Introduction to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

1. pseudonym: a name used by somebody, especially a writer, instead of their real name - Some writers use pseudonyms instead of publishing books under their real name. 2. peculiar : strange or unusual - Anteaters look very peculiar. 3. review: a report in which somebody gives their opinion of a book, play, film/movie, etc. - I always read the book reviews in the newspaper 4. monotony : a boring lack of variety - I want to go on a trip to break the monotony of my everyday life. 5. manuscript: a copy of a book before it has been printed I found this manuscript in an antique store. 6. homage: something said or done to show respect/admiration for somebody - I’ve written this song as a homage to my mother.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland for short) is a novel that was published in 1865 by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. The book presents the adventures of a little girl who has fallen down a rabbit hole to a fantasy world populated by all sorts of peculiar creatures. Initially, the book wasn’t very popular and it generally got bad reviews but, by the end of the 19th century, it started to be highly-regarded and recognized as one of the most valuable stories of all time. In July 1862, Charles Dodgson rowed in a boat on a small river in Oxford, England, with a friend and the three daughters of Henry Liddell, a professor at Oxford University. During the trip, Dodgson told the children a story featuring Alice, a bored, young girl, looking to break the monotony of everyday life. The children enjoyed the story very much and one of them, Alice Liddell, asked Dodgson to write the story down for her. Two years later, Dodgson gave Alice the manuscript of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with the following dedication written on the first page: „A Christmas Gift to a Dear Child in Memory of a Summer’s Day”. Over the years, the book became very popular and it was republished several times. It has received several big-screen, stage and musical adaptations, and it was even published in comic book form on six occasions. The character of Alice, a young girl going on a fantasy quest, has inspired several other characters in world literature and film, who pay homage to the original story.

- Read the quotes by Lewis Carroll and discuss them with your teacher. 1. “One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.” 2. “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”

1. Do you enjoy reading books? Have you tried reading books in a foreign language before? 2. What is your favorite book? Why? 3. Do you think that only children should read stories? Why? Why not? 4. Do you prefer reading fantasy literature or more realistic literature? Why?