I can’t recall having ever read these books as a child. Working my way through the Guardian 1000 novels list, I’ve plucked all of the books off my shelves that are on the list that I haven’t yet read. I’ve had a copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass for years.
I’m sure everyone knows the main theme of the story – Alice follows a white rabbit down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world, filled with talking creatures and magical food, and in Through the Looking Glass Alice slips into a mirror world, which is largely shaped around a giant game of chess.
I think the joy of these stories is in the fantastical creatures and scenarios. The characters do and say the strangest things, and are described so clearly that you really do feel like you’re looking at how you imagined things as a child. Alice as a central character carries the story along.
I found the stories didn’t have much of a direction, though I’m sure that as a child this wouldn’t have troubled me at all – maybe it’s only as an adult that I expect a story to follow a clear structure. It was worth reading these books, as they paint such a lovely picture of a different world. I did enjoy stepping back into my younger imagination.
