Clara in Blunderland facts for kids
First edition cover of Clara in Blunderland
|
|
| Author | Caroline Lewis (Edward Harold Begbie, J. Stafford Ransome, and Michael Henry Temple) |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy novel, parody |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
|
Publication date
|
1902 |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | xvi, 150 |
| Followed by | Lost in Blunderland |
Clara in Blunderland is a fun and clever book written in 1902. It was created by a group of writers using the name Caroline Lewis. This book is a special kind of story called a parody. It makes fun of two famous books: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll.
Contents
What is Clara in Blunderland About?
This book uses humor to talk about serious topics. It makes fun of the British Government's actions during the Second Boer War. This war was fought in South Africa. The book also pokes fun at the government's choices at home and with other countries.
Who are the Characters?
The story uses characters from the "Alice" books to represent real people. These real people were important politicians at the time.
- Clara is like Alice. She represents Arthur Balfour, who was the Prime Minister.
- The Red Queen is Joseph Chamberlain. He was a very powerful politician.
- The Duchess is Lord Salisbury. He was also a former Prime Minister.
- Crumpty-Bumpty is like Humpty Dumpty. He represents Henry Campbell-Bannerman.
- The Walrus is William Vernon Harcourt.
- The Dalmeny Cat is Lord Rosebery.
- The Caterpillar is Winston Churchill. He later became a famous Prime Minister.
The Drawings in the Book
The book has 40 drawings. These were made by a journalist named J. Stafford Ransome. He signed his work as "S.R." His drawings were inspired by the original pictures in the "Alice" books, which were done by John Tenniel.
How Popular Was It?
Clara in Blunderland was very popular. It was printed ten times! A year later, a sequel was released called Lost in Blunderland.
This book was one of many funny stories that used "Alice in Wonderland" as inspiration. Other similar books from that time include:
- Saki's The Westminster Alice (1902)
- Charles Geake and Francis Carruthers Gould's John Bull's Adventures in the Fiscal Wonderland (1904)
These other books also made fun of politicians like Balfour and Chamberlain.
