Reviews

Through the Looking-Glass: And What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

blakinho's review against another edition

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4.0

This book (and the first one) are such a simple, fantastical, joy to read. Childhood wonder ♥

emmykatt1453's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

zzuzana's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

happylilkt's review against another edition

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4.0

The waiters set a leg of mutton before Alice, who looked at it rather anxiously, as she had never had to carve a joint before.

"You look a little shy; let me introduce you to that leg of mutton," said the Red Queen. "Alice—Mutton; Mutton—Alice." The leg of mutton got up in the dish and made a little bow to Alice; and Alice returned the bow, not knowing whether to be frightened or amused.

"May I give you a slice?" she said, taking up the knife and fork, and looking from one Queen to the other.

"Certainly not," the red Queen said, very decidedly: "it isn't etiquette to cut anyone you've been introduced to."

---

Alice could not help her lips curling up into a smile as she began: "Do you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too! I never saw one alive before!"

"Well, now that we have seen each other," said the Unicorn, "if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you. Is that a bargain?"

The Lion had joined them: he looked very tired and sleepy, and his eyes were half shut. "What's this!" he said, blinking lazily at Alice, and speaking in a deep hollow tone that sounded like the tolling of a great bell.

"Ah, what is it now?" the Unicorn cried eagerly. "You'll never guess! I couldn't."

The Lion looked at Alice wearily. "Are you animal—vegetable—or mineral?" he said, yawning at every other word.

"It's a fabulous monster!" the Unicorn cried out, before Alice could reply.

---

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less."

"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all."

just_alyx's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

3.5

daphx00's review against another edition

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2.0

Eh. I find I do not do well with nonsense books..

daria66's review against another edition

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adventurous funny

5.0

alons13's review against another edition

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adventurous funny relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

welllovedspines's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

latabernaderol's review against another edition

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 # Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There
## Escrito por Lewis Carroll
### Metacomentarios
Este es uno de esos libros que he postergado por años. A pesar de haber leído ya tres veces la primera novela, por un motivo u otro nunca había comenzado la segunda. Además del interés por leer más de la obra de Carroll —y de Alicia en particular—, esta novela me interesaba por ser la originaria del término «vorpal», el cual un siglo más tarde sería acuñado en productos de Dungeons & Dragons como una cualidad mágica de decapitación. El capítulo titulado *El León y el Unicornio* presenta una bolsa de la que salen un pastel, platos y un gran cuchillo a pesar no de haber espacio lógico en el interior debido al tamaño de la bolsa; esto me hizo pensar que quizá la *bag of holding* tiene también su origen en esta obra.

Finalmente, a Fairy Madness, en caso de que lea esto: Confirmo que en esta novela se indica la edad de Alicia, que serían siete años y medio. Se desconoce cuánto tiempo pasa entre una historia y la siguiente, pero dudo que tuviera seis años o menos en la primera.

### Trama
Alicia se cuestiona cómo será el mundo al otro lado del espejo, creyéndole un mundo paralelo al nuestro en vez de conformarse con la llana explicación científica que cualquier adulto le daría. Finalmente logra pasar al otro lado, a lo que no tarda en empezar a explorarlo todo y a cuestionarse cada cosa. Pronto averigua que es un peón de la Reina Blanca y se propone llegar al otro extremo del tablero para coronarse como reina.

### Técnicas y métodos
Carroll hace uso de un sinfín de recursos —fábula, rima, canción infantil, dichos e irregularidades de la lengua— para crear paralelismos y para torcer las expectativas del lector a cada oportunidad que se presenta. La poesía y la rima son un deleite constante en la obra, así como explotaciones lingüisticas en las que se destaca el uso de acrónimos (con mayor precisión, los «pormanteau»).

Cada localización es un misterio, cada personaje un acertijo. Todo esto queda envuelto en la metáfora de estar siempre sobre un gigantesco tablero de ajedrez.

Cabe decir, como traductor que soy, que traducir esta obra sería un genuino quebradero de cabeza para cualquier persona que lo intentase.

### Conclusiones
Una historia corta y espléndida que aborda el absurdo desde perspectivas diferentes a la novela original, aunque quizá con incluso más creatividad. Si te gustó la primera historia, esta segunda no tiene desperdicio. Aunque, he de añadir, no hay ninguna clase de vínculo entre ambas. Sabemos que es la misma Alicia por cómo se comporta y por el nombre de su gata, pero poco más.