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    The Hunting of the Snark an Agony, in Eight Fits
    The Hunting of the Snark an Agony, in Eight Fits
    The Hunting of the Snark an Agony, in Eight Fits
    Ebook77 pages31 minutes

    The Hunting of the Snark an Agony, in Eight Fits

    By Henry Holiday and Lewis Carroll

    4/5

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateApr 12, 1966
    The Hunting of the Snark an Agony, in Eight Fits

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    Reviews for The Hunting of the Snark an Agony, in Eight Fits

    4/5

    236 ratings16 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Such a wonderful, silly book! "For The Snark was a Boojum you see."
    • 4/5
      This is about the 1st edition of The Hunting of the Snark (1876).

      Henry Holiday, the first illustrator of Lewis Caroll's The Hunting of the Snark, categorized the long poem as a tragedy. It is an underestimated and underresearched ballade. Read it carefully:

      There was an old man of Port Grigor,
      Whose actions were noted for vigour;
      He stood on his head
      till his waistcoat turned red,
      That eclectic old man of Port Grigor.
      Edward Lear, 1872

      He was black in the face,
      and they scarcely could trace
      The least likeness to what he had been:
      While so great was his fright
      that his waistcoat turned white -
      A wonderful thing to be seen!
      Lewis Carroll, from "The Hunting of the Snark", 1876

      Here you see how Carroll may have gotten the idea to let waistcoats do what usually faces do. So far for (one out of more?) textual references. In parallel to these, there are Henry Holiday's pictorial allusions, for example:

      Background: John Martin, The Bard, ca. 1871.
      Inset: Detail from an illustration by H. Holiday and J. Swain to L. Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark, 1876.

