The Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear

Edward Lear is one of those often overlooked heroes of literature, a man so in touch with a primal part of himself that he was able to craft lines of pure inane beauty almost at will. Best known today for his timeless poem "The Owl and the Pussycat," he had that rare ability of creating an entire world on the page, with its own mythology and reference points. This collection brings together his four "Nonsense" books, complete with the whimsical illustrations (Lear's own) that are as much a part of the works as the words themselves. While adult reader might find an extended reading of Lear's work a little taxing (they have always been intended for children), an occasional dip into this strange lyrical universe will certainly prove show more beneficial.

(This review originally appeared on zombieunderground.net) show less

I was given this as a child of six, but my memory is that even then I already knew some of Lear's limericks. The great revelation to me in this book was his longer prose stories, some of which are quite complex fantasies. I also recall being moved by the Dong with the Luminous Nose and his quest for the Jumbilee girl.

Everyone likes a limerick every once in a while, but reading all of Edward Lear's limericks in a sitting is too much of a good thing. For one thing, none of them are particularly memorable, and after a while they become tedious. Granted, they were written for children, so there are no "there once was a girl from Nantucket..." type limericks, but still I expected to find some that were so clever, they would stick in my brain. As to his tales, "The Owl and the Pussycat" is the most well-known, but "The Two Old Bachelors" and "The New Vestments" are worth a reading just for the creepiness of them. The rest are...well see the comments above about the limericks.
Contents: The Book of Nonsense, More Nonsense, Nonsense Songs: The Owl and the show more Pussy-Cat; The Duck and the Kangaroo; The Daddy Long-Legs and the Fly; The Jumblies; The Nutcrackers and the Sugar-Tongs; Calico Pie; Mr. and Mrs. Spikey Sparrow; The Broom, The Shovel, the Poker and the Tongs; The Table and the Chair; The Dong with the Luminous Nose; The Two Old Bachelors; The Pelican Chorus; The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo; The Pobble Who Has No Toes; the New Vestments; Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos--First Part; Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos--Second Part; the Quangle Wangle's Hat; The Cummerbund; The Akond of Swat; Incidents in the Life of my Uncle Arly; Eclogue; Nonsense Stories and Alphabets: The Story of the Four Little Children Who Went Round the World; The History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple; Nonsense Alphabets; Nonsense Cookery; The Heraldic Blazon of Foss the Cat show less

By far the funniest and most suited book in my bathroom. Open it wherever you want and read a hilarious limerick.
I've read it several times already and always discover new stories I didn't really notice the time before.
We had to read several of Lear's limericks in English class but I never really apppreciated the humor in them until I got this book a few months ago.

For kids learning english this can be a gift but for adults Edward Lear sound a bit brain death but have his moments

The anti-climactic last line of his limericks (What? You mean no hilarious punchline!) added to the nonsense and absurdity of it all. Nice illustrations, too.

Tô fazendo um dos cursos de inverno na USP cujo tema é o nonsense nas artes, cinema e literatura. Não dá pra falar sobre nada disso sem citar o pai de todos: Edward Lear. Já o tinha o lido, mas não especificamente essa edição que é a mais completa de todas, aqui fica mais do que claro o quanto ele influenciou o século XX.