The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland - 1865
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a young girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course, structure, characters, and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre
This was my first adult reading of Wonderland, and though the heroine and characters are well known, having been portrayed multiple times in movies, tv, stage, animation & ballet, it was fun to read in the original. The illustrations are a delight and don’t take away from imagination.
ReplyDeleteCritics have tried to make the story deeper than the fantasy it appears, whether they relate it to math or logic or eat or be eaten concepts of biology. I guess it’s to Lewis Carroll’s credit that there is something for everyone, adult or child. I love its silly fantasy, tethered to reality by young Alice and the indignity of her young education. She can walk the line between ridiculous improbability and naive desire to believe and take part.
I was reminded, especially in the closing trial, of the Stooge’s slapstick “who’s on first?” Maybe the mix of fun and rhyme along with curiosity of what will happen next explain how it has a vast number of adaptations over the years. The imagery lends itself especially to ballet to my thinking, or to an Elton John musical. It worked for The Lion King.
It is interesting that it hasn't gotten the stage treatment like many other Disney stories. The live movie version was perhaps as accurate to the text as anything. It also shows the genius of the writing as there was no consensus as to the reviews since the story means different things to different people; the bane of critics. It was certainly deliciously odd.
DeleteThe tone might be a result of the work being based on a number of short parodies of popular works.
DeleteSince this work came out of a 'bed-time story', its whimsy and defiance of convention make it that much stronger. Carroll's parodies work well for even those that don't know the material be referenced but they are also special in that they have outlived the originals they mock and are entertaining in their own right. The parodies and sub-scenes have a distinct purpose within the book: they emphasize the absurdity of Wonderland and highlight Alice's own sense of loss of place and self.
DeleteIt is said that this book was Carroll's way of describing the process of growing up to children and how our perspectives and interests change as we grow/shrink. Our responsibilities and physical size grow but at the cost of our innocence and sense of wonder shrinking. The language was unlike anything at the time and using a female perspective was even more innovative. This is like a dream put on paper but also an artful lesson on adulthood and societal expectations.
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