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The Book Of Nonsense by Edward Lear
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The Book Of Nonsense (original 1846; edition 2010)

by Edward Lear

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
6781933,705 (3.5)15
Lear's limericks are fun and silly, with some of that absurd humor I might also find in Dr. Seuss or Carroll's poetry. He makes up foolish words to suit his odd characters, who range from regular people who perform peculiar actions to bizarre figures who might be doing the mundane or the odd. A young woman has a chin so sharp she plays the harp, and a different fellow has a head so tiny that he purchases an immense wig to enlarge it. The edition I bought as an ebook had no illustrations. I had never read his poetry before, only seen references to it in other books, but even so, I knew something was missing. Fortunately, I easily found his limericks online with the accompanying pictures. (Now why did I buy that ebook?) The pictures are black-and-white sketches, as lugubrious and ridiculous as the poetry.

I had an amusing hour as I read this book. Limericks aren't my favorite style, but I've never spent more than a passing moment with them, so it was interesting to read an entire collection of them. From what I gather, Lear is one of the better known limerick writers. He managed to instill his own style into a poetic form that has very set rules. The humor is mostly silly, but can be gruesome, with people dying and being cruel to others. I felt like it was an early form of black humor. I like trying new things, and don't regret spending time with this book, although I probably won't be seeking out other limericks in the near future. ( )
  nmhale | Dec 2, 2012 |
Showing 19 of 19
Edward Lear almost never fails to put a smile on my face. Though, his recipes are rather vicious...

"When the paste is perfectly dry, but not before, proceed to beat the Pig violently, with the handle of a large broom. If he squeals, beat him again." - Quote from TO MAKE GOSKY PATTIES ( )
  eurydactyl | Jul 20, 2023 |
Many of the Limericks are fun, notably those featuring Birds,

but this is not a book for kids or sensitive adults = too much violence, Killing, death, and animal cruelty. ( )
  m.belljackson | Oct 19, 2022 |
Water-damaged. ( )
  ME_Dictionary | Mar 19, 2020 |
When I was a child, I enjoyed Lear, but I read only a poem or two at a time. This book was "way too much of a good thing." If I ever read another "There was an old man from" or "There was an old person from" poem again, it will be too soon. He had several alphabets. Many used the same thing for the letters. For example, all used "Xerxes" for the letter "X." Why not a xylophone? In addition to poems and alphabets, Lear included some nonsensical biological drawings and a couple short stories. "The Owl and the Pussycat" is probably Lear's best-known work, and there's a reason for that. It's his best. Lear is best consumed in small doses, and this volume gives one entirely too much nonsense. ( )
  thornton37814 | Oct 14, 2019 |
Since I only knew The Owl and The Pussycat, the rest was a lovely and nonsensical surprise.
  amyem58 | Apr 15, 2019 |
These may have been quite funny when published in 1895, and maybe there was nothing quite like it for children at the time - off-colour, nonsensical, silly with simple black and white drawings and short limericks on the right of each double-page spread and a blank page on the left. I can see why it could be said to be in a category with or inspiration for the likes of Shel Silverstein, but I think each are in a category of their own. This is a unique book, and author, to look at from a research perspective on the development of children's genre poetry, but I would not recommend it to a child today. ( )
  GReader28 | Nov 7, 2016 |
I prefer limericks with more word play and less pure nonsense. ( )
  aulsmith | Sep 28, 2015 |
Z liked the drawings a lot. Frankly, the limericks got old after reading them in a few sittings. ( )
  beckydj | Mar 31, 2013 |
Classic. Mine is the 1928 Everyman's edition ( )
  Georges_T._Dodds | Mar 30, 2013 |
Lear's limericks are fun and silly, with some of that absurd humor I might also find in Dr. Seuss or Carroll's poetry. He makes up foolish words to suit his odd characters, who range from regular people who perform peculiar actions to bizarre figures who might be doing the mundane or the odd. A young woman has a chin so sharp she plays the harp, and a different fellow has a head so tiny that he purchases an immense wig to enlarge it. The edition I bought as an ebook had no illustrations. I had never read his poetry before, only seen references to it in other books, but even so, I knew something was missing. Fortunately, I easily found his limericks online with the accompanying pictures. (Now why did I buy that ebook?) The pictures are black-and-white sketches, as lugubrious and ridiculous as the poetry.

