- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 2 hours and 57 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Listening Library
- Audible.com Release Date: September 16, 2008
- Language: English
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on
the river bank, and of having nothing to do...when suddenly a White
Rabbit with pink eyes ran by her. Alice did not think it so very strange
to hear the Rabbit say to itself, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too
late!" But when the Rabbit actually took a watch out of its waistcoat
pocket and then hurried on, she started to wonder! Running after the
strange fellow, she was just in time to see it pop down a large
rabbit-hole. Down jumped Alice after it (never considering how in the
world she was to get out again) and she tumbled into a curious world
inhabited by the Mad Hatter, the Ugly Duchess, the Mock Turtle, the
Cheshire Cat, and more...With his marvelous sense of the absurd,
Lewis Carroll's whimsical, fantastical tale delighted children and
adults when it was first published in 1865 and has since become a
treasured classic of literature.
(P)2008 Random House, Inc.
So, what's a 47 year old doing reviewing a classic children's book?
Well, it occurred to me as I was looking through the available books on
my Kindle, that many of the free ones (yes I'm quite open to free as an
option) that there were many books that I assumed I knew because I had
seen movies, seen summarized in some other form or simply because they
were cultural icons and "everybody" knows these books.
Many I have indeed read and did read as I was younger. However, now with a Kindle and a commute, it seemed a perfect opportunity to address some of those elements lacking in my basic reading. It was in this spirit that I down loaded Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and read through it is a remarkably short period of time. Many of these free books on the Kindle, are in the public domain and have been available in text or PDF files for quite some time. A simple conversion in format is all that is required to make it available. The question I asked as I read the book, is does the experience of reading it in this format take away anything from the experience. Children's Literature in particular is often about more than just the words on a page. Of course there are often illustrations, the physical book itself takes on dimensions that are bigger than usual. This adds to the experience of a child reading the book by themselves but in particular it adds to the experience of a child being read to who can then sit in a lap or look as the book as presented and share in the experience by learning to read or reinforcing reading skills.
So, for a aging kid who needs something to read to round out his cultural iconic missing links this worked just fine. However, for those seeking to have an experience with their kids in reading a classic piece of literature, I'd not recommend it in that venue.
As to the story itself, there's little I can say. In some ways, it's like reading a familiar story but in others it's amazing how much can be lost or glossed over in the pop-cultural offerings that sprang from it. Reading this piece of classic literature gives you some insight not only into the time it came from, but also into the heart of childhood that is timeless and can be recaptured at least in part, if we'll pause and exercise our imagination.
4 stars. Absolutely 5 stars as far as the story goes. Because this specifically addresses the Kindle edition, a drop of a star so that any considering reading this to their children from a kindle, consider what might be lost by not obtaining a more traditional copy complete with illustrations and the opportunity to share at a level one notch above what the Kindle offers in this context.
Perhaps something like this Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Take some time and look for what will work best for you and your intended audience.
bart breen
Many I have indeed read and did read as I was younger. However, now with a Kindle and a commute, it seemed a perfect opportunity to address some of those elements lacking in my basic reading. It was in this spirit that I down loaded Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and read through it is a remarkably short period of time. Many of these free books on the Kindle, are in the public domain and have been available in text or PDF files for quite some time. A simple conversion in format is all that is required to make it available. The question I asked as I read the book, is does the experience of reading it in this format take away anything from the experience. Children's Literature in particular is often about more than just the words on a page. Of course there are often illustrations, the physical book itself takes on dimensions that are bigger than usual. This adds to the experience of a child reading the book by themselves but in particular it adds to the experience of a child being read to who can then sit in a lap or look as the book as presented and share in the experience by learning to read or reinforcing reading skills.
So, for a aging kid who needs something to read to round out his cultural iconic missing links this worked just fine. However, for those seeking to have an experience with their kids in reading a classic piece of literature, I'd not recommend it in that venue.
As to the story itself, there's little I can say. In some ways, it's like reading a familiar story but in others it's amazing how much can be lost or glossed over in the pop-cultural offerings that sprang from it. Reading this piece of classic literature gives you some insight not only into the time it came from, but also into the heart of childhood that is timeless and can be recaptured at least in part, if we'll pause and exercise our imagination.
4 stars. Absolutely 5 stars as far as the story goes. Because this specifically addresses the Kindle edition, a drop of a star so that any considering reading this to their children from a kindle, consider what might be lost by not obtaining a more traditional copy complete with illustrations and the opportunity to share at a level one notch above what the Kindle offers in this context.
Perhaps something like this Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Take some time and look for what will work best for you and your intended audience.
bart breen
By
B. Breen "Canuckster1127" (Sterling, VA USA)
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