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33rd out of 47 books
—
59 voters
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser And Curiouser (Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture #17)
The perfect companion to Lewis Carroll's classic book and director Tim Burton's March 2010 remake of "Alice in Wonderland""Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" has fascinated children and adults alike for generations. Why does Lewis Carroll introduce us to such oddities as blue caterpillars who smoke hookahs, cats whose grins remain after their heads have faded away, and a Wh...more
Paperback, 211 pages
Published
January 1st 2010
by John Wiley & Sons
(first published January 26th 2009)
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Reading philosophy and literary theory related to books I've already read is like being given a key. I feel like I've unlocked some secrets within the text and have been given a better view of what deeper meanings Alice In Wonderland may contain.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
So unbearably inane. This book felt to me as though all it did was laboriously, and with a large number of pop-culture references, explain each crystalline, brilliant joke in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass until their luster faded. I admit to reading it quickly after a certain point, skimming because I didn't want its mindlessness to detract from the delicate perfection of the original books, which I love beyond belief. Literary criticism of Lewis Carroll is dubious at the best of time...more
1 like
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like
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This book continues to prove my point that I really think that Alice in Wonderland is more than a mere child's book. Yes the original is a fun fantasy story, but as any adult how has revisited it can attest there are some really bizarre and adult situations that take place in wonderland. Having just recently seen the newest screen version of Alice with Johnny Depp, I have seen how Tim Burton too has twisted the tale. This book has compiled a range of academics to view Alice as a tool to explain...more
I was excited to finally hold this book in my hands. I adored "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" as a child, so this book would be one that would explain those strange things that I didn't get way back then. I opened the book and this chill went through me. I thought: gosh, these are essays and I didn't have much for philosophy in college. Maybe this was above my head. I put the book aside, and read a nice fun fiction book and then came back to it again. I decided it was now or never, so I jumpe...more
This collection of essays is a fantastic addition to any "Alice in Wonderland" fan's collection. These are scholarly essays, and even though they are easy to read, don't expect fluff stories that were thrown together to feed off of the recent Tim Burton movie release. These are highly researched and well thought out studies of the original book.
Some of the essays, I loved and would give 5+ stars to, but my rating is for the book as a whole, which did sometimes seem repetitive. The book is separa...more
Some of the essays, I loved and would give 5+ stars to, but my rating is for the book as a whole, which did sometimes seem repetitive. The book is separa...more
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We are all familiar with the story and movie of Alice in Wonderland but have you ever wondered how Alice’s adventures related to real life? Well you can get all your questions or curiosities answered in Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser and Curiouser.
This book is edited by two professors of philosophy but this book does not read like a boring college text book. All the different characters and situations Alice encountered while in Wonderland is dissected and broken out into mini cha...more
This book is edited by two professors of philosophy but this book does not read like a boring college text book. All the different characters and situations Alice encountered while in Wonderland is dissected and broken out into mini cha...more
I was so excited to read this book, because I had seen Alice in Wonderland or read the book many times and was a fan. After completing the book, I am left feeling like I wish I hadn't read it. It took away the fantasy and fun from what I had already known.
Growing up Alice is an iconic idol, for little girls all over the world. My childhood was no different. We didn't wonder what drugs the writer was on to get the story, we only cared about the content.
This book for me was over-burdened with phil...more
Growing up Alice is an iconic idol, for little girls all over the world. My childhood was no different. We didn't wonder what drugs the writer was on to get the story, we only cared about the content.
This book for me was over-burdened with phil...more
This book came out right around the time the newest 'Alice in Wonderland' movie came out, I doubt a coincidence but it is still a welcome book. This book is a collection of stories, or essays if you will because of the non-fiction pieces, the delve into the minute details of the well loved story, 'Alice in Wonderland'.
