Title: Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland
Author: Lewis Carroll
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Fantasy
First published: July 4th 1865
Publisher: Puffin Books
Finished reading: August 29th 2017
Pages: 160
“How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going to be, from one minute to another.”
I still can’t believe I have never picked up the original version of the famous Alice In Wonderland retellings before! Or at least that I can remember… However it be, I’m glad I finally decided to do so. Because even though Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland is a classic and written back in the 19th century, I was surprise by just how easy the prose was to read and how entertaining the story was in general. Sure, there isn’t much of a plot to talk about and nothing really makes sense. Sure, the characters are not really all that developed. Sure, I would have liked to see the whole Wonderland setting more developed. But there is just something about this story that made me smile. Could it have to do with the fact I have been familiar with most of the details around this story since I was little? Maybe. But I had a great time reading this little bundle of nonsense and absurd fantastical ramblings. These words ment only in the best possible ways of course! Do I like some of the retellings better where the worldbuilding is way more extensive and there is actually a plot? Probably. But I’m glad I finally read the original version as was written by Lewis Carroll all those years ago.
One day Alice follows a peculiar White Rabbit down a rabbit hole, and suddenly finds herself in a completely different world where nothing makes sense. It’s filled with creatures like the Mad Hatter, a disappearing Cheshire Cat, talking animals, the Queen Of Hearts… Nothing is as it seems in this strange world called Wonderland, something that Alice will find out soon enough.
I kept the summary supershort since I’m positive just about everyone will already be familiar with this classic in the first place. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland is surprisingly easy to read for a classic and quite short as well; I was able to fly through it in a blink of an eye. There isn’t much of a plot to talk about and basically nothing really makes sense, but in the end this story was able to bring a smile to my face and sometimes that is just the most important thing. I do realize now most of the retellings are way more detailed than the original story… Something that has truly surprised me.
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I haven’t read this one and I don’t know why… I read somewhere that Alice is schizophrenic and other characters display mental disorders too. I find that interesting. Lovely review, Yvo!
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Now that is an interesting detail that makes you see the story in a whole different light! It’s a short story and quite fast to read, but I think I actually prefer the retellings of this one since the stories are a lot more detailed.
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I don’t think I’ve read this either which given I love the retellings so much seems terrible. I did recently read a collection of original fairytales and it sounds like a very similar experience. They’re so much shorter, many a lot more brutal and don’t have much in the way of detail.
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I do think the retellings do a lot better job at creating a proper plot and worldbuilding than the original, so you are not missing out on all that much… It was nice to read the classic though. I can imagine that those fairytale stories read similar! Short stories are always tricky.
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Glad you enjoyed it! 😀
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It was nice reading a classic I didn’t end up hating. xD
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You might find it interesting to read up on Lewis Carroll’s life. I think it gives insight into the story and why he wrote it. http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp63189/alice-pleasance-liddell
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I read this for the first time earlier this year (or was it last year?) and I actually was disappointed with it. I had a hard time with the lack of world building… I think this is because the movie adaptations focus so much on the world, that I was expecting much more descriptions about wonderland… I wonder if I would enjoy it more in a illustrated edition?
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Ah yes that was exactly my feeling as well… In fact, I was really surprised there wasn’t more worldbuilding included in this story. I guess an illustrated version would help a little; although I still think I prefer the retellings where the worldbuilding is actually developed.
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