The Annotated Alice
Encyclopedia
The Annotated Alice is a work by Martin Gardner
incorporating the text of Lewis Carroll
's major tales: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
and Through the Looking-Glass
as well as the original illustrations by John Tenniel
. It has extensive annotations explaining the contemporary references (including the Victorian
poems that Carroll parodies), mathematical concepts, word play
, and Victorian traditions (such as the snap-dragon
s) featured in the two books.
The original book was first published in 1960. It has been reprinted several times and translated into Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, German and Hebrew.
In 1990, a sequel, More Annotated Alice, was published. This sequel doesn't contain the original side notes and Tenniel's illustrations were replaced by those of Peter Newell
. It also contains the "suppressed" chapter "The Wasp in a Wig", which Carroll omitted from the text of Through the Looking-Glass on Tenniel's recommendation.
In 1999 The Definitive Edition was published. It combines the notes from both works and features Tenniel's illustrations in improved quality.
Gardner also compiled a companion volume, The Annotated Snark, dedicated to Carroll's classic nonsense poem "The Hunting of the Snark
".
Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner was an American mathematics and science writer specializing in recreational mathematics, but with interests encompassing micromagic, stage magic, literature , philosophy, scientific skepticism, and religion...
incorporating the text of Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's major tales: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
and Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
as well as the original illustrations by John Tenniel
John Tenniel
Sir John Tenniel was a British illustrator, graphic humorist and political cartoonist whose work was prominent during the second half of England’s 19th century. Tenniel is considered important to the study of that period’s social, literary, and art histories...
. It has extensive annotations explaining the contemporary references (including the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
poems that Carroll parodies), mathematical concepts, word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
, and Victorian traditions (such as the snap-dragon
Snap-dragon (game)
Snap-dragon was a parlour game popular from about the 16th to 19th centuries. It was played during the winter, particularly on Christmas Eve. Brandy was heated and placed in a wide shallow bowl; raisins were placed in the brandy which was then set alight...
s) featured in the two books.
The original book was first published in 1960. It has been reprinted several times and translated into Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, German and Hebrew.
In 1990, a sequel, More Annotated Alice, was published. This sequel doesn't contain the original side notes and Tenniel's illustrations were replaced by those of Peter Newell
Peter Newell
Peter Sheaf Hersey Newell was an American artist and author.A native of McDonough County, Illinois, Newell built a reputation in the 1880s and 1890s for his humorous drawings and poems, which appeared in Harper's Weekly, Harper's Bazaar, Scribner's Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, Judge, and...
. It also contains the "suppressed" chapter "The Wasp in a Wig", which Carroll omitted from the text of Through the Looking-Glass on Tenniel's recommendation.
In 1999 The Definitive Edition was published. It combines the notes from both works and features Tenniel's illustrations in improved quality.
Gardner also compiled a companion volume, The Annotated Snark, dedicated to Carroll's classic nonsense poem "The Hunting of the Snark
The Hunting of the Snark
The Hunting of the Snark is usually thought of as a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll in 1874, when he was 42 years old...
".
Editions
- The Annotated Alice by Martin Gardner (1960) ASIN B000H0KB0M
- More Annotated Alice by Martin Gardner (1990) 0394585712
- The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition by Martin Gardner (1999/1998) ISBN 0393048470