The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in Eight Fits

Lewis Carroll

Jun 2021 · Graphic Arts Books

About this ebook

The Hunting of the Snark (1876) is a poem by Lewis Carroll. Filled with many of the portmanteau words developed for his poem “Jabberwocky,” The Hunting of the Snark is a delightfully strange tale of mystery and adventure. Often read as an allegory for everything from tuberculosis to the endless quest for happiness itself, The Hunting of the Snark, much like the Snark itself, refuses all description. “‘Just the place for a Snark!’ the Bellman cried, / As he landed his crew with care; / Supporting each man on the top of the tide / By a finger entwined in his hair.” Driven more by rhyme than reason, the adventure opens in medias res, introducing its varied crew of men and beasts of questionable use: a Boots, a Barrister, a Broker, a maker of Bonnets and Hoods, a Billiard-maker, a Banker, and, of course, a Beaver. Sailors all, they sail into the unknown. The Snark they search for may not be a Snark, could be a Boojum, and may very well be deadly. Intrepid and wisely foolish, they set out to comb the island for the Snark, armed with tricks and bribes, “smiles and soap,” and all the other instruments of hope. Playful and strange, the Snark eludes us all. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting of the Snark is a classic work of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

About the author

Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) was an English children’s writer. Born in Cheshire to a family of prominent Anglican clergymen, Carroll—the pen name of Charles Dodgson—suffered from a stammer and pulmonary issues from a young age. Confined to his home frequently as a boy, he wrote poems and stories to pass the time, finding publication in local and national magazines by the time he was in his early twenties. After graduating from the University of Oxford in 1854, he took a position as a mathematics lecturer at Christ Church, which he would hold for the next three decades. In 1865, he published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, masterpiece of children’s literature that earned him a reputation as a leading fantasist of the Victorian era. Followed by Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871), Carroll’s creation has influenced generations of readers, both children and adults alike, and has been adapted countless times for theater, film, and television. Carroll is also known for his nonsense poetry, including The Hunting of the Snark (1876) and “Jabberwocky.”