SSF PUBLIC LIBRARY

3rd Tuesday | 6 PM BOOK Monthly Meetings

Via Zoom - call in on your phone or access from your computer or device

CLUB SSF.NET/LIBRARY SSF Book Club July 2021 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Discussion Guide

On an ordinary summer's afternoon, Alice tumbles down a hole and an extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange world with even stranger characters, she meets a grinning cat and a rabbit with a pocket-watch, joins a mad tea party and plays croquet with the Queen. Lost in this fantasy land, Alice finds herself growing more and more curious by the minute. - from Bibliocommons book description SSF Book Club July 2021 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Go Beyond the Book

Finding Alice's Wonderland in Oxford (via NYTimes - free access with library card) Alice: 150 Years in Wonderland (Online Exhibition via Morgan Library) Inside the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser Exhibit at the V&A Museum Alice in Wonderland - What does it all mean (via The Guardian) Lewis Carroll Society of North America Britannica article Mad Hatter's Tea Party (Royal Ballet) Discussion Questions July 2021 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Have you read this book before? Did you learn anything new, or have a different reaction to the story? Would you describe this as a story for children or adults? Why? There are many interpretations on this story (see links under Go Beyond the Book) - what are some of your favorite interpretations? Do you agree with any of these analyses? What do you think the author is trying to tell the reader? Discuss some of the themes and/or symbols in the story. How do they relate to the plot and characters? “Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves.” This play on the proverb, “Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves,” is a good example of Carroll’s word play. Discuss other examples of Carroll’s word play. (via PRH) Discussion Questions July 2021 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Sometimes Alice responds passively to her environment, while in other situations, she takes more control. What are some examples of this, and what are her some of her responses to these events? Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is often challenged and/or banned for various reasons - everything from drug use to talking animals. What parts of the book do you think some people find controversial and why? Why do you think this story is considered a classic? Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Resources: Penguin Random House Reader's Guide ThoughtCo Discussion Guide SSF Book Club July 2021 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Further Reading You might also enjoy: The Story of Alice by Robert Douglas- Fairhurst Coraline by Neil Gaiman Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Heartless by Marissa Meyer Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami The Mirror of her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson