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The Story of Lewis Carroll, Told for Young People by the Real Alice in Wonderland
Excerpt from The Story of Lewis Carroll, Told for Young People by the Real Alice in Wonderland
The gracious presence of Lewis Carroll is with us no longer. Never again will his hand hold mine, and I shall never hear his voice more in this world. Forever while I live that kindly influence will be gone from my life, and the Friend of little Children has left us. And yet in the full sorrow of it all I find some note of comfort. He was so good and sweet, so tender and kind, so certain that there was another and more beautiful life waiting for us, that I know, even as if I heard him telling it to me, that some time I shall meet him once more.
The gracious presence of Lewis Carroll is with us no longer. Never again will his hand hold mine, and I shall never hear his voice more in this world. Forever while I live that kindly influence will be gone from my life, and the Friend of little Children has left us. And yet in the full sorrow of it all I find some note of comfort. He was so good and sweet, so tender and kind, so certain that there was another and more beautiful life waiting for us, that I know, even as if I heard him telling it to me, that some time I shall meet him once more.
132 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1899
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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March 22, 2021Charming
This is a rare little book written by one of the friends of Alice in Wonderland author Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll. Isa Bowman is the author. She knew Dodgson as a dear friend through her childhood and until his death.
The book is very sweet and simply written . It is filled with anecdotes about holidays spent with Dodgson, some of his letters to her and also some interesting description of how he looked and acted in person.
Isa's account is very affectionate and glowing. The charm is in this rare firsthand peek into the life of a privileged Victorian child and also into the tastes and personality of Dodgson himself.
There is one troubling passage where Isa mentions a passionate kiss from Dodgson when she was yet a child and i found it so startling that it had me shook for a bit while reading it. It made me wonder what exactly the word passion means today as opposed to back then because in this case the kiss happened after he had destroyed a drawing of Isa's and it was while he was hugging her in apology. Did he kiss her on the forehead ? Cheeks ? Who knows.
Either way anyone familiar with Lewis Carroll would already be familiar with some of the controversy surrounding his friendships with children which except for that of the original Alice, lasted for life.
Definitely worth a read for any fan of Alice in Wonderland or Lewis Carroll.
This is a rare little book written by one of the friends of Alice in Wonderland author Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll. Isa Bowman is the author. She knew Dodgson as a dear friend through her childhood and until his death.
The book is very sweet and simply written . It is filled with anecdotes about holidays spent with Dodgson, some of his letters to her and also some interesting description of how he looked and acted in person.
Isa's account is very affectionate and glowing. The charm is in this rare firsthand peek into the life of a privileged Victorian child and also into the tastes and personality of Dodgson himself.
There is one troubling passage where Isa mentions a passionate kiss from Dodgson when she was yet a child and i found it so startling that it had me shook for a bit while reading it. It made me wonder what exactly the word passion means today as opposed to back then because in this case the kiss happened after he had destroyed a drawing of Isa's and it was while he was hugging her in apology. Did he kiss her on the forehead ? Cheeks ? Who knows.
Either way anyone familiar with Lewis Carroll would already be familiar with some of the controversy surrounding his friendships with children which except for that of the original Alice, lasted for life.
Definitely worth a read for any fan of Alice in Wonderland or Lewis Carroll.
November 2, 2019
I kept seeing references from this book in various works dedicated to Lewis Carroll, but I never thought it was easily available online to read. I would have enjoyed it much more if I didn't read "spoilers" before, hahah! It still was quite entertaining. However, I had to constantly ask myself as to how much of what was said was true. I know for a fact Isa was much older when she was visiting Mr. Dodgson, although she kept referring to herself as a "little girl". She also described him as being an incredible Math teacher, making everyone keen on the subject, etc. - while other sources state that he was quite an uninspired lecturer, making his students fall asleep or not show up at all.
January 16, 2016
The copyright date for the book is 1899.
I had to look up who Isa Bowman was. She was an actress and appeared in stage appearances of Alice in Wonderland in at least two plays, doing one as Alice herself. She was a friend of Lewis Carroll and stayed with him between the ages of 15 and 19.
The book was written after the death of Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll. She describes him physically, and notes that he tried to cure his stuttering but was never able to. She also says he was excessively shy. She goes into describing his photographic skills, but how he hated to have anyone take his photograph.
She says he had a large collection of music boxes. She notes that in informal writing his handwriting was rather bad, but when writing something formal (like a manuscript) his writing was very good and legible.
His behavior was hermit-like at many times. She writes of the time she spent with him and their walks and his behavior, including his delight in telling stories. She says he was devoted to the theater. He has some criticisms of her acting and basically seems to be espousing the concept of the actor becoming the character fully.
She includes some writing about Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass and some of his other works.
Her main aim seems to be to present Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson as a 'friend to children.'
There's some additional items in the book, but they are not very interesting.
I had to look up who Isa Bowman was. She was an actress and appeared in stage appearances of Alice in Wonderland in at least two plays, doing one as Alice herself. She was a friend of Lewis Carroll and stayed with him between the ages of 15 and 19.
The book was written after the death of Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll. She describes him physically, and notes that he tried to cure his stuttering but was never able to. She also says he was excessively shy. She goes into describing his photographic skills, but how he hated to have anyone take his photograph.
She says he had a large collection of music boxes. She notes that in informal writing his handwriting was rather bad, but when writing something formal (like a manuscript) his writing was very good and legible.
His behavior was hermit-like at many times. She writes of the time she spent with him and their walks and his behavior, including his delight in telling stories. She says he was devoted to the theater. He has some criticisms of her acting and basically seems to be espousing the concept of the actor becoming the character fully.
She includes some writing about Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass and some of his other works.
Her main aim seems to be to present Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson as a 'friend to children.'
There's some additional items in the book, but they are not very interesting.
November 6, 2012
Alice of wonderland is a long book but descriptive, I feel the author Lewis carrol is really telling me how Alice gets back home from as rabbit hole I liked how Alice finds the key to the wonderland, and go back to home, and drinking tea as a celebration, I didn't like the part when she came to a poker land and the queen got angry, it made me angry too and made me want to behead the queen, and the winged turtle looks ugly like a dried up man, alice makes me feel a good friend but annoying and the setting (the wonderland) is wierd and freaky, Alice reminds me of fantasy story's and comics, I'd rate it a 3.9 stars.
June 7, 2007
the interesting thing about this book is isa bowman's fabrication and alteration of many of her own biographical details, mostly to make herself seem younger than she actually was when she and carroll were friends. also, at the very end of karoline leach's 'in the shadow of the dream-child,' she says miss bowman went on to marry a pornographer, which is pretty great, although I've never seen anything else about that.
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January 9, 2025"The shifting firelight seemed to almost aetherealise that kindly face, and as the wonderful stories fell from his lips, and his eyes lighted on me with the sweetest smile that ever a man
wore, I was conscious of a love and reverence for Charles Dodgson that became
nearly an adoration."
wore, I was conscious of a love and reverence for Charles Dodgson that became
nearly an adoration."
August 6, 2012
"THE REAL ALICE?" BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
January 24, 2010
part of my research
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews