Recent Reads: The Alice Behind Wonderland by Simon Winchester.

This is a marvelous little book of just 110 pages including “suggestions for further reading” and the index. Simon Winchester is a superbly interesting, informative and readable writer and this book is no exception although the title may be a little misleading.  We do learn a little about the very real girl who was in part Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for writing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but we learn far more about the man behind the Carroll nom de plume: Charles Dodgson. In particular we learn about Mr Dodgson’s obsession with the then brand new art and science of photography. Charles Dodgson mastered the then extremely difficult techniques of preparing for, photographing, developing and producing prints that were every bit as good as professionals of the day. And he did this as a hobby whilst continuing to teach mathematics at Christchurch College, Oxford. 

Simon Winchester has no time for pondering the obsessions many of Dodgson’s biographers regarding Dodgson’s perceived “interest” with young children. Instead we learn that Dodgson’s almost idyllic early childhood combined with his love of the science of photography equipped him to become a natural and enchanting teller of fantastic tales that both children and adults have adored ever since.