Thursday 13 November 2008
Wednesday 12 November 2008
Svankmajer's Alice
Moved here: http://aliceintheinternet.wordpress.com/
I think it was watching Svankmajer's Alice (in my twenties) with my father that made me so fascinated by the stories: more so even than reading the books as a child. The film was made in 1988 by the Czech surrealist animator, and captures all the weird otherness of the books. It's certainly rather a spooky, dark Alice, but I think it's the strangeness at the heart of the books that has made them last so well: people become bored with bland, but Alice always has something lurkng just out of sight...
I'd love to say I have a DVD of the film, but so far it only seems to be available for region 1, so until I get a player that will, errr.. play it, I'll have to make do with youtube and Jabberwocky, which I do have.
If you're interested in the region 1 discs, check here: Region 1 Alice
I think it was watching Svankmajer's Alice (in my twenties) with my father that made me so fascinated by the stories: more so even than reading the books as a child. The film was made in 1988 by the Czech surrealist animator, and captures all the weird otherness of the books. It's certainly rather a spooky, dark Alice, but I think it's the strangeness at the heart of the books that has made them last so well: people become bored with bland, but Alice always has something lurkng just out of sight...
I'd love to say I have a DVD of the film, but so far it only seems to be available for region 1, so until I get a player that will, errr.. play it, I'll have to make do with youtube and Jabberwocky, which I do have.
If you're interested in the region 1 discs, check here: Region 1 Alice
Tuesday 11 November 2008
Alitji in the Dreamtime
Moved here: http://aliceintheinternet.wordpress.com/
Alitji in the Dreamtime: a re-telling of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland story by Nancy Sheppard using Australian Aborigine language and imagery: the white rabbit has become a kangaroo and the dormouse is now a koala.
The story is told in the Pitjantjatjara language of Central Australia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitjantjatjara) and is back-translated into English alongside.
The illustrations by Byron Sewell are rather beautifully printed in brown ink: far more elegant than black, especially on the grey-brown of the paper.
Published in 1975 by the University of Adelaide, and available from various sellers on Amazon: Alitji on Amazon
More equivalences:
I think this is one of my favourite alternative Alice stories: the tale is well told, the rhymes and verses stand up well and the illustrations are beautiful. It works well as a book on its own merits, and it adds dimensions to the original story. Recommended.
Alitji in the Dreamtime: a re-telling of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland story by Nancy Sheppard using Australian Aborigine language and imagery: the white rabbit has become a kangaroo and the dormouse is now a koala.
The story is told in the Pitjantjatjara language of Central Australia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitjantjatjara) and is back-translated into English alongside.
The illustrations by Byron Sewell are rather beautifully printed in brown ink: far more elegant than black, especially on the grey-brown of the paper.
Published in 1975 by the University of Adelaide, and available from various sellers on Amazon: Alitji on Amazon
More equivalences:
- the fan becomes a woomera
- the caterpillar becomes a witchety grub
- the Duchess becomes the Spirit of the North Wind
- the Mad Hatter and the March Hare become a Stockman and a Horse
- Croquet is played with storks and echindnas
I think this is one of my favourite alternative Alice stories: the tale is well told, the rhymes and verses stand up well and the illustrations are beautiful. It works well as a book on its own merits, and it adds dimensions to the original story. Recommended.
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