I had an amusing hour as I read this book. Limericks aren't my favorite style, but I've never spent more than a passing moment with them, so it was interesting to read an entire collection of them. From what I gather, Lear is one of the better known limerick writers. He managed to instill his own style into a poetic form that has very set rules. The humor is mostly silly, but can be gruesome, with people dying and being cruel to others. I felt like it was an early form of black humor. I like trying new things, and don't regret spending time with this book, although I probably won't be seeking out other limericks in the near future. ( )
  nmhale | Dec 2, 2012 |
"...a melange of buoyant fun".
  TrysB | Jun 14, 2012 |
This was the free Kindle edition and it is missing all the illustrations which are surely integral to the book. The limericks themselves are old-fashioned but they are the originals of their type and so worth reading for that alone. They were indeed nonsense but they didn't make me laugh. The style of these limericks is somewhat grating with the last words of the first and fourth lines being identical rather than simply rhyming, which would have sounded so much more lyrical. Easy read though - I read the whole thing over a cup of coffee. ( )
  tortoisebook | Jun 13, 2011 |
This probably seemed incredibly witty when it was written but, I actually found this tedious. It is one 'joke' repeated ad nauseam: There was an old man of... Poor. if early limericks. ( )
  the.ken.petersen | Dec 29, 2010 |
As expected, it reminded me of the nonsense verse I used to love as a child. I have no great interest in poetry, but something in this kind of funny, nonsensical turn of phrase intrigues me. A very quick read for a wet morning when you need the literary equivalent of a tickle! ( )
  pokarekareana | Dec 26, 2010 |
I don't think any parent (or grandparent) would purchase this book were it to be written and published today. More than half of the subjects are killed off, and most by incredibly nasty means. Even considering British pronunciation, the rhyming schemes are stretched beyond belief.

So why did I give it four stars, you may well ask.
1. These children's nonsense rhymes are part of our cultural heritage--at least those of us from an English-speaking background.
2. Lear exposes children to an incredibly rich vocabulary. In a time when so much is "dumbed down" for our children, it is a pleasure to find that such words as:

incongruous
imprudent
intrinsic
globular
futile
capricious
invidious

to name but a few, are at the very least, being exposed to their ear. And then there are some words, which at the least should provoke a fun discussion as to their meaning (as in "ombliferous"), and teach our children that language isn't static , but is a living entity.

If you haven't been exposed to the Guttenberg Project, please check it out. Free digitized copies of books in the public domain. What a treasure! ( )
  kaulsu | Aug 27, 2010 |
From the benighted Old man with a Beard to the erudite Perpendicular Purple Polly, Edward Lear's world is inhabited by a bewildering variety of oddities. Pelicans and parrots, seals and rhinoceroses and other queer creatures cavorted gaily with Dongs and Pobbles, not to mention the Quangle-Wangles! Here, after 140 years, is the original edition of A Book of Nonsense, from the original publishers. Complete with Lear's own illustrations - by turns surreal, hilarious and simply nonsensical - this treasure trove of nonsense is guaranteed to hold readers spellbound.
  antimuzak | Mar 5, 2006 |
Our edition contains an anthology of 19th century nonsense verse and prose, including:
Edward Lear's "A book of nonsense" from 1863,
and selections from Lewis Carroll,
some German rhymes of Heinrich Hoffmann, and Struwwelpeter (1848),
English nursery rhymes from J. O. Halliwell's collection of 1842,
and many other short pieces.
A fine collection of classics, some well known and others more obscure. ( )
  tripleblessings | Jan 5, 2006 |
One of the first books I remember reading. The word "inky" in my vocabulary comes from this book. All the original illustrations. Well worth reading as an adult. ( )
  tsinandali | Oct 29, 2005 |
Red border 112 illustrations
  vdibble | Jul 29, 2007 |
Showing 19 of 19

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