Lewis Carroll in Wonderland: The Life and Times of Alice and Her Creator

by Stephanie Lovett Stoffel

Featuring 130 illustrations, nearly one hundred of them in color, a look into the mind of the creator of Alice in Wonderland recounts the life of the mathematician-turned-writer and explores the enduring allure of his story. Original.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Books About Books, History

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of my "thrift store" finds, beautiful paper, illustrations, and photographs with minimal biography but "Documents" pages of excerpts from Carroll's works and detailed index. Offers much insight into Oxford/British society and cultural norms as well as into the life and mind of this most unusual mathematician and author.

This is not great literature, criticism, or biography, but I'd never thought much about Lewis Carroll before and now I'm at least minimally informed. Besides, it's a keeper; the photographs and illustrations pertaining to Carroll's work and his times are so beautifully arranged and printed that they repeatedly inform and delight. A more involved work would no doubt take on some Freudian issues, but I'm pleased with just this level of enjoyment.

[Lydia Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

My low star-rating of this book probably seems particularly harsh, however allow me, dear reader, to defend my decision before any hasty assumptions are made.
Firstly, I am—on my ongoing goodreads journey—coming to realise that my complimentary nature has most likely rendered the vast majority of my past ratings as at least somewhat more forgiving than they ought to have been. I am working on my skills as a critical analyst, and this will no doubt be a lesson I continually learn over the course of my life as a reader. Thus, going forward, I will be making a conscious effort to not give out compliments to authors /too/ easily. That isn’t to say that I shall be harsh and unscrupulous from now onwards: I merely wish that my reviews will be both comprehensive, and most importantly, proportional in their degree of flattery.
I also put this rating down to the fact that my reading materials have become greatly limited by my current geography: I didn’t anticipate just how difficult it would be to come across reasonably priced English books that aren’t autobiographies of celebrities I couldn’t care less about, or classics that I haven’t already read, in Japan. I spent £17 on a measly 200 page secondhand Murakami paperback the other day. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
All of that being said, my circumstances have rendered me a captive audience, at the mercy of whatever English material my local bookshops have to offer. On this particular trip, the only book that even slightly caught my interest was a small, old, biography of Lewis Carroll. An ardent Alice-lover with little other choice, I was admittedly rather pleased to finally be exploring the man behind wonderland, considering his questionable literary reputation.
Lovett Stoffel, herself a childhood acquaintance of the author, provides detailed and compelling insight into Dodgson’s curious nature and particular manner, spanning from his childhood, to Oxford, and through the Alice years, detailing each literary and theoretical endeavour upon which the author embarked during the course of his life. Lovett Stoffel leaves no stone unturned on the academic front, even including a collection of documents—samples of Carroll’s more obscure work for Alice enthusiasts to glean a greater perspective on the writer’s scope as a storyteller, a photographer, and a mathematician.
I would’ve liked to have had more of an expose of the true nature of the writer, although I didn’t particularly expect much shocking content from a book of this age and composition style. What it lacks in juicy (and potentially entirely unfounded, might I add) gossip, it makes up for in contextual details: I particularly enjoyed the biographer’s decision to frequently mention the names of Carroll’s academic contemporaries (Millais, Ruskin, Tennyson, Rossetti—both poet and pre-raphaelite painter). The text also offers rich material regarding the cultural norms of upperclass Victorian society, rooting Carrol firmly within the boundaries of his own personal academic wonderland: Oxford.
This isn’t great literature, great criticism, or even great biography for that matter. But I went in with zero expectations, and upon completion, I am confident in the knowledge that I am leaving this book knowing a great deal more about the author of my beloved childhood favourite than I did prior. Moreover, this volume contains a remarkable collection of illustrations and photographs pertaining to the content, both Alice-inclined and otherwise. Beautifully arranged and printed, each page is laid out in a manner akin to a scrapbook, which pleased my crafty side greatly.
A comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and altogether delightful visual experience, this book does what it says on the tin: to inform and supplement the knowledge of any Alice reader keen to fall deeper down the rabbit hole. Nonetheless, I would’ve liked to have been on the receiving end of some deeply disturbing revelation about the writer’s controversial involvement in the lives of the children he wrote for. But that’s just the gossip in me. Forgive me, dear reader. Everyone loves a scandal.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at a library book sale. Published by Abram’s in their Discovery series, it is a brief overview of this most interesting man and his most famous work. It is small format, with heavy stock paper that includes beautiful illustrations, photos, and other works to complement the text. This makes up the first 128 pages, with the last 50 pages devoted to unillustrated samples of his other works, including some correspondence—the most interesting pieces. This looks like a book you might find in a museum book store, and for me reading it was a delight.

