Edward Lear IS the poet of the absurd. With his wiity observations and witticisms, he opened many a mind to the unexplored territory of the verbal nicety. Mr. lear was not merely a gifted poet, but also a great humorist. I give him credit for his creative ingenuity as well as his humor. He has made me laugh from the age of three!! :)

I welcome any review fo the man's work, but this one is absolutely definitive. Pick it up for the mastery of the form, for the humor of the verse, and ultimately, for the sheer delight of the words.

The man, simply put, was (and remains) a genius. Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it. You owe this to yourself.

Vivien Noakes Edward Lear is a wonderful, clear, and enjoyable book. Mr lear the twentieth of twenty-one brothers and sisters, starts out interesting and stays that way through out his well traveled life. Prolific as a writer and painter suffering with epilepsy, this biography gives you just enough of the places he traveled, his art, personel life, friends( he semed to have known everyone including Tennyson) to keep it balanced and give a good feel of Mr. Lear.