Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Collins Classics)

Have you ever wanted to escape to a world where anything is possible and the only limit is your imagination? Well, look no further than Alice's Adventures in Wonderland! This classic tale by Lewis Carroll will take you on a whimsical journey through a magical world full of talking animals, curious creatures, and nonsensical riddles. From the moment Alice falls down the rabbit hole, you'll be captivated by the colorful characters she meets along the way. There's the White Rabbit, who is always running late; the Cheshire Cat, who can disappear and reappear at will; and the Mad Hatter, who loves to host tea parties that never seem to end. And let's not forget about the Queen of Hearts, who is quick to shout "Off with their heads!" at the slightest provocation. But it's not just the characters that make this book so enchanting – it's also the clever wordplay and witty humor that will have you giggling from start to finish. Whether it's the Mock Turtle giving a mock trial or the Caterpillar asking Alice "Who are you?", you'll find yourself chuckling at the clever puns and cleverly crafted dialogue. What truly sets Alice's Adventures in Wonderland apart is its message of curiosity and wonder. Through her adventures in this strange and fantastical world, Alice learns the importance of being true to herself and embracing the unknown. Her journey reminds us all that sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zone and explore new possibilities. And let's not forget the beautiful illustrations that bring this story to life. The whimsical drawings by John Tenniel perfectly capture the absurdity and charm of Wonderland, making it a delight to flip through the pages and immerse yourself in this magical world. In conclusion, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a timeless classic that will entertain and inspire readers of all ages. So whether you're a young child just starting to discover the joys of reading or an adult looking to revisit a beloved tale from your childhood, this book is sure to delight and enchant you. So grab a copy, sit back, and let yourself be transported to a world where the impossible becomes possible and anything can happen.

Alice in Wonderland was first published in 1865, a year that saw Charles Dickens survive the Staplehurst rail crash and the foundation of The Christian Mission (later to become the Salvation Army). At the other end of the scale, neither being saved nor salvaged, were the 400 rebels who were executed following an unsuccessful uprising against British rule in Morant Bay, Jamaica. Across the Atlantic Ocean the American Civil War was drawing to a close. Three days after the publication of Alice In Wonderland, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and just before the end of the year, the Klu Klux Klan were formed. Strange times. Harsh times. If ever there was a time for an escape into 'Wonderland' then certainly 1865 was as good a time as any. The first thing I will say is that I am amazed this book has stood the test of time. It is wonderful that it has done, but amazing all the same. Not because it's not good, but purely because it is almost entirely insane! At the height of Victorian stoicism and the dour industrialisation of England, Reverand Charles Dodgson decided to write, under the pseudonum Lewis Caroll, a short novel where the main characters are a talking rabbit, a vanishing cat, a deck of playing cards and a depressed turtle - not to mention a smoking catterpillar and a lizard called Bill. Oh and then there is a tea party that never ends because it is always six o'clock, a game of croquet played with flamingoes for sticks, hedgehogs for balls and soldiers for hoops. And the Caucus Race, well... Although this novel was written by the author for the young daughter of a friend, there is no doubting that it is also for adults. Some of the conversations, particularly involving the Mock Turtle have the same madness about them as do Yossarian's conversations with Clevinger in Catch-22. The puns are superb and the situations entirely Pythonesque. The Mighty Boosh would be a lot less mighty were it not for Alice In Wonderland and you have to wonder at the influence on the likes of Terry Pratchett and Tim Burton. And all done without drugs! But for all the madness there is at its heart a paen to the loss of childhood innocence. The last couple of pages of the novel are almost heartbreaking in their poignancy as Alice's elder sister looks down upon her whilst she sleeps so sweetly. She is almost willing her not to cross that threshold into adolescence and then onto adulthood - a land with more war than wonder. Alice sums it all up when she says: I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle! Has there ever been a better definition of adolescence than that? Just as one of the characters in Wilkie Collins' Woman in White continually refers to Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe for the answers to life's predicaments so I think I will always keep Alice in Wonderland handy. For these are Strange times. Harsh times. If ever there was a time for an escape into 'Wonderland' then certainly 2012 is as good a time as any.

