Showing posts with label alice's adventures in Wonderland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alice's adventures in Wonderland. Show all posts

Saturday, 6 September 2025

Alice160: Reading Alice's adventures in Wonderland, in French, for the first time

 


(Photo source: Le boncoin, Magnard/Classiques et Patrimoine Alice au pays des Merveilles, schools edition. I highly recommend this edition for B1/B2 french learners. The footnotes make it way easier)

NOTE: Since much of this post is about reading the Alice novels for the first time or in a new language, it might interest you to know that the North American Lewis Carroll Society offers free readings of the novels to US schools. You can donate to this project here (Choose the Memorial fund option)

My first ever encounter, aged 7, with Carroll's novels (then Wonderland, I didn't read Looking-Glass until I was about 9 or 10) was with a dictionary in one hand, and the book in the other. I remember the dictionary was heavy, it was one of those that my family had sellotaped to stop it from pulling apart MANY times. I had to look up a lot of words on that first reading. No 7 year old alive in the last 2 centuries would know what a "bathing-machine" was, nor a "quadrille" unless they were very into dance. Despite the hard words, it didn't matter. I can't quite remember what my feelings on first reading were, except that this 100 + year old book somehow spoke to me in the way at the time 2000s era children's fiction could, only really half do.


(Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) 's original vision of Alice and the croquet game, illustrated in
Alice's adventures Underground manuscript)

In Wonderland, no adult or animal makes sense, Alice is (at least a first time reader who doesn't know the ending reads) alone with no help. She must rely on her own intelligence and her own perceptions. The things she is taught by other people, school, authority: lessons, poems, don't work in a chaotic world that is upside down. Alice is strong willed, and, for the most part, isn't really afraid of anything that gets thrown at her. Sure, Alice's adventures aren't real in narrative, they are a long, strange, asleep-for -too-long dream. The idea is one any reader can relate to, since we've all likely had at least one memorable one in our lives. Alice herself is brilliantly eccentric. Carroll informs us, Alice in the real world loves to pretend to be two people, views her cats as her best friends and equal to people, and maybe even scares the people around her a little. Its this that makes her such a fascinating and brilliant character, and somehow film and TV versions often fail to capture this part of Alice's personality. 



This summer, as part of my French learning attempts, I read Alice's adventures in Wonderland for the first time in another language. It was partly like going back to being 7 again. Lots of words I didn't know. Here a whole tense (Passé Simple) that was partly new to me. The translation I read was the very first one into French, from 1869, by Henri Bué. With footnotes for some words, of course. Bué's translation is for the most part very faithful to Carroll's text, except that its wonderfully french-ified. Alice attempts to speak Italian to the mouse, recites "monsieur corbeau" (mister crow, a fontaine fable, based on the crow and the fox) wrongly, and the Hatter recites a distortion of "ah vous dirai-je" a famous french Victorian nursery rhyme, with the exact same tune as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Little things here and there transplant the story not to Victorian England Oxford but to somewhere in the France French campagne (countryside) and this works brilliantly. 

There are, I'm sure, jokes I missed in Bué's translation, as an early B1 french learner, I'm almost certain. Then again, I missed quite a few jokes on my first reading of Wonderland in English aged 7/8, and that didn't stop me. 



I think sometimes when carrollians worry that children or teenagers will never pick up Carroll's books, and will never enjoy them "now". That publishers must produce abridged editions even for children who are old enough to read the two classics (I don't think age 7/8 is too young an age, even if all jokes aren't understood) We forget how some children will always be drawn to these stories naturally, including all the Victorian words that they don't understand. Folio Junior in France (in an edition I don't have) has footnotes, and a explanation of the author and characters and their world at the back after the novel itself ends. Puffin Classics in the UK do similar but somehow don't have footnotes for some words (why is this?) But, if a child connects with the novels, trust me, they won't really care about what a few words are, and might just look things up just to know. For some people, reading Carroll just fits their personality, or is a way of reading about dreams, or gives them a way of understanding a bizarre, complex world (which the adult world very much is, Carroll knew this as much as anyone) 

I think despite all the complex readings (and sometimes total mis-readings) us adults have given Carroll's two little books, to forget that they were intended for the enjoyment of the 3 Liddell sisters (all under 14 at the time of hearing these tales) is to deny ourselves of both these stories true meaning: fun, and things to read that aren't lessons. Any child can relate and will always relate to that.

Saturday, 4 April 2020



she was a little startled by seeing the Cheshire Cat sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off. The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good- natured, she thought: still it had VERY long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
Illustration of Alice and the Cheshire Cat for Carroll's Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Elizabeth Alba

Thursday, 5 March 2020



So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been. But her sister sat still just as she left her, leaning her head on her hand, watching the setting sun, and thinking of little Alice and all her wonderful Adventures.

Art source: moniquecorrales via day-and-moonlight-dreaming



Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter’s tea party. Art by shughesillustration

Monday, 10 February 2020



`Who are YOU?’ said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, `I—I hardly know, sir, just at present— at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.’

