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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Book Review

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most famous and enduring children's classics. The novel is full of whimsical charm, and a feeling for the absurd that is unsurpassed. But, who was Lewis Carroll?

Charles Dodgson

Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) was a mathematician and logician who lectured at Oxford University. He balanced both personas, as he used his study in the sciences to create his eminently strange books. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a charming, light book, that reputedly pleased Queen Victoria . She asked to receive the author's next work and was swiftly sent a copy of An Elementary Treatment of Determinants .

The book begins with young Alice, bored, sitting by a river, reading a book with her sister. Then Alice catches sight of a small white figure, a rabbit dressed in a waistcoat and holding a pocket watch, murmuring to himself that he is late. She runs after the rabbit and follows it into a hole. After falling into the depths of the earth, she finds herself in a corridor full of doors. At the end of the corridor, there is a tiny door with a tiny key through which Alice can see a beautiful garden that she is desperate to enter. She then spots a bottle labeled "Drink me" (which she does) and begins to shrink until she is small enough to fit through the door.

Unfortunately, she has left the key that fits the lock on a table, now well out of her reach. She then finds a cake labeled "Eat me" (which, again, she does), and is restored to her normal size. Disconcerted by this frustrating series of events, Alice begins to cry, and as she does, she shrinks and is washed away in her own tears.

This strange beginning leads to a series of progressively "​curiouser and curiouser" events, which see Alice babysit a pig, take part in a tea party that is held hostage by time (so never ends), and engage in a game of croquet in which flamingos are used as mallets and hedgehogs as balls. She meets some extravagant and incredible characters, from the Cheshire Cat to a caterpillar smoking a hookah and being decidedly contradictory. She also, famously, meets the Queen of Hearts who has a penchant for execution.​

The book reaches its climax in the trial of the Knave of Hearts, who is accused of stealing the Queen's tarts. A good deal of nonsense evidence is given against the unfortunate man, and a letter is produced which only refers to events by pronouns (but which is supposedly damning evidence). Alice, who by now has grown to a great size, stands up for the Knave and the Queen, predictably, demands her execution. As she is fighting off the Queen’s card soldiers, Alice awakes, realizing she has been dreaming all along.

Carroll's book is episodic and reveals more in the situations that it contrives than in any serious attempt at plot or character analysis. Like a series of nonsense poems or stories created more for their puzzling nature or illogical delightfulness, the events of Alice's adventure are her encounters with incredible but immensely likable characters. Carroll was a master of toying with the eccentricities of language.

One feels that Carroll is never more at home than when he is playing, punning, or otherwise messing around with the English tongue. Although the book has been interpreted in numerous ways, from an allegory of semiotic theory to a drug-fueled hallucination, perhaps it is this playfulness that has ensured its success over the last century.

The book is brilliant for children, but with enough hilarity and joy for life in it to please adults too, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a lovely book with which to take a brief respite from our overly rational and sometimes dreary world.

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Caroll | Book Review

Book Review of  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland The Children’s Book Review

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Written by Lewis Carroll

Illustrated by Anna Bond

Ages: 10+ | 192 Pages

Publisher: Puffin Books | ISBN-13: 9780147515872

What to Expect: Adventure, Fantasy, and Classics

When it comes to beloved works of literature, few can compare to Lewis Carroll’s  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland . This enchanting tale, considered a timeless classic, has captivated and delighted readers for generations for very good reason—if ever there was a tall tale, this might be the tallest.

At its heart,  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland  is a story full of wonder and whimsy, centered around a young girl named Alice who longs for something more than her mundane existence. When she unexpectedly tumbles down a rabbit hole into an entirely new world known as Wonderland, readers are whisked away on a magical journey beyond their wildest imaginings.

Here, in Wonderland, Alice encounters all manner of curious characters, from the endlessly tardy White Rabbit (always rushing about with his pocket watch) to the puzzling Cheshire Cat (who becomes invisible except for his big grin) to the Hatter (who is completely mad) to the Queen of Hearts (who is very difficult to please) and beyond. There are riddles to solve, quirky poems, and a tea party Alice can’t wait to leave.

In the midst of all of the absurd happenings, Carroll weaves in a series of mind-bending riddles that keep readers guessing until the very end. But beyond the exquisite story, we cannot forget Anna Bond’s stunning and evocative illustrations in this Puffin in Bloom edition of the story, which bring the magical world of Wonderland to life in vivid, floral detail. 

Readers, young and old alike, will undoubtedly be spellbound by the allure of Alice in Wonderland. As sure as ferrets are ferrets, readers will be charmed by the words and fascinated by the illustrations.  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland  is dreamy—you would be completely mad not to read this book!

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About the author.

Lewis Carroll is the pen name for Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Queen Victoria was one of the first well-known fans of his book  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  With royalty loving the book, it’s no wonder that the story has been adapted into multiple movies, live performances, and comic books.

What to Read Next If You Love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

• Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There , by Lewis Carroll
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , by L. Frank Baum
• The Looking Glass Wars , by Frank Beddor
• Peter Pan , by J.M. Barrie

Bianca Schulze reviewed  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Discover more books like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by reading our reviews and articles tagged with Adventure , Fantasy , and Classics .

What to Read Next:

• The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | Book Review
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia | Book Review
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling | Book Review
• Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson | Book Review

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Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

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A Summary and Analysis of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

There is a famous anecdote about Lewis Carroll and Queen Victoria: Victoria enjoyed Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) so much that she requested a first edition of Carroll’s next book. Carroll duly sent her a copy of the next book he published – a mathematical work with the exciting title An Elementary Treatise on Determinants .

Unfortunately, like most good anecdotes, this one isn’t true, but such a story does highlight the oddness of Carroll’s double life. Carroll, despite the radical nature of his nonsense fiction, was a conservative mathematician and don at the University of Oxford, real name Charles Dodgson.

But what does this novel, one of the most popular Victorian books for children, mean? Before we analyse Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , it might be worth recapping the novel’s plot.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland : summary

The novel begins with a young girl named Alice, who is bored with a book she is reading outside, following a smartly-dressed rabbit down a rabbit hole. She falls a long way until she finds herself in a room full of locked doors. However, she finds a key, but it’s for a door that’s too small for her.

However, there is a bottle labelled ‘DRINK ME’ on a table, so she drinks down its contents and promptly shrinks. But now she’s too small to reach the key on the table! She eats a cake labelled ‘EAT ME’, and she now grows to be too big – much bigger than her usual size. She begins to cry.

After shrinking back to her usual size, Alice starts to swim on the tide of her own tears, meeting a range of other animals including a mouse and a dodo. The latter declares there should be a Caucus-Race: everyone runs around in a circle but nobody wins. When Alice starts to talk about her cat back home, she inadvertently frightens all of the animals away.

The White Rabbit orders Alice to go into the house and find the gloves belonging to a duchess. Alice finds another potion in the house, which makes her grow large again when she drinks it. When animals hurl stones at her, these turn into cakes and she eats them, returning to her normal size.

Alice meets a blue caterpillar sitting on a mushroom and smoking a hookah pipe. The caterpillar tells Alice that one side of the mushroom will make her taller, while the other side will make her shorter. She breaks off two pieces from the mushroom and eats them. Sure enough, one side shrinks her again, while the other side makes me grow into a giant.

Alice sees a fish, working as a footman, delivering an invitation for the Duchess who lives at the house; he hands the letter to a frog who is working as the Duchess’ footman. Alice goes inside the house again. The Cheshire Cat appears in a tree, directing her to the March Hare’s house. He disappears but his grin remains when the rest of him has gone.

Alice attends the Mad Hatter’s tea party, along with the Marsh Hare and Dormouse. They throw lots of riddles at her until she becomes fed up with them and leaves. She finds herself in a garden in which playing cards are busy painting flowers.

Alice meets the King and Queen, the latter of whom orders her to play a game of croquet in which live flamingos are used instead of croquet mallets (and hedgehogs are deployed as balls!).

The Duchess, who owns the Cheshire Cat, turns up just as the Queen is trying to have the Cheshire Cat beheaded. A Gryphon takes Alice to meet the Mock Turtle, who tells Alice he used to be a real turtle and is now sad because he was mocked when young. The Mock Turtle and the Gryphon then dance to the Lobster Quadrille.

The Queen of Hearts demands Alice’s head be removed: ‘Off with her head!’ But when Alice stands up to her, the Queen falls silent. Alice attends a trial at which the Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing the Queen’s tarts. Alice realises she is starting to grow bigger.

She is summoned as a witness at the trial, but she has grown so big now that she accidentally knocks over the jury box containing the animals on the jury.

The Queen accuses Alice of stealing the tarts and once more demands her head. Alice stands up to them, and as the playing cards advance on her, she is wakened from her dream, and finds her sister shaking her: the playing cards have become leaves that have fallen on her. She is back in the real world.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland : analysis

‘Lewis Carroll’ was really a man named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a mathematician at Christ Church, Oxford. As such, he led something of a double life: to the readers of his Alice books he was Lewis Carroll, while to the world of mathematics and to his colleagues at the University of Oxford he was (Reverend) Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a man who formed his pen name by reversing his first two names (‘Charles Lutwidge’ became ‘Lewis Carroll’).

