Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
AND did you really walk, said I, "On such a wretched night? I always fancied Ghosts could fly - If not exactly in the sky. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I'm Not Educated Enough To Understand It
I love Lewis Carroll's work, but sometimes I just have no freaking clue what he's talking about.I experienced this sensation of vagueness a few times during my reading of the Sylvie and Bruno books, but I felt it most while reading some of the poems in Phantasmagoria.

But what I could understand I really enjoyed.I really loved Hiawatha's Photographing, Melancholetta, Size and Tears, and The Lang Coortin', although some of these poems have strangely inconclusive endings.It's interesting to see Carroll's last poem in this book, Fame's Penny Trumpet, where he's really, really mad at academic big-wigs.

Make sure you read Alice before even attempting to read this.

Vintage Carroll enhanced by Frost's art and Gardner's notes
This book has woodcuts by Arthur B. Frost that capture the humor of Carroll's poem perfectly.Martin Gardner has provided a short introduction with letters from Carroll to Frost regarding the art and to a friend with regards to para-psychological phenomena.He also provides notes for obscure words or puns.Frost and Gardner are what makes this the version of Carroll's Phantasmagoria you should read.

The poem itself is a conversation between a man of 42 and a less than adept ghost. Among the things learned are the 5 rules of behavior for a ghost, the housing requirements for a ghost etc.Carroll's vintage humor is expressed in a narrative poem of seven cantos using verses of five rhymed lines.The poetry is well written - the rhymes are not forced but natural, the humor relatively subtle.

This book justifies its being in the series "Literary Classics".

We're talking the best of Carrol here.
This poem, writen in five line verses, ranks right up there with Alice in Wonderland.The poetry of Homer with the wit of Dr. Suess.I would suggest this book to anyone who likes poetry in any form.

GREAT STUFF!!
This is great verse if you like Lewis Carroll.It sounds great as beat poetry, too!! ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.Download Description
A masterpiece of nonsensical verse by the enigmatic author of ALICE IN WONDERLAND inspired by the serendipitous line "For the Snark was a Boojum, you see", which Lewis Carroll claimed occurred to him while on a stroll one day. The adventures of a motley crew in search of an elusive prey, THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK is a fantasy that sails along on magical language, surreal images, and an undercurrent of sly humor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Other Books
The Hunting of the Snark is a whacky piece of poetical silliness by Lewis Caroll.Complete nonsense, no-one knows what a Snark is, or why Snark hunters hunt it, or why anyone would want to become a Snark hunter to start with.Anyway, the poem is definitely amusing at times with some of the humour he slips in.

Carroll's Short and Sweet Chaucer Imitation
The Hunting of the Snark seems to be a very, very short imitation of The Canterbury Tales.The first chapter (titled a fit) introduces all of the occupations of all the different people going on a journey.However, instead of going on a general pilgrimage and telling tales along the way, their trip is very specific to hunting.

The Baker actually attempts to tell a story, but the Bellman (who leads the group) says there's no time for storytelling.They have to catch the Snark before nightfall.

Along with the Bellman and Baker, a Banker, a Bonnet-maker, a Butcher, a Boots, a Billiard-maker, a Barrister, a Broker, and a Beaver tag along to hunt for the Snark.The Beaver is afraid of getting cut by the Butcher, so he puts on a dagger-proof coat and talks to the Banker about buying an insurance policy.

The Beaver is involved in a hilarious scene with the Butcher later, when the two attempt to compute sums.But perhaps the funniest scene of the entire book is in the Barrister's dream when the Snark declares sentence on a pig, only to find out the pig has been dead long before the trial even began.

I'd highly recommend this short poem for Carroll fans, even though it's not big enough to contain but a small portion of what's to be found in the Alice books.

The best nonsense I've ever read
I have read a great deal of nonsense in the past, but this was by far the best nonsense that I have ever read.There is no point, no meaning, no sense, and no boringness.It is a delightful poem (which is well written and very fun to read aloud) about a crew on a ship hunting a snark.The crew includes a captain who only rings a bell, a beaver, a cook who only cooks beavers (the beaver and the cook did not get along well), a man afraid that the snark would turn into a boojum and make him disappear, etc.As you can tell, this makes for an insanely silly poem.The subtitle is rather fitting, as my sides were definitely hurting from laughter when I was done.Well done Mr. Carroll.

Overall grade:A+

Agony? Hardly!
Nonsense poems can easily miss the mark
Yet, this masterpiece has that spark.