This book took me back to my childhood, when life was a lot more simple and gentle. A good read.

I am a massive Alice In Wonderland fan, I love the Disney film and I collect anything I can that is Alice related. I read this book back when I was a kid and decided it was time to re-read it and I am so glad I did, it was just as enjoyable to read the second time around. In fact once I got going I finished this book in two days. It is full of fun and nonsense, there will be no need to sit here and try and explain or analyze the greater meaning of this book or the author's motives as it is just plain fun with no need to really think about what your reading. I have read reviews on this book and I have found that to many people try to delve into the story and analyze it, trying to explain the meanings or try and explain why things are written the way they are but by doing this they take away the fun and nonsense of the story and don't enjoy the silliness of the story. Alice falls down a rabbit hole, after chasing the white rabbit and comes across a wonderful land of silliness and nonsense. Whilst down there she comes across characters such as the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, The Hatter and the Hare, The Mock Turtle and a Gryphon and lets not forget the King and Queen of Hearts. She battles between being to small or to big and questions if she is still the same person. It is certainly a fun book to read and I very much enjoyed it. My favorite character (apart from Alice) is definitely the Cheshire Cat. He is completely mad and he's the only character in the book who actually tries angering the Queen. There are quite a few characters in the book you come across that actually aren't in the Disney film. This is why the book is so good, it's a different story to the film really. You do come across some of the missing characters in the next book - Through The Looking glass. If you love Disney and Alice In wonderland then you will certainly enjoy this book.

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is another one of those classic novels that I have managed to avoid reading. To be honest, I am not a big fan of the various movies either as I found them all to be a little bit random for my liking so I wasn't sure how much I would actually enjoy reading this. However, as the ebook was free on Project Gutenberg I decided to finally take the plunge and give it a try. For anyone living under a rock who doesn't know the story, it follows a young girl named Alice who follows a rabbit down a rabbit hole into a fantastical and magical world. Whilst undertakes a mad cap adventure in which she encounters talking animals, potions that change her size and a royal court made up of playing cards. If the plot above sounds rather silly and nonsensical then this would be because it is. There really is no distinct plot and the characters are quite weakly developed. I suspect children may enjoy the various random leaps from one crazy event to the next as it would stop them getting bored. However, as an adult it meant I found it hard to get engrossed or feel something for the characters, especially when you consider the rather cheap method Carroll uses to end the story. None of this was helped by the fact that I also didn't like Alice as a character; she irritated me with her obnoxious tendencies and bouts of temper tantrums. For a young child like Alice this type of attitude can be par for the course but it really didn't endear her to me at all. I did still find the book quite enjoyable however as some of the various events Alice encountered on her journey were imaginative, colourful and at times rather amusing. In addition Carroll does a great job in portraying the entire adventure from Alice's viewpoint even if she as a character annoyed me. The way in which she reacts and tries to rationalise what she is seeing against the black and white way she has been taught does come across as something a child would do. Then of course we also get to see Alice's mind wander off in various tangents which reminds me of how my own young daughter can sometimes act. Overall, I did enjoy finally reading this classic and for all the randomness and strange events, I managed to understand and follow it a lot easier than some of the movies. At times the book is varied and fun but it is let down by the weak and at times rather cruel characters in addition to a disappointing plot and finale. Personally, I will probably give "Through the Looking Glass" a read in the future just to see if Carroll can create something that captures both his imagination alongside an entertaining story.

This is a beautiful good sized book, delivered very carefully wrapped and exactly as described in the listing, ie in Collectible - like New condition. It bore all the hallmarks of a seller who cares about their books and their service. I was really delighted with it and with the quality of the illustrations also. Purchased as a gift and I am sure it will be well received. Highly recommended.