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland began life on 4 July 1862, when Charles Dodgson accompanied the Liddell children – one of whom was named Alice – on a boat journey, and told them the story that formed the basis of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , which appeared three years later.

Although its working title was Alice’s Adventures Underground , it was published with the more enchanting title which captures the magic, illogic, and nonsense which characterise the world ‘down the rabbit-hole’ in which Alice finds herself.

Carroll’s was by no means the first portal fantasy novel of this kind: two years earlier, in 1863, Charles Kingsley’s The Water-Babies had appeared. The book tells the story of the boy chimney-sweep, Tom, who goes beneath the water and becomes a ‘water-baby’.

In many ways the tale of a child slipping underwater into an alternate world of fantasy, where the Victorian world is curiously inverted, foreshadows Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , although Carroll came up with his story independently, before Kingsley’s novel was published. (Curiously, the phrases ‘mad as a March-hare’ and ‘grinning like a Cheshire cat’, by the by, both appear in The Water-Babies .)

But for all of their passing similarities, the chief difference between Carroll’s novel and Kingsley’s – and, indeed, between Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and 99% of the children’s fiction produced at the time – is that Carroll refused to use his story to offer his young readers a moral.

You can see the moral message of a Victorian children’s story coming a mile off, but Carroll not only avoids such heavy-handed moralising, but actively criticises the very idea:

She had quite forgotten the Duchess by this time, and was a little startled when she heard her voice close to her ear. ‘You’re thinking about something, my dear, and that makes you forget to talk. I can’t tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in a bit.’

‘Perhaps it hasn’t one,’ Alice ventured to remark.

‘Tut, tut, child!’ said the Duchess. ‘Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.’ And she squeezed herself up closer to Alice’s side as she spoke.

This exchange, from ‘The Mock Turtle’s Story’ (Chapter 9), pit the mainstream Victorian attitude held by adults against the rebellious innocence of the child, with the censorious morality of the adult (‘Tut, tut, child!’) immediately closing down the child’s instinct to speculate, question, and retain an open mind (‘Perhaps it hasn’t one’).

So much for the moral meaning of Carroll’s novel. But does that mean that the glorious nonsense of the book, the subversion and inversion of the reality of the world, the fantastical creatures and episodes, are just that: ‘nonsense’, not meant to mean anything beyond themselves?

Critics have been tempted to analyse the novel through a Freudian or psychoanalytic lens: the novel is about a child’s awareness of itself in the world, discovering its own body and its place in that world.

In finding herself in a completely mad world – full of tyrannical queens and mad hatters – Alice must learn to assert herself (something she does decisively at the end, when confronting the Queen of Hearts) and also, quite literally, keep her head about her while all about her are losing theirs (and often blaming it on her).

Or, even if we drop the Freudian label, we might view the novel as an exploration of a child’s journey through the world, making sense of everything and realising that sometimes grown-ups – those authority figures the child is told to obey because they are older and wiser than she is – are the stupidest people in the room.

For all that, should we analyse Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as a scathing satire on radical new ideas in nineteenth-century mathematics, ideas for which Carroll/Dodgson had little time? Melanie Bayley thinks so, and published an article in the New Scientist in 2009 in which she set out her thesis. You can read Bayley’s article here .

If you enjoyed this analysis of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland , you might also like our summary and analysis of the book’s sequel, Through the Looking-Glass .

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‘The Story of Alice: Lewis Carroll and the Secret History of Wonderland’

By Michael Wood

• June 8, 2015
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Lewis Carroll loved puns, like those about the tortoise who taught us, or the lessons that lessen the need for any more of them. He especially loved puns that could be found hiding in one word, like wonderland: a place full of wonders and a place where you wonder what is happening to you. These meanings are not only different, they can be read as opposites, as Robert ­Douglas-Fairhurst reminds us, quoting a Victorian evocation of a person “who, being in a chronic state of wonder, is surprised at nothing.” Sentimental memories of the Alice books often stress the first, dazzled meaning, but a fresh reading of Carroll is likely to leave us much closer to the second, which Douglas-Fairhurst neatly formulates as “being puzzled at what we do not know.” This is how the flowers talk in “Through the Looking-Glass”: “I wonder how you do it,” a rose says to ­Alice, referring to her odd human ability to move about. “You’re always wondering,” an irritated tiger-lily says.

We are still wondering about Alice, where she came from and where she went, and Douglas-Fairhurst, the author of a well-regarded biography of Dickens, wants to inform our wonder rather than put it entirely to rest. His book doesn’t explore a great deal of new material, but it does offer a thoughtful, far-­reaching narrative, the story of three very different lives: those of Lewis Carroll, Alice Hargreaves, née Liddell, and the literary creation they both had a part in.

Late in life, Carroll referred to Alice Liddell as one “without whose infant patronage I might possibly never have written at all.” He is thinking of a trip he and a clerical friend took with the three Liddell girls — Alice was 10 at the time — up the river outside Oxford, and of Alice’s begging him to write down the story he told them then. He wrote “Alice’s Adventures Under Ground” for her, and gave her a handwritten, illustrated copy. Meanwhile he was expanding this text into what became “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865). Alice’s role in the book’s begetting was known to her and to family members, of course, but not to anyone else much, and in 1899 Isa Bowman was able to publish a book about Carroll “told for young people by the real Alice in Wonderland” — “real” here meaning the actual actress who had appeared in a stage version of the adventures. In 1932, when Alice Hargreaves received an honorary degree from Columbia University, it had been known for some time “that there had been a real Alice, and that she was still alive,” but the news had not really sunk in, and the apparent revelation was so exciting that no one seemed to hesitate over — or wonder about — the notion of a person’s getting a degree for being a fictional character, or for nagging a writer into fame.

The Alice books are about many things, and identity is important among them. Alice worries a lot about who she is or has become, and there is much talk about growing in several senses: getting bigger, getting older, becoming an adult. “There ought to be a book written about me,” Alice says to herself. “And when I grow up, I’ll write one — but I’m grown up now.” She is crushed inside a tiny house at this point. Did Charles Lutwidge Dodgson grow into Lewis Carroll, or was there some other sort of mutation? His gravestone calls him Dodgson and puts Lewis Carroll in parenthesis. The first biography, by his nephew, does the reverse. When Alice Hargreaves died, headlines in The Times of London called her both Mrs. Hargreaves and ­Alice in Wonderland. The Evening Standard settled for Alice. ­Douglas-Fairhurst says, “What nobody outside her immediate family seemed entirely sure about was whose life had just ended,” and one might think the same of the other case. ­Douglas-Fairhurst’s ability to make room for such doubts without giving in to them is one of his book’s great attractions.

Because this work is a history as well as a biography, it covers a large stretch of ground and time: from the myriad possible sources for the Alice books to all the adaptations made of them in print, onstage and on film, to say nothing of all the games and toys and tea towels. “By the end of the 19th century,” Douglas-­Fairhurst says, Wonderland “had become something . . . like a cultural multiverse, a loose network of real places and intangible ideas.” He also suggests that his reconstruction of the lives of “two real people,” along with a historical world caught up in myth, presents us with “a world we do not usually associate with the Victorians — one that is noisy, colorful, brimming with energy.” This is half-true, I think, but the author has got a little carried away by the less troubling sense of wonder.

There is a lot of noise here: inventions, fairgrounds, freaks, superstition, scandal. But there is a lot of darkness too, a landscape of skilled and persistent repression and denial, especially in the lives of those “real people” outside fiction — precisely what we do associate with the Victorians. Perhaps we can’t be too sorry for Alice Hargreaves in her well-off, adult married life, and indeed Douglas-Fairhurst can’t resist a satirical tone here, especially when he describes her honeymoon in this way: “Alice picked mushrooms, and Reginald blazed away at the local wildlife.” Still, we have other evidence for real dreariness at least. Dodgson was an ardent photographer, and his last picture of Alice, dating from 1870, when she was 18, looks like a study in depression. She is dressed in frills and has a tidy bow on her upswept hair; her head tilts slightly sideways and forward. Her eyes avoid the camera. ­Douglas-Fairhurst says this is Carroll’s “worst” photograph of her, and it is certainly the saddest. In another light we might see it as a masterpiece. Perhaps her expression signifies a “desire to escape, to be elsewhere and live otherwise.” What is more striking, though, is the steadiness of her gloom, the clear conviction that things are not going to get any better than this, and may get worse. Even if the mood was temporary, photographs don’t treat time that way, and they could be right.

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

What’s down the rabbit hole?

A hot summer’s day on the riverbank, and young Alice is bored. Bored, that is, until a white rabbit in a checked jacket scurries past in a great hurry, examining a pocket watch. Burning with curiosity, Alice can’t help but follow the rabbit down the hole which leads to a long passageway – and a tiny door too small to get through.

