Alice in Wonderland is turning 150, and several media outlets feature articles on its many translations, visual interpretations, and anniversary celebrations.
Jane L. Levere writes at the New York Times, “Stephanie Lovett, president of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, which is coordinating many of the exhibitions and activities, described the two Alice novels as ‘likely the most frequently quoted works of fiction in the English-speaking world, standing alongside only Shakespeare in frequency of citation.’ They are also among the most widely illustrated and translated pieces of English fiction, she said, published in more than 170 languages in several thousand editions. …
“Interpretations of the stories and anecdotes about their relevance to today’s readers abound. … For Carolyn Vega, curator of the exhibition at the Morgan, the appeal of both ‘Alice’ books is that they are essentially about learning how to ‘navigate the world’ — a challenge that she said remained highly relevant today.
“Derick Dreher, director of the Rosenbach, called ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ ‘an adventure story with almost unparalleled innovation.’ … He also emphasized the elements of science and logic that Carroll wove into the book, which tend to intrigue puzzle lovers. And, Mr. Dreher said, it’s about ‘overcoming adversity.’ “
My own take: It’s about the impenetrability of grownups’ rules and how they often fail to apply the rules to their own behavior — and about a practical little girl trying to cope. And a lot besides.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal notes that Alice “is marking its 150th anniversary with new translations. She is Alis (in Yiddish), or Alisi (in Tongan) or Anya (in Russian), and, despite her advanced age, to readers everywhere she remains a curious youngster whose adventures have never gone out of print.
“Two Yale professors are translating ‘Alice’ into Late Egyptian hieroglyphs. A language consultant in California is putting the finishing touches on a Kazakh translation. There is an emoji version. An edition in Scouse, the dialect of Liverpool, is with the publisher; so are ones in Cockney rhyming slang and in two Afghan languages, Dari and Pashto. The Gothic translation came out just last week.”
(Unfortunately, the Wall Street Journal‘s article is behind a firewall.)
Photo: Alice150 (click to see a surprising array of cover illustrations)
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