John Hurt reciting Jabberwocky on the Charlie Rose show

[@vadimmurmis6015]

Best recitation of Jabberwocky. Ever.

[@yheralawha6921]

I agree. But I'm high.

[@insolubletoaster8133]

@@yheralawha6921 i'm not high, but i still agree

[@binghamguevara6814]

Watch Marissa Anne’s recitation. Her performance is frabjuous. Lol.

[@Tuncle54]

Wow. Just wow...

[@NIHILWR]

Christopher Lee's recitations is better :)

[@davidgraham8299]

For an off the cuff recitation this is just wonderful.

[@sixoclock4436]

Words cannot express the deep sadness i felt the day John Hurt died... He'll always have a place in my heart.

[@markc9503]

Always remember that in the 4 billion year history of this planet you lived at the same time as John Hurt & David Bowie.

[@gabeval9350]

Yes! Yes we did.

[@LuxuriousLenay]

What does this have to do with David Bowie

[@TheSaltydog07]

How lucky for us all. ♥️♥️

[@MSYNGWIE12]

Markc you get a HUGE HUG from me, two of my favorite humans too- still tear up - but their spirits, talents remain. Have you heard John recite, IF, by Rudyard Kipling? My next stop. "Golden Years...Angelo..." namaste from Canada

[@waltershumer4211]

Fairly sure that David Bowie fella doesn't own a dog house.

[@animejunkie10]

does he read any audio books or do more spoken poetry? I'd love to hear his voice reading anything more like this. ugh. his enthusiasm is addicting!

[@BradleyWilloughby]

animejunkie10 He did an audio drama of "The Invisible Man" just before he passed. Along with four War Doctor "Doctor Who" audio dramas. You can find them on Big Finish Productions website.

[@Pepemarcaacme]

He also played the host and narrator of a Jim Henson tv show that told fairy tales. I can' t remmember the name

[@Renfield97]

I know it's probably to late to say this, but I'm going to say the title for those who might read this and not know, It's called Jim Henson's the Storyteller.

[@robertslipek7311]

i own all four volumes of his War Doctor series. they are amazing and his performance in them is as strong as ever.

[@maxstirner8717]

animejunkie10 He narrated George Orwell’s “Homage to Catalonia” for audiobook.

[@franksmedley8619]

Although the poem of the Jabberwocky is about a fearsome beast slain by a vorpal blade, the first and last stanza are about something else entirely. T'was - It Was Brillig - Brilliant and the Silithy - Slick and Slippery Toves - most think 'troves' as in treasure, but Lewis Carrol was a Symbolic Mathmatitian, so Two V's, as in Two Vectors. did'st - Did (past tense) Gyre and - Turn Gimbal - Twist in the Wabe. - Plot surrounding a Sun Dial, hence Time All Mimsy - Bemused, slightly amused in a befuddled manner. were the Borogroves - a Borogrove is someone who's content with their lot in life and wishes no change. and the Mome - Silent Wrathes - Wraiths... insubstantial beings Outgrabe. - Left by an unexpected path. Thus the translated poem reads: It Was Brilliant how the two vectors did turn and twist in time, happy were the stay-at-homes as the silent travelers passed by. In other words... Mr Carrol was speaking in symbolic logic phrases about Time Travelers. Just my thoughts, Speaking Frank-ly

[@nataliaturner4845]

I love it! 🥰

[@JLCRH]

Thanks for that.

[@sbyoutub3]

Thank you

[@Tom-zg3vh]

Thanks much.

[@Kimllg88]

From The Annotated Alice by Martin Gardner

[@nicholasjoldersma4138]

Incredible!

[@vivavinyl]

Great - and thanks so much for putting this up!

[@belablasco6681]

Brilliant.

[@neebeehayden1913]

I strive for skills as his

[@highwinds71]

Had to find out who did the voice of the dragon in Merlin. Sounds familiar. No one could of voiced the dragon better.

[@thefalsebottoms]

Mr hurt is a genius. That’s not his name he’s an Evans like me

[@philippeocto1660]

Borogoves, not brogroves! Otherwise: brilliant!

