Banned Book: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
By Lewis Carroll
Illustrations by John Tenniel
Originally published in 1865

Illustrations by
John Tenniel
1866

Originally banned in china because of the humanistic portrayal of some of the animal characters, namely their being able to talk and more recently challenged in the 1960’s in relation to the drug culture of that time, Carroll’s story of Alice has been met with trepidation. Still, it’s a fine example of fantasy in children’s literature.

Honestly, most of the underlying themes are way above children’s heads in the first place, which is what makes reading Carroll’s work so transformative. It can relate to many age groups, from it’s inception into Disney culture, all the way to the hearts of grownups who have come to rely on the symbolism interwoven within the story. It can be looked at through many lenses, one being a coming of age story in which Alice undergoes immense physical and mental changes, or a reminder of our ever present mortality. Mostly, it is just a story about a little girl conquering a new world.

Nothing against Sir John Tenniel however, an interesting marriage of literature and illustration rests in the hands of Salvador Dali who, in 1969, released 12 illustrations for the Annotated Alice. Digital versions of the images can be viewed online via the William Bennett Gallery. 

The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill

Heliogravure with Woodblock

Salvador Dali

1969

It makes for a great modern rendering of a vintage classic!

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