I finally did it. I read this book. I have loved the characters of Wonderland for years, but I’ve never actually read the book. I’ve seen the animated movie. I’ve seen the Tim Burton movie. The Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter are some of my favorite characters in children’s literature.
I was not disappointed with this book. I was pleasantly surprised by the nonsense and imagination of it. I would have enjoyed it both as a kid, and I enjoyed it as an adult as I saw how silly it was; but also how it shows how adulthood is so silly.
I don’t want to go into a huge analysis of the book (I did that in an essay already). I want to talk about how interesting the world is. This place allows for anything to happen and the only rules are that nonsense rules above all.
Alice encounters oddity after oddity in Wonderland, and the creatures act as if it’s all completely natural. This made me stop clinging to reality and rules that I’ve been taught. I let myself slip into the world of Wonderland where they ask questions like “who are you” and “why is a raven like a writing desk.”
It made me miss the imagination I used to have when I was young. It also made me feel like there was less pressure in adulthood. We think it’s terribly serious, but it’s really not as life or death as we think. We’re all children playing at being adults. Making up arbitrary rules.
I am looking forward to having some free time to read Alice Through the Looking Glass.
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