Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Ebook138 pages1 hour

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a young girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course, structure, characters, and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. (Wikipedia)
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 17, 2019
ISBN9783965373082
Author

Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 - 14 January 1898), more commonly known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was a scholar and lecturer of mathematics at Christ Church in Oxford. Despite his high capability and intellect as a distinguished professor in the public eye, it is his private work that has earned his name immortality and the attention of droves of literary scholars fascinated by his life. The use of the pen name was prompted by a fear that his peers and colleagues would cruelly judge and ridicule him for the nonsense he had created. It is often speculated that perhaps because of his vast knowledge of the logic and laws of mathematics that Carroll developed a taste and love for literary nonsense that abides by no rules. His absolute adoration for Alice Liddell, the daughter of the dean of Christ Church, seems to be the other major source of inspiration behind the classic novels. The relationship between Carroll and Alice has provoked discussion amongst scholars. It is speculated that he may have once had intentions of courting and marrying the girl who was 20 years younger than him when she became of age. Carroll's personal diary suggests their close relationship caused his connection with the Liddell family to fracture permanently. His personal studio and collection of photographs and paintings of female children (portrayed clothed and also nude) have also added to the controversy. To many of his friends, he was able to convince them that the work was of a non-erotic nature, but interviews with several of those who personally knew Carroll make the argument for a different story.

Read more from Lewis Carroll

Related to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Related ebooks

General Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

    ALICE'S ADVENTURES

    IN WONDERLAND

    'Tis two score years since Carroll's art,

    With topsy-turvy magic,

    Sent Alice wondering through a part

    Half-comic and half-tragic.

    Enchanting Alice! Black-and-white

    Has made your deeds perennial;

    And naught save Chaos and old Night

    Can part you now from Tenniel ;

    But still you are a Type, and based

    In Truth, like Lear and Hamlet ;

    And Types may be re-draped to taste

    In cloth-of-gold or camlet.

    Here comes afresh Costumier, then;

    That Taste may gain a wrinkle

    From him who drew with such deft pen

    The rags of Rip Van Winkle !

    AUSTIN DOBSON.

    All in the golden afternoon

    Full leisurely we glide;

    For both our oars, with little skill,

    By little arms are plied,

    While little hands make vain pretence

    Our wanderings to guide.

    Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour,

    Beneath such dreamy weather,

    To beg a tale of breath too weak

    To stir the tiniest feather!

    Yet what can one poor voice avail

    Against three tongues together?

    Imperious Prima flashes forth

    Her edict to begin it

    In gentler tone Secunda hopes

    There will be nonsense in it!

    While Tertia interrupts the tale

    Not more than once a minute.

    Anon, to sudden silence won,

    In fancy they pursue

    The dream-child moving through a land

    Of wonders wild and new,

    In friendly chat with bird or beast—

    And half believe it true.

    And ever, as the story drained

    The wells of fancy dry.

    And faintly strove that weary one

    To put the subject by,

    The rest next time— "It is next time!"

    The happy voices cry.

    Thus grew the tale of Wonderland:

    Thus slowly, one by one,

    Its quaint events were hammered out—

    And now the tale is done,

    And home we steer, a merry crew,

    Beneath the setting sun.

    Alice! a childish story take,

    And with a gentle hand

    Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined

    In Memory's mystic band,

    Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers

    Pluck'd in a far-off land.

    CHAPTER I

    Down the Rabbit-Hole

    LICE was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, and what is the use of a book, thought Alice, without pictures or conversations?

    So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid) whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

    There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late! (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

    In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.

    The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down what seemed to be a very deep well.

    Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time? she said aloud. I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down. I think— (for, you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) —yes, that's about the right distance—but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I've got to? (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)

    Presently she began again. "I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downwards! The Antipathies, I think—" (she was rather glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the right word) —but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia? (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke—fancy curtseying as you're falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) And what an ignorant little girl she'll think me! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.

    Down, down, down. There was nothing else to do, so Alice soon began talking again. Dinah'll miss me very much to-night, I should think! (Dinah was the cat.) I hope they'll remember her saucer of milk at tea-time. Dinah, my dear, I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, I'm afraid, but you might catch a bat, and that's very like a mouse, you know. But do cats eat bats, I wonder? And here Alice began to get rather sleepy, and went on saying to herself, in a dreamy sort of way, Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? and sometimes, Do bats eat cats? for, you see, as she couldn't answer either question, it didn't much matter which way she put it. She felt that she was dozing off, and had just begun to dream that she was walking hand in hand with Dinah, and saying to her very earnestly, Now, Dinah, tell me the truth: did you ever eat a bat? when suddenly, thump! thump! down she came upon a heap of sticks and dry leaves, and the fall was over.

    Alice was not a bit hurt, and she jumped up on to her feet in a moment: she looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage, and the

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1