Book 00034: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
Title:
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
First Publication:
- 14 July 1865 (1) and 1871 (2) by Macmillan
Trivia:
- The author's real name is Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who is a mathematician as well.
- Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson and the Reverend Robinson Duckworth rowed in a boat up the River Thames with three little girls: Lorina Charlotte Liddell (aged 13) ("Prima" in the book's prefatory verse), Alice Pleasance Liddell (aged 10) ("Secunda" in the prefatory verse), Edith Mary Liddell (aged 8) ("Tertia" in the prefatory verse) -- whom Reverend Dodgson told a story that, not so coincidentally, featured a bored little girl named Alice who goes looking for an adventure.
Every child might have heard of Alice and her surreal adventures. Many has been delighted by the dreamy effect of her endeavors that started with a white rabbit. This combination of Carroll's 2 Alice books is a non-stop trip to the world of wonders. Explore the world of Queens, playing cards, chess, and a lot more... As a sampler here is one of the poems found in the book:
Jabberwocky
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
`Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!'
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
`And has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
`Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!'
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
`And has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
I hope you found your way through the jumble of these Old English words for I, myself, couldn't understand any of the phrases until I found the equivalent translation in the footnote. The writings are so bizarre that you need to broaden your mind to understand them. Some may call this a children's book, but it is actually a satire intended for adults who are able to grasp meanings behind a strange combination of words.
No wonders many are still baffled by this book, including me, because they still can't seem to understand most of the points and plots encountered by Alice. Alice maybe a representation of us all, the naive and innocent in us who wanted to explore the world that is beyond our comprehension.
Make sure to prepare some aspirins in order to cope with the headaches you're going to have after reading the book. Enjoy...
Grade: A-
No comments:
Post a Comment