"How do you kill a _____?", you ask
To find the answer was the hunters' task.

"What was their fate?", you wonder
Did they ever catch their elusive plunder?

A paragon of haunting Carollian lore
Be in no doubt that you'll finish wanting more.

This poem is just great!

Brilliant twice
First, this one of the most delightful pieces of writing that ever appeared in (more or less) English. It succeeds as a sustained exercise in illogic. I am sure that only a mathematical logician like Dodgson could possibly have pulled it off - only someone with such deep understanding of reason could master unreason so completely.

Second, Martin Gardner's commentary adds depth and background to the reading. Gardner explains terms that are now obsolete, but also adds his own analysis and a rich history of the Snark phenomenon. It should be no surprise that Gardner is still best known as the long-time editor of Scientific American's column on Mathematical Games, a mathematician himself.

I can't add much to the scholarship or praise that already surrounds this incredible poem. I would like to point out, however, that most non-native English speakers are unfamiliar with this poem. Many of them have only ever seen the serious side of the English language, and have never seen English at play. I consider this short work to be the ideal introduction to the very best of English-language nonsense.

//wiredweird ... Read more

Book Description
Everything that Lewis Carroll ever published in book form appears in this volume. In addition, at least ten of the shorter pieces have never appeared in print except in their original editions. Included are: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" "Through the Looking-Glass" "Sylvie and Bruno" "Sylvie and Bruno Concluded" "The Hunting of the Snark" & all of the poetry, essays, phantasmagoria along with a substantial collection of the miscellaneous writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Do you really need 'complete'
'The Complete, Fully Illustrated Works, Deluxe Edition' of lewis Carroll's works may actually be more than you really want. While three of Carroll's works, the two Alice fantasy novels and the long poem, 'The Hunting of the Snark' are major classics of English literature, Carroll wrote an equal or greater amount of pretty dull stuff, primarily the two 'Sylvia and Bruno' novels, which I have never been able to finish.

My suggestion to all but the Carroll scholar and people who want to see his logical works is to buy the annotated versions of the two Alice novels and the annotated 'Snark', all annotated by Martin Gardiner. This way, you are also guaranteed of getting Henry Holiday's illustrations for 'The Hunting of the Snark', which are not in all 'Complete' collections.

Good but not complete
On the plus side, this book contains loads of stuff by Lewis Carroll as well as the two Alice books.Not much is of the same quality, but quite a lot is well worth having.However, be aware that the title is misleading.Quite a lot that Lewis Carroll wrote is not here, as can be seen by doing a search for books by "Carroll, Lewis" and comparing that with the contents.It includes some material that appeared under his real name or pseudonyms other than Lewis Carroll, but few will grumble at that.Although all the wonderful illustrations by Tenniel for the Alice books are here (albeit not always clearly reproduced), no other illustrations are included.For some works, such as The Hunting of the Snark, the illustrations commissioned by Carroll are excellent and their omission is a serious drawback.However, for all lovers of the Alice books who want to read more by the author, this is a fair and inexpensive starting point.

wonderful
All of Lewis Carroll's books are great. And finaly you can have all of them together in one big book. A must have for everybody! ... Read more

Book Description
Will Brooker, author of Batman Unmasked and Using the Force, turns his attention to Lewis Carroll and Alice. He takes the reader through a fascinating and revealing tour of late 20th Century popular culture, following Alice and her creator wherever they go. Brooker reveals the ways in which this iconic character has been used and adapted, taking in cartoons, movies, computer games, theme parks, heritage sites, novelisations, illustrations, biographies, theatrical performances, toys and other products, websites, fan clubs and much more. The result is a remarkable analysis of how one original creation has expanded over time to symbolize many different things to many different people. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Wasp Without a Wig
Will Brooker is the handsomest former nerd in central London, and he takes his own edge off by cligning to the little bit inside him that still feels rejected, neglected, and put on the shelf by the cooler kids.His analysis of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass feels like something actually felt, not just abstracted, and it's clear that he keeps taking down from the hook all these various interpretations of Lewis Carroll's character, unable to settle on one, to see which one fits him the best.He is relentlessly modish and thoroughly up-to-date, and yet an old-fashioned drive for completion gives his character an uncharacteristic burnish, an OCD shadow.His book is terrifically written, on a sentence by sentence basis, but after awhile it does get wearisome, usually because like a handful of other practitioners of deconstructionist theory, Brooker is unable to give another full credit without sniping away at him or her.Every text that he picks up to examine will be revealed to have some huge flaw which Brooker doesn't share in.

