Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll

(5 User reviews)   3121
By Jacob Brown Posted on Jan 3, 2026
In Category - Space Opera
Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898 Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898
English
Hey, have you ever wondered what Alice in Wonderland would be like if Lewis Carroll tried to write a serious novel? That's basically 'Sylvie and Bruno' in a nutshell. It's his final book, and it's a wild, confusing, and fascinating mash-up. Picture this: a realistic Victorian love story and a political drama happening in our world, constantly interrupted by trips to a totally bonkers fairyland ruled by two magical kids. The main thing you're trying to figure out is how these two worlds are connected. Is the fairyland a dream, a metaphor, or something real? It's a strange, heartfelt, and sometimes frustrating puzzle from the mind of a genius who refused to be put in a box.
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it, considering that my chin was almost on the Chancellor's shoulder. The 'march up' was a very curious sight: {Image...The march-up} a straggling procession of men, marching two and two, began from the other side of the market-place, and advanced in an irregular zig-zag fashion towards the Palace, wildly tacking from side to side, like a sailing vessel making way against an unfavourable wind so that the head of the procession was often further from us at the end of one tack than it had been at the end of the previous one. Yet it was evident that all was being done under orders, for I noticed that all eyes were fixed on the man who stood just under the window, and to whom the Chancellor was continually whispering. This man held his hat in one hand and a little green flag in the other: whenever he waved the flag the procession advanced a little nearer, when he dipped it they sidled a little farther off, and whenever he waved his hat they all raised a hoarse cheer. “Hoo-roah!” they cried, carefully keeping time with the hat as it bobbed up and down. “Hoo-roah! Noo! Consti! Tooshun! Less! Bread! More! Taxes!” “That'll do, that'll do!” the Chancellor whispered. “Let 'em rest a bit till I give you the word. He's not here yet!” But at this moment the great folding-doors of the saloon were flung open, and he turned with a guilty start to receive His High Excellency. However it was only Bruno, and the Chancellor gave a little gasp of relieved anxiety. “Morning!” said the little fellow, addressing the remark, in a general sort of way, to the Chancellor and the waiters. “Doos oo know where Sylvie is? I's looking for Sylvie!” “She's with the Warden, I believe, y'reince!” the Chancellor replied with a low bow. There was, no doubt, a certain amount of absurdity in applying this title (which, as of course you see without my telling you, was nothing but 'your Royal Highness' condensed into one syllable) to a small creature whose father was merely the Warden of Outland: still, large excuse must be made for a man who had passed several years at the Court of Fairyland, and had there acquired the almost impossible art of pronouncing five syllables as one. But the bow was lost upon Bruno, who had run out of the room, even while the great feat of The Unpronounceable Monosyllable was being triumphantly performed. Just then, a single voice in the distance was understood to shout “A speech from the Chancellor!” “Certainly, my friends!” the Chancellor replied with extraordinary promptitude. “You shall have a speech!” Here one of the waiters, who had been for some minutes busy making a queer-looking mixture of egg and sherry, respectfully presented it on a large silver salver. The Chancellor took it haughtily, drank it off thoughtfully, smiled benevolently on the happy waiter as he set down the empty glass, and began. To the best of my recollection this is what he said. “Ahem! Ahem! Ahem! Fellow-sufferers, or rather suffering fellows--” (“Don't call 'em names!” muttered the man under the window. “I didn't say felons!” the Chancellor explained.) “You may be sure that I always sympa--” (“'Ear, 'ear!” shouted the crowd, so loudly as quite to drown the orator's thin squeaky voice) “--that I always sympa--” he repeated. (“Don't simper quite so much!” said the man under the window. “It makes yer look a hidiot!” And, all this time, “'Ear, 'ear!” went rumbling round the market-place, like a peal of thunder.) “That I always sympathise!” yelled the...

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If you only know Lewis Carroll from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this book will be a huge surprise. It's his last major work, and it feels like he poured all his remaining ideas into one big, strange pot.

The Story

The narrator shuttles between two realities. In one, he's a bystander in a very proper Victorian drama about a man named Arthur, his lost love Lady Muriel, and a scheming politician. In the other, he's a visitor to the fantastical Outland, where the elf-children Sylvie and Bruno have adventures that are silly, profound, and often nonsensical. The two stories weave in and out of each other, with characters and themes from one world bleeding into the other in mysterious ways.

Why You Should Read It

This isn't a tidy story. It's messy, philosophical, and deeply personal. You can feel Carroll wrestling with big ideas about faith, love, and morality, all while still making up ridiculous poems and songs for the fairyland sections. Sylvie and Bruno themselves are charming—less cynical than Alice, more genuinely innocent. The book's magic lies in its jarring contrasts. One minute you're in a tense drawing-room conversation, the next you're watching a fairy-child turn into a hummingbird. It's a unique experience.

Final Verdict

This is not the book for someone wanting a straightforward fantasy. It's for curious readers and Carroll completists who want to see the full, unfiltered range of his imagination. Perfect for anyone who likes literary experiments, doesn't mind a bit of Victorian sentimentality mixed with their nonsense, and enjoys trying to solve a puzzle where the pieces are from two completely different boxes.



ℹ️ Public Domain Content

This is a copyright-free edition. It serves as a testament to our shared literary heritage.

Mary White
9 months ago

Text is crisp, making it easy to focus.

Anthony Ramirez
1 year ago

Text is crisp, making it easy to focus.

Lucas Wilson
8 months ago

A bit long but worth it.

Deborah Lewis
1 year ago

This book was worth my time since the depth of research presented here is truly commendable. Absolutely essential reading.

Michael Taylor
1 year ago

Honestly, it provides a comprehensive overview perfect for everyone. Truly inspiring.

4.5
4.5 out of 5 (5 User reviews )

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