100 Books to Read Poster - Nunber Two

So, number two was Alice in Wonderland, as you may have gathered from the picture of the Cheshire cat. This was far from my first go at Alice, I read it at six and have  re-visited it several times over the  years, although not recently it has to be said.  

And it was disappointing. There's hardly any structure to it, and it's very repetitive in plot terms. I couldn't believe how many times Alice had to make herself bigger or smaller and really I just wanted to smack her round the head for lack of foresight. 

There were some funny lines in it that still had the power to make me smile, but apart from that I found it odd and dull. I always did prefer Through the Looking Glass, even as a child, but am not tempted to go back to it now in case it disappoints on the same scale. 

At the same time as I was reading it I was struggling with this Alice in Wonderland themed jigsaw puzzle. It was difficult to do, partly I suspect because I wasn't all that fond of the individual pictures that made it up, but also because it was very badly manufactured. I find puzzles very therapeutic generally; there's something very calming about taking 1000 randomly shaped pieces of cardboard and imposing order upon them, but to keep at it does rather depend on some enthusiasm for the image. Anyway this one s off to the charity shop next time we go. 

Verdict for Alice in Wonderland - With regret - A Miss.