Books 65-66: Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Book 65: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Author: Lewis Carroll. 1865. Illustrated by John Tenniel.
Genre: Children's Classic. Fantasy.
Other Details: ebook. 192 pages.
In this classic tale a young girl named Alice is sitting on the riverbank with her older sister. She is surprised to see a white rabbit run by dressed in a waistcoat. Alice follows the rabbit and finds herself falling into a strange world populated by fantastic creatures .
Occasionally our reading group selects a classic work and given that this is the 150th anniversary of the original publication, this was selected for July with Through the Looking Glass as an additional option. While most of us had read the book as children a couple of members never had.
Reading again was a magical experience and brought up memories of my early reading. I also realised how funny the story was and had some moments of laughing aloud. Overall, I felt it held up very well as I could appreciate it as an adult in a different way to my childhood reading. It was well received by the group and we all felt that it was a timeless classic that was free from the moralising tone of many 19th Century children stories. We also praised the iconic drawings of John Tenniel and discussed the various film adaptations.
Book 66: Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There.
Author: Lewis Carroll. 1871. Illustrated by John Tenniel.
Genre: Children's Classic. Fantasy.
Other Details: ebook. 224 pages.
In her second adventure Alice wonders what the room shown reflected in the looking-glass above the mantle would be like. She decides to find out and is able to pass through the glass into another fantastic world and takes part in a game of living chess.
I felt that Through the Looking Glass was more sophisticated than Wonderland with its poetry, including Jabberwocky and The Walrus and the Carpenter. as well as the chess symbolism including a game plated out in the narrative.
I felt it lacked the dream-like sense of Wonderland. and while I certainly enjoyed it my appreciation was more intellectual rather than feeling transported to another world and my own childhood appreciation of Wonderland.