The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in Eight Fits Lewis Carroll

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The peculiar wit and imagination of Lewis Carroll are once again in evidence in The Hunting of the Snark , his epic nonsense poem which first appeared in 1876. Unlike the earlier Alice books, this is a much darker work, in which 10 characters whose names begin with B, disappear, go mad, and generally find themselves struggling to navigate an impossible path through a nonsensical world. Throughout the poem there is a prevailing atmosphere of disorder and chaos, heightened by Carroll's characteristic use of "portmanteau" words (such as "uffish", "beamish" and "fumious") and descriptions of grotesque creatures such as the Bandersnatch and the Jubjub bird. The meaning of the poem, and of the Snark itself, has been the subject of much debate. In his preface Carroll said "In answer to your question, 'What did you mean the Snark was?' will you tell your friend that I meant that the Snark was a Boojum. I trust that she and you will now feel quite satisfied and happy." Whatever its meaning, The Hunting of the Snark remains a fascinating read. This new edition is a facsimile of the 1876 original, with reproductions of the original illustrations by Henry Holiday and is bound in red cloth with luxury gold embossing.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up-Told in "eight fits" of multiple stanzas with perfectly crafted quatrains, the meaning of this hunt for the snark, although a nonsense tale, will continue to intrigue readers. In "Fit the First," the crew has landed: "`Just the place for Snark!' the Bellman cried,/As he landed his crew with care;/Supporting each man on top of the tide/By a finger entwined in his hair." The unabridged text just begs to be read aloud. The characters include a lace-making beaver, "A maker of Bonnets and hoods," a barrister, and "a broker to value their goods." Past editions of this nonsense classic have been illustrated with woodcut prints, pen-and-ink drawings, and in a graphic-novel format, and now with Lipchenko's detailed drawings. His art creates a dream landscape that mirrors the elusive text and sustains one's sense of an impending snark attack. This is a "gift book and a collector's edition," but with the push to read more rigorous texts, teachers might appreciate finding the elusive snark in the library.-Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

This unabridged large-format edition of Carroll's famous rhyming nonsense poem captures its spirit with highly detailed sepia-toned charcoal illustrations reminiscent of Henry Holiday's original drawings. Lipchenko aptly avoids illustrating the mysterious snark, and the distortion and elongation of images adds a sense of movement and accentuates the poem's nonsense. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.