“Curiouser and curiouser!” cried Alice.
Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit-Hole
Alice, a young girl, grows bored sitting by the riverbank when she spots a White Rabbit in a waistcoat muttering about being late. Intrigued, she follows him down a rabbit-hole, tumbling into a bizarre world. She finds a tiny door leading to a garden but cannot fit through it. After drinking from a bottle labeled “DRINK ME,” she shrinks, only to realize she left the key on the table. A cake labeled “EAT ME” makes her grow uncontrollably.
Chapter 2: The Pool of Tears
Alice’s sudden growth floods the room with her tears. Shrinking again, she swims through her own tears alongside a Mouse and other animals. They reach shore and hold a “Caucus-Race” to dry off, but the Mouse storms off after Alice mentions her cat, Dinah.
Chapter 3: A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
The animals attempt to dry themselves with a chaotic race, which the Dodo declares everyone has won. Alice hands out comfits as prizes. The Mouse tells a dry, confusing tale, and Alice unintentionally offends the birds by talking about her cat.
Chapter 4: The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill
The White Rabbit mistakes Alice for his housemaid and sends her to fetch his gloves. Inside his house, she drinks another potion and grows too large, trapping herself. The Rabbit and his neighbors try to remove her by throwing pebbles that turn into cakes. Eating one, Alice shrinks and flees.
Chapter 5: Advice from a Caterpillar
Alice meets a Caterpillar smoking a hookah, who challenges her identity. He advises her to eat parts of a mushroom to control her size. One side makes her shrink, the other makes her grow. After experimenting, she finally stabilizes her height.
Chapter 6: Pig and Pepper
Alice encounters a grinning Cheshire Cat, who directs her to the March Hare’s house. She finds the Duchess’s chaotic kitchen, where a baby turns into a pig. The Cheshire Cat reappears, vanishing until only his grin remains.
Chapter 7: A Mad Tea-Party
Alice joins the Mad Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse at their never-ending tea party. They bombard her with riddles and nonsense. Frustrated, she leaves and enters a garden where playing cards are painting white roses red.
Chapter 8: The Queen’s Croquet-Ground
Alice meets the tyrannical Queen of Hearts, who invites her to a chaotic croquet game with flamingos as mallets and hedgehogs as balls. The Queen constantly threatens executions. The Cheshire Cat’s floating head causes confusion, and Alice is taken to the Gryphon.
Chapter 9: The Mock Turtle’s Story
The Gryphon escorts Alice to the Mock Turtle, who weeps over his past as a real turtle. He and the Gryphon perform a nonsensical dance called the Lobster Quadrille. Alice listens to their absurd stories before hearing a trial is about to begin.
Chapter 10: The Lobster Quadrille
The Mock Turtle and Gryphon sing a song about a lobster dance. Alice tries to recount her adventures but is interrupted by their erratic behavior. They abruptly leave when a cry announces the trial’s start.
Chapter 11: Who Stole the Tarts?
Alice attends the trial of the Knave of Hearts, accused of stealing the Queen’s tarts. The proceedings are absurd, with illogical witnesses like the Mad Hatter and the Duchess’s cook. The jury writes nonsense, and the Queen demands a verdict before evidence is given.
Chapter 12: Alice’s Evidence
Alice, now grown to full size, is called as a witness. She accidentally knocks over the jury box and defies the Queen’s irrationality. As the Queen orders her execution, Alice wakes up on the riverbank, realizing it was all a dream.
Key Ideas
- Exploration of childhood curiosity and imagination.
- Satire of Victorian society and rigid logic.
- Dreamlike absurdity challenging reality.
- Identity and self-discovery through transformation.
- Nonsense as a literary device.
Notable Adaptations
| Year | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Disney’s Alice in Wonderland | Animated musical film with iconic visuals. |
| 2010 | Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland | Live-action fantasy with darker themes. |
| 1966 | BBC TV movie | Surreal, faithful to the book. |
Who should read this book?
- Fans of whimsical, imaginative storytelling.
- Readers who enjoy satire and wordplay.
- Those curious about classic children’s literature.