When it comes to fantastical books written for children that managed to appeal to adults all the same, nothing comes to close to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll’s iconic tale of a little girl’s adventures in a most magical dreamland has been inspiring imaginations since its original publication in 1865 (followed by Through the Looking Glass six years later), with no end in sight. Practically every generation since has had a go at adapting it, and the strange list of characters that Alice encounters have found their way into a particularly wacky corner of pop culture.
The Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, Caterpillar, the Duchess, the Mock Turtle and plenty more await Alice down the rabbit hole, as a seemingly impossible world unfolds in front of a girl growing curiouser and curiouser with every great puzzle, tea party and baffling riddle. The best Alice in Wonderland quotes show us just how strange the world is, and how embracing the strange is a vital part of existence. Lewis Carroll tapped into something truly magical in the fairy tale while scribbling away at his writing desk, and the best Alice in Wonderland quotes are curious aphorisms to live by.
In many ways, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland takes all who encounter it down a rabbit hole of their own, inspiring bewilderment and clarity in equal measure. Whether it is baffling Cheshire Cat quotes that muddy the waters or the wacky ways of Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the best Alice in Wonderland quotes will have you scratching your head and smiling wide at the same time. If that isn’t the best use of a book going, we’re all out of ideas. Want to see the world in an altogether more kaleidoscopic light? Let the best Dodo, King of Hearts, Mad Hatter quotes and the rest take you there.
Quotes from Alice
As the eponymous protagonist of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice is the central figure in a journey through the whimsical Wonderland. Throughout her adventure, Alice has many revelations and ideas that are not only applicable to a seven-year-old English girl’s life, but to everyone living in this mad, mad world. After all, the many crazy characters of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are all seen through the lens of the protagonist, and their various foibles are mirrored by the curious imagination of a seven-year-old who decided to follow a white rabbit down the rabbit hole. As you do, of course. Enjoy the wisdom of the best quotes from a little girl in wonderland.
1.“When I used to read fairy-tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!” - Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2.“But it’s no use now, to pretend to be two people! Why, there’s hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!” Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
3.“Curiouser and curiouser!” Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4.“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
5.“I don’t see how he can ever finish, if he doesn’t begin.” Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
6."Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night?" Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
7.“‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that's the great puzzle!” Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
8.“She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it).” Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
9.“And what is the use of a book... without pictures or conversations?” Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
10.“‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar... Alice replied, rather shyly, ‘I–I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.’ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Quotes from The Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat is one of the most bewildering characters that Alice meets during her adventure. While speaking in riddles, he gives Alice some wise life advice throughout their conversations and ultimately points her in the right direction. Who wouldn't want someone like that in their life? Sure, The Cheshire Cat might be confusing and enjoy riddles more than most, but there is always a place for out-of-the-box advice and unique thinking. Of all the characters in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Cheshire Cat might just be the most enigmatic, and these quotes make that abundantly clear. Mischievous grins in one, two, three…
11.“‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat. ‘—so long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation. ‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’” Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
12.“‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked. ‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat. ‘We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’ ‘How do you know that I’m mad?’ said Alice. ‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’” Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Quotes from The Mad Hatter and the March Hare
Yes, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare are the dynamic duo of absurdity in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Yet, as these quotes show, they sometimes have good points to make to Alice and about people in general. After all, there can be clarity in absurdity, and you just need to look close enough. People have been saying 'mad as a hatter' and 'mad as a March hare' for the longest time, but dismiss these nuggets of insane wisdom at your peril. This insanity isn't entirely irrational, and you never know what moments of clarity might reveal themselves when dealing with these two.
13.“‘I don't think—’ ‘Then you shouldn't talk,’ said the Hatter.” Alice and The Mad Hatter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
14.“If you knew Time as well as I do... you wouldn’t talk about wasting it.” The Mad Hatter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
15.“‘Then you should say what you mean,’ the March Hare went on. ‘I do,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘at least—at least I mean what I say—that's the same thing, you know.’ ‘Not the same thing a bit!’ said the Hatter. ‘Why, you might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!’” - The March Hare, Alice, and the Mad Hatter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Quotes from The King and Queen of Hearts
As the rulers of Wonderland, the King and the Queen of Hearts issue decrees and commands on a whim. Perhaps what Carroll was trying to tell his audience about the madness of power and government still holds true today. The Queen of Hearts is the main antagonist of Lewis Carroll’s iconic story, an immature ruler with a foul mouth and even more foul temper, the sort of monarch who will sentence someone or something to death for the slightest infraction. When it comes to the best Alice in Wonderland quotes, the oft-screeched catchphrase of the Queen of Hearts will immediately jump to mind, for better or for worse. All together now...
16.“If you didn’t sign it... that only makes the matter worse. You must have meant some mischief, or else you’d have signed your name like an honest man.” - The King of Hearts, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
17.“Off with their heads!” - The Queen of Hearts, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
18.“Begin at the beginning...and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” - The King of Hearts, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Quotes from Miscellaneous Characters
Lastly, we have quotes from a few more of the many singular characters who help Alice clearly see herself and the real world even while she is still in Wonderland. The list of enigmatic characters that make up Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is seemingly endless, with different personalities representing a wide range of emotions, experiences and ideas, each with their own quirky take on existence. This is an incredibly quotable work of art, after all. You're never too old to fall in love with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and you never know what curious piece of wisdom might fall into your lap.
19.“You know you say things are ‘much of a muchness’—did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness?” - The Dormouse, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
20.“Speak English! I don’t know the meaning of half those long words, and, what’s more, I don’t believe you do either!” - The Eaglet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
21.“Why, the best way to explain it is to do it.” – The Dodo, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
22."Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.” – The Duchess, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
23.“If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.” - The Duchess, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
24."Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible." Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
There is a good reason that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been beloved by generation after generation in the 150+ years since its publication. There are plenty of reasons why everyone from Disney to Tim Burton has had a go at adapting it. A cast of incredible characters minding their own business in the most public of ways helps, and the fact that those characters are very recognisable in mad people of the real world adds further fuel to the fire. The world is full of impossible things made possible by imagination, and few have tapped into that with as much success as Lewis Carroll. If someone disagrees? Well, it is simple; “Off with their heads!”