So begins Alice’s adventures in the amazing world of Wonderland. In the pages that follow a strange liquid will shrink her to only ten inches tall; a curious cake will disappear before her eyes; a mad hatter will invite her to tea – and Alice will play a very dangerous game of croquet…

The character of Alice is based on Alice Liddell, the ten-year-old daughter of an academic at Christ Church College in Oxford, where author Lewis Carroll studied and taught. Carroll would tell Alice stories to entertain her: Alice begged him to write them out and he presented them to her in 1864. He was later persuaded to publish and, after further additions, the book as we know it today appeared in 1865, including the famous illustrations by John Tenniel.

Alice in Wonderland was Lewis Carroll’s first novel and its fantasy plot, humorous rhymes and brilliant use of nonsense was revolutionary. Nineteenth-century children’s writing usually served moral or educational purpose, but  Alice was written firmly and purely for the amusement of children. Critical response was lukewarm, but the book was still a great success, and remains a hugely influential classic of children’s literature.

Alice appeals to adults as well as children and over the years readers and critics have found within it all manner of riddles, puzzles, mathematical concepts and references to Carroll’s famous and not-so-famous friends.

Lewis Carroll was the pen-name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, born in 1832 in Cheshire in the north of England. His father, the local rector, came from a family of distinguished scholars and clergymen. Dodgson continued the academic family tradition and studied mathematics and theology, eventually becoming a mathematician at Oxford University.

He first began to write comic poetry and prose in the 1850s and had several pieces published in magazines, where he first began to use the name Lewis Carroll. In 1856 he met four-year-old Alice Liddell who was to inspire the book which made Dodgson’s name, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, published in 1865. The book was an immediate success, was translated into many languages and soon established itself as an English classic. Its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, appeared in 1871. Their revolutionary combination of word-play, humour and nonsense had never been seen before in writing for children. His other great masterpiece of nonsense is the poem The Hunting of the Snark (1876), and other books for children including Phantasmagoria (1869) and Sylvie and Bruno (1889).

Charles Dodgson never married and remained at Oxford all his adult life, where he wrote several books on mathematics and logic as well as devising board games and brainteasers. He was also an expert  photographer, famous for his portraits of children and many artistic personalities of the day. He died in 1898.

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Review by Floresiensis

17 positive reader review(s) for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll biography

Ashu from India

Kartik from India

I love this book and the review is wery nice, I like the review.

Nimisha from India

It's a nice book with adventures.

Pranjal from India

Thank you for taking the time to write this book, it really makes a difference and helps the readers to find their perfect book .

Kunsang from Nepal

I love that book. It was intresting.

Jennifer from U.S.A.

I loved the book so much I read it twice! It was amazing, some parts were confusing, but it was interesting and exciting. If you haven't already read it, you really should!

HannaLore from UK

I found this book interesting! I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but it is really good from the front and the blurb too. This is never from reality but i wish it happened!

Shruti from India

Very well ! I usually get bored by such books. But this one was nice, good better, best !

Chloe from United Kingdom

Interesting book that shows no sense of reality but I believe that it is cleverly written.

Sonika from Nepal

it was amazing and wonderful to read this.

Ojesvi from India

This book is very interesting . I liked it very much.

Ayush from India

This book is quite interesting.

K from England

It was a bit confusing and the vocab wasn't very good. Also not that interesting...

Shreya from India

It is quite an interesting book, I loved it.

Gauru from India

It was a fantastic plot. I liked it as is a story of a small girl.

Navi from UK

It's an awesome story, I loved it.

Terence from England

Alice's adventures are so wondrous and magical, that the reader cannot help being drawn into a fantasy world. Lewis Carroll created many unforgettable characters and situations for Alice to encounter. Readers of all ages will be captivated by the book's charm and humour. Top quality literature.

9.2 /10 from 18 reviews

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Alice's adventures in wonderland, common sense media reviewers.

A classic that both adults and kids love.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Exposes kids to wordplay, crazy riddles, and nonse

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is more nonse

Alice is polite, friendly, open-minded, and resili

The Queen of Hearts frequently shouts "Off wi

A blue caterpillar smokes a hookah.

Parents need to know that constantly changing predicaments, strange creatures, and the watercolors are very child-friendly. But difficult language, Carroll's nonsense poems, and adult humor will leave some children bored or confused. Still, it's a classic well worth the trouble and particularly fun as a read…

Educational Value

Exposes kids to wordplay, crazy riddles, and nonsense poetry, as well as Victorian language and customs and a little French.

Positive Messages

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is more nonsense and dreamscape than moral lesson. But it does imply the advice to, when in crazy, confusing, or challenging situations, try to keep your head (even when someone is constantly yelling "Off with her head!") and not be intimidated by outrageous characters who are insulting and threatening you and causing you trouble. In short: Roll with the punches.

Positive Role Models

Alice is polite, friendly, open-minded, and resilient as she navigates the chaotic world in which she's landed. She encounters all sorts of characters, some of whom are confusing, such as the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and the Cheshire Cat, and some are mean, such as the Queen of Hearts.

Violence & Scariness

The Queen of Hearts frequently shouts "Off with his head!" and "Off with her head!" She orders the execution of the Cheshire Cat and threatens the Duchess and Alice with execution. The Duchess' cook throws dishes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that constantly changing predicaments, strange creatures, and the watercolors are very child-friendly. But difficult language, Carroll's nonsense poems, and adult humor will leave some children bored or confused. Still, it's a classic well worth the trouble and particularly fun as a read-aloud.

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Community reviews.

• Parents say (7)
• Kids say (18)

Based on 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

What strange and marvelous creatures will Alice find down the rabbit hole, and what amazing thing will happen next? The inventive language and charming fantasy make this a classic that both adults and kids love. Older ones will appreciate the satire, but some younger children will be confused or bored. Updated illustrations are appealing to children.

Is It Any Good?

Though there are many video versions and a lot of simplified retellings of this story, all kids deserve to know this wonderful adventure as Lewis Carroll wrote it. But it takes a particular kind of child to enjoy this: Complex language, nonsense, and the lack of a sensible plot are not to every child's taste. The book needs to be thoughtfully read aloud by an adult; few children will read this on their own. But, read aloud, the rhythmic poems can delight kids for their sounds and silly images.

The book works on two levels: as a delightful children's fantasy and as an impish poke in the eye to adults. Alice's strange new world remains just enough like the polite society of Victorian England that we can recognize it -- but it isn't terribly polite, allowing adults to understand much of the book as satire. Of course, kids usually don't see the satire; they simply enjoy the nonsense. If you've forgotten how to do that, Alice can help you remember.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the strange creatures in Wonderland. Which is the strangest?

Why do you think the queen is so mean? Are you confused by parts of the story? Which parts?

Do you like stories you don't understand right away? Why, or why not?

Book Details

• Author : Lewis Carroll
• Illustrator : Helen Oxenbury
• Genre : Literary Fiction
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Candlewick Press
• Publication date : November 26, 1865
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
• Number of pages : 207
• Last updated : November 15, 2019

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Alice's adventures in wonderland, by lewis carroll.

(See also the annotated edition of this book )

Recommendations from our site

“Scholars have been able to find some really interesting conversation between the texts of Phantastes and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland . In structure, the novels are very similar. There are even certain sections, like the conversation with the flowers, where Dodgson is using the exact same words, the exact same names of the exact same plants as MacDonald. So they’re clearly having fun back and forth with each other, playing with the words and the ideas of someone else.” Read more...

The Best Victorian Fantasy Novels

Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson , Literary Scholar

“I love Alice’s growing sense of wonder at the topsy-turvy universe she enters. Wonder, as Plato and Aristotle tell us, is the beginning of philosophy, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a deeply philosophical book. Alice is besieged by humans, some enraged, others just plain eccentric. Surrounded by falling objects, bewildered by beasts, and doing her best to stay afloat in a pool of tears, poor Alice is so disoriented that she’s in a state of permanent existential crisis. In the end, she stands up to all the outlandish creatures in Wonderland, and then skips off to have a cup of tea, leaving you wondering about Alice and her close encounters with nonsense, disorder, and lawlessness.” Read more...

Talismanic Tomes

Maria Tatar , Literary Scholar

“An imaginative, clever and fun fantasy story that satirises nineteenth century England at the same time as celebrating academic thinking. It is about sideways thinking, lateral thinking and connections. That whole focus, from a literary perspective, on language—the puns and the syllogisms.” Read more...

Children’s Books About Relationships

“You’d have to be a zombie to miss the humour in it – it’s hilarious. Although the book is ancient the humour feels modern. It’s also very dark. I can’t tell you how many jokes there are about dead children in it. Rereading it now, I realise a lot of my comic style comes out of that book. Carroll understates everything. It’s filled with phrases like “if I should fall on my head I don’t think I’d have much to say about it” – which would certainly be true because she’d be dead.” Read more...