      To me, The Hunting of the Snark is Lewis Carroll's and Henry Holiday's masterpiece.
    • 5/5
      "The Hunting of the Snark," Lewis Carroll's fantastically inventive, perfectly metered history of an eventful hunt, is, in the humble opinion of this English major, most certainly not a nonsense poem. That such a charge would be leveled against his work the great author foresaw, and wrote a foreword addressing the claim so that future generations would be clear upon on the subject. Alas, it seems that no one reads forewords anymore, or else readers would see the perfect sense and beauty of this epic quest. I shall attempt to elucidate, by simple literary deduction, the elegant clarity of Carroll's monumental work. Take, for example, this recurring stanza. The sense of it should be clear to anyone who has ever taken a college English course in one of our learned universities:They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care;They pursued it with forks and hope;They threatened its life with a railway-share;They charmed it with smiles and soap."They sought it with thimbles" — well, as anyone knows, thimbles are a fumbling, seeking sort of thing. Just see how well you can get your finger in one and still be able to sew. Clearly it is a symbol of the difficulty of their venture. "They sought it with care" — naturally hunts are carried out with care, especially when the quarry is so dreadful. "They pursued it with forks," yes, I should imagine they did. Forks would likely prove useful, as a sort of skewering instrument. "And hope" hardly needs explanation: who sets out on a hunt without it? "They threatened its life with a railway-share" — yes indeed, only a personage such as the Banker could contemplate shares and stocks without a tremor, and Carroll is here giving us a rare insight into the personality of the hunted beast. And finally, "They charmed it with smiles and soap" — who isn't charmed by such things? My husband charms me regularly by such means. Apparently Snarks also find smiling, pleasant-smelling people as attractive as we do. So really, after such a simple exercise it seems ridiculous that anyone could think the poem nonsense — that is, devoid of sense. There are a great many elements of sense, symbols, and semantics stuffed into it, perhaps more than is contained in the average modern misanthropy passed off as literature today. And what is more, Carroll's story rhymes. I should like to see several contemporary authors tell a sensible story in rhyming, rhythmic verse. How quickly we would spot the barrenness of their subjects!In this lovely hardcover edition by Tundra Books, Oleg Lipchenko's beautiful sepia illustrations form a rich complement to the lavish language and ingenious storytelling of Carroll's poem. He has captured the serious mood of the piece while keeping its light dressing: an enviable feat. If I had the Bellman's bell, I would ring it to honor Mr. Lipchenko's success.In short, "The Hunting of the Snark" is a deeply moving work that has found an enduring place in the great literary tradition of quest tales. Whether that quest was successful or not, I shall leave to future generations of critics to determine. But it does seem as if the essence of Snark (different, of course, from mere Sarcasm or Snip, those imposters) has been disseminated among many today. Perhaps we did catch it... or has it caught us?
    • 1/5
      This is a truly bizarre poem. It is the story of a group of characters all starting with "b" that are hunting a snark. It ends up that they did not encounter a snark and instead lost one of the group to a different creature. The story really is nonsense although it may be an allegory for which I am not sure. I consider this to be worthless.
    • 4/5
      Beautiful book captures the imagination of the young reader who appreciates darker stories. Both the story and the illustrations create a mood of surreal confusion, evil, and magic-spell mystery.
    • 5/5
      "The Hunting of the Snark," Lewis Carroll's fantastically inventive, perfectly metered history of an eventful hunt, is, in the humble opinion of this English major, most certainly not a nonsense poem. That such a charge would be leveled against his work the great author foresaw, and wrote a foreword addressing the claim so that future generations would be clear upon on the subject. Alas, it seems that no one reads forewords anymore, or else readers would see the perfect sense and beauty of this epic quest. I shall attempt to elucidate, by simple literary deduction, the elegant clarity of Carroll's monumental work. Take, for example, this recurring stanza. The sense of it should be clear to anyone who has ever taken a college English course in one of our learned universities:They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care;They pursued it with forks and hope;They threatened its life with a railway-share;They charmed it with smiles and soap."They sought it with thimbles" — well, as anyone knows, thimbles are a fumbling, seeking sort of thing. Just see how well you can get your finger in one and still be able to sew. Clearly it is a symbol of the difficulty of their venture. "They sought it with care" — naturally hunts are carried out with care, especially when the quarry is so dreadful. "They pursued it with forks," yes, I should imagine they did. Forks would likely prove useful, as a sort of skewering instrument. "And hope" hardly needs explanation: who sets out on a hunt without it? "They threatened its life with a railway-share" — yes indeed, only a personage such as the Banker could contemplate shares and stocks without a tremor, and Carroll is here giving us a rare insight into the personality of the hunted beast. And finally, "They charmed it with smiles and soap" — who isn't charmed by such things? My husband charms me regularly by such means. Apparently Snarks also find smiling, pleasant-smelling people as attractive as we do. So really, after such a simple exercise it seems ridiculous that anyone could think the poem nonsense — that is, devoid of sense. There are a great many elements of sense, symbols, and semantics stuffed into it, perhaps more than is contained in the average modern misanthropy passed off as literature today. And what is more, Carroll's story rhymes. I should like to see several contemporary authors tell a sensible story in rhyming, rhythmic verse. How quickly we would spot the barrenness of their subjects!In this lovely hardcover edition by Tundra Books, Oleg Lipchenko's beautiful sepia illustrations form a rich complement to the lavish language and ingenious storytelling of Carroll's poem. He has captured the serious mood of the piece while keeping its light dressing: an enviable feat. If I had the Bellman's bell, I would ring it to honor Mr. Lipchenko's success.In short, "The Hunting of the Snark" is a deeply moving work that has found an enduring place in the great literary tradition of quest tales. Whether that quest was successful or not, I shall leave to future generations of critics to determine. But it does seem as if the essence of Snark (different, of course, from mere Sarcasm or Snip, those imposters) has been disseminated among many today. Perhaps we did catch it... or has it caught us?