He's divided his study into nine general areas, from representations of Lewis Carroll in recent biography, to the fandom with which his own recent work has been concerned.At least one of these topics, the section in which he critiques many illustrators of Lewis Carroll, should have been jettisoned for, despite what he thinks, Brooker lacks the ability to write well about the visual arts, odd for one who has written extensively on many comic artists, but alas, he's pretty bankrupt there.Another chapter devotes itself to contemporary sequels to ALICE, including Jeff Noon and Gilbert Adair, and here again a weakness in Brooker's comprehensive approach becomes obvious at once: although he has just about nothing to say about Adair's ALICE THROUGH THE NEEDLE'S EYE, he feels obliged to "cover" it with the same word count as he does everything else.

Against these minor flaws Brooker's book is an arsenal of critical insight and, as well, sheer writing chops.His opening salvo, tearing apart a series of biographers for their outright misstatements and lack of perspective, could hardly be better planned nor achieved.I would never have thought of the simple method he winds up using, which is, he isolates five areas of mystery in Carrollian biography, and one by one he examines what X, Y, or Z says about each.For example, what of the cut diary pages?What about the heartfelt diary entries which entreat his God to make him a more decent man?And what about those nude photographs of little boys and girls?

OK, maybe he tries to do too much, and depends on his own adorableness for pages at a time, but this is a thoroughly exciting book and I hope Brooker sees fit to keep it up to date in the years to come, maybe staging an Alice Biennale or something like.

The analysis juxtaposes perfectly with his life and times
Lewis Carroll wrote "Alice In Wonderland" and is most noted for this achievement, but he did so much more, fostering the setting for later computer games, theme parks, and performances inspired by his works. Alice's Adventures: Lewis Carroll In Popular Culture isn't just another coverage of Carroll's life; it's a survey of how the characters he created live on in modern times, adapted since his death in 1898. The analysis juxtaposes perfectly with his life and times and creates for more depth in the analysis of Alice's ongoing effects on modern culture, than the modern biography could achieve.

IMAGES OF ALICE
Possibly the 60s were the time when Alice began to enter the popular culture.In 1963 for example there was a girl singer who named herself Alice Wonderland and made a single.A month or two earlier Neil Sedaka had landed Alice on to the Top 40.
A matter of months later,as the Beatles began to conquer America,came John Lennon's 2nd book,like the first,influenced by Lewis Carroll's nonsense writings. (Carroll would be further immortalised by the Beatles when he was one of the figures on the Sgt Pepper sleeve).
Then came the first rumblings of the new American music influenced by both the Beatles and folk music in general.The Great Society were one of many trying for a bite of the cherry and lead singer Grace Slick wrote a song called "White Rabbit",more or less a comment about parents who gave their kids Alice books then wondered why they ended up taking drugs.
(Obviously tongue in cheek as Slick took more than her share during the Jefferson Airplane years:this was the band who she joined after the Great Society taking with her the 2 songs they'd recorded ,one of which was "White Rabbit". The rest is history.
Alice has always been at least of enough fascination to the music world as to have inspired no end of songs or band names from "Alice In Sunderland" to the Mock Turtles,Carolyn Wonderland or even the very title of the 2nd book ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS,who were a duo from the village of Ditchling in Suffolk and who wrote some music for a local Alice production.
The album was a limited edition and is now worth over £1000 as its regarded as Folk Rock or whatever but even the reissue is worth quite a bit

Someday the definitive book may be written about the Alice influence on popular music but meanwhile there's this one

what is it saying?
not sure what this book is supposed to be. It is really just a rehash of very old ideas about Carroll with some pop culture uncomfortably tacked on.The 'myth' has been dealt with far better by people who really seem to understand it (it's too deep I think for Brooker's milieu), and the pop culture is presented without any kind of analysis or penetration.

I think you are better off withLeach's 'In the Shadow of the Dreamchild' or Sigler's 'Alternative Alices'.

Contemporary Manifestations of a Timeless Classic
"Curiouser and curiouser.""Beware the Jabberwock, my son!""When _I_ use a word it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.""You're nothing but a pack of cards!"Even if you don't know the Alice books by Lewis Carroll, chances are you have heard these quotations.The books are so well known that they have, according to one report, been quoted more than any other source except the Bible and Shakespeare.The timelessness of the appeal of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ and _Through the Looking Glass_ can easily be appreciated in the book _Alice's Adventures: Lewis Carroll in Popular Culture_ (Continuum) by Will Brooker.It is an examination of the manifestations of Alice in the past fifteen or so years, with some attention paid for historic context to the rest of the twentieth century.That there is still lively participation by Alice in many surprising aspects of our modern world is a cheerful reminder of how good the original books are, and Brooker's own witty book gives hope that Alice will always have a role to play in the culture of any age.

