The Annotated Alice

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Lenny's description:

Amazon.com Review:
"What is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations!" Readers who share Alice's taste in books will be more than satisfied with The Annotated Alice, a volume that includes not only pictures and conversations, but a thorough gloss on the text as well. There may be some, like G.K. Chesterton, who abhor the notion of putting Lewis Carroll's masterpiece under a microscope and analyzing it within an inch of its whimsical life. But as Martin Gardner points out in his introduction, so much of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass is composed of private jokes and details of Victorian manners and mores that modern audiences are not likely to catch. Yes, Alice can be enjoyed on its own merits, but The Annotated Alice appeals to the nosy parker in all of us. Thus we learn, for example, that the source of the mouse's tale may have been Alfred Lord Tennyson who "once told Carroll that he had dreamed a lengthy poem about fairies, which began with very long lines, then the lines got shorter and shorter until the poem ended with fifty or sixty lines of two syllables each." And that, contrary to popular belief, the Mad Hatter character was not a parody of then Prime Minister Gladstone, but rather was based on an Oxford furniture dealer named Theophilus Carter. Gardner's annotations run the gamut from the factual and historical to the speculative and are, in their own way, quite as fascinating as the text they refer to. Occasionally, he even comments on himself, as when he quotes a fellow annotator of Alice, James Kincaid: "The historical context does not call for a gloss but the passage provides an opportunity to point out the ambivalence that may attend the central figure and her desire to grow up." And then follows with a charming riposte: "I thank Mr. Kincaid for supporting my own rambling." There's a lot of information in the margins (indeed, the page is pretty evenly divided between Carroll's text and Gardner's), but the ramblings turn out to be well worth the time. So hand over your old copy of Lewis Carroll's classic to the kids--this Alice in Wonderland is intended entirely for adults. --Alix Wilber

Seller's description:
'A landmark, bringing together a lifetime's work on Lewis Carroll by writer and mathematician Martin Gardner. He dazzles on Carroll's puzzles and games of logic and entertains on everything from Alice's influence on the Beat poet Jack Kerouac to how mercury in hat linings turned hatters mad...it is unsurpassed' - Jackie Wullschlager, "Financial Times". 'The indispensable guide to a classic of English literature...no one who has ever wondered about the meaning of 'Jabberwocky' should fail to include on their Christmas list' - Robert McCrum, "Observer".

Product details:

Item number (ASIN): 0452006651
Author: Lewis Carroll
Creator: Gardner, Editor
ISBN: 0452006651
Manufacturer: Plume
Number Of Items: 1
Package Dimensions: 100 x 500 x 700 (hundredths-inches)
Publication Date: July 1, 1974
Publisher: Plume
Binding: Paperback

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Amazon.com customer reviews:

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Amazing book.
This is really the only book any Alice or non-Alice fan should buy. Not only does it have the original stories and is filled with art, but is also filled with amazing information about what is happening within the book. A great buy!

Rating:

- The Definitive Alice
This is without a doubt THE definitive edition for fans of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass...and a great book for those who aren't familiar with the Victorian Era in jokes and references laced throughout both books. It includes all of John Tenniel's original illustrations (along with little tidbits, such as the fact that Tenniel's drawings of Alice are not based upon Alice Liddell but another child acquaintance of Carroll), and provides the sources for all of Carroll's poetry (want to know which historical figures The Lion and the Unicorn were based upon? It's in here...along with the answers to any other questions who can think of). This book is an absolute must for any collector's shelf! I also highly recommend:Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland

Rating:

- You're never too old to go to Wonderland
Don't judge this book based on the Disney movie or anything you've heard about Alice's adventures. Lewis Carroll's delightfully written nonsense tale is a wonder that have to be experienced by everyone, regardless of age or of your taste in books. The printing is of excellent condition and the notes included are very informative and you'll never miss the joke or get bored by reading them.

Rating:

- A Beautiful Classic
Good-size book and type, beautiful illustrations, thourough annotations, one to cozy up in bed - over and over.

Rating:

- Not A Classic
i was expecting a magical story about this wonderful little girl who goes on a great adventure and meets many amazing characters. it turns out Alice is a self centered little girl who annoys the creatures she meets and most of the creatures she meets are annoying too. with the ANNOTATED edition you get to find out Lewis Carroll liked to draw pictures of little girls in the nude. the esteemed scholars who annotate the book claim there was nothing inappropriate going on, but oh by the way, the real Alices mother did eventually prohibit Carroll from seeing her daughter. i guess the Disney folks forgot to put that part in the movie. overall it made for one huge disapointment and you shouldn't buy this story for yourself or your kids. On the plus side, Goodwill Books in Seattle did a great job of shipping the book, so hats off to them.