Interesting tidbit about the publication of the books - Walter Crane, who illustrated the
Alice books, refused to illustrate these for Carroll. He said of the books were:
Quote:
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...of a very different character from Alice -- a story with religious and moral purpose, with only an occasional touch of the ingenuity and humor of Alice, so that it was not nearly so inspiring or amusing.
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As to my thoughts - I at first assumed that the text was one by a deeply religious man who also recreationally used opium. It was legal at the time, and many of Carrolls' contemporaries were users. The Narrator slips in and out of the dream-state/faerie world so easily, I was sure drugs had to be involved. After a little research at the library, I was surprised to learn that this was not the case.
I also found myself somewhat discomfited by the apparent obsession with the child Sylvie. I did recall from studying
Alice in college that many people in Carroll's social circle had to be convinced that his obsession with young girls was not nefarious. Interestingly enough, Marah Gubar argued in her article "Lewis in Wonderland: The Looking-Glass World of
Sylvie and Bruno" that the book "ponder[s] the painful consequences of pursuing children."
All in all, I found the text dense and dry. I think Jon noted in another thread that the preface was really off-putting, and I agree. It seemed an odd place for a sermon. But everything about the book seemed out of place.