From the Bookshelf of Once Upon a Time...…

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll,

Chris Riddell (Illustrator)

Start date: August 1, 2023

Finish date: August 31, 2023

Discussion: Fairy & Folk Tales/Fables

Discussion leader: Shanna

Why we're reading this: August 2023 Group Read
[close] August 2023 Group Read

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What Members Thought

Jan 25, 2021 Carrie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fbtbp

I have read Alice in Wonderland many times, I own few different versions. From pop-up to chose your own adventure, to the actual book it's self. I just haven't read this particular copy, which I have owned since the mid to late 2000s. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2014 Maria rated it liked it · review of another edition

"You used to be much more..."muchier." You've lost your muchness."

What a strange little book! I absolutely adored the way it was written, but Alice? I am afraid she was a bit of a pain (and a bore, to be honest). I do believe that in the end she understood what it meant to be the weird one out of all. She did kind of stand up for all the creatures she had met and labeled as odd and nonsensical.

"Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop." ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 28, 2022 dwreader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-fairy-tales, cartoon-illustrated, about-britain

Easily a 5+ star but this is for physical book so here you go:

-1 star: pages 139, 142-144 are out of focus.

139 only had headed & page number also the large crab raising glasses so almost thought it could have been a badly conceived tease. 142 is the worst, had those doubled fonts like 2,3 mms apart, completely out of focus, very straining on eyes. Printed in Italy, QC not well performed.

-1 star: illustrations are fantastic, bold, vibrant and colorful. Tons of fun polka dots. HOWEVER, quite far f Easily a 5+ star but this is for physical book so here you go:

-1 star: pages 139, 142-144 are out of focus.

139 only had headed & page number also the large crab raising glasses so almost thought it could have been a badly conceived tease. 142 is the worst, had those doubled fonts like 2,3 mms apart, completely out of focus, very straining on eyes. Printed in Italy, QC not well performed.

-1 star: illustrations are fantastic, bold, vibrant and colorful. Tons of fun polka dots. HOWEVER, quite far from literal depictions. They have a life of their own. No Cheshire Cat??? No caterpillar (many beautiful butterflies), Queen heart…all those iconic characters. Maybe the artist didn’t wish to reinvent the knowns by taking creativity too far. As a result it is a bit like reading the word RED then seeing it in GREEN font…

Still love it, aka, the book with Kusama’s art works. This is the only version that engages me enough to finally read this book.

The original book never takes hold of my attention, except for illustration, which is stellar on their own, capturing the essence of key characters. There is also an unidentified animation adaptation closely based on book illustration in style, linear, 2D. I watched it on TV at very young age and the b&w images still vividly pop in my head (heart card soldiers and red Queen, white rabbit).

Somehow the humor/sarcasm in the book is mostly lost on me and there is no internal propelling plot thread to move forward in story. Non-sensible acts of various characters fall flat and lifeless to me. No clear connection either. This is most loosely connected encounters of Alice as she wanders aimlessly and primarily in passive mode. It is a bizarre book. I don’t resonate with the mockery of new mathematical theories or thinking either.

[update] I started reading from middle, as never progressed beyond the fall down rabbit hole in previous readings, so wish not to get stuck again. As I came back to the beginning, thanks to Miss Kusama’s brightly illustrated pages and whimsical font play, I move along much swiftly.

Alice has more active interaction with her surroundings also with the cast of animals in beginning chapters. Less so as her adventures further into Wonderland and involves the aristocratic types. The characters may be caricatures of society members in Victorian England. I am having trouble interpreting those scenes without sufficient background.

Still Alice at best is a commentator of her encounters rather than an active instigator of her adventures. ...more

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Feb 28, 2018 Sue rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, classics, fiction, fantasy

I listened to the audiobook read by Scarlett Johansson. It was a wonderful rendition!

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Oct 18, 2013 Rebecca rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is gorgeous! I want tattoos of these illustrations.

Full review: http://www.bendingthespine.blogspot.c... ...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, classics, j-fiction

It's hard to believe I've gotten through all my life (and reading all kinds of children's classics) without ever reading this book. A bit of a mind-screw, but fun. Looking forward to book-to-movie club with this title! ...more

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