Book title and author: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (by Lewis Carroll) Reviewed 5/17/23

Why I picked this book up: it was the next book in The Banned Books Compendium: 32 Classic Forbidden Books by Gringory Lukin (Editor) I win in April 23

Thoughts: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatures. It is seen as an example of the literary nonsense genre. The artist John Tenniel provided 42 wood-engraved illustrations for the book.
It received positive reviews upon release and is now one of the best-known works of Victorian literature; its narrative, structure, characters and imagery have had widespread influence on popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. It is credited as helping end an era of didacticism in children's literature, inaugurating an era in which writing for children aimed to "delight or entertain". The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. The titular character Alice shares her given name with Alice Liddell, a girl Carroll knew.
The book has never been out of print and has been translated into 174 languages. Its legacy covers “for screen, radio, art, ballet, opera, musicals, theme parks, board games and video games. Carroll published a sequel in 1871 entitled Through the Looking-Glass and a shortened version for young children, The Nursery "Alice" in 1890.
It’s hard to believe a charming, nonsense book like that would have any opposition, and yet… In 1900, the book was suspended from classroom use, pending review, at the Woodsville High School in Haverhill, New Hampshire, because of "expletives, references to masturbation and sexual fantasies, and derogatory characterizations of teachers and of religious ceremonies." More recently, the book became controversial because of what some people thought were drug references. In Chapter 5 Alice meets a Caterpillar sitting on top of a mushroom: in recent times, this been cited for drug references.
In 1931, the book was banned in China by the Governor of Huan Province on the grounds that “Animals should not use human language, and…it [is] disastrous to put animals and human beings on the same level.”

I saw this book as an uncle sharing a story. Sometimes illogical, silly, fantastical and sometimes funny. I didn’t like some parts, there were different characters and it was a fun little read.

Why I finished this read: I finished because I wanted to see why it was bannned for thing like drug use like the caterpillar smoking from a hookah. I did not see where they claimed it was talking about masterbation I did not see,

Stars rating: when I got past the silly, unrealistic story and took it as a story told from an uncle, I really enjoyed the chapters. 5 of 5 stars. ( )

I highly recommend the multi-cast recording on Librovox as a companion to reading "Through the Looking Glass".
I'm still getting through the annotations as bedside reading. I'm surprised at how much of this story I remember from my younger days! And I love it just as much as an adult! ( )

This is a great version of the classic story in that it has notes, definitions, historical facts, and other tidbits that tie into the story and help the reader better understand the plot. It's also great for people just interested in the general history of Carroll and his writings. I recommend this to anyone who hasn't read it, because it's unabridged (the first copy of Alice... I owned had many parts missing I didn't even know about till I read this version) and because it's well thought out and put together. ( )

Both Wonderland and "Through the Looking glass" are presented and annotated, with the illustrations from Tienniel. If an adult this is the book. As an artistic experience, well, I admit to owning a reprint in less footnoted format... ( )

Let's talk about a really unpopular opinion here? How about my opinion on this book?

I mean, it doesn't surprise me that I didn't like this book. I never liked the Disney movie as a child, so of course it makes sense for me not to like the book.

And quite frankly I fail to see what the charm and deliciousness of this book is? I'm not really sure what people enjoy about this world.

Sorry! ( )