When Webber popped his Back-Blogged cherry some months ago, he did so with a review of Alice in Wonderland, a compilation of this book and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass. I made a conscious decision to purchase and read through both books separately, and believe it or not, they're nearly impossible to find as stand-alones. At any rate, this book turned out to be more or less what I expected it to be: witty, charming, full of wordplay, and classic. Here's something that amazed me though - the book reads fluidly and is written in such a modern tone and language, but it was first published back in 1865. That's a long time ago! I mean, aside from the obvious quantitative amount of years that have gone by since the novel's publication, think of the lifestyle differences. We're talking Civil War era. Abraham Lincoln. The primary English author from the same period that comes to mind is Charles Dickens, and his thick and stuffy writing compares to Carroll's clever, banter-filled prose like night does to day. I guess you need to have read the book to understand what I'm talking about, but it just feels so modern and contemporary. And so does its humor. "Timeless" is an adjective used all to often, but seriously, I can't think of a better way to describe this classic. I'm sure you're familiar with the story and the characters, whether you realize it or not, so I won't even bother describing anything. If you've never had the pleasure of reading this book, I definitely recommend it. It's easy reading, light-hearted, fun, and short (clocking in at 150 pages or so with illustrations). Go do it!
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