Mr Lear: A Life of Art and Nonsense
by Jenny Uglow
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"Edward Lear, the renowned English artist, musician, author, and poet, lived a vivid, fascinating life, but confessed, 'I hardly enjoy any one thing on earth while it is present' ... Lear was a man of great simplicity and charm--children adored him--yet his humor masked epilepsy, depression, and loneliness. [The author's] beautifully illustrated biography, full of the color of the age, brings us his swooping moods, passionate friendships, and restless travels"--Amazon.com. "Edward Lear, the show more renowned English artist, musician, author, and poet, lived a vivid, fascinating life, but confessed, "I hardly enjoy any one thing on earth while it is present." He was a man in a hurry, "running about on railroads" from London to country estates and boarding steamships to Italy, Corfu, India, and Palestine. He is still loved for his "nonsenses," from startling, joyous limericks to great love poems like "The Owl and the Pussy Cat" and "The Dong with a Luminous Nose," and he is famous, too, for his brilliant natural history paintings, landscapes, and travel writing. But although Lear belongs solidly to the age of Darwin and Dickens--he gave Queen Victoria drawing lessons, and his many friends included Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelite painters--his genius for the absurd and his dazzling wordplay make him a very modern spirit. He speaks to us today. Lear was a man of great simplicity and charm--children adored him--yet his humor masked epilepsy, depression, and loneliness. Jenny Uglow's beautifully illustrated biography, full of the color of the age, brings us his swooping moods, passionate friendships, and restless travels. Above all, Mr. Lear shows how this uniquely gifted man lived all his life on the boundaries of rules and structures, disciplines and desires--an exile of the heart."--Jacket. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
After reading a disappointing novel, it was lovely to discover a wonderful non-fiction book. It's been a long while since I read such an engrossing, enjoyable biography. Edward Lear's nonsense rhymes helped me learn to read when I was tiny; I still remember the Pobble who had no toes. Until I was recommended this biography by several people, however, I didn't realise that Lear was also a very skilled landscape painter and zoological artist. Jenny Uglow draws upon Lear's extensive letters and diaries to tell the story of his life, richly illustrated by his drawings, paintings, and a few photographs. The whole book is a delightful visual feast. The inclusion of so many illustrations undoubtedly provides greater insight into Lear's life show more and work, as well as being simply lovely to look at.
Lear comes across vividly as a fascinating, endearing, eccentric artist and writer. He travelled extensively at a time when this was rare and struggled for decades to make a steady living from his art. He had many friends and was clearly an excellent correspondent. Uglow is careful not to speculate too much about his sexuality, while noting that his most romantic-seeming long-term relationship was with a man and that after much thought he decided not to marry a woman. Lear wasn't really part of the art movements of his time, although he was friends with several of the pre-raphaelites. His landscapes are beautiful, but his paintings of birds and nonsense sketches are his truly distinctive and striking work. I appreciated Uglow's thoughtful examination of why his nonsense works so well and still has great appeal a good 150 years after he wrote it:
Lear's playful way with words seems oddly ahead of its time, as he messed around with language in a way that reminds me of how its usage alters online:
This ability to create new words that have a wonderfully evident meaning from context is something Lear shares with [a:Mervyn Peake|22018|Mervyn Peake|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1651441428p2/22018.jpg]. [b:Mr. Lear: A Life of Art and Nonsense|35259551|Mr. Lear A Life of Art and Nonsense|Jenny Uglow|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520356210l/35259551._SX50_.jpg|55554792] gave me a fascinating insight into Lear's life and a new appreciation for his work. It's such an entertaining and compelling book that I read the whole thing in one evening, an experience I highly recommend. show less
Lear comes across vividly as a fascinating, endearing, eccentric artist and writer. He travelled extensively at a time when this was rare and struggled for decades to make a steady living from his art. He had many friends and was clearly an excellent correspondent. Uglow is careful not to speculate too much about his sexuality, while noting that his most romantic-seeming long-term relationship was with a man and that after much thought he decided not to marry a woman. Lear wasn't really part of the art movements of his time, although he was friends with several of the pre-raphaelites. His landscapes are beautiful, but his paintings of birds and nonsense sketches are his truly distinctive and striking work. I appreciated Uglow's thoughtful examination of why his nonsense works so well and still has great appeal a good 150 years after he wrote it:
In a deep way, hard to articulate, Lear's nonsense is comprehensible as both the foolery of childhood and the foolery of carnival, turning the world upside down. [...] The key quality of the nonsense rhymes is surprise: this is what makes us laugh. They ask us to believe in peculiar people, to accept strange happenings, to inhabit a world where butter is used to cure plague, a hatchet to scratch a flea.
