Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
I decided to read Alice in Wonderland after listening to an episode of A Good Read on BBC Sounds, where it was recommended by the show’s presenter, Harriet Gilbert. As I’m sure is the case with many others, although I have seen the Disney and Tim Burton film adaptations, I had never actually read the book, until now! And I am so grateful to Harriet and co. for giving me the prompt I needed to finally pick it up because I absolutely loved it.
I won’t go into the in’s and out’s (or for that matter, the out’s and in’s, as the Mad Hatter might say) of the story as I think most people are familiar with the colourful cast of creatures and characters with whom Alice becomes acquainted with during her trips down the rabbit hole. Except to trot out the old cliché that this is one of those many occasions where the book genuinely is better than the film. Lewis’s language and dialogue are a real treat to read, and the beautiful classical illustrations of John Tenniel always seem to show just enough of exactly the things the reader is most interested to see. Although clearly a novel (novella?) aimed at children, Carroll never patronises or preaches, nor does he mock or belittle. Yes, the prose is simple but it’s also clean and has a lyrical quality that means the story can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. I don’t have any children myself, but if I did, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland would be the first book I would buy to share with them. In fact, I think it is probably best enjoyed read aloud among loved ones, as I found myself - reading many of the parts I found funniest aloud to my partner (who normally hates me doing that and refuses to listen, not so with Alice!).
To finish then, to anybody who is in any way considering reading these wonderful stories, I say DO IT. You won’t be disappointed, and you might be surprised at just how similar and different the original text is to it’s more modern adaptations. As an added bonus, here in Cheshire is the All Saints church in Daresbury where one can spend a few hours mooching around the Lewis Carroll centre located within the church, admiring the famous Alice in Wonderland stained glass window and taking in the peaceful and picturesque churchyard. Yes, Carroll is not without his controversies, but I would urge one to not to be put off these beautiful, timeless classics.