Last night the girls and I finished "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. Did you know this novel was written in 1865? I have a pretty old copy (I'm sure it isn't from 1865) that has wonderful illustrations in it by John Tenniel (same illustrations in this post). Lydia has quite enjoyed me reading it to her. Whenever I had to put it away in the evenings Lydia was so disappointed. She always wanted me to read just a little bit more. Adelle has listened to most of the novel as well. Adelle remarked at times how it was different than the movie. At first she thought I was getting it wrong, but then I explained that the book was made before the Disney movie.
Most everyone is familiar with the classic tale of the English girl falling down the rabbit hole to a land of wonder and often complete nonsense. Reading through the book as an adult I wondered why the story was so silly at times. I was intrigued by the ugly duchess who sings a strange song about how she beats her baby. It goes "Speak roughly to your little boy, And beat him when he sneezes; He only does it to annoy, Because he knows it teases". Alice of course is appalled by the women and tries to save this baby, which actually ends up turning into a pig and runs off into the forest for a much happier life.
The story is full of imaginative images and reminds me of how as a child I would imagine falling into my own strange worlds filled with wonder, and yes even some darkness. As a child I didn't want my worlds to be all joy and happy endings. I enjoyed the struggles against the evil things of the world and the struggle to try and conquer the darkness!
I hadn't remembered the last part of the book, which seemed to be speaking to the adults reading the novel. Alice's sister is sitting on the river bank pondering on the strange dream that her sister has woken from. The book closes with this "Lastly, she pictured to herself how this sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long-ago: and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child - life, and the happy summer days".
Doesn't that just say it all? I thought so. We can make our children's lives so much more the magical and wonderful. I love books!
The only question now is what to read next. I am leaning towards "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett, or perhaps we will read "Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll. I haven't read the later one myself.
Do you have any suggestions?
