I'm Reading...

First sentence: “Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it ‘and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice ‘without pictures or conversation?’”

P. ??: “Alice caught the baby with some difficulty, as it was a queer-shaped little creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, ‘just like a star-fish’, thought Alice.”

Last sentence: “Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood: and how she would gather about her other little children, and make THEIR eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.”

Although this is a children’s book, it really is a magnificent read for grown-ups too. The story is certainly enchanting, but there are a lot of layers that you perhaps miss as a child, but that you can discover and enjoy when grown-up. I especially like the play with language, and that was the reason I re-read it.

Illustrations by Salvador Dali: http://www.laboiteverte.fr/salvador-dali-illustre-alice-au-pays-des-merveilles/