    • 4/5
      I am a fan of Lewis Carroll, but I had never read the entire poem of "The Hunting of the Snark." So I was delighted to receive this new edition of the poem illustrated by Oleg Lipchenko from Library Thing Early Reviewers.The poem is, of course, typical Carroll nonsense. A bit of math, a bit of natural history, some nice rhythm and crazy characters who have no explainable relationship with one another. The set off on an adventure to find the Snark and bring it in. Lipchenko's art work is perfect for the story. For just a taste, compare the front cover of the book with the back cover. One can see that the voyage was a rough one! If you are a fan of Carroll's, I think this is a great addition to your library.
    • 4/5
      Mervyn Peake's illustrations for The Hunting of the Snark emphasise the absurd and grotesque elements of Carroll's verse, whilst those of Jansson its otherworldly and hauntingly ethereal aspects. Although Peake is just a shade ahead for me, I do love Jansson's take on this classic piece of nonsense.
    • 4/5
      Oleg Lipchenko's beautiful and detailed illustrations are a fitting companion to the whimsy of Carroll's poem. I'd love to see Lipchenko illustrate editions of the Alice books or The Jabberwocky.
    • 4/5
      Lewis Carroll's slight work of nonsense verse continues to inspire illustrators and Oleg Lipchenko's sepia toned constructions are a fine addition to the canon. He perfectly captures the dream-state drollery of the "Agony in Eight Fits," peopling his drawings with characters who carry the flag for God, England and Empire as they go in search of the mythical Snark. Lipchenko's work can stand proudly alongside earlier illustrators Henry Holiday, Mervyn Peake, Tove Jansson and Ralph Steadman.
    • 4/5
      A phantasmagoric fever dream of a book, The Hunting of The Snark is that extra goody lovers of Lewis Carroll get to visit after consuming the two Alice books and hungering for more. Slight, but stuffed with nonsensical rhyme and non-reason, The Snark has always been one of my favorite diversions. This new edition published by Tundra Books and featuring the brilliant art of Oleg Lipchenko is a delight from invocation to denouement! The dense sepia toned drawings require long minutes of careful study to pluck all the hidden mystery from their midst. This is a worthy addition to add to the shelf next to the classic edition with the drawings of Henry Holiday.
    • 5/5
      I received this book illustrated by Oleg Lipchenk as part of the Library Things Early Reviews. It was not this first time I have read it as I am an avid collector of all this by Lewis Carroll. The book was beautifully illustrated adding so much to the story. I read it to my young Nieces and they were mesmerized by the drawings in side. Had I not received it for free I definitely would have purchased it myself. It is an amazing addition to my collection.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun read and beautifully illustrated by Oleg Lipchenko, but it isn't as fun as the other nonsense poems I know by Carroll. You know, The Jabberwocky, The Walrus and the Carpenter and You Are Old Father William. I suppose the issue is this poem is much longer than any of that bunch and as such feels less punchy and more aimless (perhaps an inevitability when "the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes"). Even so it is an edifying if meandering verse. I quite liked the course of the relationship between the Beaver and the Butcher and believe you me, I'll be giving Boojums wide birth for the foreseeable future.
    • 4/5
      “To seek it with thimbles, to seek it with care;To pursue it with forks and hope,To threaten its life with a railway-share;To charm it with smiles and soap!”What does it all mean? No one seems to know. Not even Lewis Carroll, apparently. He claimed to have no more idea on what the poem was about than anybody else, although he did mention at one point, "...the whole book is an allegory on the search for happiness." Carroll's acme of Nonsense poetry, The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in Eight Fits is an experience to read. Does it make any sense? Not at all. Did I enjoy it all the same? Absolutely.This was a Christmas gift from Sarah as I'm a huge fan of Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. However, I'll admit that my reading experience with Carroll stops there, so this was a real treat to receive as I had not even heard of this book before!The poem opens with the captain of the hunt gathering his traveling companions for the voyage that will take them to the Snark, so that they may hunt it. As the poem progresses, I was left in mind of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, as we get to hear tales from most of the traveling companions. Each tale leads on to the continuing hunt for the Snark, which leaves its mark on several of the traveling companions. There are several plays on words in the poem, and we even meet a couple of familiar faces from Carroll's earlier works, such as the Bandersnatch and the Jubjub Bird.Mahendra Singh's illustrations are simply amazing. In his afterword, he explains how he used a Surrealist technique to illustrate this version of The Hunting of the Snark, a technique which I think fits the theme and tone of the poem perfectly. Singh hides jokes and visual puns in his illustrations that go along with the poems stanzas, just as Carroll hides puns, plays on words and puzzles in his poem. As I read through the poem, I would become equally involved looking at the illustrations as I was trying to figure out what it all means. I eventually gave up, and enjoyed the entire book exactly for what it is: Nonsense!Even though it took me a couple nights to read, The Hunting of the Snark is a very fast read. In fact, I read through the entire poem a second time in one sitting, making sure I was able to follow what was happening. Even though there really isn't much rhyme (no pun intended!) or reason to the flow of the story, it still makes some sort of absurd sense and follows a natural progression to its ending. What you'll get out that ending, however, will differ from person to person. Personally, I think Carroll had it right about his poem: it has something to do with the elusiveness of that one thing in life that will make you perfectly happy. You search and hunt and may never quite find it, but it's the searching and hunting that turns the journey into an adventure.Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Carroll's poem with illustrations by Mervyn Peake. One would have wished for more illustrations.
    • 3/5
      I love this poem. A wonderful read especially out loud to others.

