It's Time to Read!

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This is the monthly read for July at the Book Club Forum, so the review will be slightly different.

Synopsis:

Conceived by a shy British don on a golden afternoon to entertain ten-year-old Alice Liddell and her sisters, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have delighted generations of readers in more than eighty languages. “The clue to the enduring fascination and greatness of the Alice books,” writes A. S. Byatt in her Introduction, “lies in language. . . . It is play, and word-play, and its endless intriguing puzzles continue to reveal themselves long after we have ceased to be children.”

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

I didn’t have a favourite character I don’t think. I found Alice a bit irritating – I thought she was a bit pompous. I found the Queen funny, with her continual “off with their head!” She was just amusing. I was surprised by the fact I quite liked the Cheshire Cat. In the Disney film it freaked me out, but he was quite pleasant in the book.

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

I liked the tea party. It is one of the parts that has stayed with me. I was entertained by the idea of the game of crotchet, with live animals. The thought of them escaping did have me chuckling. I didn’t like the swimming in the pool of tears though. I found that depressing to read.

3. Was this the first book you’ve read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

I love children’s classics and am hoping to read through the Wordsworth list. Although I only found this book “OK” it hasn’t put me off. I prefer the books by Francis Hodgson Bennett to Carroll however I just love this genre. I don’t think you can ever be too old for children’s books.

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

Again it is the idea of the pool of tears. That is something not in the film so it took me by surprise and I just didn’t like it. Why was it there? It was so odd. And the animals all running away from her…I just found it a bit strange.

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

It was an OK read. I would give it 3/5 I think. I won’t be rushing to read it again. It wasn’t as eccentric as I was expecting, and like I’ve said, I had no real favourites but it was a pleasant read, and not very long.