A Book of Nonsense is a collection of poems and sketches by Mervyn Peake, who is best known for his Gormenghast novels.
What I think…
I absolutely adore Mervyn Peake and am perfectly delighted with this book! With Peake one can always expect a touch of whimsy, regardless the subject matter, and this book does not leave one disappointed in fulfilling that. Furthermore, one of the things I truly enjoy about his poems, as with his novels, is his beautiful use of the English language. In everything he paints such a clear picture with words that in the reader’s mind it leaves a firm and lasting impression.
Multiple poems stand out as favorites for me, foremost among them “I Cannot Give the Reasons” (have no reason as to why), the ridiculously silly “Aunts and Uncles” (Uncle Jake graces the cover), and the charming “O Here It Is! Oh There It Is!..” (cute flying pear with chilblains, anyone?). All are a bit quirky, but it is the type of quirky that makes one want to read them over and over.
This book also contains a nice selection of his uniquely bizarre sketches, which range from being very simple to having greater detail demonstrating the range of his artistry.
To sum it all up…
Being such a fan of Mervyn Peake to begin with and having first found out about him through his poetry about six years ago, I can’t do anything more than happily recommend this merry and amusing book! ♥
Psst...hop on over to my blog. I've nominated you for the Liebster award! :)
ReplyDeleteAny book that garners the description of "merry and amusing" gets my attention and piques my interest. I shall have to see if our local library has, or can bring in, this delightful sounding title. Many thanks for the lovely review and introduction to it.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs & joyful start of July wishes,
♥ Jessica
If you end up getting to read it you'll have to let me know what you think! Thank you and the same to you!
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