Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Penguin Classics (1995), Paperback, 128 pages
Description
The nonsensical poem The Hunting of the Snark (An Agony in Eight Fits) was written by Lewis Carroll in 1874 and published in 1876. Describing ""with infinite humor the impossible voyage of an improbable crew to find an inconceivable creature"", the work borrows in-part from Carroll's Jabberwocky in Through the Looking-Glass .
User reviews
LibraryThing member atimco
"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
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?
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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?
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LibraryThing member mschaefer
Carroll's poem with illustrations by Mervyn Peake. One would have wished for more illustrations.
LibraryThing member abealy
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.
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member SaraEllen
I'm a big Lewis Carroll fan and this illustrated copy of The Hunting of the Snark is absolutely wonderful. It is very well put together and very attractive piece of work.
LibraryThing member Othemts
In honor of my visit to Oxford, and to see the source of a lot of Nextian terminology, I purchased the annotated version of this nonsense poem. I don’t know what is more nonsensical, the poem or trying to make sense of it. Anyhow, I can’t say that I “get it” but I enjoyed reading it and
Despite my jibe above, I really did enjoy the elucidation from the introduction by Martin Gardner, such as below:
“There is no reason to suppose that Carroll was in the slightest degree evasive in denying that he had intended his poem to mean anything at all. But, as he pointed out, words can mean much more than a writer intends. They can express meanings buried so deep in an author’s mind that he himself is not aware of them, and they can acquire meanings entirely by accident. Nonsense writing is a peculiarly rich medium for both types of ‘unintended’ meaning.” (p. 23)
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seeing another side of Carroll’s creativity. Despite my jibe above, I really did enjoy the elucidation from the introduction by Martin Gardner, such as below:
“There is no reason to suppose that Carroll was in the slightest degree evasive in denying that he had intended his poem to mean anything at all. But, as he pointed out, words can mean much more than a writer intends. They can express meanings buried so deep in an author’s mind that he himself is not aware of them, and they can acquire meanings entirely by accident. Nonsense writing is a peculiarly rich medium for both types of ‘unintended’ meaning.” (p. 23)
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LibraryThing member fundevogel
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
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member TomKitten
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
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kegan
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
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member Katya0133
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.
LibraryThing member technodiabla
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.
LibraryThing member cmbohn
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
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.
The poem is, of course, typical Carroll nonsense. A bit of math, a bit of
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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.
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LibraryThing member Michael.Rimmer
Peake's illustrations of this edition (ISBN: 0701106050) are detailed caricatures, grotesque and gothic while humorous and playful. An excellent complement to Carroll's verse.
LibraryThing member Michael.Rimmer
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.
LibraryThing member GlennBell
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
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not sure. I consider this to be worthless. Show Less
LibraryThing member GoetzKluge
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
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.
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
Show More
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.
Show Less
LibraryThing member golfjr
I love this poem. A wonderful read especially out loud to others.
LibraryThing member jbmckin
Such a wonderful, silly book! "For The Snark was a Boojum you see."
Subjects
Awards
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration (Nominee — 2017)
IBBY Honour Book (1998)
Language
Original publication date
1876
Physical description
128 p.; 5.14 inches
ISBN
0140434917 / 9780140434910