    Book preview

    The Hunting of the Snark an Agony, in Eight Fits - Henry Holiday

    The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

    almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or

    re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

    with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

    Title: The Hunting of the Snark

    an Agony, in Eight Fits

    Author: Lewis Carroll

    Illustrator: Henry Holiday

    Release Date: September 1, 2009 [EBook #29888]

    Language: English

    *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK ***

    Produced by Louise Hope. (This file was produced from

    images generously made available by The Internet Archive:

    American Libraries)

    This text uses UTF-8 (Unicode) file encoding. If the apostrophes and quotation marks in this paragraph appear as garbage, you may have an incompatible browser or unavailable fonts. First, make sure that your browser’s character set or file encoding is set to Unicode (UTF-8). You may also need to change the default font.

    Preface

    The Hunting of the Snark

    Publisher’s Ads

    AN EASTER GREETING

    TO

    EVERY CHILD WHO LOVES

    THE HUNTING

    OF THE SNARK

    BY

    LEWIS CARROLL

    AUTHOR OF ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND,

    AND THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS.

    WITH NINE ILLUSTRATIONS

    BY

    HENRY HOLIDAY

     

    MACMILLAN AND CO.

    1876.

    [The Right of Translation and Reproduction is Reserved.]

    LONDON:

    R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS,

    BREAD STREET HILL.

    Inscribed to a dear Child:

    in memory of golden summer hours

    and whispers of a summer sea.

    Girt with a boyish garb for boyish task,

    Eager she wields her spade: yet loves as well

    Rest on a friendly knee, intent to ask

    The tale he loves to tell.

    Rude spirits of the seething outer strife,

    Unmeet to read her pure and simple spright,

    Deem, if you list, such hours a waste of life,

    Empty of all delight!

    Chat on, sweet Maid, and rescue from annoy

    Hearts that by wiser talk are unbeguiled.

    Ah, happy he who owns that tenderest joy,

    The heart-love of a child!

    Away, fond thoughts, and vex my soul no more!

    Work claims my wakeful nights, my busy

    days—

    Albeit bright memories of that sunlit shore

    Yet haunt my dreaming gaze!

    PREFACE.

    If—and the thing is wildly possible—the charge of writing nonsense were ever brought against the author of this brief but instructive poem, it would be based, I feel convinced, on the line (in p. 18)

    Then the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes.

    In view of this painful possibility, I will not (as I might) appeal

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