Alice In Wonderland & Through The Looking Glass

I just reread Alice for the first time in about four years and Through the Looking Glass for the first time in probably 15 years. I've never really loved either one of these but Looking Glass is still a struggle for me to get through. I like the idea of all this...but the actual story bores me to tears! ha!

This is one of my lifetime favorite books. The Alice stories never grow old and I learn more about them every time I read them. That is one of the hallmarks of classic literature and these two novels are part of that pantheon.

Alice in Wonderland was the first book I remember reading after learning to read. It was time to revisit it! There’s nothing quite like this fantasy about a little girl who falls down a rabbit hole and meets all manner of strange creatures and adventures. I was just as delighted this time around as I was as a child. I don’t recall ever having read Through the Looking Glass before, although I am very familiar with many of its characters and elements. I’ve had Jabberwocky memorized since high school, when my choir performed a musical adaptation.

The stories might initially seem like pointless nonsense, but both are journey/exploration stories. Alice overcomes a series of obstacles in her first journey of exploration, such as growing very large and shrinking very small. In her second adventure, Alice is trying to reach the eighth square in order to become a queen in the living chess game she finds herself in.

Alice in Wonderland gets a full five stars. Through the Looking Glass doesn’t have quite the same magic, so I give it four stars.

I have no idea what to write except to say; I just did not like "Through the Looking Glass" and I couldn't wait until it was ended.

I fared a bit better with "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", but I found Alice to be a quite rude & arrogant little girl.

What I did like, were the illustrations, which I'll use on my ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) as well as the text, which is why I'm rating this 1 star.

Digital audiobook performed by Christopher Plummer


Believe or not, I had never read this classic of children’s literature before. Oh, I knew the basics of the story. And, of course, I had seen the Disney movie when I was a child. I even had one or two of the chapters included in a series of books I had as a child (and still have to this day). But it took a challenge to read a banned book to finally get me to crack this one open.

I certainly understand why this story is so beloved by so many legions of children. There is absurdity, fun word play, unusual situations, talking animals, and a slew of outlandish characters. Still, I think I just too old to really appreciate it. I was bored with much of the craziness. I just couldn’t let my imagination run wild and enjoy it.

Christopher Plummer does a fabulous job of narrating the audio version, however! His gift for many voices and accents added to the experience; I absolutely LOVED the way he voiced the white rabbit. Also, there is a bonus chapter at the end – an alternate ending to the knight’s tale that Carroll wrote but which was never published. I’d rate Plummer’s audio performance 5***** (but I won’t increase the overall rating).

Alice plummets down a rabbit hole in the first part of this bind-up edition of Lewis Carroll's classic children's novels, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871), and she steps through a mirror in the second. In both cases she finds herself in a fantastical alternate world, encountering extraordinary creatures and having a series of surreal adventures...

Despite their status as towering classics in the field of children's literature, and the undoubted influence they have had on that literature and on the wider culture, I had never read either Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass until they were assigned as texts in my masters course. I was pleased to be given the impetus I apparently needed in picking them up, as they had long been on my to-read list. The stories themselves were every bit as delightful as I'd hoped they'd be, the accompanying artwork by John Tenniel was lovely. This particular edition, from Oxford University Press, included a wealth of critical notes, which proved invaluable in helping to bring to light many significant details which might otherwise have eluded me. The significance of Carroll's parodies of well-known poetry from Isaac Watts, for instance, might otherwise have escaped me. We had an interesting discussion about these books in my class, and whether they could still be considered children's literature, given that today's children would miss so much of what made them entertaining to their 19th-century counterparts. For my part, I think they can still be enjoyed by children, even though I myself didn't read them when young. I highly recommend the stories themselves to all readers, and I recommend this Oxford publication to readers looking for a good critical edition.

A great classic.

An excellent work of art! I actually took a class in college that focused solely on this work for the entire semester! I didn't think it could possibly retain any interest beyond a few weeks, but I was wrong. This is a masterfully many layered work and one can read it on many levels. Recommended!

This is my favorite book EVER! Love the stories, love the nonsense, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter..the tea party scene...the rhymes and the little children songs turned to Lewis Carroll's thinking way. AWE-SOME!! It's my fave ever!

Really! Own them all!!!

Finally, I read this. And it is clear why this is a classic and so beloved by generations. Alice goes on a whirlwind of an adventure in both books, and beyond the fantasy, you feel there have to be layers of meaning. I do not know what these are. What I like is that the characters are all very direct and straight-talking. Certainly something we can all learn.

