How Is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?

Ever since Tim Burton came out with his new version of Alice in Wonderland there's been a small surge of semi-Victorian fashion items that have come out with it. I found a number of nice pieces of jewelry at Target but decided not to buy any of them. It would be nice if this Victorian trend continues after the Wonderland fad fades but I don't expect it will. On the other hand that will leave me to purchase my own unique antique accessories that are not so much mass produced.

But I did not want to write about Target and accessories. Every Victorian lover's blog would be remiss without a tip of the hat to good old Lewis Carroll (1832-1898). This is his commonly known pseudonym but his real name was actually Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. In my opinion he led quite an interesting life and apparently ran in the Pre-Raphaelite artist's (who I adore and will post on later) social circle and was encouraged by the famous fairy tale author George McDonald, who wrote such stories as The Princess and the Goblin and The Day Boy and The Night Girl, along with many other tales that inspired a plethora of other fantasy authors in his wake.

Now I have to admit, some people are Mad Hatter crazy about Mr. Carroll. And although I am fond of his work it leaves me a bit off kilter. Personally I like having a solid story structure and the grandness of epic adventure. Whereas Mr. Carroll is more into literary nonsense. But darn if some of that nonsense doesn't get stuck inside your head and stays there! For example:

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."

"She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it)."

"'The time has come,' the walrus said, 'to talk of many things: of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings.'

"Twinkle, twinkle little bat How I wonder what you're at! Up above the world you fly, Like a tea-tray in the sky."

And because it's so fabulous I'm posting the entire poem of Lewis Carroll's The Jabberwocky from Through the Looking-Glass (1871)

The Jabberwocky

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One two! One two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
~Lewis Carroll


Now I have a confession. I realized after seeing the new Tim Burton movie that I had never read the whole story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or read Through the Looking Glass for that matter. I did finally read them and come to find out it was a combination of these two stories that was used to create the well known Walt Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland (1951). I had always been under the impression that it was solely based on Alice's Adventures.

As for my opinion about the original written versions they are just as crazy and even more nonsensical then any of the film versions I've seen. I'm happy to have read them but they make me glad to live in a world where there isn't quite so much nonsense! (Though it is fun to dabble now and then.) ;)

Rene's Recommendation: Librivox.org
http://librivox.org/


If you are ever in a situation where you want to listen to older stories that you don't want to buy or you're bored, or for any other reason you can think of that would keep you at a computer and ready to listen to stories online I would suggest Librivox.org. There are loads (and I mean loads) of stories that are in the public domain that you can listen to for free. Volunteers help Librivox stay up and running as they help read stories out loud for you to listen to. Now I have to warn you some of the readers are baaaad. Some are really annoying or hard to hear. But on the other end of the spectrum there are some readers you will want to pull out of the computer and put them inside your head to use as your own inner dialogue because they are so amazing. I found a great version of Kenneth Grahame's Wind In The Willows that was read wonderfully. So if you're interested go check it out. You might have to fiddle a bit to find what you can listen to but I've listened to a lot of stories on Librivox I never would have otherwise if someone hadn't been reading them to me.