Storytime with Kray
Step into a world where the stories are old, the charm is real, and nobody tries to reboot the plot. This is classic storytelling, straight up. Join Kray as he reads public domain tales the way they were written.
No updates. No gimmicks. Just pure narrative magic.
Storytime with Kray
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - Introduction
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Lewis Carroll | 1865
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland began on a “golden afternoon” in 1862, when Charles Dodgson, the Oxford mathematician known as Lewis Carroll, told an improvised tale to 10-year-old Alice Liddell as they rowed along the River Isis. Her excitement pushed him to write it down, eventually leading to the 1865 publication with John Tenniel’s now-iconic illustrations, later reissued after an initial withdrawn print. Unlike the moral-teaching children’s books of its time, Alice embraced pure imagination, blending whimsy, logic puzzles, and sharp wordplay in a way that still shapes our culture and language today.
Introduction
Today, we embark on a journey into one of the most imaginative and influential stories ever written: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The author we know as Lewis Carroll was, in fact, a fascinating man named Charles Dodgson. He was a distinguished mathematician and a quiet Oxford scholar, who, perhaps surprisingly, also harbored a deep love for photography and storytelling. He even crafted his pen name, 'Lewis Carroll,' from a playful Latin translation and reversal of his own given names. Dodgson was known to be quite reserved with adults, but he truly came alive in the company of children, with whom he shared puzzles, games, and, most importantly, fantastical tales.
The spark for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ignited on a 'golden afternoon' in July of 1862. Charles Dodgson was rowing a boat on the River Isis in Oxford with three young girls, daughters of the Dean of Christ Church. It was 10-year-old Alice Liddell who specifically asked him to tell a story. And so, he spun a spontaneous tale of a girl named Alice who tumbles down a rabbit hole into a world where logic is delightfully turned upside down. Alice Liddell was so captivated, she urged him to write it down.
This oral tale evolved into a manuscript, and then, with the iconic illustrations by John Tenniel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was first published in July 1865. However, in a remarkable testament to artistic integrity, that initial print run was famously withdrawn because Tenniel was unhappy with the quality of the illustrations. A new, improved edition was released in 1866, becoming the version we largely know today. While the original publication was in 1865, you might encounter editions dated 1905. These were part of a popular, affordable 'Sixpenny Series' that Macmillan began publishing after Carroll's death, showing just how beloved and widely accessible the book had become by the turn of the century.
Alice was revolutionary. Unlike most children's books of its time, which were designed to teach morals, Alice simply aimed to delight and entertain . Yet, beneath its whimsical surface, it's packed with clever wordplay, mathematical puzzles, and subtle satire that appeals to adults just as much as children. Its influence is immense: phrases like 'down the rabbit hole' and 'Cheshire Cat grin' are part of our everyday language, and it has inspired countless films, plays, and even scientific concepts.
As we delve into Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, remember that you're stepping into a story that not only changed literature but continues to shape our imagination and language, proving that sometimes, the most nonsensical journeys lead to the deepest truths. Let’s go on an adventure, shall we!
