More Nonsense

Edward LearProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 27K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.More Nonsense by Edward LearAuthor: Lear, Edward, 1812-1888,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Oct 8, 2004

Editor's review

This is Edward Lear's More Nonsense, one volume in his series of nonsense verse and illustrations, prepared by Project Gutenberg as an English electronic edition. Lear is known for his absurd rhythms, invented words, and whimsical illustrations; this collection continues the brisk, nonsensical wordplay, with a strong rhythm that suits reading aloud and savoring the comic quality of the language. Its value lies not in plot or moral but in displaying the phonetic pleasures of English verse and one side of the \"nonsense\" tradition in Victorian children's literature. For Chinese readers, it is better suited as an amusing English-language reader or an illustrated book to appreciate as art rather than a plot-driven children's story. Reading scenarios can be English verse games in parent-child shared reading, or casual browsing by adult readers as relaxation. It is advisable to first read aloud to feel the rhythm, then look at the illustrations to understand the absurd images; there is no need to check every invented word—grasping the overall fun is enough.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy English verse and wordplay
Parents who want to introduce their children to English nonsense poetry
Readers studying Victorian children's literature and illustration traditions
English learners who need light English short reading materials

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a complete plot or moral allegory
Beginners with weak English who need sentence-by-sentence translation
Readers who prefer serious literature or in-depth thematic reading

Reading tips

First read aloud to feel the rhyme and rhythm, then look back at the text.
Use the illustrations to understand the absurd images; no need to trace the meaning of every invented word.
Treat the short poems as wordplay; a few at a time is enough—no need to read straight through.
In parent-child shared reading, look at the pictures and guess the content first, then read the English text alongside.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a complete story for children?

No. It is mainly nonsense verse with illustrations, without a coherent plot or clear moral; the fun lies in wordplay and whimsical images. It can be introduced to children who like rhyme and funny pictures, but do not expect the structure of a traditional bedtime story; parents should read along and explain.

Can someone with average English read it?

They can try, but invented words and archaic expressions will cause obstacles. It is best treated as verse for reading aloud, using the illustrations to grasp the general meaning without checking every word. Readers with weak English should ideally use an annotated edition or introduction, focusing on the rhythm rather than precise translation.

Why can't some words in the book be found in dictionaries?

Lear often coined words to create absurd effects; these are not standard English words, so dictionaries naturally do not contain them. While reading, there is no need to pursue their exact meaning—focus on their sound effects and comic quality in the verse, and grasp the overall fun.

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About the author

Edward Lear Author · British · 1812–1888

Edward Lear (1812–1888) was a British artist, illustrator and poet, born in Holloway, London, the youngest of 21 children, and raised by his eldest sister. He made his early living by drawing bird plates, including work for the Earl of Derby's menagerie, and his parrot illustrations were notably precise; he later turned to landscape painting and travelled in Italy, Greece, Egypt and India. He never married and died in San Remo, Italy, in 1888. Lear is best known for his nonsense verse, including A Book of Nonsense, Nonsense Songs, More Nonsense and Laughable Lyrics. Blending absurd imagination, playful rhythm and his own illustrations, his work combines verbal games with strange imagery and has deeply influenced later children's literature and humorous poetry.