The Diaries of Lewis Carroll - 1953

EDITOR:

Roger Lancelyn Green

Roger Lancelyn Green claimed nothing had been left our of this first published version of Carroll's diaries. But it later emerged this was untrue and actually about 50% of the content had been omitted. Even worse, although nominally 'editor', Green had not even seen the original manuscript and had been forced to work with a typescript prepared in advance by Carroll's niece. Why Green concealed this from his readers is unexplained, but the result was calamitous. He also added extensive editorial commentary that gave the impression there was a lot more factual support than there actually was for his preferred image of Carroll as 'innocent' dreamer of children. The combined effect was to make these published diaries more deceptive than revelatory. Green's view of Carroll masquerading as Carroll himself.

SOUNDBITE:

"pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"



IMPACT AND INFLUENCE:

Crucially influential, because it presented a highly distorted picture in the guise of first-hand evidence.