To say that Charles Dodgson was an enigmatic guy would be an understatement. You might just say that he fit the Oxford don stereotype of the Victorian age. He lived in his own version of Wonderland—the Oxford bubble where he spent most of his life. He was brilliant, with both the artistic and the analytical sides of his brain firing equally. The creativity of Alice goes without saying, but he was also a mathematician who specialized in logic. It makes sense then, that he was also drawn to early photography where he could be creative, yet had to master the technical aspects of the equipment and processes.

The most obvious question a reader of a Carroll bio might ask is, “What’s with the obsession with little girls?” Nude photos?? The author expects the reader to wonder this, and preempts it early on, I suppose, as to not keep the reader dangling. Rationale—he was a natural teacher who just loved kids; nude photos of girls were common in Victorian times (huh?); he was basically a child himself and so could relate better to them. He spent a LOT of time with Alice Liddell and her two sisters, often in the company of a nanny or a male friend of his. There was never a hint of sexual chicanery…until Mrs Liddell banished him from the family when the eldest sister reached age 17. The three pages of Carroll’s diary at the time of that incident were destroyed, so the mystery remains.

I came away wondering if perhaps he was gay and he made up for the sad fact that he would never be blessed with his own offspring. One can speculate, but should not focus too much on the question of his personal life. He worked hard on Alice, and I also wondered if it would have been such a hit had he not had the good fortune to enlist John Tenniel as the illustrator. The Alice series aside, he was a prolific writer (especially given that his”real” job was teaching math). This charming little book gives the reader a sampling of Charles Dodgson, his life and work. He came across as a funny and likable fellow and I enjoyed getting to know more about him, and his work. As far as Alice Liddell, she is not covered in any depth whatsoever, so the book seems mis-titled for that reason.

[Pamela Hatch · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for something to give me more insight into the creation of Alice in Wonderland and came across this title at bookstore sale. Really didn't learn anything helpful - Alice was a girl of a friend that he would entertain with stories. The book was more about Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson's) life full of mathematical logic and religious followings. Had some information about the culture as well at the time and how it responded to both Carroll's logical and illogical writings.

Carroll also considered himself to be an artist and ideas of some of his original sketches for Alice is presented. Also many of the John Tenniel's illustrations (which I love) are included.

Since I didn't get the answers I was looking for, I have ordered a copy of the Annotated Alice in Wonderland in hopes I will fair better with answers to my questions.

This book was more of a biography of him, his life, his career, his adoration of stories for children who followed him everywhere, his art, his other works.

Dodgson was far from insensitive to the role of aesthetics in religion. Indeed, a need to apprehend the spiritual through art was a hallmark of his character. He objected not to the beauty of Orthodox services, but to the danger of allowing an emotionally satisfying ritual to become an end itself, rathert han a means of access to God. (page 92)

I also found an amazing poem by Carroll that appeared in the conclusion of Sylvie and Bruno called "A Song of Love"
...'Tis a secret, and so let us whisper it low ---
And the name of the secret is Love!
For I think it is Love,
For I feel it is Love,
For I'm sure it is nothing but Love!
(page 139)

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is 7 inches by 5 inches in size and has 176 pages. It is chock full of beautiful artwork and photographs. A lot of the photos are ones that he took himself.

