Introduction

From the benighted Old Man with a Beard to the erudite Perpendicular Purple Polly, Edward Lear''s world is inhabited by a bewildering variety of oddities. One of the world''s most loved writers, Lear''s verse has delighted whole generations of readers. Here, after 140 years, is the original edition of A Book of Nonsense, from the original publishers. Complete with Lear''s own remarkable illustrations, this treasure trove of nonsense is guaranteed to hold readers spellbound for generations more!