ALICE IN A WORLD OF WONDERLANDS

This remarkable opening volume of a series, edited by Lindseth and Hirshon, details the histories of Lewis Carroll’s famous stories of Alice in Wonderland.

This collection of works from various scholars explores a number of topics relating to Carroll’s four original Alice books—Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865/66); Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1872); Alice’s Adventures under Ground, the original manuscript of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, published in facsimile in 1886; and The Nursery “Alice” (1890), a version of the original story for very young readers, along with related works. It includes studies of a few specific areas, including publishing histories and texts; analyses of diverse illustrations by John Tenniel, Mervyn Peake, Ralph Steadman, and others; and life essays explaining each contributor’s personal relationship with and interest in Carroll’s work. Each essay effectively shares unique information that’s certain to expand readers’ knowledge of and appreciation for these stories, revealing similarities and differences in various editions. According to librarian Hirshon, for instance, “No fictional work in history has ever generated as many separate illustrations by so many different artists, which makes Alice a perfect case study to explore the mental workings of various illustrators.” Each essay is well-researched and meticulously structured, ensuring that readers can gain the fullest possible understanding of each topic. As bibliographer and book collector Lindseth notes, the life essays are about evolution; so while each piece offers strong literary research and analysis, it also reveals a rooted interest that’s very personal. Contributors include Mark Burstein and August A. Imholtz Jr., for example, both of whom have written multiple books on Carroll’s work and (like many of the writers here) have connections to the Lewis Carroll Society of North America. This volume’s language is often lighthearted but also academic in its way, not to mention impressively precise. Analytical nonfiction texts sometimes risk alienating casual readers, but although this is certainly a serious and hefty text, it’s also fully accessible to general audiences—a quality that’s only enhanced by the wide variety of writers’ voices.

A comprehensive journey through Carroll’s wondrous tales, encapsulating the literary, historical, and the personal.