Down the Kindle-Shaped Rabbit Hole

I remember as a kid hearing speculation that someday the written word would no longer be bound in paper; that within my own lifetime, the book would become obsolete, making way for a new breed of literature, one that could be carried in one’s pocket, and store the library of Alexandria if needs want.

Of course, as an avid reader, and a true follower of the pulp form, I disregarded this fanciful nonsense as just that – surely a technology that has lasted, and indeed served perfectly well, for centuries could never be replaced by mere electro-faff.

But then came the Kindle. A high tech fashion accessory for book worms. Smaller than a DVD box, easy to use, and able to hold over one thousand tomes, the Kindle is a surprisingly nifty bit of kit, and with wireless delivery, it’s certainly handy for a world-weary traveller such as myself, who more often than not traverses the globe with more than half his luggage allowance set aside for reading materials.

And yet, I wasn’t sold. Indeed, I know there are thousands out there who would give the same old arguments that I did; touch, texture and smell… and is it the same? Well, no, of course it isn’t , but with the world at your fingertips, and classic literature available for free download, once you master the left and right “page turning”, you really find yourself not caring. With no backlight on the device, after a few moments, you truly forget it’s an electronic thingamabob, and simply get lost in a good book… or PDF file… or whatever the hell you want to call it…

Alice in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll, 1865

3 Stars

Taking advantage of Amazon’s free classics collection, I decided, rather aptly, that my first Kindle adventure should send me tumbling down the metaphorical rabbit hole in the Reverend Dodgeson’s classic tale of lust, paedophilia and hallucinogenic opiates; Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Growing up, Alice was always a favourite; my mum’s antiquated copy one of my comfort reads, adding even moreso to its dilapidation. As such, it was somewhat strange that my first foray into e-reading should be a tale so associated with its librarian form. But then, what better way to break the binding?

A far cry from Burton’s travesty of film making, Carroll’s tale is a dark and delightful series of random happenstance in the dreamscape of a young girl, as she finds herself following the White Rabbit as it leads her through her own poetic and confused psyche. Or at least that’s how it reads nowadays… Gone is the childhood innocence with which I remember reading and giggling many years ago, replaced instead with the jaded opinion that really, it’s just a load of drug induced twaddle.

The narrative of Alice’s Adventures is both episodic and utterly nonsensical, leading to a set of rather bizarre and inconsequential occurrences that just so happen to concern the same girl. Indeed, as unfortunately becomes the Kindle, without its charming illustrations, there is little oomph to proceedings. After all, as Alice said, “what is the use of a book with no pictures in it?”

That said, the poetic verses of Alice Adventures still stand strong, proving Carroll to be a master wordsmith of sorts, despite his drug addled ramblings. His characters, meanwhile, remain as memorable and as delightful as ever, with the Dodo and the Duchess still my own personal favourites.

Perhaps it’s testament to growing up, or maybe just an unfortunate embitterment, but something has become lost in Wonderland… And not just an innocent young girl.