The essays are each vastly different all taking on elements of the original story and giving different insights, historical facts, and other various tidbits. After reading this boo...more
The essays are each vastly different all taking on elements of the original story and giving different insights, historical facts, and other various tidbits. After reading this boo...more
Mar 15, 2010
Gmr
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
philosophy lovers, those seeking to deconstruct the Alice in Wonderland story
Recommended to Gmr by:
FSB Associates
While a myriad of the magical aspects of the story are delved into, it was a bit too much for my liking. Some of the analogies drawn were more common in nature and highly entertaining not only to read, but to conside....such as the jam yesterday-jam tomorrow-but-never-jam-today situation. (Trust me, if you read this chapter, although you may have to be a bit related to the Mad Hatter to follow, it definitely rings true.) On the other side of the coin, another section deals with the nuclear strat...more
Most of us are familiar with the classic children's book Alice in Wonderland or one of the many movie version of the book. The book Alice in Wonderland and philosophy is edited by two professors of philosophy and each chapter is written by a different professor, many people contributed to the writing of the book.
So you would think it would read like a dry boring text book. But curiously the opposite The book makes the subject of Philosophy come alive and very interesting it really gets the reade...more
So you would think it would read like a dry boring text book. But curiously the opposite The book makes the subject of Philosophy come alive and very interesting it really gets the reade...more
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy gives readers an in-depth and academic look into the world of Alice in Wonderland. Journey deep into the rabbit hole to discover the lasting effects that Alice in Wonderland has had on our society and its pop culture.
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy is broken down into four sections, which are then broken down further into essays. Each essay is written by various authors and professors who discuss topics from feminism to philosophy to even drug usage. You may...more
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy is broken down into four sections, which are then broken down further into essays. Each essay is written by various authors and professors who discuss topics from feminism to philosophy to even drug usage. You may...more
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy is a book comprised of short essays by various authors. Each essay contains how Alice in Wonderland relates to philosophy in some way. The authors of the essays are all in the academic field and the essays read as such. The book was something I would not normally read for pleasure. In just taking an English Lit Criticism class, it reminded me of the selections I had to read for class. This is a great book for those doing academic research in the fields of Engli...more
This collection, of essays by various philosophy professors about how aspects of their discipline inform our readings of the Alice books, or vice versa, was disappointing to me because of the very basic nature of the essays. And while Carroll was well-incorporated by some of the authors, others seemed to have a more pro-forma relationship with the texts. It's a good read, but very basic; having previously read none of the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, but having read a study calle...more
After reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and viewing Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland film, I was really excited to read to see once again another interpretation of Lewis Carrol's timeless characters. This book is a collection of essays explaining the lessons you can learn from the novel. Examples are Alice as a Feminist icon, Jam Yesterday, Jam Tomorrow but Never Jam Today is related to procrastination. I've never read anything like this before and was completely surprised that William Ir...more
Overall, this book was a disappointment to me, and that may be a user problem, I am ready to admit. I wanted this book to explain the philosophy of Alice in Wonderland. Several articles used Alice in Wonderland to explain philosophy, and if that seems like a fine distinction, it really isn’t. The former explores philosophical points in the book. The latter uses book elements to illustrate philosophical points. You can do the latter with anything. I could, if I tried long enough, find a way to il...more
My review from my blog:[return][return]Alice In Wonderland and Philosophy is a rather enlightening read about lessons that can be learned through the various characters and their actions in the novel Alice In Wonderland. While I had never looked this deeply into the meaning of Lewis Carol's delightful and fanciful tale before now, William Irwin and Richard Brian Davies decided to as a part of their Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series. So what can be learned? The book is laid out in four...more
Let me start off by saying that if you are in to deep thought and looking at things from a different point of view then you'll like this one. If you don't like to think too hard then I suggest you just admire the pretty cover. *smiles at readers*
It's just as the cover says: philosophy! But it's also very interesting as an adult to see the hidden meanings behind Alice in Wonderland that you simply don't see as a child. Who would have considered that Alice would have been a feminist or that the Ma...more
It's just as the cover says: philosophy! But it's also very interesting as an adult to see the hidden meanings behind Alice in Wonderland that you simply don't see as a child. Who would have considered that Alice would have been a feminist or that the Ma...more
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy is a collection of essays by various contributors, many of which have contributed to other books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series. Many questions that went unasked are brought forth and argued, and many things that you never thought twice about are exposed.
I am a long-time Alice lover, having read and listened to the stories my whole life and played a part in the Disney-ballet. I love Carroll’s stories for what they are, and I see the beauty i...more
I am a long-time Alice lover, having read and listened to the stories my whole life and played a part in the Disney-ballet. I love Carroll’s stories for what they are, and I see the beauty i...more
Taken from my blog.