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Other books by Lewis Carroll

The annotated alice by lewis carroll & martin gardner (editor), our most recommended books, the lord of the rings by j r r tolkien, jane eyre by charlotte brontë, reckless: the petrified flesh cornelia funke, translated by oliver latsch, fourteen wolves: a rewilding story by catherine barr & jenni desmond (illustrator), i am a book. i am a portal to the universe. by stefanie posavec & miriam quick (illustrator), harry potter: the complete series by j.k. rowling.

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• Children's Book Reviews

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – Book Review

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

• Author – Lewis Carroll
• Illustrator – Grahame Baker-Smith
• Publisher – Templar Publishing
• Release Date – 30th November 2021
• Pages – 128
• ISBN 13 – 978-1787415607
• Format – Hardcover
• Star Rating – 5

I received a free copy of this book. This post contains affiliate links.

A stunning new edition of Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale.

‘Curiouser and curiouser!’

Reimagined by the illustrations of Kate Greenaway Medal winner Grahame Baker-Smith, this stunning new edition of a childhood favourite will transport a whole new generation of readers down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland.

Conjured one ‘golden afternoon’ in 1867, the story of Alice has charmed readers for more than 150 years. Now readers can rediscover a host of favourite characters, from the despotic Queen of Hearts to the riddling Cheshire Cat, in a world where nothing is quite as it seems.

Review by Stacey

This new version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll has been illustrated by Kate Greenaway Medal winner Grahame Baker-Smith. I’m sure I don’t need to go over what I thought of the story, though this classic tale is still loved today as much as it has been throughout the decades and numerous copies are still purchased year on year for collectors and those wanting to share their love of the story with their children.

This version of the book is amazing from cover to cover. Beginning with the cover, the colour is gorgeous and the feel of it is so soft, it just makes you want to keep on rubbing your hand over it. The inside is pretty special too.

There are full-page colourful illustrations, small brown or blue ones dotted throughout, and the occasional midsized image. These drawings are divine. They capture the eye and are such a delight to look at.

This is a book that could be given as a present, whether to a grown-up or a child. I adore this copy. Pictures open your mind to what is happening in the text and this book does this perfectly.

Purchase Online:

• Amazon.co.uk
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• Bookshop.org

Grahame Baker-Smith

Grahame Baker-Smith, a self-taught illustrator, was inspired to create this book after his experiences of being a son and now having a son of his own. His first title for Templar Books, Leon and the Place Between, was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal, and FArTHER went on to win in 2011. Grahame Baker-Smith lives in Bath, England, with his wife and three children.

Illustrator’s Links:

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Tags: Amazon Author Blackwells Book Book Blog Book Blogger Book Review Book Reviewer Bookshop Children's Classic Fiction Five Stars Grahame Baker-Smith hardcover Illustrator Lewis Carroll Review Stacey Waterstones

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The latest book reviews and book news, alice’s adventures in wonderland: book review.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland book review

Nobody really knows what makes a children’s books popular and why some don’t catch on. A book that has stayed relevant for over a century is Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Find out why that is so as well as reading a short summary of the novel!

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Summary

Alice is sitting by a riverbank and is bored out of her mind when out of nowhere she sees a white rabbit with a pocket watch pass her by commenting that he is late. Curiosity gets the best of Alice and she follows the rabbit down a rabbit hole. 

That leads her to a room where she is encounters a tiny door and a tiny key. In the room, Alive finds a bottle that says drink me and she shrinks as a result. Now she is able to open the small door and follow the white rabbit.

But the effects of the potion does not stop and Alice keeps shrinking as a result. This makes Alice cry and she gets mistaken for a maidservant and tells her to go to the house where she finds another potion and she drinks that also. This one makes her bigger but like the first potion, she keeps growing.

Other creatures Alice meets include a caterpillar smoking a hookah that makes her face her current identity crisis. She also meets the Duchess and the Chesire Cat. Alice gets imprisoned and is put on trial. Will Alice be freed and return home or will the Duchess keep her locked up?

First published in 1865 , the novel has remained in the mainstream ever since. There are numerous movies and adaptations of the popular children’s book. The idea for the book came when Lewis went on a boat ride with three little girls and told them the story of Alice in 1862.

The novel has been translated into 174 languages and has never been out of print. Those two facts are ridiculous and beyond impressive. You can find this story on many forms such as screen, radio, art, ballet, opera, musicals, theme parks, board games, and video games. At this point, it is safe to say this story is almost universal. 

What makes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland great is that it is conceived for a child’s mind but told by an adult so it also appeals to them. It is a wonderful book about wild adventures that children daydream about and adults can remember when they also used to do as a kid.

Reading this book makes you remember what it felt like to be a kid when the world was limitless. Maybe that’s why adults keep coming back to this book throughout the years. There’s a reason why The Chronicles of Narnia and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland have become classics and something most children end up reading at least once.

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Book Review: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, is a rather peculiar adventure tale filled with all sorts of oddities and misfits. The story begins with the main protagonist, Alice, as she follows the White Rabbit into the infamous rabbit hole. In Wonderland, or so it seems, she meets several creatures all with the strangest backstories and personalities. The story is carefully crafted so that much of the book confuses the casual reader. A great concern for detail is needed to understand the novel and its full meaning. The book shares the complexities and hardships of growing up, in which the Lewis Carroll absolutely nailed. He also shares his negative opinions about the British government through the main antagonist, the Queen of Hearts, who is meant to be a high and powerful monarch, but never does anything. Overall, the book is a great read and it is certainly entertaining to spend some time to pick out the many small details hidden in the book. 8th Grade.

Kid’s Book Review: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

By Sarah Tyson

About the Book and Illustrator

First published by Macmillan more than 150 years ago, Lewis Carroll’s iconic story has been loved and enjoyed by generations of children.

This edition presents Lewis Carroll’s complete text, with illustrations from Costa Award- and Kate Greenaway Medal-winner Chris Riddell. Published 200 years after the birth of Alice’s first illustrator, Sir John Tenniel, also the political cartoonist of his time, Chris Riddell’s illustrations set a new bar in terms of excellence with his unique, rich and evocative interpretation of Carroll’s world.

With the curious, quick-witted Alice at its heart, readers will not only rediscover characters such as the charming White Rabbit, the formidable Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter and the grinning Cheshire Cat but will find fresh and wonderful creations of these characters by a true master of his art,; images that will live in our hearts and minds for generations to come.

Chris Riddell, the 2015-2017 UK Children’s Laureate, is an accomplished artist and the political cartoonist for the Observer. He deservedly enjoys great acclaim for his books for children. His books have won a number of major prizes, including the 2001, 2004 and 2016 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medals. Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse won the Costa Children’s Book Award 2013.

His work for Macmillan also includes the bestselling Ottoline books, The Emperor of Absurdia , and, with Paul Stewart, the Muddle Earth books, the Scavenger series and the Blobheads series. Chris has been honoured with an OBE in recognition of his illustration and charity work.

Book Review

The pictures really make the book come alive

I thought this book was very beautiful. The pictures really made the book come alive. I loved how the illustrator was clever with the pictures so that one-minute Alice was in one place and the next minute she was in a completely different one!

I also appreciated the map of wonderland at the start of the book. I liked how the pictures where sometimes black and white and others where in colour. Overall, I recommend it to people that like adventure books and that have a lot of imagination.

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• Name: Daisy
• Age: 10 years
• Likes: writing stories, reading and drama
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Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for Alice in Wonderland

Article | Issue: Jun 2024

‘Off with her head!’ The Red Queen roared in one of Lewis Carroll’s most celebrated stories, Alice in Wonderland . The famous tale of a little girl falling down a rabbit hole into a fantastical realm full of anthropomorphic characters has captivated children for more than a century.

Chandra hazebroek searched for what could have stimulated such an outlandish imagination..

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was born on 27 January 1832 in Daresbury, England. Growing up in an isolated country village, this budding creative writer, mathematician, poet, logician, artist, photographer and storyteller honed his skills by entertaining his 10 siblings with magic tricks, drawings and literature.

His pseudonym, Lewis Carroll, was derived by Latinising his first and second name, reordering, and translating it back into English. Carroll was afflicted with a stammer, which he referred to as ‘his hesitation’. The dodo in Wonderland is said to be Carroll, who often called himself Do-do Dodgson. Throughout his life, he diarised reoccurring aura migraines and partial blindness in one eye. One wonders if his vision troubles gave rise to the distorted world in the Alice stories.

In a modern world, we could speculate that his talents were a result of neurodiversity, however, no such label existed in his lifetime. We first need to understand the rules, before we can break them, something Carroll did with such alacrity. As a proponent of the nonsensical literary genre, Carroll wrote his well-known tales and also lesser-known poetry, which included The Hunting of the Snark and The Walrus and the Carpenter . Creative verbs and adjectives such as mimsy, chortled, and galumphing, from The Jabberwocky , are now forever etched into the English dictionary as a result.

Carroll called Christ Church, Oxford home from the moment he entered in 1850, as a student, to his death in 1898. As the college’s mathematics don, he published numerous academic books about mathematics and logic. Over the years, he held various positions in the college and was content with remaining a bachelor. Perhaps so he could give free rein to his fervent imagination.

