🎭🐰♟🗝🐹🐛Oh My Ears and Whiskers, What A Delight!🐇🦔🎭

Wow!! When Audible says "Scarlett Johansson performs" this brilliant classic, they're not kidding!! I expected, when I pre-ordered this title, simply a competent reading of one of the all-time great satires of Victorian England. Instead I received this incredible tour-de-force, a veritable one-woman play in which Ms. Johansson acts out all characters singlehandedly and nearly flawlessly (I say 'nearly' only because a few characters sound not as described, e.g. The hookah-smoking caterpillar, who is described as speaking "in a languid, sleepy voice," barks at Alice like a shrill, stuffy schoolmarm). Overall Johansson is excellent, giving unique voice to each character while using wonderful expression, perfect pacing and vocal inflection for all narrative passages. She could only be better if she were British (it could be argued that having an American narrate 'Alice' is like having an Englishman narrate 'Huckleberry Finn'). This is a must for your listening library, whether you are 8 or 88 years of age. For extra value, curl up with a hard copy of Martin Gardner's The Annotated Alice (or the 150th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) while you listen, so you can discover what Lewis Carroll was skewering during all the apparent chaos and nonsense Alice experiences after her fall down the rabbit hole.

89 people found this helpful

Incredible

Any additional comments?

I've loved Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for as long as I can remember. As a child I adored the magic, the adventure, and the kooky characters. As an adult, I grew to love Carroll's imagery, symbolism (perhaps unintentional), and his ability to turn what seems like nonsense into an enduring children's tale. No matter how many times I've read this story and watched the movies, I feel like I can always return to the familiar and colorful place that is Wonderland. Scarlett Johansson brings such incredible depth and wonderment to this timeless tale, that this just may be my new favorite interpretation. Her sister, veteran narrator Vanessa Johansson directed this performance. I guess talent runs in the family

37 people found this helpful

I underestimated

Having an American read the character of Alice in the story of Alice in Wonderland seemed like a big mistake to me when I set out to listen to Scarlett Johansson read this classic.

I underestimated her skill as a reader and performer, and what a pleasant surprise that was.

The story of Alice in Wonderland isn't a new one. It's been animated and acted and animated again, and released in a  hundred formats. Filled with whimsical characters and a fulfilling plot of a little girl coming into her own (say what you will about Lewis Carroll's hidden agenda in the story) it's a surefire win for both kids, and imaginative adults alike. If you enjoyed this book as a kid, you'll enjoy the version performed by Scarlett.

Scarlett truly offers a transcendent performance in this. While her British accent might not be perfect her ability to bounce between all of the characters in the story and give them unique life is wonderful. I especially enjoyed her performance with the mock turtle and the griffin.

Alice in Wonderland is a short listen at less than three hours, but one that I think anyone will enjoy. I don't recommend speeding the narration. Her voice is well suited for the style of the story and the pace she reads at, and you'll lose some of her nuance if you accelerate the pace.

Lots of fun from a new voice telling an old story.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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34 people found this helpful

Amazing!

This is one of my favorite books and Scarlett does such a wonderful job, I really hope she comes back to do Through the Looking Glass!

28 people found this helpful

Is it blasphemous to say you didn't like the story

I bought the audiobook format, read by Scarlet Johansson, as a bed time treat for my daughter and I.

While Scarlet Johansson did a great job with bringing the characters to life with her soothing voice, the content of the story left both of us frustrated and confused.

Maybe the time of enjoyment for a book like this has passed. Yes, this was written in a bygone era, and perhaps it was unique then. Nonetheless, the book was complete nonsense.

If something like this were released today, it would go nowhere. It would get lambasted. The story was terrible and the characters were creepy and psychotic.

It was hard to enjoy the story with how little sense it made. I think you have to be high to appreciate a book like this, and my 6 year old daughter is a little young for that.

I definitely do not recommend this book.

2 people found this helpful

Spectacular Performance by Scarlett Johansson

Easy listening for adults and children alike. Johansson is no short of remarkable bringing these many characters to life! It's hard to believe she does the voices for all. Great audio for a road trip, bedtime story, or lazy day.

8 people found this helpful

Oh Johansson, I love this

Finished this amazing story on my flight to Tokyo. this preformance was spectacular and will be in my collection forever.

19 people found this helpful

I don't get the hype

I really hate alice in wonderland and thought maybe it was because I never read that book. well, now I've read it and I hate it even more. just plain stupid.

1 person found this helpful

Ok

It was ok but is was vary boring .If you need to read this book for school or work but don't have the time then it will work but not recommended

1 person found this helpful

Why is this a classic?

I was excited to finally read this classic work of Carroll's. However, this is the most non-sensical, confusing, detached string of events that I have ever read. It doesn't even classify as an anthology. It is one story that makes no rational sense on how things occur from one to the next. Alice is in a room, crying so much the room fills with her tears creating an ocean, and then she finds a shore of animals who after a series of non-sensical events all then return home....BUT I thought this was all in a room of doors?? Anyway, Johansson is a fantastic narrator despite Carroll's odd story. #Fantasy #Absurd #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

1 person found this helpful