I have thoroughly enjoyed dipping into this children’s classic over the past month. Many of the set pieces are etched into my memory perhaps in part to the wonderful cartoon adaptation by Walt Disney but also from the words themselves. This is a re-reading of the work for me; a book I do remember from my own childhood and so perhaps the quality of the writing has never really left me. I do not remember so much verse but the characters still remain memorable to me. From the Cheshire Cat to the Dormouse; indeed all the cast seem larger than life, yet it is only Alice who grows and shrinks throughout the story. What also is a revelation are the conversations Alice has in every scene which border on a confusing nonsense that, perhaps because they are held within her imagination, Alice remains always in control. The complexity and range of the scenarios amid the bizarre and imaginative inhabitants of the true Wonderland makes me see the quality of Lewis Carroll. I perhaps in my younger reading failed to appreciate what an amazing writer I was reading back then. But as of now, he had me at White Rabbit!

It was nothing more than curiosity that made me purchase 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', and funnily enough it was to be the running theme of the novel itself. I read as many concise reviews as I could - both before and after purchase - leaving me with perhaps more questions now than before I even opened the book. I'm confident enough to say that, on a literature scale, this book is massively over-rated as being 'one of the greatest novels ever'. I would never deny that people have happy memories of reading this at certain points of their life, but I feel sentiment can often over look quality. The pre-face of the book doesn't state whether this novel contains actual grammatical errors (of which there are numerous), or whether this is the product of the old English language. I found many of the sentences too drawn out with constant "and"'s in the description, leaving little break to calculate what is happening. As such, I found it hard to read at times, though it would be unfair to say that I wasn't entertained. Despite the, admittedly, original writing style, I've never had the pleasure of reading such a random and fun book that doesn't, in any way, try attempt anything more than sheer curiosity. Alice is from the off-set presented as a young girl not through the images spread out on the pages, but through her innocence that can turn things like danger into what she would consider silly. I can only come to terms that the novel has become such a cult hit because we can continue asking what Carroll was actually thinking when he wrote it. There have been suggestions that he 'liked' his Opium during the authorship (which wouldn't surprise me), but given that and despite its flaws, its still a tight story that at least highlights were no better in a world of confusion and non-sensical values.

GREAT BOOK, I don't want to spoil the ending cuz it's just so cool and a fun adventure I recommend for both kids AND adults!

I’m sure that I read this as a child but I do not remember it. Such a fun book. Very witty with many many puns and play on words. I understand the hype

Excelente libro, una pieza increíble de colección.

Very good 👍 👏

Ich kann mich hier den positiven Stimmen bloß anschließen! Ich lese gerne und viel, gerne Englisch und gerne Klassiker und komme darüber hinaus aus einer "Künstlerfamilie", weshalb ich mich auch für dieses Buch mit den Originalillustrationen entschieden habe! Das Buch ist sehr liebevoll gestaltet und verfügt über einen Umschlag welcher ebenso bedruckt ist wie das unterliegende gebundene Buch. Die Geschichte ist wundervoll, was ich wohl kaum erwähnen brauch, und ein erfrischend tiefgründigeres und liebevolleres Erlebnis als entsprechende (leider mehr verbreitete) Verfilmungen. Auch für Kinder zum Englisch lernen oder als Gute Nacht Geschichte zur ersten Begegnung mit der englischen Sprache geeignet. Die Illustrationen sind wunderschön, passend, weit entfernt von solchem globalen Kitsch wie er heute in den meisten anderen neuwertigen Massenware-Kinderbüchern zu finden ist, und werden sowohl Erwachsene als auch Kinder erfreuen. Und um es mit Alice's Worten zu sagen "and what is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations?" Zu diesem Fantasievollen Werk gehören sie einfach dazu. Hier kauft man sich ein Stück Kultur, ein tolles Leseerlebnis, Freude und Bildung in einem.