But Carroll (actually The Reverend Charles L. Dodgson) himself has in the past decade played a darker role than he ever did before.In an age when we worried about pedophiles, and also worried needlessly about people accused in atrocious error of being pedophiles, Carroll's fascination for little girls has become suspect and smutty.Academic papers have been issued to reinforce such views, but all are largely circumstantial.Thus it seems wiser to think of Carroll with more magnanimity, and to remember that he was never in his time considered anything more threatening than a respectable Oxford don with an eagerness to entertain by mathematical and linguistic puzzles and stories.The popular press has followed the academic lead, however.The darker themes of Wonderland have been brought out in recent illustrations for the books, but even here, "... none of these illustrators taps to any noticeable degree into the reading of _Alice_ as steeped in sexual overtone..."Brooker shows how the original illustrations by Sir John Tenniel have always influenced subsequent illustrators.Brooker has great fun taking part in the activities of the Lewis Carroll Society, and finds a pleasant peer pressure: when he wrote to other members he found himself gradually using an address that was much more formal and polite "...than I would ever have used towards, say, the _Star Wars_ fans of my previous research."

_Alice's Adventures_ gives a look back to how other generations interpreted the tales.The stories don't have pedophilia in them, but these suppositions color our current view of the author.In the 1930s, there were abundant psychoanalytic interpretations, and in the 1960s there were psychedelic interpretations.Brookeralso spends a chapter on an animated computer shooter game, "Dark Wonderland," with Alice as a sexually provocative heroine.The books themselves, however, represent to Brooker "...an innocent, timeless, very English work of charming fantasy, suitable for reissue to another generation of young readers."In showing Alice in current culture, Brooker has written an admiring tribute to Carroll and his creation that will have the laudable effect of getting readers to look again at an inspired original. ... Read more

Book Description
122 illustrations in text ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Curiouser and Curiouser
Lewis Carroll: A biography

Morton Cohen's biography of Charles Dodson ("Lewis Carroll") is an insightful examination of a complex and flawed man.Dodson (1832-1898) was an English clergyman, mathematician, writer and photographer.He is better known to us as the author of "Alice and Wonderland."A prolific correspondent, Dodson wrote thousands of letters and kept extensive diaries, many of which are included in Cohen's book. But there are several gaps in the narrative: his diaries from 1858-1862 are missing, and many pages have been excised with a razor from the remaining ones.
Dodson apparently was a man whose conscience bothered him; his diaries contain countless references to "impure thoughts" and temptations, which might be traced to his inordinate fondness for pre-pubescent girls.
Dodson made no secret of his affection for children, spending hours in their company, buying them gifts, and photographing them "au naturel."Cohen writes: "ever in the company of children as he grew, he became accustomed not only to their presence but also to their childish ways.In time, perhaps through a combination of biological, spiritual, and psychological forces, this interest developed into a need, an essential component of his own happiness."But this affection, which in today's world would be ascribed to nascent pedophilia, was apparently chaste and innocent. Whatever its origin, it made for memorable literature."Alice" stands as a monument to the Victorian idealization of the child and to the imagination of one man.

What now?
This book seems dated now and we need a new edition as another reviewer has said. The commentary on Alice Liddell needs to be updated following Leach's work.Some of the claims he makes have been shown to be based on dubious data or to be mistaken, and he needs to modify his text to take account of that. But in many other ways this book is indispensible.

A 5-star portrait with 4-star information
The only real negative about this beautiful and compassionate portrait is the fact that there is some newer information that conflicts with some of what is present in this book.Another edition of the book to address these issues would be welcome, but that doesn't mean this book is obsolete!It is still a very interesting and well-written account of the life of C. L. Dodgson, the man who would become better known as Lewis Carroll, and this book shouldn't go overlooked.If you are only mildly interested (or perhaps not very much at all) in the subject, you will likely find that this book is capable of holding your attention until the end.An excellent starting point for budding Carrollians, but less an excellent *ending*.

Cohen has so many questions to answer
Cohen's book was seriously challenged by the publication of Karoline Leach's 'In the Shadow of the Dreamchild'. WeCarrollians have been waiting for five years now for Cohen to update his book in response. He needs to do so.

