Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

March 1, 2002
An edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll contains all of Arthur Rackham's original artwork from the 1907 edition (published after Sir John Tenniel's illustrations). Pen-and-inks dot the text; full-page paintings, such as one sepia-toned frame showing Alice, in a delicate rose-patterned dress, addressing the hookah-smoking Caterpillar, plus a sewn-in satin bookmark make this an elegant gift choice.

The BBC's dramatization of Carroll's children's classic will transport listeners of all ages to the nonsensical world of Wonderland. Sarah-Jane Holm, as Alice, gives a stellar performance, often rendering her urgency as she tries to communicate with all the imaginative characters she encounters. Roy Hudd performs the role the Mad Hatter, and David Bamber is the frantic White Rabbitt. The use of sound effects--from chirping birds to echoes and the opening and closing of cupboard doors--contributes to the delightful experience. At just two hours, this will be a perfect selection for family listening during vacation travels. K.M.D. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine


The time-honored puns, delightful logic, and surreal scenes in ALICE weave in and out of contemporary animations, commercials, rock videos and, most recently, computer games. To narrate the work is to take on the daunting task of performing a well-known classic. Narrator David Horovitch and a host of London-based voice talents read their parts with almost too much reverence. They know it is a classic and deliver it as such, making these fine performances sound slightly rote. The Queen sounds angry. The caterpillar--sleepy. Alice--very Victorian. It all has the nineteenth-century feel of adults presenting children's literature to children. Somewhere out there Lewis Carroll may be responding with a Cheshire smile. B.P. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine