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Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Red Queen and the White Rabbit all make their appearances, and are now familiar figures in writing, conversation and idiom. So too are Carroll’s delightful verses such as The Walrus and the Carpenter and the inspired jargon of that masterly Wordsworthian parody, The Jabberwocky.

I’ve had this beautiful slipcased edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for a couple of years now, and I finally decided to pick it up! I read my cute little Wordsworth edition of Alice in Wonderland as part of the Bookoplathon last weekend, but I noticed it didn’t include Through the Looking Glass. Luckily, my illustrated edition included both stories and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to pick up this copy and read alongside the full colour illustrations.

This was, without a doubt, the most nonsensical book I have ever read. Reading this book is like witnessing somebody’s wildest dreams or, unsurprisingly, hallucinations. I often felt like I had missed out massive chunks of the story, only to realise it was just the way this book is paced and how often it jumps around from one scene to another. I found a great sense of comfort in knowing I could let this book just wash over me and not worry about it making sense because well, it wasn’t about to make sense no matter how much attention I paid to the words on the pages.

How long is forever?

I also found I couldn’t put this book down – not because I was wondering what was going to happen, but purely because I was finding it so much fun. If this book is anything, it is incredibly entertaining, and I found a lot of enjoyment in seeing where the rabbit hole took me. I think I was comforted because this felt very much like a re-read to me, even though I can’t remember having actually read the story before. I do know the story well and have seen the Tim Burton movie (or at least, parts of it), which is probably why it felt so familiar to me. I feel like in a sense, this is a story most of us grow up with in one way or another, even if we are just merely aware of the characters

Sometimes just one second.

This was such a fantastical world that feels so vivid and full of life through the weird and wonderful characters embodied within it’s pages. I’m sure it will become a story that stays with me throughout my life and I read again and again.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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