Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass [A.R.N. Publications]

By: Lewis Carroll

Narrated by: Jen Rhodes

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Two all-time classic stories brought together in a single book, written by English author Lewis Carroll. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, commonly referred to as Alice in Wonderland is a tale of a young girl who falls down a large rabbit hole and finds herself in a fantasy world filled with every kind of creature imaginable including the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar and the King of Hearts!

Through the Looking Glass follows a similar tale as Alice enters another world of fantasy as she climbs through a mirror which she can see more than her reflection. Some of the more popular characters from this book include Humpty Dumpty, Bandersnatch, and the Red King.

©2014 A.R.N. Publications (P)2014 A.R.N. Publications

Narration was a perfect fit!!

Jen Rhodes' reading stirs up the very emotions in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that were so powerful the first I heard this story as a child. Each character in the beloved book has a unique voice and personality, making it extremely easy to recognize who is "speaking" at that moment. It is one thing to read the book in text form; it is another to hear the traces of a cackle in the Queen of Heart's voice, the playful innocence of Alice when she speaks, and the mysterious musings behind the voices of the Mad Tea Party attendants.

The set features not one, but two stories of Alice as she traverses Wonderland and later Looking-Glass World in Through the Looking Glass. While listening to the audio, it was much easier to envision the different trials and tasks that Alice found herself facing throughout both books. It is truly as much of an adventure for the reader and listener as it is for Alice herself! If you loved reading about Alice as a child, then this audio book is the perfect addition to your collection as an adult. It might just spark your sense of adventure and your childlike curiosity once more!

not something I would normally listen too.

I don't think I would have listened to this story by myself. it was on a list of books I should so read so that's why I picked it. good story though and went along rather good, just wasn't something I'm into though.

Wonderful Narrative!

If you could sum up Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass in three words, what would they be?

I would say that it's a kooky, dreamlike state of a novel that helps enrich and encourage your own creativity as you imagine the scenes that Carroll describes.

What other book might you compare Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to and why?

It may seem bizarre, but I would almost compare it to some of the Greek mythology simply because of the craziness behind the characters and situation. While Alice's story is much more light hearted (most of the time) it possesses the same extremely creative creatures and landscape.

What about Jen Rhodes’s performance did you like?

She's an extremely talented narrator who adds depth and personality to each character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I didn't really find it to be a moving story. It was more entertaining and almost comical.

Any additional comments?

While I grew up hearing the story of Alice in Wonderland, I realized in college that I had never actually read the entire book and that there were multiple sections that had been completely left out of the versions I’d heard. So I’d placed it on my “To Read” list for some future date. Unfortunately with a toddler son, it’s practically impossible to find time to sit down and read.

A friend of mine recommended this version to me. I was able to listen to the full story of Alice Through the Looking Glass while still taking care of my son. And I was not disappointed. There were so many parts that I had no idea existed!

The quality is fantastic and the narrator is clear toned, easy to understand, and throws in her own charming personality into the characters. I very much enjoyed this audio version of the story and highly recommend it.

Bravo!

The reader did a wonderful job of impersonating the individual characters while keeping the story moving along. NOT a dull experience!

Excellent Rendition!

If you could sum up Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass in three words, what would they be?

Jen Rhodes delivered this book with an intention to completely leave the listeners captivated to this eventful story. The characters were crafted uniquely and Rhodes made each one of them shine in their roles. The adventures, suspense and climax are magical. A classic story that goes by in a flash! A must listen!

Dreadful Nonsense, Indeed

My review is primarily a reflection on the book itself. In short: this title simply didn't do anything for me. Far and away, this is my least favorite title in my entire Audible library (1.5 years; 30+ titles).

The first three chapters of Wonderland were actually engaging. My first thought: "dear god, this is indeed the life of a software engineer (my profession)." The laws of physics change with every new bug and discovery, open doors are too small to go through, etc. I saw the parallels between adolescence, the manic chase for time, the lunacy of government, etc.

From there, it was all downhill. Do you like cutesy wordplay for five hours straight? How about non-sequitur scene changes? If so, this book is for you. Otherwise, run far way into the woods from this title. I certainly reflected whether or not this book is a lithmus test of whether one is still a child at heart (I'm 39-years-old at the time of this review). I decided that I don't think I would have liked this book 30 years ago--perhaps it's just my personality that's turned off by this style of absurdism.

The hook to keep reading was the second book. "Perhaps this gets better with Looking Glass." Nope. By the end, I was just letting the book roll to get it over with.

As for Rhodes, the performance and recording seemed a touch minor league. I can't put my finger on it--perhaps my distaste for the book tainted my impression of Rhodes. To be sure, Rhodes certainly was enthusiastic in her reading.