Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll. Illustrated by Christopher Myers (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun. ISBN 978-1-4231-0372-1).
A brilliant reinvention of a classic
Review by Lawrence I. Charters, May 11, 2008
Jabberwocky is a poem inside of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, rather than a stand-alone piece of literature. Yet because of its intricate use of language, both real and invented, it fairly demands to be recited, quoted, and referenced (in everything from advanced particle physics to James Joyce), despite being relegated to the outback of “children’s literature.”
But what does it mean? Christopher Myers has reinvented the poem, without changing one word, through a series of dramatic drawings. Instead of Lewis’ pastoral Oxford, England, the illustrations set the story on an urban basketball court, and the dreaded Jabberwock is a tall, menacing figure with a basketball. He is challenged by a young boy, who takes on the Jabberwock in multicolored images and fonts.
Yes, it is only 32 pages, but if you ever wanted to know what “reinvention” meant, you should read this book.