Lear's playful way with words seems oddly ahead of its time, as he messed around with language in a way that reminds me of how its usage alters online:
Lear also liked to play with the function of letters in building words, and with the rules of grammar in making 'sense'. Even as a boy he grasped that if the common rules of word-making are followed - like adding 'ly' for an adverb - then a word will be accepted even if it's nonsense, as in his packing 'furibondiously'. Similarly, if a sentence sticks to accepted syntax, it will 'sound' like sense, whatever words are used, as in: 'It's bright and cold & icicular as possible, and elicits the ordibble murmurs of the cantankerous Corcyreans'.
He could break the rules successfully because he knew them so well. His language is alive, protean, ever evolving. Words mutate and evolve, finding new endings and appendages, like new limbs. He delighted in children's mishearings and battles with speech and spelling, so similar to his own nonsense slippages.
This ability to create new words that have a wonderfully evident meaning from context is something Lear shares with [a:Mervyn Peake|22018|Mervyn Peake|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1651441428p2/22018.jpg]. [b:Mr. Lear: A Life of Art and Nonsense|35259551|Mr. Lear A Life of Art and Nonsense|Jenny Uglow|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520356210l/35259551._SX50_.jpg|55554792] gave me a fascinating insight into Lear's life and a new appreciation for his work. It's such an entertaining and compelling book that I read the whole thing in one evening, an experience I highly recommend. show less
This is by far the best biography I have ever read, and considering I have read many, that is high praise. I had read Levi's biography many years ago and I hardly remember anything, it left such a weak impression. What I do remember is finding it a boring book and being a bit disappointed, considering how much I love Lear.
Uglow's writing, by contrast, is like reading a good novel—e.g. you keep on hoping Lear will marry Gussie even though you know he won't in the end. Uglow brings Lear to life as an individual, while also providing insight into his art & creative process—both for his landscape painting as well as his nonsense. Her fascinating portrayal is not just of the protagonist, but the many interesting friends and show more acquaintances he had. She also vividly portrays the era & brings alive its artistic & cultural trends. I learned quite a bit not just about Lear and his art, but of the historical artistic milieu which influenced him.
Even if you never heard of Edward Lear, this book is highly recommended. show less
Uglow's writing, by contrast, is like reading a good novel—e.g. you keep on hoping Lear will marry Gussie even though you know he won't in the end. Uglow brings Lear to life as an individual, while also providing insight into his art & creative process—both for his landscape painting as well as his nonsense. Her fascinating portrayal is not just of the protagonist, but the many interesting friends and show more acquaintances he had. She also vividly portrays the era & brings alive its artistic & cultural trends. I learned quite a bit not just about Lear and his art, but of the historical artistic milieu which influenced him.
Even if you never heard of Edward Lear, this book is highly recommended. show less
What an endearing man, what an enjoyable biography! This wonderfully written, beautifully illustrated biography tells the life history of Edward Lear, known principally to me as the author of the poem, The Owl and The Pussycat. That poem is well known and was judged to be England’s favorite poem. It is certainly one of mine.
