Alice's adventures in Wonderland, widely known by the abbreviated title "Alice in Wonderland", is a fantasy novel written by Lewis Carroll. The Original Book has twelve beautifully written chapters that tell the story in an innovative manner.
The book lingers around Alice, a seven-year-old girl. She can't believe her eyes when a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and carrying a pocket watch gallops by her. She chases after him up to a tree and falls down in a rabbit hole that takes her to a fantasy world far away from her home. The absurd land is full of peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures like Mad Hatter and March Hare, a smiling Cheshire cat, the philosophical caterpillar, and a temperamental croquet-playing queen, The King and Queen of Hearts, The Caterpillar, The Mock Turtle, etc.
In 1864, the story was told by Lewis to a ten-year-old named Alice P Liddell and her sisters (daughters of Henry Liddell) during a boat trip. The girl, Alice, asked him to pen the story down and give it to her. So, Lewis gave his first hand-written manuscript of 'Alice's Adventures Under Ground' with illustrations by Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) himself, dedicating it as "A Christmas gift to a Dear Child in Memory of a Summer's Day".
Before gifting the manuscript, he already prepared it for publications from originally 15,500 words to 27,500 words. The book has been liked by all age groups, especially by children over the years.
Alice's Wonderland is the most popular work of English-language fiction. Its narration, structure, characters, and imagery have been enormously influential in both culture and literature. The book has been translated into approximately 97 languages and has never been out of print.
Initially, the original book failed to be named in an 1888 poll of the publishing season'sMost Popular Children's Stories'. Generally, it received poor reviews by giving more credit to the illustrations than the story. However, by the end of the 19th century, Sir Walter Besant wrote that 'Alice in Wonderland' was a book of that extremely rare kind that will belong to all the generations until the language becomes obsolete.
In 2009, Children's book collector and former American football player Pat McInally reportedly sold Alice Liddell's own copy at auction for $115,000.
Review
Lewis Carroll's magnificent creation 'Alice's Adventure in Wonderland' has been published from time to time by different illustrators and publishers. The Original was published in 1865, is considered to be one of the best fantasy of the literary nonsense genre. The tale is mind-biding and gratifying with magical words to spellbound young readers as well as adults.
In the tale, Alice's observation and humor of each character are enjoyable from the first chapter 'Down the Rabbit hole' to the twelfth chapter 'Alice's Evidence'. Alice is folly and confused with the things happening in wonderland yet her assertive-self managed to come over everything on her own, shows her strong persona. She enjoys every bit of the time in the fantasy land... as no fear of drinking some potion to become small like a rabbit and entering a strange land.
In the tale, Alice's observation and humor of each character are enjoyable from the first chapter 'Down the Rabbit hole' to the twelfth chapter 'Alice's Evidence'. Alice is folly and confused with the things happening in wonderland yet her assertive-self managed to come over everything on her own, shows her strong persona. She enjoys every bit of the time in the fantasy land... as no fear of drinking some potion to become small like a rabbit and entering a strange land.
This book is also an adaptation of the original book but the magic of the words stays the same as it should be. It is re-written to make it to an easier reading level for young readers while keeping all the fun, fantasy, and twists of the original book. However, this re-written has many flaws in making sentences with the poor level of translations. Sentences do not confront the real meaning of what Lewis Carroll meant in the original one.
Adaptation
It is an ongoing legacy that circumscribes many adaptations for stage, screen, radio, art, theme parks, board games, and video games.
In 2015, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst in 'The Guardian' wrote, "Since the first publications of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 150 years ago, Lewis Carroll's work has spawned a whole industry, from films and theme park rides to products such as a 'cute and sassy' Alice's costume. The blank-faced little girl became famous by John Tenniel's original illustrations has become a cultural inkblot we can interpret in any way we like."
Since the original work is in the public domain in all the jurisdictions, thus, the original book has been adapted several times for re-writes and cinema/television with little twists and different illustrations.
- The first-ever movie was released in 1903, 'Alice in Wonderland'. It was a British silent film. After this movie, the book has been a solid plinth of many children's movies over the years. The latest was released in 1999; it was first shown on NBC then shown on British television Channel 4.
- The book had been adapted for comic strips in 1934-35, drawn by Edward D. Kuekes and written by Olive Ray Scott. Despite the comic strip, the book has also inspired numerous comic book adaptations such as Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland (Dell comics 1951) to Return to Wonderland (2009), and Alice in Wonderland (2011) Zenescope Entertainment. Meanwhile, a number of comic books have been published as the sequels of Alice in wonderland.
- The book has also inspired several parodies such as The Westminster Alice (1902), Alice in the Winter Wonderland (1985) performed by British comedy duo 'The Two Ronnies' on BBC One, and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2013-14) an American Fantasy-drama series for ABC Studio.
- The book and its sequels have inspired musical live performances, opera, plays, ballets, and traditional English pantomimes too.
About the Author
The legend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832-14 January1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English children's fiction writer or an author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman, and photographer. He was noted for his facility at wordplay, fantasy, and logic.
His most prominent writings are 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and its sequel 'Through the Looking Glass' along with few poems 'The Hunting of the Snark' and 'Jabberwocky', which are classified in the literary nonsense genre.
An Oxford scholar, Church of England Deacon, University Lecturer in Mathematics and Logic, academic author of the learned thesis, gifted pioneer of portrait photography, colorful writer of imaginative genius, yet a shy and pedantic man who suffered from stammering. Lewis Carroll stands pre-eminent in the pantheon of inventive literary geniuses.
Lewis Carroll came from a family of High-Church Anglicans and evolved in a long relationship with Christ Church, Oxford where he lived for most of his life as a scholar and teacher.
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Reading level: 10+ years
Rating: 4.4/5
Author: Lewis Carroll
Publisher: Puffin Books, Macmillan Publisher Ltd (original book)
Publishing Date: 27 October 2015 (Hardcover first edition), 1865 (original edition)
Language: English
Genre: Fantasy, Literature Nonsense, Fiction, Action, and Adventure
ISBN-10: 9780147515872
ISBN-13: 978-0147515872
ASIN: 0147515874
ASIN: 0147515874
Pages: 192
Cost: 1,136 INR (Hardcover), 125 INR (Paperbook), 680 INR (Audiobooks)
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