The Annotated Alice by Lewis Carroll
The Annotated Alice: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll; edited by Martin Gardner; expanded and updated by Mark Burstein: Original illustrations by John Tenniel. (2015)
“Go ask Alice, when she’s ten feet tall.” When Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane wailed those lyrics in 1967, she brought Lewis Carroll’s famed White Rabbit to the consciousness of the changing American society in the late 1960s. But did it ever leave?
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been popular since its publication in 1865. Queen Victoria and Oscar Wilde were both fans of the book. So am I. After multiple readings of this classic adventure, I still find it fresh and rewarding. It’s all action and emotion rolled into a fun story that expands the reader’s imagination while it entertains. This is a fun book.
Simply reading this book is fun enough, but the notes contained in the new annotated edition help define what mathematician Carroll had created in his fantasy world. The notes add historical context and explain the political and social environments that influenced Carroll while he was writing Alice.
In addition, there are over 100 remarkable illustrations. 1920s illustrations of Alice depict her as a flapper! My favorite are from artist Salvador Dalí. He captures the surreal imagination of the story as only he can.
If you haven’t yet experienced the literary delight that is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this new beautiful edition is the place to start.
The Milwaukee Public Library owns a rare collection of Salvador Dalí illustrations from 1969 that are totally worth checking out. You can make an appointment to view this work by calling the Art, Music and Recreation Department at the Central Library at (414) 286-7071.
Dan @ Central