The sprawling college grounds, home to Christ Church Cathedral and Tom Tower define Oxford’s majestic skyline. The myriad architectural styles that have captivated students and visitors over the centuries include Medieval Gothic, Palladian Renaissance, and Baroque styles. Beautifully detailed stone buildings covered by elaborate carvings and ornate features invite closer inspection.

There is much speculation as to where exactly Carroll garnered inspiration for his fantastical tales. And much like Alice, I too fell down a rabbit hole of conflicting theories and conjecture on my quest to unearth what, and where, inspired the man behind such extraordinary fantasy prose. What is quite clear is that living at Christ Church proved to be a bonanza for Carroll’s imagination.

Not only were the college grounds and its architecture a source of inspiration for Carroll, but so were its occupants. As an observer of people with varied quirks and personalities, teamed with his brilliant, enquiring mind and personal afflictions, Carroll had a plethora of possibilities for creative prose. All of these elements, like a mathematical equation, aligning at just the right time, culminated in a fantasy world where everything happens in a moment and time stands still. It is easy to imagine Carroll strolling across the great Tom Quad quadrangle, finding splendour in the vast college gardens, and finding mystery in Christ Church’s stoic corridors and hidden rooms.

It was at the college where Carroll met Alice Liddell and her siblings through their father, Henry Liddell, the Dean of Christ Church. Carroll’s living quarters overlooked the Dean’s private gardens with its locked, Gothic-panelled wooden door set into a cobbled stone wall, where Alice Liddell may have dreamt of what lay beyond. In Wonderland, Alice finally opens the door to the ‘loveliest garden you ever saw’.

It is interesting to note that Henry Liddell was often observed running late to services and hurrying out of the Great Hall after dinner every night. The Great Hall, dignified and composed, with its soaring vaulted ceilings, ornate tracery and Gothic windows hosted feasts for the residents of Christ Church. The wooden panelled walls, adorned with unyielding mounted paintings of famous Christ Church alumni, were a constant projection and reminder of Christ Church’s opportunities.

Nestled in the centre is an imposing, antique-framed image of Christ Church’s founder, King Henry VIII, who was known for his predilection of separating ladies from their heads. Along another wall is a panelled door hiding a narrow spiral staircase leading down into private, secluded areas. It was here where Liddell often went down, glancing at his pocket watch, muttering just like the White Rabbit. ‘I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date!’ •

Find out more about Christ Church College, Oxford

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Children’s Storybook or a World of Violence?

• ⏳ [read_meter]

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll is probably the most popular children’s fantasy novel of the nineteenth century. The book gave way to a brand new era of children’s English literature: books that did not intend to impart lessons and morals to the children. These books just inaugurated imaginative worlds where the ‘mind is without fear’ and can wander off to places. This led to the emergence of a writing style that simultaneously embraced logic and nonsense.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Review)

While books like Tom Brown’s Schooldays offered rules for the right way of life, these other books, on the other hand, just gave a free space to live. Children’s literature owes its elements of fantasy, silliness, and curiosity to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and its sequel “Through the Looking-Glass.” These two stand apart from the typical cautionary tales for children. Without these texts, literature would not have branched out and flourished in the world of imagination.

While the Alice books insinuate that the primary intention is to gain the children’s attention as the audience, the main themes are contrary to the readers’ expectations. As one scrolls through the pages of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, it becomes crystal clear that the violent themes are undermining the societal moral codes that we typically believe that children should adopt. Throughout these texts, there is a constant feeling of fright of being in a strange place occupied by strange creatures. It is quite terrifying to find out how adult human figures in Alice in Wonderland behave.

Recommended Reading For You! 📖 📚

Alice exists in a violent, aggressive world that is different from the world of Maggie Tulliver and Jane Eyre. Images of Alice that we come across are often melancholic and sinister. Interestingly, Wonderland is devoid of certain threats that Alice introduces. These would include death, sickness, and rationality. In a world devoid of logic, there is neither any real threat nor the fear of death. William Empson even points out the death jokes present in the text. Alice, while mentioning the burnt candle, muses about death.

The text is loaded with morbid jokes and, at times, wanders through the possibilities of death. Conflict, battle, and even warfare are seen as inevitable but pointless. The violent moments of Wonderland stand in sharp contrast to the lighthearted fantastical moments. People are shown to be bloodthirsty and irrational, resorting to violence, even when it is clearly unnecessary. There is no attempt to make sense of violent or brutal behavior, although it is deplored and resisted. Violence and pain do not illustrate any moral point about the world; they are simply something to be noticed and avoided.

Carroll uses ineffectual and diluted violence to entertain his young readers. For something to be truly violent, there has to be a physical force that results in damage or injury. However, the violent acts projected in Wonderland lack the aspect of damage and injuries, making the violence fizzle out and turn ineffective. Through this kind of ineffectual violence, the author attempts to preserve Wonderland’s unrealistic appearance, where the pains and injuries of the harsh reality are kept at bay.

One of the most distinct examples of such ineffectual violence is the instance of the cook and the Duchess. The actions of the cook toward the Duchess, at first glance, appear to be very violent. The author describes her actions, “at once [the cook] set to work throwing everything within her reach at the duchess and the baby. The fire-iron came first; then followed a shower of saucepans, plates, and dishes.” The lullaby that the Duchess sings for her baby also has violent lyrics like “And beat him (baby) when he sneezes.” Even while singing, the Duchess keeps tossing the baby up and down while he kept howling.

You must be picturizing a very violent scene by reading this. However, Carroll does not let real violence take place as it would crumble apart his magical sanctuary for children from reality. “Pain is one of the most powerful sensations in real life, and by showing the pain of any kind, the author would have brought a strong sense of unwanted reality into the stories.” Carroll designed his stories in a way that they acted as a passage to escape for the kids from the big bad world and its hardships.

Therefore, for preventing his wonderful world from shattering, he added, “The Duchess took no notice of them even when they hit her.” By telling the reader that the cook’s violent actions did not cause any pain or discomfort, the author can preserve his fanciful universe. Also, by implementing ineffectual violence instead of real violence, the author was able to both use violent actions while preserving its surreal appearance.

In the chapter ‘A Mad-Tea Party,’ we see the Hatter, March Hare, and the Dormouse being rude, ill-mannered, and snappy at each other. While moving out, Alice saw the Dormouse being forced into the teapot by Hatter and March Hare. Sounds bizarre, right? Well, that’s Wonderland for you! Savage matriarchs dominate Wonderland. The Queen is in direct contrast with Alice.

Comments such as “chop her head off” and “you deserve to be beheaded” are very common commands that frequently come from the Queen. Even in the croquet game, the Queen kept shouting “Off with his head” or “Off with her head” every now and then. The inhabitants of Wonderland were apparently obsessed with the idea of beheading people. Yet, surprisingly, everyone was always left unharmed. Even the Gryphon states that “It’s all her (Queen) fancy, that: they never execute anybody…”

In one of the weirdest instances, the cheering guinea pigs at the court were “suppressed” by the court officers. And by “suppressed,” they literally mean SUPPRESS! They stuffed the guinea pigs in a huge canvas bag, tied its string, and then sat on it! Later, the Queen, as usual, keeps screaming to get the Dormouse beheaded, pinched, or his whiskers to be chopped off! Throughout the text, we come across numerous instances where violence is shown as a casual matter, orders of killing and beheading people are passed just randomly, and yet, there are no lives lost.

That is what makes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland such an intriguing and fascinating text. The creatures talk of violence all the time, they even indulged in fights, but there is no grave violence that actually takes place. This text, with all its interesting elements, makes for a delightful read for people across ages. You can get the book here! 📖

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is probably the most popular children's fantasy novel of the nineteenth century. The book gave way to a brand new era of children's English literature: books that did not intend to impart lessons and morals to the children. These books just inaugurated imaginative worlds where the 'mind is without fear' and can wander off to places. This led to the emergence of a writing style that simultaneously embraced logic and nonsense.

URL: https://bookwritten.com/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-by-lewis-carroll-review/1972/

Author: Lewis Carroll

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a story about Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and lands into a fantasy world that is full of weird, wonderful people and animals. It is classic children’s book that is also popular with adults. Personally, at 16, I found the book strange and uninteresting. However if I was 8-14 I would have loved the fantastic fantasy world Carroll creates. I never expected the events that happened because they were bizarre and unpredictable. I loved the Cheshire cat’s wit and intelligence. I also love the hatter because his eccentric personality reminded me of the eccentric people I know. My favourite part was when Alice met the caterpillar, this was because of his ambiguous conversation with Alice.

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10 Best Lewis Carroll Books – Alice and Beyond

Lewis Carroll is one of the most celebrated authors of the Victorian era. Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, he is best known for his two masterpieces – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871). But did you know that there is much more to Lewis Carroll than just the Wonderland series? In this article, we will explore his life, literary career, and the best books that every reader should add to their bookshelf.

