Books

London: William Heinmann, 1907. Deluxe edition. Near Fine. Number 778 of 1130 copies (30 of which were reserved for presentation), with all 13 color plates on heavy brown paper and 14 illustrations in black and white. Bound in cream publisher's cloth with gilt title and decorations; top edges gilt, other edges untrimmed. A lovely, Near Fine copy of the book with the spine a bit toned and some offsetting to the end papers, otherwise bright and fresh. "On the surface, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a paradise of puns, paradoxes, and anthropomorphism. Underneath, it is a deeply honest portrayal of childhood and adulthood. What unites Carroll's wordplay and analytical anomalies with truth is Alice. Wearing a simple, traditional knee-length dress and pinafore, Alice is more complex and daring than her apparel. She talks to herself (typical of a creative child), is startled by her changing height (a parody of puberty), fumbles through strange, increasingly grown up encounters, and…

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" follows the escapades of a curious young girl named Alice, who, while bored on a riverbank, spots a white rabbit in a waistcoat. She follows it down a rabbit hole and finds herself in a whimsical world. Throughout her journey, Alice encounters peculiar characters like the hookah-smoking Caterpillar, the grinning Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter hosting a nonsensical tea party. She experiences a series of transformations, shrinking and growing, as she navigates through the bizarre landscapes and meets creatures like the March Hare and the Dormouse. The Queen of Hearts, with her penchant for ordering beheadings, adds a touch of absurdity to the already surreal environment. Alice grapples with the nonsensical rules of Wonderland, engaging in peculiar conversations that highlight the absurd logic of this fantastical realm. As she tries to find her way home, she faces challenges, solves riddles, and discovers that the reality of Wonderland often defies logic. Ultimately, Alice's adventures culminate in her realizing that the world she encountered was a dream. She wakes up on the riverbank, pondering the strange and wonderful events she experienced in Wonderland, leaving readers with a blend of imagination, whimsy, and thought-provoking absurdity. Carroll's tale remains a classic exploration of childhood, curiosity, and the unpredictable nature of dreams.