This week (November 21-27) in English literary history –
George Eliot was born (November 22, 1819); Thomas Hardy published Far from the Madding Crowd (November 23,
1874); Roald Dahl died (November 23, 1990); Author Robert Erskine Childers was
executed for his involvement in the Irish Civil War (November 24, 1922); Agatha
Christie’s Mousetrap opened in London
(November 25, 1952); Charles Ludwidge Dodgson AKA Lewis Carroll sends
manuscript to young girl (November 26, 1862); Poet Robert Burns postponed
emigration to Jamaica (November 27, 1786).
Highlighted Story of the Week -
On November 26, 1862, Oxford professor Charles Lutwidge
Dodgson sends a handwritten manuscript called Alice's Adventures Under Ground to 10-year-old Alice Liddell. The
30-year-old Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, made up the
story one day on a picnic with young Alice and her two sisters, the children of
one of Dodgson's colleagues. Dodgson, the son of a country parson, had been
brilliant at both mathematics and wordplay since childhood, when he enjoyed
making up games. However, he suffered from a severe stammer, except when he
spoke with children. He had many young friends who enjoyed his fantastic
stories: The Liddell children thought his tale of a girl who falls down a
rabbit hole was one of his best efforts, and Alice insisted he write it down.
During a visit to the Liddells, English novelist Henry
Kingsley happened to notice the manuscript. After reading it, he suggested to
Mrs. Liddell that it be published. Dodgson published the book at his own
expense, under the name Lewis Carroll, in 1865. The story is one of the
earliest children's books written simply to amuse children, not to teach them.
The book's sequel, Through the Looking
Glass, was published in 1871. Dodgson's other works, including a poetry
collection called Phantasmagoria and
Other Poems, and another children's book, Sylvia and Bruno, did not gain the same enduring popularity as the
Alice books. Dodgson died on January 14, 1898 in Guildford, England and was
buried at Mount Cemetery in Guildford.
Check back every
Friday for a new installment of “This Week in English Literary History.”
Michael Thomas Barry is the author of six nonfiction
books that includes the gold medal winning Literary
Legends of the British Isles and the soon to be released America’s Literary Legends. Visit
Michael’s website www.michaelthomasbarry.com
for more information. His books can be purchased from Schiffer Books, Barnes
& Noble, Powell’s Books, Amazon, as well as other fine book sellers.
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