The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll: The Original Scandalous Biography by Carroll's nephew (ePub)

Stuart Dodgson Collingwood's 'The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll' provides an intimate and controversial portrayal of the renowned author of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.' As one of the earliest biographies of Lewis Carroll, written in the immediate aftermath of Carroll's death, it illuminates facets of his personal life, including his relationships with young girls, through a compilation of personal correspondence and remembrances. Despite its intentions, the biography inadvertently cast Carroll in a scandalous light that contemporary readers may interpret differently given the modern understanding of pedophilia. Collingwood's literary style minutely examines the Victorian perceptions of innocence and affection, while his selection and omission of certain details render a complex and sometimes unsettling image of Carroll that has sparked debate well into modern scholarship.
Stuart Dodgson Collingwood himself, an English clergyman and headmaster, had a unique perspective on the life of Lewis Carroll, being his nephew and having had personal access to his letters and immediate family recollections. His proximity to Carroll both as a relative and as a literary successor arguably influenced the candor and the particular editorial choices he made in crafting this biography. The book's rapid publication following Carroll's demise reveals an urgency by Collingwood to shape his uncle's legacy, possibly driven by familial loyalty and the desire to preserve the image of a man who, in his time, was revered for his literary genius and his perceived moral virtue.
'The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll' is recommended for scholars and enthusiasts of Victorian literature, as well as readers interested in the complexities of historical figures' lives and reputations. Collingwood's work offers an indispensable primary resource that both reflects the social mores of the late 19th century and presents an early interpretative lens that has heavily influenced the discourse surrounding Lewis Carroll's character. This biography stands not only as a testament to Carroll's life but as a controversial milestone in the broader conversation about historical interpretation and the legacy of cultural icons.