Alice in Wonderland. Alice Through the Looking-Glass translation by Demurova, illustrations by Newell

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832–1898), better known as Lewis Carroll, was an outstanding mathematician and logician, a talented photographer, as well as a lover of playing chess and telling tales. He spent most of his life in Oxford: Charles studied at... Christ Church College and remained to teach within the walls of his alma mater. There he became acquainted with the Liddell family, and this meeting became a landmark event in the history of children's literature. Dodgson was the eldest child in a large family; he was used to entertaining children with amusing tales, and thus easily befriended the three daughters of the Dean of Christ Church, Henry Liddell. For Lorina, Alice, and Edith, Charles composed numerous tales, but he never recorded them. Everything changed one July day in 1862. While rowing on the river, Dodgson, as usual, began to tell the girls a wonderful story, full of wonders and nonsense. The amazing story left a strong impression on ten-year-old Alice, and the girl began to urge Dodgson to write it down. Eventually, Charles created a handwritten book “Adventures of Alice Underground,” illustrated it with his own drawings, and presented it to Alice Liddell. Later, writer George MacDonald read the tale and recommended Dodgson to publish it. Charles worked thoroughly on the text, sometimes altering it and sometimes supplementing it, and in 1865 “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” was published for the first time. For the publication, Dodgson took the pen name Lewis Carroll and since then signed each of his children's books with it. Six years after the release of the first part, Carroll wrote a sequel — “Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice Found There.” These tales are full of fantastic images, violations of logic laws, intricate puns, and elements of English folklore. The world into which little Alice falls is a world of absurdity, puzzles, and games: first it is a card game, and then with chess pieces. By the end of the 19th century, “Alice” had become the most popular children's work in England. In 1928, Alice Liddell, after marrying Hargreaves, put the manuscript presented to her by Carroll up for auction and thus avoided need. Decades later, Carroll's handmade book again came up for auction. At the initiative of benefactors from the USA, it was purchased and gifted to the British Museum for the contribution of the British people to the victory over the Hitler coalition. The manuscript “Alice” is still housed in the British Library to this day.

In this edition, the fairy tales about the charming Alice are adorned with unique illustrations by the original American artist Peter Newell (1862–1924). Done in an elegant, recognizable style, they follow the writer's wild imagination and vividly depict the whimsical worlds of Wonderland and the Looking-Glass.