Today it’s exactly 157 years ago that Charles Dodgson, Alice, and her sisters went on a boat trip, which initiated the telling of the original ‘Wonderland’ tale.
And exactly 154 years ago, the very first edition of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ was printed!
Edward Guiliano recently published his new book “Lewis Carroll – The Worlds of His Alices”. In it, he discusses the works that Lewis Carroll produced throughout his lifetime and what they tell us about his personality and skills.
When I heard about this book and read its description, I didn’t really know what to expect. Apparently it wasn’t a biography, but an ‘analysis’. I wondered what exactly would be analysed and how deep it would dive into all those topics – as the book seemed to cover numerous works, it possibly couldn’t be very thorough? And how much focus would there be on the ‘Alice’ books (which of course I’m interested in most)?
The publishers were kind enough to provide me with a copy, so I was able to write this review for everyone else who is wondering whether they should purchase this book.
The annual “Alice’s Day” is upcoming! If you are in the UK on July 6, join the festivities and activities and listen to interesting lectures from the Lewis Carroll Society.
Alice’s Day is Oxford’s annual celebration of Lewis Carroll’s books. It’s a one day event coordinated by the Story Museum and offers a day full of events inspired by the story. Venues and museums across the city offer Alice-themed events and activities, bringing the book to life and encouraging people of all ages to (re)discover Wonderland. This year’s theme is ‘Time’.
The Atkinson (UK) will soon open an exhibition dedicated to illustrations for the Alice in Wonderland story. The exhibition features amongst others Dodgson’s own illustrations and illustrations from his contemporaries. It examines how artists and craftspeople were inspired by the story across generations.
Items on display include:
The exhibition runs from Saturday 25 May 2019 until Saturday 7 September 2019 at The Atkinson, Southport (UK). For more information, go to https://www.theatkinson.co.uk/events/inspired-by-alice/.
Alice Liddell (the girl the ‘Alice’ stories were based on) was born on May 4. So today is the only day in the year she was not able to celebrate her Unbirthday. Happy birthday, Alice!
When you read the story closely, Alice will tell you on seperate occasions on which date the story takes place. First, she tells you it is May, later that it is the fourth. So she actually visits Wonderland on her birthday!
Author Michelle Rene wrote a novella in which an old Alice Liddell looks back on the events that caused ‘the Liddell riddle‘. In this mixture of fiction and facts, we learn why the friendship between Charles Dodgson and Alice ended and almost all contact ceased.
“The Dodo Knight” is a short story (just a little over 100 pages) of the ‘historical fiction’ genre. It takes place in the Victorian era and uses everything we know about Charles Dodgson and the Liddell family, to tell ‘the true story’ of what happened between them to cause the rift we are still speculating about. Of course, that story was made up by the author, who is merely ‘filling the gaps in history’, as she calls it, with her own take on what might have happened.
Don’t fear: it’s not one of these books that contributes to the spreading of false claims and speculations – in the afterword, Rene clearly explains which parts were made up. Still, it is a book that can be received quite differently, depending on how much you know about the circumstances and the backgrounds of the main characters, and depending on how much you detest the idea that Dodgson could have had a love relationship with one of the Liddells.
Read full post >Tiered cake stands made of upcycled teacups and saucers are very popular – and perfect for a Mad Tea Party! They’re actually really easy to make. Let me show you how it’s done!
The first thing to do is scoure thrift shops for cute, old fashioned tea cups and saucers. You’ll want to mix and match: combine cups of a certain design with saucers of a different design, but do try to make them go together in a certain way. Match by color, type of decoration, rim design, or some other aspect.
Other things to look out for: