The Poetry of Lewis Carroll

Written by Lewis Carroll

Narrated by Various Narrators

Beatrice Lillie, Boris Karloff and Cyril Ritchard amongst others read Lewis Carroll's finest poetry including Jabberwocky, The Hunting of the Snark and The Mock Turtle's Song

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saland Publishing
• Release date: Jan 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781908338112

Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, published Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, in 1871. Considered a master of the genre of literary nonsense, he is renowned for his ingenious wordplay and sense of logic, and his highly original vision.

Reviews for The Poetry of Lewis Carroll

[anneofia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a kid, I had a copy of Carrol's works that had no pictures, and I STILL loved it! The eight selections in this book, and the date when they were first published (when known): 1 - Alice in Wonderland (1865); 2. - Through the Looking Glass (1896); 3 - Sylvia and Bruno (1889); 4 - Sylvia and Bruno Concluded (1893); 5 - A Tangled Tale; 6 - The Hunting of the Snark (1876); 7 - Phantasmagoria and Other Poems; 8 - Three Sunsets and Other Poems.

[Mona Bond · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just listen, even if you don’t seem to understand all the archaic, eloquent verbiage, let it wash over you, and absorb what you can of the fleeting beauty, tinged with sweet sorrow of which the author speaks. He will remain my favorite, eternally.

[kittycunningh-815148 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this in a bookstore in Myrtle Beach and was ecstatic. It had "The Hunting of the Snark", which I h ad heard of, but never read, and the Sylvie and Bruno books, which I had never even heard about, with a other stuff that was all bonus.

Sylvie and Bruno are nothing like Alice. They are, frankly, very sweet.

I particularly dug the Sillygisms after I had taken Logic in college, five years later.

I have had to buy a second copy and it is pretty beat up, but I'm not willing for it to be absent from my bookshelf.

[antao-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 1994-08-10)I’ve always interpreted “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” as a (modern) Fairytale.In a way most of modern commercial movies are more like classical fairytales: very elemental stories set in a simplistic moral universe, with stereotypical characters. The movies may seem to be more complex but that is mostly 'effect'. Movies are very good at the dazzle part of the story telling business. Complexity of story: very much less so.It is an interesting point though: the differences between stories that were only meant to be told and the kind of stories we have invented and/or developed the moment we could write them down. It is, for instance, suggested that the flowery & repeated descriptors in Homer (rose-fingered dawn, wine-coloured sea et cetera) were part aide-memoirs and part moments that the storyteller didn't have to think about the next word. They were, in other words, part of the mechanics/structure of the story. Something that was no longer needed when people could write the stories down.So, stories from the oral age have, by necessity, a different shape than later stories like Alice’s. Come to think of it, in a way it's similar to watching a movie in a theatre or a DVD at home. In the theatre you can't pause or rewind: you have to follow the 'story' in the moment. Same with oral and written stories. Around the campfire both storyteller and audience are engaged in a live stream event. You can't have your audience interrupting you, asking you to explain who is who again and wasn't X killed by that cyclops or was that Y...? A written story can have more complexity, because readers can take a break. Try to do “Shogun” as an oral story...Still, fairytales are probably among the first type of story told and lots of modern stories still carry that DNA. Yes, some modern literature has as much in common with fairytales as birds with dinosaurs but they are still related. More to the point, we wouldn't have birds without those dinos. You could argue we wouldn't have either James Clavell or Marcel Proust without those old oral stories (and fairytales) too...I think we can discount the druggie and Freudian interpretations as modern fantasies*. But otherwise it is clearly satirical at different levels (the boring schoolroom, linguistic philosophy) while alluding to events and places and presumably people in Alice's life. In a way it's the sort of story that we all make up for our children and grandchildren, but cleverer than most.(*) So here's mine: There is a convincing theory that Carroll emphasized his relations with little girls (which in the Victorian mindset were necessarily innocent and asexual) to distract attention from his numerous relationships with young (20ish) women which the Victorians would have thought improper for a clergyman. So he sends Alice off down a hole and prattles on about her adventures while having it away with Dinah on the surface. Mind you, it’s just a theory…

