Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

This classic tale has long been famous for the oddity of its scenes and characters but I confess that I have never had the chance to read it until now. I am sure most people know the story of a young girl named Alice who fell down a rabbit's hole and found herself in Wonderland; a place full of talking animals, hookah-smoking caterpillars with strange advice, riddles with no answers, and a Queen of Hearts who is continually bellowing "Off with his (or her) head."

It seems to me that the main element of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is simply the level of absurdity found in the story. I must admit that Lewis Carroll had an amazing imagination, or, at least, the ability to take normal events in ordinary life and twist them into something quite unusual. Even with that, or perhaps, because of that, I am not sure I really enjoyed it, though I did find some passages amusing, such as: "'Give your evidence,' said the King, 'and don't be nervous, or I'll have you executed on the spot.'" I am sure a child would find it interesting but perhaps, I am just too old to find real enjoyment in such a light tale, with seemingly no point (which is probably the point). Anyway, it wasn't terrible, per say - just not really my cup of tea.

The sequel (which is in the same book in my copy) is Through the Looking-Glass.

Rating: 3.0