Of all the Lewis Carroll biographies I have read, this is by far the shortest -- especially when you factor in all the many illustrations. (Warning: These include all four of Charles Dodgson's surviving photos of nude girls.) And much of the space is devoted to excerpts from his works. The result is more an essay than a full-length biography.

And yet, that has its advantages. Our knowledge of Charles Dodgson is surprisingly limited; he and his family kept their secrets close. It takes only a medium-length essay to cover the essential materials, and on the whole, Stoffel does it well. The book is well-written, the illustration interesting, and rarely does she go to the extremes of some other biographers. If you are seeking a first biography of Carroll, this is a good place to start. ( )