Review: The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll and Macy Grove

A vividly rendered rendition of a whimsical epic, The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Macy Grove, is a masterful update to a beloved classic.

When a fellowship of unlikely allies embarks on a quest to catch a mythical beast named the Snark, none expect their odyssey to be quite so surreal. Led by Bellman, these nine B-named companions (Banker, Barrister, Butcher, Baker, etc.) are a motley crew following a completely blank map across the sea in the hopes of capturing the legendary creature.

Through the poem’s eight “fits,” or chapters, these eccentric characters encounter numerous misadventures as they traverse their exotic destination, an island where otherworldly beasts allegedly lurk. Despite being warned of the island’s dangers, and the likely fate of any who would meet the elusive fiend, these intrepid hunters push onwards through ridiculous side quests and tangential musings, all of which are rich fodder for the visual elements of this edition.

As has ever been the case when it comes to this whirling dervish of a poem, Carroll’s impeccable sense of meter is matched only by the sharpness of his wit. There is an inimitable brilliance in the bewildering lines of verse, balanced somewhere between pleasurably absurd and unexpectedly profound. The Banker’s unfortunate run-in with the Bandersnatch is a popular and perennial highlight of this poem, though the Beaver and Butcher’s charming relationship is a standout as well. So many of the verses and scenes are muddled with madness, yet possess a “snarky” wisdom that is unrelenting and unpredictable.

Carroll’s tongue-in-cheek epilogue says it all, reminding us that whatever meaning one finds is the meaning intended, considering that the audience is an active participant in the creative process of any art form, which gives any visual artist immense creative freedom. For 150 years, this poem has reappeared in various forms and representations in media, including illustrated versions that expand on the original 9 illustrations. Macy Grove follows a long tradition of injecting originality and creativity into this classic text, offering a modernized update with hundreds of carefully crafted illustrations.

This adaptation takes this creative license a step further by updating the text for a contemporary audience; the identities of key crew members and related verses have been cheekily changed to reflect Grove’s imaginative revisions. These subtle but notable updates to the characters, and the consequent changes to the poetry itself, add an original flourish to this already legendary text, heightening the absurdity by adding a degree of modern realism.

Transferring a 19th-century epic poem into a 21st-century graphic novel is no easy feat, but the visual narrative is a subtle and balanced accompaniment. Countless choices needed to be made regarding line breaks, poetic placement of text boxes, and the combined impact of words and visual representation. For the vast majority of the book, those choices create a smooth reading experience, which doesn’t interrupt the cadence and impeccable flow of the verse, and in many cases enhances it. That said, there are a handful of illustrated panels that feel rushed, repetitive, or simply lacking detail and depth in comparison to all the others. Given that Grove’s contribution to Carroll’s masterpiece is visual, every panel should live up to its source.

On balance, however, this is a highly successful interpretation that could potentially expand the poem’s reach. Grove took the essential playfulness and wisdom one step further with a visceral and fearless take on an old favorite, capturing and extrapolating the emotion of Carroll’s timeless wordplay, and increasing the depth of his unforgettable world.