The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in Eight Fits

Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832–1898), an English writer, mathematician, photographer, and lecturer. He grew up in Cheshire and studied at Christ Church, Oxford, where he later taught mathematics for many years. His academic interests included logic and puzzles—ideas that would also enliven his imaginative writing. Carroll is best known for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass (1871). The first book grew from stories he told Alice Liddell and her sisters during a boating trip. Its curious characters, strange adventures, and playful use of language have made it a classic of children’s literature. Writing as Lewis Carroll, Dodgson delighted in nonsense, wordplay, riddles, and situations that twist ordinary logic. His poems and stories invite readers to question familiar rules and enjoy the unexpected. More than a century later, his creations remain widely read and have inspired countless stage, film, and artistic adaptations. See all books →