Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Hunting of the Snark [Book Review]

[This blog spoils some aspects of the book as well as the nature of the monster.]

"The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in 8 Fits" is a short book written by Lewis Carroll. It was published in 1876. Reading this book was not my first encounter with the concept. I read a comic book version of this a while back called "Snarked" which included the addition of the Walrus and the Carpenter characters from the Alice books.

"The Hunting of the Snark," is an eight-part poem which seems nonsensical at first, but it is actually a cleverly written drama and horror story. It includes a motley crew of characters who are all designated by their profession, and every last one of those professions begin with the letter B. We have a Bellman, a Barrister (Lawyer), a Broker, a Billiard-Marker, a Banker, a Butcher, a Baker, and even a Beaver. All of these set out in search of a mysterious creature called a Snark.

The bulk of the story is really just about how the strange crew of the ship are getting along. There are some personal disputes among them. The Butcher and the Beaver had likely the most difficult problems since one was rather keen on killing the other, however, they come together and even bond as the story progresses.

The story tends to meander a bit, as if the writer sort of forgets what he is writing about, before snapping back quickly enough. I actually found these sidesteps relaxing, and it did help give you a better idea of who these people were who had come together. It did not really hurt the story at all, and it felt like it gave more length to a story which is really not that long.

The horror of the story comes from the fact that there is a chance that the Snark might not be the kind of snark you are supposed to hunt. It's either that or that it ends up being an entirely different monster called a Boojum. Encountering a Boojum means you simply disappear into thin air never to be seen again. It's a very creepy thing to think about, and the characters unfortunately have to deal with this sobering reality along the way. It's a fear that carries its way through the story and sticks with you even when the story ends.

I recommend "The Hunting of the Snark" for it's fascinating and cleverly deceptive narrative. As silly as it seems on the surface, there is a very real story here about people, relationships, and a monster. I think I rather enjoyed it more than the Alice books. Stories like this tend to stick with you. I'm glad I read it.

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