The Life and Legacy of Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll was a man of many talents. Born in 1832 in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, he was the son of a country parson and the third child in a family of eleven children. From a young age, he was known for his love of storytelling and puzzles. His father was a gifted scholar of Hebrew and Greek languages, and Carroll inherited his love for language and literature.

Carroll studied at home before going to school in Richmond, London. He attended Rugby School where he played cricket. In 1851, he moved to Oxford to study Mathematics, and after completing his studies in 1854, he became a mathematics lecturer at the University. His love for mathematics was evident in his writing, and he often incorporated mathematical puzzles and games into his stories.

Carroll was an introvert and had a stutter that made it difficult for him to socialize. He found solace in writing and spent much of his time creating puzzles and writing stories for children. His family encouraged him to publish his work, and soon he became a published author.

Early Life and Education

Carroll’s childhood was filled with creativity and imagination. He spent hours writing stories and creating puzzles, and he was known for his wit and humor. His love for language and literature was evident from a young age, and he often wrote poems and essays.

Carroll’s education was also important to him. He studied mathematics at Oxford, where he excelled in his studies. He became a mathematics lecturer at the University and continued to teach there for many years. His love for mathematics was evident in his writing, and he often incorporated mathematical puzzles and games into his stories.

Literary Career and Achievements

Carroll’s literary career began with the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. The book was an instant success, and its wide appeal soon made it a classic. The novel features a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole and lands in a fantasy world inhabited by peculiar creatures. The book is known for its whimsical characters, nonsensical language, and playful word games. It has been adapted into numerous plays, movies, and TV shows.

Carroll’s juvenilia also included poems, essays, and manuscripts of stories, many of which he illustrated himself. He also wrote and published other books like Phantasmagoria and Other Poems (1869), The Hunting of the Snark (1876), and Sylvie and Bruno (1889).

The Impact of Lewis Carroll’s Works

Carroll’s impact on the world of literature has been immense. His works are still widely read and admired for their creativity, humor, and originality. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has inspired countless writers and artists, and it remains a cultural touchstone to this day. His legacy also includes his contributions to the field of mathematics and his love for puzzles and games.

Carroll’s life and work continue to fascinate and inspire people around the world. His creativity, imagination, and unique perspective on the world have left an indelible mark on literature and popular culture, and his legacy will continue to be celebrated for generations to come.

Exploring the Wonderland Series

While Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass are undoubtedly Carroll’s most famous works, they are not the only ones to explore the whimsical world of Wonderland. There are many other books in the series that are equally delightful and worth reading.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is the first book in the series, and it tells the story of a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and enters a fantasy world filled with peculiar creatures and wondrous adventures. The book is a delightful romp through a magical world, and it has been beloved by generations of children and adults alike.

In this book, readers are introduced to a cast of memorable characters, including the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Caterpillar. Each character is unique and adds to the overall charm of the story. The book is also filled with clever wordplay and puns, which make it a joy to read.

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There

The sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There , takes Alice on a journey through a mirror into an alternate reality. The book contains many of the same characters found in the first book, including the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts. It is a charming and inventive sequel that showcases Carroll’s creativity and imagination.

In this book, readers are treated to even more wordplay and puzzles than in the first book. The story is also filled with memorable moments, such as the scene where Alice meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and the famous Jabberwocky poem.

The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

The Annotated Alice is a special edition of the Wonderland series that includes annotations and commentary by Martin Gardner. The book provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the countless puzzles and word games that are found throughout the series. It is a must-read for anyone looking to unlock the mysteries of Wonderland.

In this edition, readers can gain a deeper appreciation for the thought and care that Carroll put into crafting his stories. The annotations provide insight into the historical and cultural context of the books, as well as explanations for some of the more obscure references and jokes.

Overall, the Wonderland series is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers of all ages. Whether you are a fan of fantasy, wordplay, or just good storytelling, these books are sure to delight and entertain you.

Delving into Carroll’s Mathematical Works

Lewis Carroll, the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was not only an accomplished writer, but also a brilliant mathematician. His fascination with math and logic is evident in his literary works, including his famous Wonderland series. However, he also published several books on the subject, including A Tangled Tale (1885), The Game of Logic (1887), and Symbolic Logic and the Game of Logic (1896). These books may not be as famous as the Wonderland series, but they are still worth exploring.

A Tangled Tale

A Tangled Tale is a collection of short stories that combine math puzzles and detective stories. The book is a fun read for anyone interested in math puzzles or logic games. Each story is filled with intricate puzzles that require the reader to think outside the box. For example, in one story, a group of travelers must cross a river with a limited number of boats. The reader must figure out how to get everyone across the river without leaving anyone behind. Carroll’s clever use of mathematics and logic makes this book a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good brain teaser.

The Game of Logic

The Game of Logic is a book that teaches logic through the use of symbols and diagrams. The book is aimed at children, but it can be enjoyed by adults as well. It is a fascinating look into the world of logic and problem-solving. Carroll’s unique approach to teaching logic makes the subject accessible and engaging. The book is filled with colorful diagrams and illustrations that help to explain complex concepts in a simple and easy-to-understand way. Whether you are a child or an adult, The Game of Logic is a great way to improve your logical thinking skills.

Symbolic Logic and the Game of Logic

Symbolic Logic and the Game of Logic is a collection of essays that introduce readers to symbolic logic and its applications. The book is a challenging read, but it is also incredibly rewarding. It will help you improve your critical thinking skills and broaden your understanding of the subject. Carroll’s writing style is clear and concise, making even the most complex concepts easy to understand. The book includes a variety of topics, including syllogisms, propositional logic, and predicate logic. It is a great resource for anyone interested in delving deeper into the world of logic and mathematics.

In conclusion, Lewis Carroll’s mathematical works are a testament to his genius. His books are not only entertaining but also educational. Whether you are a fan of math puzzles or logic games, or you simply want to improve your critical thinking skills , Carroll’s books are a great place to start.

Unraveling the Nonsense and Poetry

Lewis Carroll was not only known for his contributions to the literary world, but also for his mastery of nonsense and poetry. His poems are charming, witty, and full of wordplay. They are a delight to read and a testament to his creativity. Carroll’s works continue to inspire and entertain readers of all ages, even to this day.

The Hunting of the Snark

The Hunting of the Snark is a poem about a group of adventurers who set out to catch a mythical creature called the Snark. The poem is full of wordplay and whimsy, and it is a joy to read. The characters in the poem are vividly portrayed, each with their own unique quirks and personalities. The poem also contains many hidden meanings and messages, making it a fascinating read for those who enjoy deciphering puzzles and riddles.

One of the most interesting aspects of The Hunting of the Snark is the way in which Carroll plays with language. He creates new words and phrases, and uses them in unexpected ways. For example, in the poem, the Bellman says:

“For although common Snarks do no manner of harm,

Yet I feel it my duty to say

Some are Boojums–“

The word “Boojum” is a nonsense word that Carroll created, and it has since become a part of popular culture. The poem is full of clever wordplay like this, making it a true masterpiece of nonsense literature.

Jabberwocky and Other Poems

Jabberwocky and Other Poems is a collection of Carroll’s poems that includes the titular poem, which contains many nonsensical words and phrases. The poem is a masterpiece of nonsense and wordplay, and it is one of Carroll’s most famous works. The poem tells the story of a young boy who sets out to slay a fearsome creature called the Jabberwock. Along the way, he encounters many strange and fantastical creatures, and the poem is full of vivid imagery and imaginative language.

One of the most interesting things about Jabberwocky is the way in which Carroll used language to create a sense of mystery and otherworldliness. The poem contains many words that are made up or used in unusual ways, such as “frabjous” and “vorpal”. These words add to the sense of wonder and enchantment that permeates the poem. The poem is a true work of art, and it has inspired generations of readers and writers alike.

Phantasmagoria and Other Poems

Phantasmagoria and Other Poems is a collection of Carroll’s poems that includes several haunting and melancholic pieces. The poems showcase Carroll’s talent for creating atmosphere and evoke a sense of mystery and wonder. The poem “The Little Ghost” tells the story of a ghost who haunts a house, and the poem “Melancholetta” is a melancholic meditation on the passing of time .

What sets Carroll’s poetry apart is his ability to create vivid and memorable characters, even in the context of a short poem. The characters in his poems are often quirky and eccentric, but they are always relatable and endearing. Carroll’s poetry is a true testament to his creativity and imagination, and it continues to captivate readers of all ages.

In conclusion, Lewis Carroll was a multifaceted talent, and his works continue to captivate readers of all ages. Whether you are a fan of his Wonderland series, his mathematical works, or his poetry, there is something for everyone in his body of work. We hope that this article has inspired you to discover the best Lewis Carroll books for yourself and to explore the limitless creativity of this beloved author.

Why is Lewis Carroll controversial?

It is strongly suggested that Lewis Carroll likely romantically pursued young girls during his lifetime. Jenny Woolf, his biographer, has confirmed these suspicions in her book The Mystery of Lewis Carroll.

What inspired Alice in Wonderland?