[britt84 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very nice complete edition of Carroll's work - containing both 'Alice' books, both 'Sylvie and Bruno' books, poetry, short stories and puzzles, with the original illustrations.Alice in Wonderland - 5 starsLewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' is a classic that everyone should read. Many of Carroll's characters and situations have become part of Western culture, which only shows his genius and how great his influence has been. His play with words, his insane universe with amazing characters, and his symbolism make this a work that can be read over and over. Each time I read it I discover new things, and look at it in a different way. Alice Through the Looking Glass - 5 starsWhen I first read 'Through the Looking Glass' I really didn't like it as much as I had liked 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', but I find that it has grown on me with a number of re-readings. I think 'Through the Looking Glass' is perhaps a bit more difficult, or more 'mature' than Alice. It is also a bit 'choppier' because of the jumping between different scenes, whereas Wonderland is more of a continuous story.Either way, I think reading it several times has opened my eyes to more of the symbolism in the novel, and has very much increased my enjoyment of it, and I think it's definitely worth the effort of getting more closely acquainted with it.Sylvie and Bruno - Sylvie and Bruno Concluded - 4 starsThe two stories of Sylvie and Bruno really make up one continuous whole. Though there is an 'ending' to the first part, the second part is more like the second chapter than a second book. Though still in line with the fairy tale style of Alice, Sylvie and Bruno is somewhat more serious. There still is a lot of wordplay and fantasy, but there are also more serious discussions on theology and philosophy. For Carroll, this book was supposed to be not just amusing, but also instructive.A very enjoyable read and definitely gives you something to think about - though for children the discussion might be a bit long-winding at times.Miscellaneous writings - 3-4 starsAside from his four main novels, Carroll wrote numerous poems, stories and puzzles during his lifetime. Though not all are equally great, we clearly see Carroll's style in all his works - even when discussing the wine stores of the Christchurch Common Room. It's nice to have a more complete edition and read not only the novels, but also get to know some of his other writings. I especially enjoyed the 'Tangled Tale', with math-problems intertwined with the story, but there are many gems to be found among Carroll's Miscellany.

[mrsdanaalbasha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"The dream-child moving through a land
Of wonders wild and new,
In friendly chat with bird or beast -
And half believe it true."

"Alice! a childish story take,
And, with gentle hand,
Lay it where Childhood's dreams are twined
In Memory's mystic band,
Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers
Pluck'd in a far-off land."

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For me, the great benefit of having the collected works is that besides having the Alice stories and the Snark, which are readily available elsewhere, this collection includes Sylvie and Bruno and Sylvie and Bruno Conluded, parts of which I like very much, though it is uneven, partly because it alternates between a fairly conventional this-world romance and a fairytale adventure. Overall, I tend to say the fairytale adventure is better, but there are good parts in th this-word story (the concept of a ghost wallowing in bread sauce, for example) and weak parts in Sylvie and Bruno (notably when the two children get just too unbearably cute or sentimental.)The bet of part of S&B is the Mad Gardener's Song, which has been done very well as a separate picture book (though that version loses a few references to the story, notably the double rule of three).

[jkoetsier_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alice in Wonderland: this story still has to sink down. I loved it, it is very creative and fantastic, but I think I need to reread it.

[nules_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read /Through the Looking-glass/ first from this volume (and that's all I've read from this particular edition). I'm not sure if it was this particular edition, however—I just know that it had the same cover, only it had yellowed some with age.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Favourite.

[aethercowboy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Presented in this volume are a collection of stories, poems, and puzzles by Lewis Carroll. It features Carroll's classics, such as Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, as well as the unforgettable The Hunting of the Snark. Included here too are the Sylvie and Bruno tales, Alice's Adventures Underground, several arithmetic puzzles (ranging from easy to hard, including one whose solution requires equivocation), as well as a bounty of entertaining poems all exhibiting Carroll's wit and wisdom.This book is sure to be a cherished addition to any library favoring the works of Carroll.

[ysar_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ok, so I haven't had time to read the entire book yet, but I read all the Alice stories (unabridged) when I was a teen, and this book is quite the treasure. In addition to the Alice stories you would expect, this edition includes funny little word puzzles and such that I found wonderful. If you have only read Alice, you have missed half the man's genius!

[kaelirenee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everything written as Lewis Carroll-his poetry and stories, complete with the Tenniel illustrations (my favorite is of the Gryphon sleeping).

[caerulius · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this volume in a used book shop (McIntyre & Moore, how I love thee...) There is nothing particularly amazing about the edition- it does not have the definitive annotation of the Annotated Alice, certainly. It does, however, have EVERYTHING. Anagrams, poems, puzzles, published letters, both Alice stories, and Sylvie and Bruno. For that alone, any Carroll-phile would love it.

[tripleblessings_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This large volume includes 8 books: the 2 Alice books, Sylvie and Bruno 1 and 2, A Tangled Tale, the Hunting of the Snark, Phantasmagoria & other poems, Three Sunsets and other poems. A nice reference but not convenient for casual reading, or for children.