A Tangled Tale

📘 About This Book

"Goblin, lead them up and down." The ruddy glow of sunset was already fading into the sombre shadows of night, when two travellers might have been observed swiftly-at a pace of six miles in the hour-descending the rugged side of a mountain; the younger bounding from crag to crag with the agility of a fawn, while his companion, whose aged limbs seemed ill at ease in the heavy chain armour habitually worn by tourists in that district, toiled on painfully at his side. As is always the case under such circumstances, the younger knight was the first to break the silence. "A goodly pace, I trow!" he exclaimed. "We sped not thus in the ascent!" "Goodly, indeed!" the other echoed with a groan. "We clomb it but at three miles in the hour." "And on the dead level our pace is-?" the younger suggested; for he was weak in statistics, and left all such details to his aged companion.

📖 Summary

A Tangled Tale by Lewis Carroll is a charming and inventive work of fiction that weaves mathematical puzzles into a series of interconnected literary episodes. Published in a modern edition in 2018 across eighty-four pages, the book originally captured readers through its serial format in a monthly magazine, inviting the public to untangle clever narrative teasers. The journey begins as night falls, where two travellers can be observed swiftly descending the rugged side of a mountain at a pace of six miles in the hour. The younger knight bounds from crag to crag with the agility of a fawn, while his aged companion struggles along in heavy chain armour, complaining of his weariness. This opening scene sets the tone for a narrative where everyday travel, physical exertion, and spatial relationships become the basis for deeper intellectual challenges. As the travellers converse, they discuss their rates of movement, comparing their rapid descent at six miles per hour to their slower ascent at three miles per hour, prompting questions about their speed on a dead level surface. From this whimsical beginning, Carroll introduces a variety of eccentric characters, curious dilemmas, and chronological paradoxes. The fiction unfolds across ten distinct knots or chapters, each presenting a fresh scenario that seems simple on the surface but conceals layers of logical trickery. Readers follow these episodes not just for the sake of the story, but to exercise their minds against the author's playful riddles. Carroll uses his signature blend of Victorian wit, wordplay, and narrative flair to make mathematical concepts accessible and entertaining. The characters often find themselves in absurd predicaments that can only be resolved through careful reasoning and arithmetic. While the book is presented as a work of fiction, its true core lies in the interactive nature of problem-solving. Carroll famously published the correct answers and the names of successful correspondents in later issues, turning the book into a community event of its time. In this compact volume, the charm of traditional storytelling meets the rigorous demands of logic, creating an enduring piece of recreational literature that continues to delight readers who appreciate both a good story and a clever puzzle.

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✍️ About the Author

LEWIS CARROLL

Lewis Carroll, the pen name of Charles Dodgson (1832-1898), was an English author best known for 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and its sequel 'Through the Looking-Glass', celebrated for their whimsical logic and wordplay.

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