Alice in Wonderland is based on a real girl called Alice Pleasance Liddell, who Carroll knew personally.

Did Lewis Carroll write anything else?

Carroll wrote other wacky stories involving other worlds and talking creatures. While he is best known for Alice in Wonderland, he also wrote works such as Jabberwocky, The Hunting of the Snark, The Walrus and the Carpenter, and The Game of Logic.

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Book review: “Lewis Carroll – The Worlds of His Alices”

Edward Guiliano recently published his new book “Lewis Carroll – The Worlds of His Alices ”. In it, he discusses the works that Lewis Carroll produced throughout his lifetime and what they tell us about his personality and skills.

When I heard about this book and read its description, I didn’t really know what to expect. Apparently it wasn’t a biography, but an ‘analysis’. I wondered what exactly would be analysed and how deep it would dive into all those topics – as the book seemed to cover numerous works, it possibly couldn’t be very thorough? And how much focus would there be on the ‘Alice’ books (which of course I’m interested in most)?

The publishers were kind enough to provide me with a copy, so I was able to write this review for everyone else who is wondering whether they should purchase this book.

Before I dive into its contents, let me first say that the book is very easy to read. In stead of drearily listing facts, Guiliano succeeds in presenting all the information in an accessible way that doesn’t make you feel like you are studying. I went through the book much quicker than I thought I would. It also helps that the page layout is pleasant: the font is easy on the eyes and the paper is bright and well chosen. As a book is of no use without pictures, several illustrations and photographs can be found throughout the pages at irregular intervals.

Guiliano, a long time Carroll scholar and founding member / former president of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, often quotes from the works of other scholars to paint an even better picture, or to support his own words.

Although the content of the book is well researched, I spotted several errors. I don’t think the author is to blame for this though – they seem to be editorial mistakes. For example, the caption beneath Cameron’s photograph of ‘Alice as Pomona’ states its date as 1862 in stead of 1872. The italics in the quote “For the Snark was a Boojum, you see” are wrong, and note 68 should refer to page 167, not 106-7. And although the book is subtitled “The Worlds of His Alices” , the headings of the pages actually read “The Worl d and His Alices ”. But these are minor issues and don’t take away any of the value of the book.

As some titles of the chapters only really made sense to me after I delved into their contents, I will provide a chapter by chapter description of their topic(s):

• Chapter 1 : A general introduction of how “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” came about.
• Chapter 2 : A discussion of Carroll’s activities before the publication of the ‘Alice’ books. It mainly deals with his photography hobby.
• Chapter 3 : The most biographical section of the book, focused on Carroll’s personality and the apparent discrepancies in his character, and how this retains our interest in him.
• Chapter 4 : A continuation of chapter 3, but focused on the speculations around his pedophilia and drug use, his diaries and his changed relationship with the Liddell family.
• Chapter 5 : This chapter defines the place of the book “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” in literature history, and describes its appeal to children and adults, the illustrations and how those work together with the text, and the features and motifs in the story.
• Chapter 6 : Compares “Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there” with “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (like Alice’s different mood and appearance, and how the story developed very differently). Several poems are looked at in more detail, and story characteristics as well as the abandoned chapter ‘A wasp in a wig’ are discussed.
• Chapter 7 : A discussion of “The Hunting of the Snark”: the reception and interpretation of the poem, its supposed origins in Carroll’s personal anxiety and personal themes like fear of dying, existential dread and the need for order.
• Chapter 8 : A description of Carroll’s other works, including poems, mathematical and logical works, games and puzzles, “Sylvie and Bruno”, and other versions of his ‘Alice’ tales like the facsimile of “Alice’s Adventures Under Ground” and “Nursery Alice”.
• Chapter 9 : About the popularity of Carroll’s works after his death: famous quotes, the reasons behind their persistent popularity, and adaptations by others.

Additionally, the book also contains a short chronological overview of important events in Carroll’s life and a bibliography of his works. Also included are lists of relevant publications from other authors about Carroll or his works, like biographies and analyses and criticism.

Guiliano doesn’t offer his own analysis of the meaning of, or covert references in, any of Lewis Carroll works. What he does do is provide a very comprehensive overview of all of Carroll’s writings and his life. All topics that are covered in the book are discussed quite briefly, not in-depth, but still there’s a wealth of information between the covers, which is very well organized, nicely presented, and easy to digest.

Having read all of it, I have come to the conclusion that this book is a sort of mixture between a biography and a book discussion. The biography is formed step-by-step by presenting several facts about Carroll’s life, supplemented with personality traits and skills that are being derived from an analysis of what he wrote, how he wrote, and how he handled the publication processes and their aftermath.

So, who should read this book? To people who have already studied Carroll and his works thoroughly, the book won’t provide many new facts or insights. For people not aiming to dive deep into the subject and who are just looking for a quick general understanding of the man who wrote the ‘Alice’ books, it may be too much information. I think the book is mainly suitable for people who are already somewhat familiar with Lewis Carroll and one or more of his tales and poems, but want to read more about him. It is also suitable for people who are quite new to the subject but want to update themselves in a short amount of time, as this book is a very efficient way to get an overall idea of the man behind the famous masterworks.

All in all, I recommend this book to both general readers and ‘fans’ who want to get to know Lewis Carroll better by means of his writings.

If you are interested in acquiring a copy yourself: the book is available on Amazon.com as hardcover. If you are from the UK and/or prefer an eBook, you can order it here .

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Alluring musical 'Alice by Heart' contrasts Wonderland with the Underground under attack

London residents hiding from the blitz take on lewis carroll’s characters in kokandy productions’ midwest premiere..

In “Alice by Heart,” Caitlyn Cerza (center, with Niki-Charisse Franco at left and Patrick O’Keefe at right) plays the dual role of a Londoner trying to survive the WWII blitz and the Alice in Wonderland of her imagination.

Evan Hanover

In Kokandy Productions’ Midwest premiere of the alluring musical “Alice by Heart,” fantastical characters from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” emerge like specters from within a war-ravaged London.

Set against the brutal Blitz that saw German bombs raining down on London in the early years of World War II, the 95-minute musical at the Chopin Theatre weaves an intertwined tale of two Alices: one from Carroll’s famous stories, the other hunkered down in the London underground, hoping to survive the bombings while desperately seeking escape in her battered copy of “Alice in Wonderland.”

As the production veers from drama to fantasia and back, co-directors Derek Van Barham (who also choreographs) and Brittney Brown shape a sonically gorgeous and visually beguiling musical that delivers a rueful meditation on grief, loss and the ruthless nature of time.

If that sounds grim, know that “Alice by Heart” is also about full-throttle joy and the crucial importance of celebrating life itself, even when — especially when — it feels like it could end at any moment.

As he did with the Tony-winning “Spring Awakening,” composer Duncan Sheik instills “Alice by Heart” with an intricate, multi-style score. There are raging rockers alongside anthemic ballads and wall-of-sound vocals.

Music director Heidi Joosten (who leads and plays keyboards in a small-but-mighty orchestra composed of Sophie Creutz on reeds, drummer Craig Buckner, cellist Rachel Schuldt and guitarist Samuel Stein) sends the ravishing score coursing through the Chopin Theatre’s basement space.

As for the plot, it grows curiouser and curiouser. The narrative centers on Alice Spencer (Caitlyn Cerza, who also plays Alice in Wonderland), as she clings to her dying tubercular best friend Alfred (Joe Giovannetti, who also plays the perpetually out-of-time White Rabbit) in London’s tube tunnels. Everyone seeking refuge down alongside the duo is in varying degrees of war-induced trauma and shock.

Like Alice and Alfred, everyone is double-cast: Every Londoner has not just a doppelganger but an alter ego in Wonderland.

Schoolboy Nigel (Ezra Borrero, also the enigmatic Dormouse), babbles frantically about a test he has to take at noon. A belligerent Harold Pudding (Will Lidke, who also growls with menace as the Mad Hatter) raves about horrors only he can see. A nameless Red Cross nurse (Niki-Charisse Franco, who also plays a ferociously imperious Queen of Hearts) is overworked to the outermost limit of compassion.

• ‘Atonement,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland’ among the Joffrey Ballet’s upcoming season

As the sirens wail and the lights tremble, Alice Spencer cajoles the others into acting out “Alice in Wonderland,” certain all will be well if they can just escape into her beloved book.

As fictional and historical narratives are braided together, Carroll’s playful verse speaks with pointed relevance to both the circumstances of Wonderland and real life.

When the White Rabbit sings of time’s relentless passage in “Still,” Giovannetti merges exquisite vocals with an undertow of melancholy to maximum emotional impact. When the White Rabbit dourly frets about running out of time, Alfred’s fatal prognosis gives the words an urgent, anxious immediacy.

And when the Cheshire Cat (Mizha Lee Overn) purrs “we’re all mad here,” the words ring true for both the denizens of the Mad Hatter’s belligerent tea party and the anguished Londoners hoping to survive the Blitz.

