Why YOU should read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

[Teymour]

Hello fellow book lovers,

I'm an indie author living in NY, and every once in a while I come across a book (here, a classic) that reminds me of why books are magic. Here's a short video I made about my recent experience reading "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" -- and why YOU should read it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnb0t...

If you have read it (or want to), what do you think?!

Teymour Shahabi
www.teymourshahabi.com

[[deleted user]]

I have read the book. Didn't like it that much. Yet to read the sequel.

[Caroline]

Hey, Teymour,

I read it when I was a little kid in New Jersey and found it hard to grasp because of its Englishness, and because the fantasy characters (especially the Cheshire Cat) scared me a bit. When I read it again as an adult (and having moved to London), I was swept away by its brilliance. I'm such a fan now that I've even visited Lewis Carroll's grave in Guildford.

[Teymour]

Caroline wrote: "Hey, Teymour,

I read it when I was a little kid in New Jersey and found it hard to grasp because of its Englishness, and because the fantasy characters (especially the Cheshire Cat) scared me a bi..."

Wow! Thank you, Caroline -- fellow fan! How was your experience in Guildford?

[Caroline]

You're welcome!

Guildford was nice, but a little melancholy. His grave (which has the name Charles Dodgson) is near the main gate of the cemetery, so it's easy to find, but it looked a bit neglected. I'll see if I can find a pic...

[Caroline]

Here we are. Scroll down a bit. The flowers weren't there when I visited!

https://wordlander.wordpress.com/tag/...

[Jason]

What timing! A little over a month ago, I downloaded on my Kindle "The complete Alice in Wonderland," a graphic novel by Dynamite Ent. It's a brilliantly illustrated adaptation of "Wonderland" and "Looking Glass." Even though I haven't read the original books, I'm betting the graphic novel is a faithful adaptation. The Complete Alice In Wonderland #2

So what can I say about Lewis Caroll's stories? They are wonderfully weird and imaginative, and the unique rhymes he makes can teach a child the magic of words (even more so than Harry Potter, perhaps). The one part I really didn't care for was the entire section with the griffin and the mock turtle. It is as boring as all hell. I was actually looking forward to it since it was excluded from the Disney movie, and I wondered why it was. Was it too risky or freaky for Disney? No, it was just boring.
amazon.com/author/jasonhubbard

[Jason]

Oh, and I also saw another Youtuber claim that "Alice in Wonderland" has several metaphors for puberty. And it works, it works! Such as when Alice tells the caterpillar that she doesn't know who she is anymore because her body (size) keeps changing.
amazon.com/author/jasonhubbard

[Teymour]

Caroline wrote: "Here we are. Scroll down a bit. The flowers weren't there when I visited!

https://wordlander.wordpress.com/tag/..."

Oh wow, thanks Caroline! Glad to see flowers honoring the memory of a true visionary.

[Teymour]

Jason wrote: "Oh, and I also saw another Youtuber claim that "Alice in Wonderland" has several metaphors for puberty. And it works, it works! Such as when Alice tells the caterpillar that she doesn't know who sh..."

Interesting!! I had never thought about the puberty analogy... And the episode involving the griffin and the mock turtle certainly isn't my favorite, but I find the turtle's inexplicable melancholy quite hilarious... Also, thanks for telling me about that beautiful graphic novel, which I'm eager to check out...

[Erin the Avid Reader ⚜BFF's with the Cheshire Cat⚜]

What's funny is I just hated this book when I was younger. I didn't like how "British" it was and it just straight out confused me. However, being older and reading an annotated version by Martin Gardner (which I wholeheartedly recommend), I am blown away by how amazing it is and I think it may be one of my favorite books of all time. Lewis Carroll actually inspires me to this day (I love the history of how this book came to be. It's brilliant). I find the book beautiful and complex. There are so many theories behind it and they're all fascinating. This is one of the only books I've read that can be perceived as both nightmarish and/or beautiful. You could even call Alice in Wonderland a horror book. There's this movie called "Valerie and Her Week of Wonders" that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland so, so much.

I now have 7 Alice in Wonderland themed shirts in my wardrobe. I never thought I'd start out disliking a book so much to loving it to pieces. I think it's a book you appreciate more as an adult as you don't catch the references when you're a child...but I would definitely recommend reading this to younger children.

[Teymour]

Erin the Avid Reader ⚜BFF's with the Cheshire Cat and Cthulhu⚜ wrote: "What's funny is I just hated this book when I was younger. I didn't like how "British" it was and it just straight out confused me. However, being older and reading an annotated version by Martin G..."

How interesting! I love your (evolving!) take on the book: it truly can be perceived as both nightmarish and beautiful. Also, what does an Alice in Wonderland-themed shirt look like?! And very nice profile picture :)

[Erin the Avid Reader ⚜BFF's with the Cheshire Cat⚜]

They're just gray or black shirts with the original John Tenniel illustrations on them. Three are Cheshire-cat themed. :)

[Teymour]

Erin the Avid Reader ⚜BFF's with the Cheshire Cat and Cthulhu⚜ wrote: "They're just gray or black shirts with the original John Tenniel illustrations on them. Three are Cheshire-cat themed. :)"

They sound lovely.