Alice in Wonderwhat?

Alice in Wonderland was one of my favourite Disney films growing up. All the bright colours and the encouragement of the imagination, I loved how creative it was and that anything seemed possible. I even think it may have sparked my interest in creative writing.

So I decided to give the book a try.

After finishing the book, I think I’ll stick to loving the films. Although the story maintained the childhood creativity I had always adored, I was left feeling very confused after each chapter. I felt as though a lot of time had passed between each chapter and certain things were not fully explained. I really think I only understood it due to watching the film.

There were some memorable moments within the novel such as the tea party and the meeting with the caterpillar, that I recognised but as a whole the novel felt very unfamiliar to me. I found it hard to follow and overall very strange.

Although the entire concept of it is supposed to be very strange and all things weird and wonderful, in that sense Carroll succeeded. I can completely see why a child would be so fascinated with it. The strange creatures and ambiguous conversations would have delighted any child but as a nineteen year old, I found the language difficult to follow. Conversations didn’t make sense to me and I struggled to see the meaning of some of them.

Despite this, The Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit did however fulfil my childhood dreams. As characters they were everything I imagined them to be and more, the cats intelligence and the rabbits paranoia of being late were perfectly written. I found many of the characters charming as I could easily visualise them.

The story was both bizarre and clever. I never knew what to expect from each chapter which kept me intrigued however the plot for me, didn’t connect properly and the events all seemed odd. It was as if Carroll had the idea of the story but hadn’t quite thought it through.

Even though I found the book very hit-or-miss, it is eccentric. It is perfect to read to your children before bed. Carroll has created a world that children can easily escape in and for that I am satisfied that the book will always be a treasured story.