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Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll Quotes

Writer

Lewis Carroll, born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, was an English writer, mathematician, logician, photographer, and children's author. He is best known for his novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which is celebrated for its unique imagination, rich symbolism, and humor.

Famous Lewis Carroll Quotes

“If only I could manage, without annoyance to my family, to get imprisoned for 10 years, "without hard labour," and with the use of books and writing materials, it would be simply delightful!”

Ifs Writing Years Book Hard Use Would Be Materials My Family Manage Labour Delightful Annoyance

Book:The letters of Lewis Carroll

Source: The letters of Lewis Carroll

“I maintain that any writer of a book is fully authorised in attaching any meaning he likes to a word or phrase he intends to use. If I find an author saying, at the beginning of his book, "Let it be understood that by the word 'black' I shall always mean 'white,' and by the word 'white' I shall always mean 'black,'" I meekly accept his ruling, however injudicious I think it.”

Ifs Thinking Mean Book Use Black White Accepting Understood Likes Phrases Ruling

Book:Symbolic Logic: Elementary

Source: Symbolic Logic: Elementary

“Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.' I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. There goes the shawl again!”

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ ’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ ’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”

Mean Said Different Use Masters Mathematical Tone Different Things Wonderland Alice In Wonderland Alice Through The Looking Glass Humpty Dumpty

Author:Lewis Carroll

“Alice thought to herself, 'Then there's no use in speaking.' The voices didn't join in this time, as she hadn't spoken, but to her great surprise, they all thought in chorus (I hope you understand what thinking in chorus means--for I must confess that I don't), 'Better say nothing at all. Language is worth a thousand pounds a word!”

Thinking Mean Use Language Voice Thousand Surprise Pounds Chorus

Book:Alice Through the Looking Glass

Source: Alice Through the Looking Glass

“I'm very much afraid I didn't mean anything but nonsense. Still, you know, words mean more than we mean to express when we use them; so a whole book ought to mean a great deal more than the writer means. So, whatever good meanings are in the book, I'm glad to accept as the meaning of the book.”

Knows Mean Stills Book Whole Use Deals Accepting Ought Glad Nonsense

Book:The Complete Novels of Lewis Carroll With All the Original Illustrations + The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland + Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There + Sylvie and Bruno + Sylvie and Bruno Concluded

Source: The Complete Novels of Lewis Carroll With All the Original Illustrations + The Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland + Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There + Sylvie and Bruno + Sylvie and Bruno Concluded

“It'll be no use their putting their heads down and saying "Come up again, dear!" I shall only look up and say "Who am I then? Tell me that first, and then, if I like being that person, I'll come up: if not, I'll stay down here till I'm somebody else"--but, oh dear!' cried Alice, with a sudden burst of tears, 'I do wish they WOULD put their heads down! I am so VERY tired of being all alone here!”

Ifs Firsts Looks Persons Use Wish Identity Tears Down And Tired Dear Come Up Look Up Cried All Alone

Book:Annotated Alice in Wonderland with English Grammar Exercises: by Lewis Carroll (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)

Source: Annotated Alice in Wonderland with English Grammar Exercises: by Lewis Carroll (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)

“"Well, it's no use your talking about waking him," said Tweedledum, "when you're only one of the things in his dream. You know very well you're not real."”

Ifs Thinking Knows Wells Said Real Use Dream Able Bits Half Talking Laughing Cry Tears Ridiculous Tone Contempt Waking Interrupted

Author:Lewis Carroll

“But it's no use now," thought poor Alice, "to pretend to be two people! Why, there's ahrdly enough of me left to make one respectable person!”

People Persons Two Enough Use Left Poor Respectable

Book:Alice in Wonderland

Source: Alice in Wonderland

“I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,” said Alice a little timidly; “but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”

Littles Persons Said Different Use Morning Adventure Yesterday Wonderland Alice Adventures In Wonderland Alice In Wonderland Alice

Book:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

Source: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

“What do you suppose is the use of a child without any meaning? Even a joke should have some meaning-- and a child's more imporant than a joke, I hope. You couldn't deny that, even if you tried with both hands.”

Ifs Should Children Use Hands Jokes Should Have Deny

Book:Alice in Wonderland

Source: Alice in Wonderland

“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversation?”

Book Use Reading Conversation Sitting Tired Alice Adventures In Wonderland Alice And Wonderland Book

Author:Lewis Carroll

“'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.'”

Mean Said Use Mathematical Tone Wonderland Mean Girls Alice In Wonderland Alice Through The Looking Glass Humpty Dumpty

Author:Lewis Carroll

“'What is the use of a book', thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?'”

Book Use Reading Conversation Presentation Wonderland Alice Adventures In Wonderland Alice In Wonderland Alice Alice In Wonderland Tea Alice In Wonderland Book Alice And Wonderland Book

Author:Lewis Carroll

“'Always speak the truth - think before you speak - and write it down afterwards.' 'I'm sure I didn't mean - ' Alice was beginning, but the Red Queen interrupted her impatiently. 'That's just what I complain of! You should have meant! What do you suppose is the use of child without any meaning? Even a joke should have some meaning - and a child's more important than a joke, I hope.”

Thinking Should Writing Mean Children Important Use Speak Honesty Jokes Red Should Have Complaining Queens Speak The Truth Interrupted Think Before You Speak Red Queen

Book:Alice in Wonderland

Source: Alice in Wonderland

“Words mean more than we mean to express when we use them: so a whole book ought to mean a great deal more than the writer meant.”

Mean Book Whole Use Deals Ought

Book:Alice in Wonderland

Source: Alice in Wonderland

“There's no use in comparing one's feelings between one day and the next; you must allow a reasonable interval, for the direction of change to show itself.”

Use Shows Feelings Next One Day Compare Reasonable Intervals

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Lewis Carroll (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Lewis Carroll (Illustrated)

“No discussion between two persons can be of any use, until each knows clearly what it is that the other asserts.”

Knows Persons Two Use Conversation Discussion

Book:The letters of Lewis Carroll

Source: The letters of Lewis Carroll

“'What's the use of their having names the Gnat said, 'if they won't answer to them?' 'No use to them,' said Alice; 'but it's useful to the people who name them, I suppose. If not, why do things have names at all?' 'I can't say,' the Gnat replied.”

People Ifs Said I Can Use Science Names Answers Gnats

Book:Alice in Wonderland Collection: All Four Books: All Four Books

Source: Alice in Wonderland Collection: All Four Books: All Four Books