Note 45 — LEWIS CARROLL AS A RACONTEUR[45]

No book of this kind would be comprehensive without reference to Lewis Carroll’s inimitable talent as a raconteur. Stored within his mind were numberless entertaining anecdotes, some true, some invented by himself, and some he had heard. As a matter of fact, he had heard so many that he was a difficult man to tell a story to—it was sure to be familiar to him. In selecting for reproduction some of the best Lewis Carroll anecdotes—both by him and about him—the editor has ventured to include several which do not come within the category of “Nonsense,” but trusts that their interest will excuse this deviation from the professed plan of this work. It is recorded that Mr. Carroll (or Mr. Dodgson, to be strictly accurate when dealing with this characteristic) was an excellent after-dinner speaker, and told stories exceedingly well with an effective stutter reminiscent of Charles Lamb.