Folio Archives 240: The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll 1976

The Hunting of the Snark; An Agony, In Eight Fits by Lewis Carroll 1976

This delightful little book is totally and completely incomprehensible, utter nonsense and balderdash. In fact, a load of codswallop! It also comprises some of the most amusing and sublime comedy poetry in the English (along with made-up words) language. A five year old will giggle when it is read to them, while an adult will merely smile. Someone who is not completely comfortable with English will just be confused.

The Folio Society has published two editions of this book, in 1976 and 2010. I own a copy of the former, which was printed letterpress by W & J Mackay.

Illustrated on almost every page with monochrome drawings by Quentin Blake, the 52 page book can be read aloud in 30 minutes to entertain grandchildren. The book is bound in white cloth printed with a wrap-around watercolour in four colours by Blake. It has pale brown endleaves and a pale blue slipcase that is 22.8x16cm. There is a three page preface by the author.











































2010 edition – image from the internet.


An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.

>1 wcarter: Looks like another little gem. Also reminds me that I was foolish enough not to buy the LE Riddley Walker when it was going at £150.

>2 ubiquitousuk: The similarities between the 1976 edition and Riddley Walker are remarkable (size apart). I have looked at the two side by side more than once.

I was tempted by the Blake version then ended up getting the 2010 when i saw a fine copy for sale for £7 online & i really like it a lot & enjoy the illustrations (which like the Blake are presented as both full page & smaller illustrations woven through the text) , though i like Blakes work so will probably end up with the Blake too at some point!

It's also part of the 1998 2-vol Complete and Utter Nonsense, in series with the Tenniel Alice pair. Some children, I suspect, would be put off by the original Victorian illustrations.

I'll have to look whether that Preface is available in my mass publication edition of Carroll's works. Based on just the page shown, I'll want to read that as much as re-read the work itself!

>1 wcarter: Thanks! What an off-kilter choice for a review :)

Seems like good fun to read. I would never have thought that Riddley Walker had a precursor design-wise.

Just to add to the general knowledge about this volume - for the 1976 edition, FS ran out of the decorative cloth binding before filling all their orders. So there are also a small number of variant editions that were bound in plain pink cloth (sent out with an apology note).

Thank you for this review.

I don't have many instances where I have proactively sought out an alternative FS publication for a Folio I already own. This is one of those occasions where I was determined to track down the 1976 edition.

I assume, possibly incorrectly, that the 1976 volume was printed to mark the centenary of the original?

The letterpress type - so crisp - great weight to the paper, I love Blake's drawings. A fabulous volume. The printers, Mackays of Chatham, still going.

9
"The printers, Mackays of Chatham, still going."
Not really. They were bought out by CPI back in 2000 to become part of its schlock empire. You won't catch Folio using them.

Few photos (source: eBay and AbeBooks) of the 1976 variant issued only with glassine and erratum card.

Excerpt from Folio 76 (no. 404, Pg.184):

Some copies were bound later in plain pink cloth because the printed cloth was produced in insufficient quantities to cover the entire first impression.

>11 mr.philistine: Genuinely fascinating - thank you for this snippet.