at the entire thing being real or simply Alice's dream/imagination. I figured it would be the former, but it actually was pretty clear (even with Alice's own words) that it was all a dream. That part was a little disappointing, I have to say. I think it would've been kind of neat to leave the reader guessing.
But, I was actually pretty surprised that a lot of the story remained pretty in-tact throughout the years. I mean, it's been A LONG time since I've seen the Disney adaptation, but just based on the newest movie about Alice going back to Wonderland, I was impressed that the movie stayed pretty true to the book, even though I think several of the stops she made within Wonderland were cut out.
I was a little surprised that the Hatter and tea party bit was actually a really small portion though. I thought for sure that it would have played a larger role given the popularity of that single scene. But I can definitely see why that scene sticks with a lot of people because it was probably one of my favorites and was truly charming in it's madness.
As for the "meaning" behind the story, it's kind of hard for me to say what I think honestly. This was kind of a disorienting thing to read, and I read Through the Looking Glass right after it so even more so. I suppose you could say it felt like I was stumbling through Wonderland right along with Alice, so that's a good thing.
But for awhile there I kind of got this feeling that it was about Alice struggling with schizophrenia. I mean, she herself seemed pretty loopy even compared to some of the madder creatures in Wonderland. But seeing as it's all a dream in the end, who knows. I don't think I could analyze it at this point but perhaps if I read it again I might have a better opinion about what I think it means between the lines.
On the surface though it is truly a magical story and I can easily see why it's stood the test of time. It's like nothing I've ever read before and I doubt I'll ever read anything quite like it again. My only wish is that I would have discovered this as a child because I think I would have appreciated it even more (even though I did really enjoy it now, as an adult). Definitely one I'll be reading to my children (when we have them one day) :).
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Through the Looking Glass: (4 stars)
November 8, 2013
I read this for the first time right after reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, so I was already in "Alice-mode" when I dived in, but I did start this one with the assumption that Alice goes back to Wonderland and has adventures with the same creatures she met there.
However, this one is about Alice going into a land within the Looking-Glass (mirror). So a lot of things are kind of backwards and upside down, especially with the way things are done. Like the White Queen screaming about getting cut on a broach before being cut and then not screaming after being cut. Those kinds of things.
This one, as opposed to Wonderland, was even more crazy if that's even possible. Honestly, of the two this one I probably liked more because it had my head spinning. Everything was SO. MESSED. UP. in this one. It's a total mind-f*ck is what it is. I mean, it's still children-friendly so you could totally read this to your kids. It's imaginative and creative, but everything is so crazy.
Let's just say that Alice has one hell of an imagination (or well, Lewis Carroll as it were).
I liked that we were kind of tipped off in the beginning where the various elements from her dream were coming from (ie. the poetry book inspired the creatures she met and the songs they sang, the chess set inspired the queens and kings and pawns, etc.). I've had some pretty wacked-out dreams that consisted of strange things I had been doing just before dozing off so that's totally likely. But it's definitely imaginative the adventures she got into.
I'm still kind of reeling from this one so I can't really add much more. Like I said in my review for Wonderland, I'm not really sure what I feel like the underlying meaning could be (if anything). I felt like with this one Alice's seven-and-a-half-year-old stresses bled into the dream in the form of knowing her math and being scolded by her elders and such. But I don't know if I can really take any meaning from that per se. I just think that happens to anyone who's dreaming, no matter their age.
Either way this was one fun book. It definitely had my brain spinning trying to keep up with the non-logic within it, because this one more than Wonderland felt so dreamlike what with jumping between scenes so abruptly and things fading away and all, it was just too fun. Disorienting at times, but so much fun.
dotbot2000's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0