Showing posts with label Alice in Wonderland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alice in Wonderland. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Alice In Wonderland

If you are expecting a review of the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, I need to warn you up front, that's not what you're going to read. Now that you've been forwarned, let's get on with the review of one of my favorite classic books.




I have always been fanscinated by Lewis Carroll's tales of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. People today consider Alice in Wonderland a nice children's story, but upon closer examination, the obscure symbolism and meaning Lewis Carroll incorporates into the text is uniquely mature. But even though there are greater meanings behind the scattered prose, on almost every page there is something that will make you laugh out loud.

He tells the story from an innocent girl's point of view. I must admit, I have always been a little distrubed by his obsession with young girls, but I digress. Mr. Carroll uses a confusing and random plotline to create a satire of society. Some chapters need to be read multiple times to absorb what is actually going on. In the beginning, the story is very puzzling; on the surface, Alice is simply following the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole. This wackiness and disordered organization, although it may lead to making the reader confused, serves a higher purpose in understanding the story. Written in 1865, this book strongly emphasizes corruption and insensibility in society.

Overall, Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite books; I loved it as a child, but I have a greater appreciation of this classic now that I'm an adult. I actually wrote my college thesis on the implications of Alice in Wonderland on modern society, helping me gain a new perspective on how our society works. You quickly became accustomed to the writing style and began to appreciate the themes and messages it contains.

Everyone should read Alice in Wonderland at least once. Not only does it contain powerful themes about corruption and chaos in society that everyone can learn from. However, it should not be read only once, lest much of the meaning be initially misconstrued as unimportant nonsense. It must be examined thoroughly to obtain the most amount of personal growth.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Classic Challenge

The Classic Challenge

Classics: We love them, we hate them, now we are going to challenge ourselves to reading more of them. Because there are so many different types of classics, different genres are acceptable and encouraged--for example, novels, short story collections, non-fiction, poetry, essays--I'm open for other suggestions!
OPTION 3: Read FIVE classics with any combination of at least TWO different countries and TWO different genres (see above for genres).

BONUS!! (optional)

As you can see, I'm requiring FIVE classics for six months. For the sixth book, I would like the participants to offer suggestions for books that may not be considered classics but that you think should be or books that you think will be a classic one day. Leave your suggestions in the comments below. I'll compile a list of the suggestions and you choose a book from the list and make that your sixth read. I realize this means you may have to wait to make your list if you choose to participate in the bonus round, but I'm hoping this is a modern twist on the old classics challenge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The books I have read (or plan to read) for the Classic Challenge include:

--Robin Hood - 1883 by Howard Pyle (American) (Legend, Fantasy)
--Frankenstein - 1818 by Mary Shelley (British) (Horror)
--Alice in Wonderland - 1865 by Lewis Carroll (English) (Fantasy)
--The Christmas Carol - 1843 by Charles Dickens (English) (Fantasy)
--Dracula - 1897 by Bram Stoker (Irish) (Horror)

Bonus:
--Twilight - 2005 by Stephenie Meyer (American)