[@Mankcam]

I thought no one could beat Cumberbatch's recitation, but Hurt does it with ease. Impressive is an understatement

[@bobbyhempel1513]

Johnny Depp blue Cumberbatch out of the water when he played Mad Hatter.

[@TheSaltydog07]

Gielgud's is good.

[@55thomo]

Excellent but John Milligan in Fargo was too!

[@johnloony68]

It would be difficult to read it worse than Benedict Cumberbatch's appallingly bad rendition. He said "borogroves" instead of "borogoves" and "tugly" instead of "tulgey".

[@joycewycoff3061]

This is just the best. I've never seen a more joyful recitation of this poem. It's like a song where Hurt hits every note perfectly.

[@benconnor3206]

I agree! I think the second best reading of this I’ve ever heard was from Mike Milligan in Fargo season 2, absolutely beautifully done.

[@iwantcheesypuffs]

From memory, and with the passion. Absolutely amazing. Thanks for posting this.

[@JanTownsendable]

Wonderful recitation. RIP John Hurt

[@MaskedMan66]

Especially given that it was off the cuff!

[@andrewcastillo3110]

I don't know what's better; his delivery, his accent or his voice.

[@TheMegadude123]

Only John Hurt could make the most famous passage of Gibberish sound like music

[@TheSaltydog07]

I'm 70 and I just learned this poem.😮

[@thekris4378]

That’s the best rendition I’ve heard so far…

[@ColonelFredPuntridge]

It's beautiful, but he makes two errors: There should not be an "r" in the last syllable of the word "borogoves". The word should be pronounced "boroGOVEs," not "borogRoves". AND The poem says "He took his vorpal SWORD in hand", not "He took his vorpal BLADE in hand". The phrase "vorpal blade" occurs when he kills the Jabberwock: "The vorpal blade went snicker-snack". But when he takes it in hand, it's "vorpal sword".

[@chopin65]

Knit pickery!

[@ColonelFredPuntridge]

@@chopin65 Respect for the poet.

[@chopin65]

@@ColonelFredPuntridge I am a poet. Don't lecture to me.

[@ColonelFredPuntridge]

@@chopin65 Why not?

[@chopin65]

@@ColonelFredPuntridge Because poetry is not about crossing a t and dotting an i.

[@jonathanheidenreich8565]

What an absolute treasure John Hurt is/was.

[@chopin65]

We never knew how rich we were, until we lost him.

[@MercurialRed9]

RIP legend 💖

[@angryface7135]

John Hurt said "borogroves". Hey Lewis, you're sadly mistaken...

[@GrayZStarsFortniteFilms]

Lol

[@geraldnichols2722]

Hurt makes the same error as Cumberbatch, i.e., "borogroves" instead of the correct "borogoves."

[@easadventures1349]

I'll always hear his voice when someone says "Hellboy"

[@GrayZStarsFortniteFilms]

He did Hellboy???

[@AnEnormousBBFan]

One of the great actors of all time. You must see his Fool to Olivier's Lear. Totally awesome.

[@jonathanheidenreich8565]

AnEnormousBBFan by far the best fool

[@am4kar]

Only it was from “Through the Looking-Glass”, not “Alice in Wonderland”…

[@raimarulightning]

It's a continuation of the same story. Allow it.

[@Telssa1]

An American friend used "frabjous" in an email this week, shaming me into learning the full poem (about 60 years late). I somehow felt it incumbent on me to be word perfect, so in this performance I noticed "borogroves", "blade " instead of "sword" and "Oh" instead of "And" (hast thou slain). No criticism intended. Regardless, I prefer this version to Christopher Lee's. I sense that Hurt's has something of the Lewis Carroll about it, while Lee's has rather too much of the Tolkein for my taste and (I speculate) for Carroll's. The first verse was by far the hardest to memorise, but my biggest problem was deciding whether to go along with the seemingly universally accepted sly-thy, when my instinct says that Carroll would have meant slithy to rhyme with smithy.

[@benconnor3206]

Joyfully haunting, My favorite one for sure. i think the second best reading of this I’ve ever heard was from Mike Milligan in Fargo season 2, absolutely beautifully done.