The ensemble is at its strongest when in song. With the aching opener “West of Words,” Cerza sets the vocal standard while evoking worlds that defy verbal description, be they on earth or in the imagination.

“Chillin’ With Regrets’’ is a trippy showstopper featuring the whiskey-over-gravel vocals of Elliot Esquivel as an unforgettable hookah/gas mask-wielding Caterpillar. The number has pure Jefferson Airplane circa “White Rabbit '' vibes, Esquivel’s slinky, sloe-eyed insect urging all to join him in creepy crawly oblivion.

As the monstrous Jabberwocky, Darian Goulding (he also plays London physician Dr. Butridge) brings an outsize, phantasmagoric menace in “Brillig Braelig,” a number about a grotesque creature of massive malintent. Goulding nails both the humor and the horror.

With “The Key,” Cerza leads the ensemble into a full-force reckoning of the heart, the number ending on a majestic surge of a capella vocals worthy of an amphitheater. She also shines on “I’ve Shrunk Enough,” turning the number into a manifesto.

Playing out on G. “Max” Maxim’s minimalist set — essentially a ramp, a series of platforms and several subtle banks of mirrors — “Alice by Heart” isn’t especially subtle. But as Alfred/the White Rabbit sings of time’s relentless passage in “Still,” one thing becomes clear: “Alice By Heart” is time well-spent.

Review: Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

• By Aditi Ahuja
• In 10-12 years , 8-10 years , Middle Readers , Reviews , Tween Books
• Posted on March 29, 2019 April 24, 2021
• 2 Comments on Review: Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Book: Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland

Author: Lewis Carroll

Type: Paperback

Age: 8-12 years

Written by Lewis Carroll, “Alice In Wonderland” is one of the most famous Victorian classics, which has stood the test of time and still holds its charm amongst young children. It belongs to the genre of nonsensical literature and reading it gives you a sense of how beautifully the author has created visual imagery through fantasy. It somewhere reaches the height of creativity, when you see that there are so many weird characters entering and leaving the story one after the other and Alice’s interaction with them is fun to read.

This book has many versions for different age groups so one must be careful while selecting an age appropriate version for a child. This particular version is for ages 8 and above depending on a child’s reading ability. My 9 year old daughter had found it a little difficult to read and understand it initially as this is classic literature set in Victorian era. Also some kids may find the story in a story format used in this book a little difficult to comprehend. But once you get acquainted and read it with patience and some guidance, it is very interesting. Then, you will want to reach the end!

The story (in all the versions) starts when an adventure-hungry Alice falls down a Rabbit hole. After a long fall she reaches a place which is no less than a wonder world with creatures and happenings one can see and witness in one’s dreams only.

With Alice changing her size at almost every other turn in the story, what makes it an interesting read is how it happens to her. Also each character she meets is abnormal in its own way. My favourite character in the story was the Queen of hearts and her “off with his or her head” statement which she made every now and then.

So was this a dream for Alice or was she witnessing all this in reality…? One has to read the whole book to know the answer.

My daughter has not read it completely but after the initial hiccup, now she is finding it interesting. A must read for people who want themselves to get acquainted with classical literature. I always wanted it to be a part of our collection. The author has done full justice in taking the reader to a wonderland with Alice!!

If you enjoyed the review and would like to buy the book from AMAZON (kbc affiliate link),

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Reader comments.

aditi, when you mentioned you had written a review on alice in wonderland i was skeptical. i thought what does one write about a book everyone knows about?

BUT YOUR REVIEW HAS FLOORED ME!

you have so perfectly narrated your experience, your expectations, your challenges as a parent, and most of all your love for reading so so well!

kudos to you! i feel like reading the book again after reading your wonderful review! thank you for being you!

I agree completely asha. I was also happy that out of all the books that are reviewed here, this is one which most of the people have actually heard or read(including me). So nothing new to review. But Aditi your review is so honest and worth reading and considering the fact that it is a book for kiddos and some may find it difficult.

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Alice in Wonderland - Great Classics for Young Readers: Adapted version for children aged 3 to 7, with illustrations Paperback – July 25, 2024

• Reading age 3 - 7 years
• Print length 77 pages
• Language English
• Dimensions 6 x 0.18 x 9 inches
• Publication date July 25, 2024
• ISBN-13 979-8334131408
• See all details

From the Publisher

Meet unforgettable characters such as the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and many more!

The stories have been rewritten in simple language, keeping the original messages and emotions intact, so that children can immerse themselves in fantastic worlds and timeless adventures.

Join us on this journey through the great classics, and give your young readers the opportunity to grow up with unforgettable stories that will accompany them for a lifetime.

The perfect version of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ for the little ones

Introduce your child to the stories of your childhood.

This book is part of the series of books, ‘Great Classics for Little Readers’ designed to bring your children closer to the stories that have enchanted generations, making them understandable even to the youngest.

Each book in the series is an adapted version of a great classic of literature, simplified and enriched with revised illustrations.

Thanks to this series, your children will be able to discover and appreciate literary masterpieces from their earliest years.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DB82ZFBZ
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (July 25, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 77 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8334131408
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7 years
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.1 ounces
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Theater | Review: Kokandy Production’s ‘Alice by Heart’…

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Theater | review: kokandy production’s ‘alice by heart’ is a complicated musical that reinvents lewis carroll.

Last fall, in the famous Chopin Theatre basement, Van Barham took a worthy stab at “American Psycho,” a bloodbath on Broadway. Now, in collaboration with co-director Brittney Brown, he’s turned his attention to “Alice by Heart,” a musical with a book penned by Steven Sater and a score by Duncan Sheik, the team responsible for the hit 2006 show “Spring Awakening,” a game-changer when it came to innovative Broadway musicals.

“Alice by Heart,” which credits Jesse Nelson as a co-writer, was commissioned and first produced by London’s National Theatre in 2012; it then moved to New York and did poorly off-Broadway. To the best of my knowledge, it’s not been professionally performed in Chicago before. And there’s a reason for that.

As you might expect from the title, “Alice by Heart” is a riff on Lewis Carroll’s novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” In the outer frame, we meet a teenage Alice sheltering in a tube station during the London Blitz in 1941; her young pal Alfred has tuberculosis and is isolated within the shelter. Alice, scared for her pal, disappears into Wonderland, in her mind at least; Alfred (who was played by Ben Platt in an early workshop) morphs into the White Rabbit. Thereafter, we get a meditation on grief, loss, sexual awakening, the loss of childhood innocence and the journey toward self-actualization. (Pretty much the same themes as “Spring Awakening.”)

The book not only doesn’t sufficiently link the outer frame with the “Alice” story, it has too fractured an emotional trajectory, leaving you searching throughout the show for the heart of the story. The real appeal of the show, such as it is, resides in Sheik’s music. If, like me, you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy hearing a plaintive and potent song suite. I’m listening to the beautiful “Afternoon” as I write this piece and “Some Things Fall Away” is quite lovely, too.

Mizha Lee Overn, Joe Giovannetti, Will Lidke and Caitlyn Cerza in "Alice by Heart" by Kokandy Productions. (Evan Hanover)

Patrick O'Keefe with Will Lidke and Elliot Esquivel (back) in "Alice by Heart" by Kokandy Productions. (Evan Hanover)

Joe Giovannetti, Will Lidke and Ezra Borrero with (back) Caitlyn Cerza in "Alice by Heart" by Kokandy Productions. (Evan Hanover)

Caitlyn Cerza, Emily Ling Mei, Darian Goulding and Peter Stielstra in "Alice by Heart" by Kokandy Productions. (Evan Hanover)

Niki-Charisse Franco, Caitlyn Cerza and cast in "Alice by Heart" by Kokandy Productions. (Evan Hanover)

Darian Goulding and Caitlyn Cerza in "Alice by Heart" by Kokandy Productions. (Evan Hanover)

Joe Giovannetti and Caitlyn Cerza in "Alice by Heart" by Kokandy Productions. (Evan Hanover)

Kokandy’s production comes with superb musical direction from Heidi Joosten; it’s far from easy to perform this score with the five-piece orchestra off in the corner and the audience far closer. And the show has wonderful vocalist in the lead role of Alice: I loved hearing Caitlyn Cerza sing and Joe Giovannetti, who plays Alfred, is great, too. Add in some smokey and intense voices elsewhere in the ensemble and all are doing right by Sheik’s music.

That said, much of the comedy feels overplayed for so small a space and Cerza’s Alice is costumed austerely, so that her budding self struggles to break out from the period veneer. And although Van Barham and Brown have put together some very cool visuals, the issues with the book are very hard to overcome. Maybe a simpler production would have been a better choice; it’s just a difficult piece to make fully work, not least because it never seems quite ready to commit to being a full-blown musical.  The big themes are there but are insufficiently traced and developed.

On the way out, I was thinking it was past time for Van Barham, who I admire, to take on some top-drawer material. That way his immense creativity will get a head start.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

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Review: “Alice by Heart” (2.5 stars)

When: Through Sept. 29

Where: Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St.

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Tickets: $45-$55 at Kokandyproductions.com

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