(Photo is by an unknown source.) 

Thursday, 19 December 2019

taryndraws:
“ Down the rabbit hole is one of my favorite parts of the book and film, so of course I had to draw it eventually! I had fun with all the little details. 🐇 💕
”

Alice falling down the rabbit hole by Taryndraws (now defunct sadly) 
“She came upon a neat little house, on the door of which was a bright brass plate with the name `W. RABBIT’ engraved upon it.
”
Art by John “Jay” Glenn for Carroll’s Alice’s adventures in Wonderland.

She came upon a neat little house, on the door of which was a bright brass plate with the name `W. RABBIT’ engraved upon it.

Art by  John “Jay” Glenn for Carroll’s Alice’s adventures in Wonderland.
courtneygodbey:
“ Down the Rabbit Hole
”
Alice by Courtneygodbey
“ `But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: `we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’
”
Alice and the Cheshire Cat by Milo Walker for Carroll’s Alice’s adventures in Wonderland

`But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: `we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’

Alice and the Cheshire Cat by Milo Walker for Carroll’s Alice’s adventures in Wonderland.

 Sadly the source is now defunct. 
providencepubliclibrary:
“ From the Digital Bodleian, Lewis Carroll’s sketch for Alice, swimming in the pool of tears. Click on the image for a larger view.
Thanks to @upennmanuscripts for a reminder to visit that site.
”

From the Digital Bodleian, Lewis Carroll’s sketch for Alice, swimming in the pool of tears.
Image via Providencepubliclibary  

Wednesday, 18 December 2019

“ this time she found a little bottle on it, (`which certainly was not here before,’ said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words `DRINK ME’ beautifully printed on it in large letters.
”
Nevluk after John Tenniel...

this time she found a little bottle on it, (`which certainly was not here before,’ said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words `DRINK ME’ beautifully printed on it in large letters.

Nevluk after John Tenniel for Carroll’s Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. 

Via Idiot-Cola




Dorospic’s utterly beautiful Tenniel-homaging illustrations for Carroll’s Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. 
flippingmyfins:
“ alice in wonderland 🐇 #streetart #pdx #downtherabbithole (at Portland, Oregon)
”

Alice in Wonderland street art in Portland, Oregon, US.

Via Flippingmmyfins

Tuesday, 22 October 2019

“Alice”, from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll.
thecolormonster:
“ INKTOBER #9
“Alice and the Pig Baby” ”
An “Alice in Wonderland” illustration: “A Mad Tea-Party”“The Queen of Hearts” from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”Flamingo Croquet by Daniel Fernández


Alice, Alice and pig baby, A Mad Tea Party, The Queen of Hearts and Flamingo Croquet, by  Daniel Fernandez for Alice's adventures in Wonderland

These are some of my favourite illustrations. I just LOVE these! 

Thursday, 17 October 2019

Plum Awards 2019: My personal favourite entries

This year's annual competition for Children's illustrators Plum Awards had an Alice's adventures in Wonderland theme. 

As to be expected the illustrations ranged from inventive and based on the novel to based on the characters only.

For this little image gallery I selected illustrations that correspond with Carroll only. 

I could have honestly chosen a thousand of these illustrations but here is a few of my favourites. These illustrate (!) the wonderful diversity of artists and art in this completion. 

Sadly none of my favourites made the final cut (you can see who the winner was here




Catherin Peterslund's interpretation of Alice and the White Rabbit. 


Mónica de la Torre's Alice



otenyakova's interpretation of the Lobster Quadrille. 



Trudi Murray's "anti-establishment" teenage Alice and the Queen of Hearts 



Ernica Root's thoroughly modern Alice. Taken from a 1 page large spread. 



Floss Pottage's Alice






















Jemma Jamie Skidmore's Alice and the White Rabbit (cropped from larger photo by me)



Anastasia Lü's interpretation of a ukranian Alice falling down the rabbit hole.


Katherine Ahmed's Indian Alice


Zuzanna Turek's Alice reciting how doth the little crocodile 

Sunday, 15 September 2019



Orange Marmalade by dagmar berkova for Alice's adventures in Wonderland

I LOVE Berkova's illustrations for both Wonderland and Looking Glass. Should really get a copy... 

Thursday, 29 August 2019


 
`Stuff and nonsense!' said Alice loudly. `The idea of having the sentence first!'   `Hold your tongue!' said the Queen, turning purple. `I won't!' said Alice. 
Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll's) original illustration of Alice and the Queen of Hearts for Alice's adventures Under Ground/Alice's adventures in Wonderland.

(Image via Alice'sillustratedaventures)

Sunday, 18 August 2019

Unknown illustrator, possibly modeled after Michael Forman’s illustrations

 suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

Unknown illustrator for Alice's adventures in Wonderland, possibly modelled after one of Michael Forman’s illustrations. Found via pinterest.