Lewis Carroll

Introduction

Lewis Carroll’s most famous works, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, have become classics with children and adults alike, but many speculate that there was a darker side to the popular children’s author. Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who was always more comfortable with children than adults. He himself once stated, “I am fond of children, except boys,” which has led some critics to accuse him of unsavory desires. His biographer Karoline Leach, however, calls this image of Dodgson “the Carroll Myth.” Today Carroll is most remembered for his classic imaginative fiction and his masterful use of nonsense rhyme.

Essential Facts

1. Lewis Carroll is an elaborate play on Dodgson’s real name. Lewis is the English version of Ludovicus, which was Latin for Lutwidge. Carroll was an English version of Carolus, the Latin for Charles.
2. Dodgson was plagued by a stammer that he remained self-conscious of throughout his life.
3. Dodgson was also an inventor of sorts. He invented The Wonderland Postage-Stamp Case in 1889 in order to encourage letter writing. He also is said to have invented the Word Ladder or doublet game that is still popular to this day.
4. Dodgson kept several diaries, but many pages of text have gone missing, obviously deliberately removed. No one knows exactly why.
5. His most famous book was almost titled Alice Among the Fairies or Alice’s Golden Hour.