Thursday, May 6, 2010

Review: Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Through the Looking - Glass and What Alice Found There
Book Details:
Through the Looking - Glass and What Alice Found There: With Fifty Illustrations
by Lewis Carroll
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Published 2001, Adamant Media Corporation
Paperback, 208 pages
ISBN: 0543900568

Synopsis:
"With illustrations by John Tenniel. This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1904 edition by Macmillan and Co., London, New York. Whereas much of the first Alice novel centered around a card game, Through the Looking-Glass focuses on a chess game of mammoth proportions. A social satire much like its predecessor, Looking-Glass contains some of Carroll's most memorable characters and best nonsense-verse ("Jabberwocky")."

I read this book very slowly through DailyLit, and even then I did not understand most of what I read or particularly enjoy it. When I read a book, I make a point of finding something to like about it, no matter how bad it is. I like chess, which plays a part in the book, but about the only thing that made sense in that context was Alice becoming a queen by getting to the end of the board. I know the text is a classic, but sometimes I don't care for a classic, and this is one of those times, unfortunately. While the book is chock full of great quotes, and an ideal book for a child to enjoy because of the imagination put into it, overall I'm not a fan.

First Line: "One thing was certain, that the WHITE kitten had had nothing to do with it:--it was the black kitten's fault entirely."
Classic Carroll nonsense opens the text, reintroducing the reader to the child-like world of Alice and her wild imagination. If the reader is a fan of nonsense, it's the perfect opening line.

Favorite Quote: "Life, what is it but a dream?"



Read For: Pages Read Challenge, 101 Fantasy Challenge, Twenty-Ten Challenge, Fantasy Challenge

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