Commemorating the 150th anniversary of one of the most beloved classics of children’s literature, this illustrated edition presents Alice like you’ve never seen her before.
In 1865, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician and Anglican deacon, published a story about a little girl who tumbles down a rabbit hole. Thus was the world first introduced to Alice and her pseudonymous creator, Lewis Carroll. This beautiful new edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland features rarely seen illustrations by Salvador Dalí that illuminate the surreal yet curiously logical and mathematical realm into which Alice famously falls.
In an informative and wide-ranging introduction, Carroll expert Mark Burstein discusses Dalí’s connections with Carroll, his treatment of the symbolic figure of Alice, and the mathematical nature of Wonderland. In addition, mathematician Thomas Banchoff reflects on the friendship he shared with Dalí and explores the mathematical undercurrents in Dalí’s work.
Awards and Recognition
- Winner of a 2015 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award
- One of Buffalo News’ 10 Rare and Wonderful Books for Holiday Giving 2015
- Selected for Cosmos Magazine’s Holiday Science Reading list 2015
- One of Denver Life Magazine’s 8 Books for Everyone on Your Holiday List
Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832–1898), a British writer, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon, and photographer. His best-known works are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. Mark Burstein is president emeritus of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America and the editor of or contributor to fourteen books about Carroll. Thomas Banchoff is professor emeritus of mathematics at Brown University.
"Until now, the astounding illustrations drawn by Salvador Dalí for a deluxe limited edition and expensive version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland were out of reach for most book lovers. This book fulfills the dreams of many who want to have their own copies of these beautiful works, with the addition of an erudite introduction to Carroll and Dalí by Mark Burstein and Thomas Banchoff."—Edward Wakeling, author of Lewis Carroll: The Man and His Circle
"To those of us brought up on John Tenniel's iconic illustrations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it seems unbelievable that anyone else would dare to attempt the task. Yet hundreds have done so, though none is as distinguished and few as imaginative as Salvador Dalí. This attractive 150th anniversary edition, which describes Dalí's mathematical interests and presents his illustrations (previously published only in a rare limited edition), is greatly to be welcomed."—Robin Wilson, author of Lewis Carroll in Numberland
"How appropriate for this volume to appear as part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Burstein and Banchoff give us insights into the genius of both Carroll and Dalí, and then we have Dalí's illustrations, which are far distant from any suggestion of realism. Altogether, it is a remarkable voyage through Wonderland on a new plane—an enlightening and pleasurable adventure."—Morton N. Cohen, author of Lewis Carroll: A Biography
"All in all a marvelous book printed on thick paper. This anniversary edition will be an irresistible temptation to any bibliophile."—A. Bultheel