I hadn't read anything like this so I was excited when I got the chance to read it!
It was very interesting to see how others took the story of Alice and thought of it in so many different ways. At some times they got me thinking in ways that I hadn't before and made me realize so many things. At times I had thought of the things that they said but at others they made me think of a whole different possibility.
Throughout the book many of the writers used terms that I may not hav...more
I hadn't read anything like this so I was excited when I got the chance to read it!
It was very interesting to see how others took the story of Alice and thought of it in so many different ways. At some times they got me thinking in ways that I hadn't before and made me realize so many things. At times I had thought of the things that they said but at others they made me think of a whole different possibility.
Throughout the book many of the writers used terms that I may not hav...more
A mixed bag. Most of the writers in this collection of essays take it as a license to promote their pet philosopher and, really, take nothing more out of the Alice books than a starting point to blather about their heroes in a less than inspiring way. Frustrating.
A few of the other essays are more worthwhile, if not brilliant: Alice as a feminist piece, Alice lacking a social contract, Alice and memory, Alice and drugs.
A few of the other essays are more worthwhile, if not brilliant: Alice as a feminist piece, Alice lacking a social contract, Alice and memory, Alice and drugs.
The contributing authors were spot on with a lot of the philosophical concepts they decided to address. However, it was disappointing that so many of the authors picked the same topics AND made similar commentary in consecutive essays. They even picked the same passages to quote in their essays. It is as if the editor did not look at the essay collection as a collective, or, he simply couldn't get a wider variety of perspective.
Here is another book that came into my house and was instantly claimed by my son. This is a series of essays brings up some excellent points about Lewis Carroll, his history and the impact on today's world. The fact that Alice In Wonderland is still relevant today shows what a great author Carroll was and how thoughtful this child's tale actually is. Of course, there are the expected such as drugs and Alice, but there is the unexpected as well, like nuclear weapons and the Red Queen. I think you...more
The theories discussed in this book are incredible, and it opens up a whole new set of worlds to explore whenever I re-read Alice (which I do about once a year). I especially enjoyed the feminist and logical accounts of these books, as they're issues I've explored on my own and thoroughly loved seeing from other writers' points of view.
really good thought provoking book. Brought to mind some underlying themes in the childhood book i hadn't thought about and trumps some rumored theories too. only wish it could have been longer.I was a little disappointed that it didn't delve very deeply into the symbolism of the Cheshire cat which i would love to know more about.
Another great philosophy book from the publisher. I love that these essays were variant and there was even a great feminism essay on how Alice is the ideal feminist role-model (which I really agree with!) Coupled with how much I love Lewis Carroll's works, this was an excellent read.
Mar 22, 2012
Nathalia
added it
overall i think this book was really good usually i have a hard time reading books and being able to keep up a daily routine with it and develop a interest but this book was good and used extreme detail some parts were a little wierd and at times became confusing and i would have to go back to re read and think about what it was trying to say
A whole pile of short pop philosophy essays, some more related than others to Carroll's stories. (Not to mention some beyond-questionable speculation. 'Alice's line, "little girls eat eggs quite as much as serpents do," even resonates with today's pro-life/pro-choice discussion.' Really?)
Whether you agree or disagree with the various discussions in the book, it certainly provides a wide array of philosophical theories related to the Alice in Wonderland stories. It is made even more interesting because several of the philosophers are mentioned in many of the articles (John Lock, David Hume) and several of the passages mentioned are similar as well, but with the different takes on them. For example, the "jam to-morrow & jam yesterday but no jam to-day" bit is brought up more t...more
this was pretty good. some essays better than others as one might expect. what was really interesting though was just seeing this story - alice - in a sort of academic light. i never really considered that alice really is a strong female character or that is questions reality and time like many philosophers. if you like alice and are interested it might be worth picking-up.
There were a few interesting analytical articles in here, particularly "Unruly Alice: A Feminist View of Some Adventures in Wonderland" by Megan S. Lloyd and "'You're Nothing But A Pack of Cards!":Alice Doesn't Have a Social Contract" by Dennis Knepp.
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Apr 21, 2010 12:57pm
Apr 21, 2010 02:53pm