This is a really beautiful recording of Lewis Carroll's classic children's books. In the first, Alice sees a rabbit wearing a waistcoat, who pulls a watch out of his pocket and frets about being late, and she follows him down his rabbit hole. She finds herself in a surreal and comical landscape, with food that makes her shrink or grow when eaten, talking animals, a cat that appears and disappears in stages, and a royal court composed of a deck of cards ruled by the King and Queen of Hearts.

In the second, on a dark winter day, Alice walks through a looking glass that has turned to mist, into the mirror house. Once through, she finds that outside the range of what's visible in the mirror, it's very different indeed. Here, she finds herself in a chess game, with living Red and White chess pieces, as well as talking flowers, fairy tale creatures such as Humpty Dumpty, and even the food served at a fancy dinner party speaks and has personality. Also, here, it's summer, not winter.

Whether you've read Alice's adventures before or not, this is a delightful listen.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

Classic Alice! I loved this book (both of them really), though loved Wonderland more so than Looking Glass. Lewis Carroll definitely had a bit of an imagination and it translates really well in the story. It's in many ways a story of acceptance, being yourself, and being kind (because who else hates how the Queen treats everyone!?).

I watched the movie, "Terminal", and after thought, "Why have I never read "Alice in Wonderland"? So I did! And to use an Alice-ish phrase, it was just a bunch of gobblydeegook! I mean, it was cool to read as a chance to discover where all of the popular characters and poems came from, and to compare it with the Disney film I grew up with! But really, it's just a lot of nonsensical adventures that mostly dabble in wordplay and weird-as-heck creatures! Don't get me wrong, some are rather witty and insightful. But, for me, it all reads like the author may have eaten too much of that mushroom himself!

Having seen a number of versions of the book made into movies was not at the top of my reading list. Was interesting to see how the movies have taken bits and pieces of both of the stories and made them into one. Most of us are familiar with Tweedle Dee and Dum being in the story which is actually from Through the Looking Glass. But didn't know that the Mad Hatter and March Hare are stuck at tea time due to an argument with time. Also who knew that Humpty Dumpty is a whole chapter in the book. was interesting to read. Wonderland is much easier to read than Looking Glass. Looking Glass seems to jump around a lot.

I enjoyed reading this classic in it's original form, although it amazed me any publisher touched it - they certainly wouldn't today. And it amazes me more that it became a 'classic'! Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was enjoyable in it's nonsense, but Through the Looking-Glass made little to no sense in the majority of its scenes. Now I am at least family with where stories of Humpty Dumpty, TweedleDum & TweedleDee and many others originated. Happy I read it, but glad it is over!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass has been so highly quoted, and adapted into several movies, that I just didn't feel a strong urge to read the originals. I'm glad I finally did -- motivated by the fact that this is included in the list of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.

Alice falls down the rabbit hole and has many adventures Just as charming now as when it was published in 1965

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most well-known books ever written. Even people who have never read the novel have heard of characters such as Humpty Dumpty and Tweedledum and Tweedledee. When Alice falls into a rabbit hole her adventures begin and one is stranger than the other. In Through The Looking-Glass Alice walks through a mirror and finds herself in a live-action chess game. These fantasy stories are not just popular with children, they are also quite well-liked by adults. And there is a reason. The novel and its sequel Through The Looking-Glass play with language in a very intelligent way.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.' 'The question is', said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean different things.' (p. 223)

This quotation describes quite nicely what I enjoyed most about the novel. Sometimes, words have to be taken quite literally, and then there is always a second layer added to them. This interplay of literal and figurative meaning makes Alice's story work on more than just one level. However, I did not care for the fantasy part as much. While Alice's adventures are sure strange and sometimes funny I rather enjoyed the book for the how than for the what. The way the story is told was much more important for me than the story that is actually told. In the end of the second story, Alice asks herself whether it had all just been her dream or the dream of the Red King, one of the other characters in the novels. In the last line then, the reader seems to be included in the discussion: 'Which do you think it was?' (p. 278). I guess you have to see for yourself. I can recommend this book especially to adult readers interested in linguistics and logic as well as to kids, of course. is very enjoyable, rather short and easily read. On the whole, 3.5 stars.

