Through The Looking-Glass

Alice's second set of adventures takes her into a world even curiouser than Wonderland. She finds herself caught up in the great looking-glass chess game and sets off to become a queen. It isn't as easy as she thinks: at every step she is hindered by nonsense characters who crop up and insist on reciting poems. Some of these, such as "The Walrus and the Carpenter" and "Jabberwocky", have become as famous as the Alice stories themselves.

ISBN 1405055685   DEWEY edition DC22 ISBN13 9781405055680 (What's this?)   Pages 256 Publisher Pan Macmillan   Published in London Imprint Macmillan Children's Books   Height (mm) 242 Format Paperback   Width (mm) 180 Publication date 06 Oct 2006   Academic level Children (6-12) Illustrator Sir John Tenniel   Interest age 5-7 Writer of foreword Philip Pullman   Alternative ISBN 9781883049416 DEWEY 823.8

Whilst its probably more popular predecessor, 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', is pure delight, it was reading the sequel that kindled my passion for literature proper. I first read 'Through the Looking-Glass' at a rather older age than most but it is this book that inspired the continued enthusiasm I have since had for children's literature - as defined by C.S. Lewis as those writings published first as if only for children but which over time come to be more read and enjoyed by older audience. In essence, this book defines exactly what children really are - a definition independent of age and thus not arbitrary.

'Wonderland' was a landmark in literature but it was 'Looking-Glass' that set the standard proper. 'Wonderland' revolutionized literature by relating non-didactic and non-moralizing nonsense in a class of literature that had conventionally been didactic, moralizing and rational. That there is sense to be found in these nonsense is well known, but it was in 'Looking-Glass' when Carroll succeeded in marrying sense to that nonsense truly successfully. A fantastical fairy tale, an escapist fantasy, an exploration of dream, a psychological emulation of childhood that does not sleep past a certain age, all are interwoven into this masterpiece fabric. It is the highest of art to convey complexity with nonsense; to use nonsense - which cannot be sharply and rationally defined - to illustrate an inexplicable complexity is genius that transcends the highest art, sublimely beautiful. That it does not take the reader to be conscious of all these to enjoy it because of all these - that it is - makes it my, so far, most favourite book: an absolute benchmark for children's literature. Carroll's perfectionism resulted in a worthy publication that children deserve. Tenniel's illustrations have improved even further since 'Wonderland'. His exquisite draughtsmanship is a masterpiece by any standard not just of illustration. His illustrations construe and visualize Carroll's polished text so perfectly that they are integral to the book, so much so that they have become the archetypal visions of Carroll's world and characters in our culture. Nothing less than to be expected from what complement Carroll's polished text to perfectionist Carroll's satisfaction. - Chatvarin Louphrasitthiphol



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