Is he going to rebut Leach's claims that the whole in-love-with-Alice-story is a myth? What is his response to the amazing discovery of the 'cut pages in diary' document? What does he say to Leach's claims that Dodgson befriended numerous adult women and was probably sexually normal?

I for one and many like me are very keen to know where this debate is going. Mr Cohen has promised a reply 'soon'. But when is 'soon?'

We need an updated version of this book. Until then I have to give the book just two stars, though I'd like to give more.

a lyrical work on a complex man
I first picked up this book from the local library as a ninth grader not even particularly fond of the Alice books- I think I just liked the cover. I ended up checking the book out many times afterwards, reading and rereading it. This book is beautifully written, and paints a fair and thorough picture of a quietly tormented genius. I would recommend this book to anyone, not just "Alice" lovers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Delightful 'train book' for the Wonderland lover
I mention the 'train book' aspect because this book is just the size to tuck into a handbag. As one who loves Lewis Carroll's works, and has studied Victorian England in depth, I found this work to be a surprisingly rich, delightful treatment of Lewis Carroll's life and work.

It is not an in-depth study of all aspects of his life, and, somehow, I found it most refreshing that, unlike some books which are, there were no diversions into Freudian speculation or treatments of bizarre theories about Dodgson's ways. Instead, the reader is treated to a fairly thorough survey of biographical information and essentials of Lewis Carroll's writings.

The illustrations are exceptionally extensive, including many photographs (of or by Carroll), varied illustrations from editions of "Alice," and, as far as textual illustrations are concerned, excerpts from Dodgson's private correspondence and diaries. One comes to the end of the book with a sense of having covered an amazingly large scope. For example, other authors have mentioned (without showing) the supposedly notorious nude photographs of children which Dodgson prepared. This book not only includes the pictures (which tend to the cherubic, with no flavour of the erotic), but places them into the Victorian cultural perspective with taste and dignity.

The author's style is superb - with a blend of beautiful language, concise but thorough treatment of the material, and impressive dignity. There is none of the excesses common in many books on Lewis Carroll, where rash speculation and prurient "let's pander to the 21st century love for 'dirt'" ruin the essentials of the story. Lewis Carroll is presented in all his brilliance, humour, and eccentricity. The classic works, with all of their fancy, wit, and wonder, are not ruined by excessive analysis or so filled with 'dark' speculation that one forgets what every child can see: they are delightful diversions.

Pair this book with an annotated edition of Lewis Carroll's works, and you will have the perfect gift for anyone who has ever loved "Alice" and her creator. And creator indeed Carroll was, for, as this book shows well, the Alice of fiction was hardly a model of Alice Liddell. The author speaks in some detail of the relationship of the "real" Alice and Charles Dodgson, with no tired attempts to confuse them with the book's contents. As well, the references to other Victorian literature and art places Carroll's work, and the friendship with the Liddell family, in an enlightening perspective for the contomporary reader.

Witty, insightful, and extensively detailed for a pocket book, I would highly recommend this work for anyone who already loves Lewis Carroll or would like a further acquaintance.

Good for Carroll Fans
I hardly ever buy nonfiction but seeing this at Borders I knew I had to have it. Lewis Carrol is one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century, surpassing even Tolstoy,Dostoevsky,and Dickens. I have a completecollection of all of his works and enjoy them all(except for the mathpuzzles, math has never been my strongest point.) If you are a fan of LewisCarroll then this is the book for you. Gorgous illustrations andphotographs, an interesting and informative text, this is a wonderfullittle book to own. It is also informative if you are interested inVictorian England such as Iam (probably due to my Lewis Carroll fixation)There are also examples of Lewis Carrolls photography and pictures of theLiddle children. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the worldof Alice and who is obsessed with Mr. Dodgson's books.

Exceptional!
A small in size book, being about 5 x 6.It is printed on glossy paper with many photographs.It is an exceptional buy for the amount of money tendered.If you read anything by Mr. Carroll you have to have this booktoo.Mr. Carroll's work is a must for anyone writing anything.The simpletruth is his writing means nothingas far as plot, but his style isbrilliant.

Is there anyone out there that knows what the name of thewriting style used by Mr. Carroll.For instance his characters are tellinga story to someonesmallMr. Carroll aims his text at a small animal. The small animal answers back in small type.When someone is running andtalking, there are long drawn out sentences.

