The Hunting of the Snark

1 About this book

The Hunting of the Snark, subtitled An Agony, in Eight Fits, is a poem by the English writer Lewis Carroll. It is typically categorised as a nonsense poem. Written between 1874 and 1876, it borrows the setting, some creatures, and eight portmanteau words from Carroll's earlier poem "Jabberwocky" in his children's novel Through the Looking-Glass (1871).

Macmillan published The Hunting of the Snark in the United Kingdom at the end of March 1876, with nine illustrations by Henry Holiday. It had mixed reviews from reviewers, who found it strange. The first printing of the poem consisted of 10,000 copies.

There were two reprints by the conclusion of the year; in total, the poem was reprinted 17 times between 1876 and 1908. The poem also has been adapted for musicals, movies, opera, plays, and music. The narrative follows a crew of ten trying to hunt the Snark, a creature which may turn out to be a highly dangerous Boojum.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: poetry and a short read.

• English wit and humor
• Nonsense verses
• Children's poetry
• Poetry
• Illustrations
• Hunters
• Comic books, strips
• Children's fiction