[@jdbhatts2912]

mike milligans was epic. this is great for being off the cuff though

[@euskedyzestoa2008]

“Do it to Juliaaaa!!!” How can we forget?

[@JLCRH]

That was fabulous! Thank you for sharing.

[@LEANSIPPA3]

He’s good 😁I have to do it for my homework and I can’t pronounce any of the words lol 😐😢

[@TorkG8]

Jabberwocky is actually from the book "Alice Through the Looking Glass" which came out in 1871, six years after Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" book. Film makers usually amalgamate the two books in their productions and simply call them Alice in Wonderland though.

[@FaeChangeling]

True. Lots gets confused between them, even the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts are two different characters, but people usually just call the Queen of Hearts the Red Queen and think they're the same character. The Red Queen is actually pretty nice, if a little strict, while the Queen of Hearts is all "off with his head!"

[@unitedplankton2866]

Hurt is a Treasure..

[@SimoneEvans]

Wonderful

[@kibouhope8333]

The Doctor, i am proud to call him The Doctor

[@arthurchallat8530]

this voice

[@MajorWolf72]

It’s not from „Alice in Wonderland“, it’s from its sequel „Alice Through the Looking-Glass“.

[@flypurplecat4774]

I’ve checked multiple recitations of this wonderful poem but WHY does even the best say “borogRoves”There is.no 2nd “R” in the book. The last syllable is simply GOVES.

[@oldpossum4860]

Small detail, Jabberwocky was in Through the Looking Glass, not Alice in Wonderland. Lovely rendition though.

[@imyouranna]

For some reason I had this poem stuck in my head I didn't know where I had heard it from I didn't know what it was but now that I do I I totally remember this from childhood and I was able to recite it once I heard it all that was going through my head was beware the Jabberwocky and the Jim jump bird so or something like that so I knew I knew that I was on to something so that was pretty cool thank you for that thank you for posting

[@playedinchina]

What a truly phenomenal performance of that poem. I'd just covered this poem with a class and wish I'd seen this version beforehand. I'm somehow always surprised by the depth of this man's talent.

[@MaskedMan66]

I hate to correct you, Sir John, but it's "borogoves," not "borogroves." But what do I know?

[@bonvoyeur3170]

Yes x

[@danender5555]

Seems like lots of borogroves flew down here to pluck John Hurt.

[@AlexDeLarge77]

That’s an Englishman right there!

[@thejabberwocky5884]

Well heck.

[@55thomo]

He could’ve read my eulogy or Jarod Harris

[@Jahncee]

Dreary. I could do much better.

[@davevernon4993]

I love John Hurt, fully respect 99% of his work, and he got 99% of this poem spot on.

[@paulschuler1459]

I can recite it, too! But I must be standing and moving. I'm not sure my voice is as nice, though.

[@polemeros]

Wonderful. Wonderful.

[@edmundriddle3847]

Vorpal Sword..or Vorpal Blade?

[@Habitt5253]

Bravo

[@eternalmiasma5586]

What a great man

[@555pontifex]

Oh my goodness. Next level. Different class.

[@tomaszstefaniuk9449]

So classy! Missing Mr. Hurt...

[@salazarczarinamaupoy4922]

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!” He took his vorpal sword in hand; Long time the manxome foe he sought- So rested he by the Tumtum tree And stood awhile in thought. And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. “And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” He chortled in his joy. ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

[@instructor8759]

And that book comes from a mathematician!

[@richardciezak702]

Too fast. Christopher Lee does it best.

[@Azraelean]

How can I download this video and isolate the audio file on my iPhone?

[@wideawake5630]

Brilliant! He is missed.

[@neebeehayden1913]

Enthralling.

[@HongryMan]

Perfect.

[@matycee]

"sword" first, THEN "blade"... and pardon me Mr. Hurt, it's "borogoves" and not "borogroves". Damn close those, sir. Damn close.

[@sagoodey]

"Henry Jones Jr"

[@bruh-rp1tq]

why does this person breathe

[@DalokiMauvais]

I can't believe it. He said "borogroves." It's "borogoves." It breaks my heart. Ruined.

[@TheCancerkilla]

The dulcet tones of John Hurt :)