Content and presentation are excellent.
This book provides a well written description of the conditions and environment that led to the writing of the Alice books. The reader is immersed in Victorian culture both verbally and visually. The profuselyillustrated book is a joy to read and informative as well. It fills theniche between biography and textual analysis.

Joel Birenbaum, presidentof the Lewis Carroll Society of North America

A nice, simple introduction to the world of Lewis Carroll
This tidy, colorful book presents an evenly balanced look at the life andtimes of Lewis Carroll. The reproductions of rare photos are outstanding,and are cause enough to buy the book on it's own. The text aviods theloathesome practice of trying to find deep symbolism and imagery inCarroll's works, but rather focuses on them with a pleasant reverence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

alice's adventure in wonderland
A classic book turned into a Disney movie. Alice's Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, was a very interesting book. Most would think that it would be just like the Disney movie but in fact it is very different. The reader first starts off with Alice following a white rabbit down a hole which she thinks would never end. Then the reader reads that Alice is in a hall with a key trying to open all the doors but cant and realizes that the door she needs to open is very tiny. Alice sees a table with something on it that says "eat me". So Alice eats it and becomes very small but then realizes she forgot the key. She grows back to normal and gets the key and goes through the door. Alice then is outside house and sees the white rabbit and follows it and is given a child to hold which turns out to be a pig. Alice sees the rabbit again and follows it and on the way meets a cat and Alice asks which way should she go and the cat gives her the choices. So Alice starts to walk and finds two creatures sitting at a table having tea and joins them. Later Alice is at the palace and the queen is yelling to have everyone's head removed and invites Alice to play croquet with her. Alice starts to play and realizes it's not the normal game. Later on Alice goes to the trial and tries to help but keeps getting bigger and last the reader reads is Alice waking up and telling her sister about a dream she has just had. I really enjoyed the book. I thought it wasn't going to be that great but it was. I enjoyed all the characters Alice meet and all the weird situations Alice found herself in. My favorite part of the book was when Alice played croquet with the queen and had a flamingo as the stick. I would recommend this book to anyone above the age of 14 because of the content of the book. Also because I'm not quite sure they would understand fully what the book was about. They might also be confused because it's very different from the movie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

FROM THE GARDENS WHERE WE FEEL SECURE
Virginia Astley.Cult singer songwriter from the early 80s whose family lived in Moulsford Oxfordshire.The village close to Alice Country which inspired her first album,the perfect soundtrack to Alice in Wonderland.An instrumental album with added SFX such as birdsong and church bells. Titles like A Summer Long Since Past and Summer Of Their Dreams.
Virginia Astley is,in fact,a reincarnation of Alice and not just because that's her middle name.
Her late father was born in Warrington and moved to Grappenhall in the late 40s which is the next village to Daresbury.
Since that first album Virginia was to become known as a singer and many of her songs have uncanny similarities with Wonderland and even the real life Alice. In "Tree Top Club" comes the line "I bought you sweets and comics from the grocery shop" which is paralleled in the early life of Alice Liddell.
So many others:I Live In Dreams,Nothing Is What It Seems,Over The Edge Of The World.
And another parallel in the fact that Virginia Astley was morally sound,and a reminder that "Alice was the most sensible person in a land of freaks" against a description of Virginia Astley as "unaffected by operating in a business not known for many normal people".
Virginia long ago found her own turf and stayed in it
So this is another Alternate Alice ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A VERY FUN BOOK TO READ WITH THE YOUNG ONES
I cannot think of a better way to introduce the poetry of Lewis Carroll than this small volume.The selection is excellent and of interest you the young reader.The commentary is quite relevant as are the pictures which accompany it.I find that often now, our young people go all the way through the early grades in school and many of them have never heard of carroll,much less read their poetry.This was the sort of stuff my generation and the generation before it grew up on and cut our teeth on.I do not feel I am any worse for the wear.I am fearful that we are bringing up an entire generation (rightfully or wrong, although I feel it is the later) of young folks who will have no appreciation to this great art form and will miss a lot.This book helps.This entire series helps, as a matter of fact and I certainly recommend you add this one and the others to your library.Actually, it is rather fun reading these with the young folk and then talking about them.Not only do you get to enjoy the work your self and perhaps bring back some great memories, but you have the opportunity to interact with your child or student.It is actually rather surprising what some of the kids come up with.I read these to my grandchildren and to the kids in my classes at school.For the most part, when I really get to discussing the work with them, they enjoy it.Recommend this one highly. ... Read more