But there was so much more: Lear’s nature illustrations, his travels and gorgeous scenic drawings and paintings, his limericks, his alphabets, his gift for friendship. All of this is marvelously well told by Jenny Uglow, and set within the context of both Lear’s time and family background. Lear was a courageous and intrepid traveler as well as an often insecure, indecisive, and needy man. He had both physical show more and psychological challenges, which are sympathetically told. What shines through though, and no doubt sustained his many friendships, was his humor and affection which he bestowed upon the adults and children around him. He would have been lovely to know and I highly recommend this biography. show less
But there was so much more: Lear’s nature illustrations, his travels and gorgeous scenic drawings and paintings, his limericks, his alphabets, his gift for friendship. All of this is marvelously well told by Jenny Uglow, and set within the context of both Lear’s time and family background. Lear was a courageous and intrepid traveler as well as an often insecure, indecisive, and needy man. He had both physical show more and psychological challenges, which are sympathetically told. What shines through though, and no doubt sustained his many friendships, was his humor and affection which he bestowed upon the adults and children around him. He would have been lovely to know and I highly recommend this biography. show less
I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoyed reading this book. The author made it an intimate visit with Mr. Lear. To my mind it is the perfect biography. Not leaving out the bumps and scars, yet presenting them in such a way that the human is seen. We traveled with him, sorrowed with him, rejoiced and reveled in his nonsense.
The author indulged in a bit of literary interpretation of some of his work, but that is to be expected. We want the work to mirror the man. Whether it actually does or not, only Edward Lear could say.
For me, it wasn't just the story, which was well told, or the person, who is a wonderfully interesting man, it was also the production value of the work itself. There were many illustrations and reproductions of show more Lear's art, also much of his verse was included, all beautifully done. The pages themselves were soft and silky, an invitation to hold. show less
The author indulged in a bit of literary interpretation of some of his work, but that is to be expected. We want the work to mirror the man. Whether it actually does or not, only Edward Lear could say.
For me, it wasn't just the story, which was well told, or the person, who is a wonderfully interesting man, it was also the production value of the work itself. There were many illustrations and reproductions of show more Lear's art, also much of his verse was included, all beautifully done. The pages themselves were soft and silky, an invitation to hold. show less
Lear was a name familiar to me, but I knew nothing of his life, and nonsense verse has little appeal to me. I read this book by chance, and am really pleased I have. The book is beautiful, and wonderfully illustrated. Occasionally I thought the detail was more than sufficient, but then I got sucked into the travels and revelled in them, desperate now to follow in Lear's footsteps to India, Corsica, San Remo, and so on. I can recommend this biography.
Bought this because of the good reviews and the absolutely gorgeous presentation. It's a beautiful book to hold and flick through with lots of illustrations and reproductions. As a biography, it's about as straightforward a history of a life as it's possible to imagine. That's not necessarily a criticism, but, as with any life, there are longueurs and repetitions. The analysis of Lear's nonsense is deft and illuminating (like the Dong's nose) and probably the best thing here. Mostly, though, I just like how the book feels in my hands.
From a 'note-to-self' reminding me to read a bio of the man. This is about the highest rated and is at my fave library.
"Edward Lear, the nonsense poet, had an interesting life. Normally I don't want to know about authors, only about their work, but these data seem relevant to an appreciation of his work. "He was the twentieth of twenty-one children, the son of a stockbroker who went bust. He suffered from epilepsy and depression all his life, [personifying one as]... the 'Demon' and the other the 'Morbids.'"
"Edward Lear, the nonsense poet, had an interesting life. Normally I don't want to know about authors, only about their work, but these data seem relevant to an appreciation of his work. "He was the twentieth of twenty-one children, the son of a stockbroker who went bust. He suffered from epilepsy and depression all his life, [personifying one as]... the 'Demon' and the other the 'Morbids.'"
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Author Information
26+ Works 3,380 Members
Jenny Uglow is an editor at Chatto & Windus and lives in Canterbury, England
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Awards
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2017
- People/Characters
- Edward Lear
- Important events
- Victorian Era; 19th century
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- Members
- 239
- Popularity
- 135,658
- Reviews
- 8
- Rating
- (4.31)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 1