There is a lot of material packed into this book and, if you are an Alice in Wonderland collector, then I consider this a must-have for your collection.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only liability here is Stephanie's ongoing concern over Chuck's alleged "undue familiarity with young girls" (all of which definitely brings to mind the phrase "protesting too much"). Indeed, she seems to be rather obsessed with the whole business throughout.

[Bartholomew Timm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and well-researched book with a lot of photographs, drawings, paintings, and sketches that were done by Carroll, Tenniel, and various others. Many of them were designed to accompany the Alice stories, and many are photographs taken by Carroll (he was among the earliest adaptors of this new technology and was almost as well-known for it, as for his writings, in his time. There are also quite a few of the areas in and around Oxford. In addition to all the wonderful eye-candy, the narrative itself is excellent. Stoffel includes the history of Dodgson and his family from birth to death, and focuses a great deal on his time as an Oxford Don, and his relationships with the Liddell family, not just Alice, but her parents, siblings, and their friends as well. As Lewis Carroll the author, he enjoyed immense popularity, and his interests in mathematics become evident in his stories, poems, and riddles once one understands how he cleverly included them. It becomes evident that while the Alice stories (and others he wrote) were written for children, there is so much more to them (just think of the lessons to be learnt from the Cheshire cat, the White Rabbit, and the Caterpillar).
I have read much about Carroll, and read nearly all his published works, and this is one of my favorites because of the thoroughness of the research, and the wonderful and colorful illustrations, but mostly because the narrative is straight-forward and does not include the often inane attempts by other authors to psychoanalyze Dodgson. It presents him in his element and in his time and in the idyllic surroundings of Oxford that he so throughly enjoyed. Knowing his history and how the stories came to be makes it more obvious why they have become among the more endearing and enduring of all children's stories.
There are many books about Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell - this one by Stephanie Lovett Stoffel - is in my opinion the best. I purchased my copy at the Alice Shop in Oxford, but I am certain you could find a copy online.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lewis Carroll in Wonderland: The Life and Times of Alice and Her Creator is a richly detailed look at the life of the author, the world he inhabited, and his timeless creations. It was a delight to see how thoroughly documented and beautifully illustrated it is, brimming with photographs, paintings, illustrations, and other visual treasures that vividly bring Carroll’s Victorian world to life. At times, the pages feel a little too busy, which can make reading less fluid, but the sheer abundance of imagery is still a treat.

The book seamlessly blends biography with cultural history, offering insight into his childhood, Oxford life, Victorian society, and the people who inspired the beloved tales. Informative without ever feeling overly academic, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable resource for anyone wanting to explore not only Carroll himself, but also the magical and intricate world that shaped Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.

[Sistermagpie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really nice, concise overview of Lewis Carroll's life. It's to the point and does a good job at explaining certain details that might be confusing to those of us who aren't Victorian professors at Oxford. There's also good use of detail--not a lot of overexplaining of everything, but certain bits dropped in that give you an idea of what he must have been like. For instance, explaining the rules of a logic game he created.

[Jane Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the relationship he had with children disturbing! (Very MJ) The author doesn't say anything clearly, but leaves it up to the reader. But it's sort of a mystery! The pages cut out of his diary. The photograph of naked children (seen as acceptable in his time). The sudden end of his photography. The relationships with little girls. weird.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this slim volume on my shelf and was attracted by the slick paper and photos. Was Dodgson weird? Yes, but his Alice was charming and way outside the box. Honestly, the 1862 Tenniel illustrations are my favorite part.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved learing about the most wonderful author in the world!

[Rose A · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and informative book about Lewis Carroll's life; I certainly learned a lot from reading this. I wish there had been more actual analysis of the significance of "Alice in Wonderland".