Customer Reviews

Looking-Glass Letters (The Illustrated Letters)

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This book was an eye opener. The text of many letters Lewis Carroll wrote to others, mainly young girls. Left me in a daze. There is no longer any doubt in my mind that he was fixated on nubiles. But that discussion doesn't relate to this book, or the treasure inside.

The great thing about Looking Glass Letters is that it is not only the letters, but also back story on the books, the people he knew and wrote to, and the letters themselves. Lots of information ! And all packaged in a very accessible format. I loved all the pictures and artwork that accompanied the letters. Some of the art was even Carroll's drawings. He wasn't a very good artist, but he was very expressive. When the pictures are not actual photos or drawings of Carroll's, they are nevertheless from the time period and perfectly representative of the text and letters they accompany. Really gives you a feel for the time and place where all this happened.

There is also good info on the books he wrote, and this lays out the chapters. I learned quite a bit I didn't know about the books, and especially about the issues he had with publishers and illustrators. He must have driven Tenniel (illustrator of Alice books) absolutely bonkers.

There are letters to his family, to friends he made, to people he wished to photograph. He was a prolific corresponder, writing thousands of letters in his lifetime. Fortunately only the most interesting are reproduced here.

If it were only the letters, I'd say this book would have limited appeal (just Carroll fans). But with the illustrations, photos and paintings it is an exceptionally nice little book, and very well done. I would recommend it to a broad range of bibliophiles, students of Victorian times, and anyone who wants to probe deeper into the life of a very interesting man.