The Image of Alice in Wonderland: Nabokov’s Russian Translation and Haro Aso’s “Alice in Borderland”

This article examines the complex transformation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice archetype across two culturally and temporally distinct adaptations: Vladimir Nabokov’s 1923 Russian translation «Аня в Стране Чудес» and Haro Aso’s Japanese manga series “Alice in Borderland” (2010-2016). While Nabokov engaged in sophisticated linguistic domestication of Carroll’s wordplay and Victorian references to create a distinctly Russian Alice, Aso radically recontextualized the Wonderland framework into a contemporary existential thriller set in a deadly parallel Tokyo. Despite their divergent approaches, both creators demonstrate how Carroll’s original nonsense literature provides fertile ground for profound philosophical inquiry and cultural transposition. This comparative analysis reveals how these adaptations reflect their respective cultural contexts while maintaining dialogue with Carroll’s enduring themes of identity, logic, and survival in absurd worlds.