Lewis Carroll's Private Journal No. 9

13 September 1864 to 24 January 1868.

The journal excludes the period 12 July to 13 September 1867 when Carroll travelled to Russia, during which time he kept the separate Russian Journal. 

Published in 1999 by the Lewis Carroll Society as Volume 5

Includes the Russian Journal.
415 pages.
ISBN-10: 0 904117 10 3
ISBN-13: 978 0 904117 10 3
Retail Price: £30
LCS Members' Price: £21 

Synopsis

The period covered by the ninth volume of Dodgson's private journal covers the publication of the book which made him internationally famous. The journal begins with an entry for 13 September 1864 in which Dodgson records the completion of the illustrations drawn into his manuscript of Alice's Adventures Under Ground, prepared as a gift for Alice Liddell. Already, Dodgson's decision to publish the book had been taken. He anticipated that its publication would be a significant event in his life, and he left space in his journal to record the chronological development of the book, adding subsequent entries to show the progress from manuscript to the publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Dodgson, now in his early thirties, is revealed in his journal as a confident member of society, at ease in travelling around the country, enjoying the opportunities that life has for a young adult making his way in the world. He is now established as a senior member of Christ Church in the important position of mathematical lecturer with a string of mathematical publications to his name. He makes regular visits to London taking advantage of the art galleries and theatrical productions in which he is greatly interested. His photography, of which he has become very proficient, opens doors to the famous celebrities of his day. Yet there is a thread which runs through his journals which shows a man who is not entirely at ease with himself. The prayers grow in intensity. Self-doubts and his lack of ability to maintain the very high standards he has set for himself return to trouble him.

Among the important people Dodgson met for the first time, during the period chronicled by this volume, are Ellen and Kate Terry, Mrs. Millais, Mrs. Craik (formerly Miss Dinah Maria Mulock), and the artist, James Sant, and his family.

Apart from the publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865, the other significant event during this period is his trip through Europe to Russia in the summer of 1867 with his friend Henry Parry Liddon. Dodgson kept a separate account of this journey in two small notebooks (MS: Princeton), writing more expansively about the people he met, the places he visited, and the different cultural experiences he encountered.

Corrections to the LCS Edition of this Journal