Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There

In 1865, English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832–1898), also known as Lewis Carroll, wrote a fantastical adventure story for the young daughters of a friend. The adventures of Alice, named for one of the little girls to whom the book was dedicated, follow her as she journeys down a rabbit hole into a whimsical underworld that instantly struck a chord with the British public and, later, with readers around the world. In 1872, in reaction to the universal acclaim Alice's Adventures in Wonderland received, Dodgson published this sequel. Nothing is quite what it seems once Alice journeys through the looking-glass, and Dodgson's wit is infectious as he explores mirror imagery, time running backward, and strategies of chess — all wrapped up in the exploits of a spirited young girl who parries with the Red Queen, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and other unlikely characters. In many ways, this sequel has had an even greater impact on today's pop culture than the first book.