A Tangled Tale was published by Macmillan in 1885, collecting ten mathematical puzzles (called “Knots”) that had been serialized in The Monthly Packet between 1880 and 1885. Each Knot embeds a mathematical problem within a humorous narrative, and Carroll published the solutions separately, with commentary on the various approaches readers had submitted.
The form reflects Carroll’s dual identity as mathematician and storyteller: he believed passionately that mathematical thinking could be cultivated through pleasure rather than drill, and that problems presented as stories engaged faculties that abstract notation left dormant. A problem about the relative speeds of two travelers becomes a comic narrative about lost hikers; a probability question becomes a story about choosing between unreliable servants.
The puzzles range from simple arithmetic to complex problems in algebra and combinatorics, and Carroll’s solutions are as entertaining as the problems — he quotes incorrect reader submissions with gentle mockery, praises elegant solutions, and uses the commentary to teach mathematical reasoning rather than merely to provide answers.
As a collectible, A Tangled Tale occupies a niche market: sought by Carroll collectors, mathematical history collectors, and recreational mathematics enthusiasts, but less commercially valuable than the Alice books or The Hunting of the Snark.
Collecting A Tangled Tale
First edition (Macmillan, London, 1885): Cloth binding, illustrated by Arthur B. Frost.
Market values:
- First edition: $200–$600
- Good condition: $100–$300
- With dust wrapper (extremely rare): $500–$1,500