Why a Booktrail?
1832 – 1898: The man behind the journey into Wonderland
Lewis Carroll: The Man and his Circle
What you need to know before your trail
This new biography of Carroll by leading international authority, Edward Wakeling, presents a fresh appraisal of the man based upon his social circle. Contrary to the claims of many previous authors, Carroll’s circle was not child centred: his correspondence was enormous, numbering almost 100,000 items at the time of his death, and included royalty and many of the leading artists, illustrators, publishers, academics, musicians and composers of the Victorian era. Edward Wakeling draws upon his personal database of nearly 6,000 letters, mostly never before published, to fill the gaps left by earlier biographies and resolve some of the key myths that surround Lewis Carroll, such as his friendships with children and his drug-taking. Essential reading for scholars and admirers of one of the key authors of the Victorian age.
Travel Guide
Lewis Carroll Country
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson is better known as Lewis Carroll
Dodgson was born in the small parsonage at Daresbury in Cheshire. He was the eldest boy but already the third child of the four-and-a-half-year-old marriage. Eight more children followed. When Charles was 11, his whole family moved to the rectory. This remained their home for the next 25 years.
“Lewis Carroll” was educated at home. By the age of seven, he was apparently reading books such as The Pilgrim’s Progress. Like many of his siblings, he suffered from a stammer and this would have an effect on the rest of his life.
Alice in Wonderland
The story of Alice in Wonderland actually starts in a very real place above ground – the story came about following a journey the author had when walking along a river between Oxford and Godstow whilst trying to entertain the two little girls in his care.
Dodgson told the girls a story that featured a bored little girl named Alice who goes looking for an adventure. The girls loved it, and the real Alice asked Dodgson to write it down for her. He began writing but it wasn’t until they all went on another journey and boat trip a month later, when he started to elaborate the story and write it out in full.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Lewis Carroll: The Man and his Circle
Destination: Oxford, Daresbury Author/Guide: Edward Wakeling Departure Time: 1832 – 1898
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