I absolutely love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It is good to have a wonderfully magical place to escape to that can be as confusing as in real life. And, a wonderland quest is a perfectly curious escape. Plus, I am a huge lover of unusual anthropomorphic creatures. And, I want you all to picture bunny's wearing waistcoat-pockets as they scamper about. I loved the Disney picture book and movie too. There is the benefit of the bold colors to stimulate the senses and elevate the mood. And, I have often questioned if this is why I love Masonic checkered floors.

So brilliantly whimsical - or whimsically brilliant!

Fantastically surreal and enjoyable.

Maybe two stars is harsh given that this book must have been ground breaking in its day and for the fact that there is a lot of clever wordplay within it. However, the longer the book went on the more I began to really dislike it. It was one set piece with different characters after another and it got pretty tedious. Ok, it's a children's book but even as a child I was never drawn to this book or the Disney film. This version also contained Through the Looking Glass but although I generally strive to complete books I just couldn't face it when I saw Tweedledee and Tweedledum were to feature in it. Even John Tenniel's illustrations appeared slightly sinister. I was also disappointed to discover that the Dormouse never actually said 'feed your head'.

Who doesn't love Alice in Wonderland?

Delicious nonsense. I liked the second part more than the first, with such characters as Tweedledum and Tweedledee and Humpty Dumpty.

Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass are filled with unusual and unforgettable characters. I have to admit I was hesitant about reading this because as a child I despised the Disney Film, but I decided to give it a go anyways. I'm certainly glad I did. The books is filled with all sorts of weird situations and it's amusing to watch Alice try to figure how the entire world looks. Also I love that the author often clues you in on Alice's thoughts which are cute and provide a lot of comedy. While I loved this book, I know not everyone will and I suggest when reading it just to have fun and not try to think to hard about what's actually going on. I would recommend this book to both children and adults.

Also I loved this edition. It was filled with awesome illustrations and I love all the phrases and character's names written on the front of the book.

I read this as a child, but I had to reread it as an adult. It's even better the second time around.

Carroll's brand of nonsense just ain't my thing. I respect that a lot of people feel differently, but I cannot abide his absolute nose-dive into the abstract that feels like it's supported by hot-air. Honestly? I was just bored by his writing. And I didn't like Alice - she was so flat and terribly middle-class, but without anything else to recommend her to me.

The childhood classics Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass for almost 150 years have been referenced and adapted numerous times over the years, but it’s not until you’ve read the originals that you truly understand why Lewis Carroll’s work has stood the test of time.

In both stories, young Alice has fantastical adventures in two different worlds entered through portals. The adventures are well known, though most times people believe that both stories deal with Alice in Wonderland both times based on other adaptations, mostly in film and television. However, Wonderland and Looking-Glassland are completely different though illustrator John Tenniel was the first two “crossover” characters from one imaginary world to another with the March Hare and Mad Hatter as the Red King’s Messengers. It’s Tenniel’s original illustrations that really help one realize how Carroll’s stories truly became a classic while turning the Victorian “growing up” children’s genre on it’s head of realizing how absurd adult life can be.

The Barnes & Nobles class edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass is a wonderful book for those looking for classics, if you’re looking to get your hands on the original stories of Alice by Carroll then I recommend this particular edition.

I know I read this as a child, and mostly found it boring and a little confusing. I also read Alice to my older son, and he found it boring and confusing (I spent a lot of time explaining).

Reading it to myself, it is great. Though Alice is 7.5, it's really more of a book for 10 year olds--much younger, and many of the jokes would make no sense. The wordplay is magnificent.

Hard as it might be to believe, but I don't think I have ever read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland before. It is one of those books and those stories that is so ingrained in our culture that makes everyone think that they have read it. Indeed I have, at times, read some of the first book and I know much of the story, but even so there were surprises for me. Oh, this quote comes from there? That event comes from there...?

I finally decided that I *must* read this book after reading The Story of Alice last year, and with it being 150 years since the publication of Alice In Wonderland last year and Creation Theatre Company's marvellous (if deliciously weird) adaptation of it in the gardens of St Hugh's College, Oxford. I'm glad that I finally have.

There is a loose story running through the two books, but its a more of a series of events conncected with a mix of indefectible logic and nonsense, the like of which is bonkers but you just cannot argue with. To add to this, there are so many images and ideas in the book that I can take in quotation and reflection to layer beneath my own work-in-progress. Alice in this book is the heroine and is good, but what would happen if 'Alice turned bad'? What would happen if crossing the chessboard in Through The Looking Glass to become Queen took on a more sinister turn?