Edward Lear: The life of a wanderer [Paperback]

Vivien Noakes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1979

There was an Old Man of Tobago Lived long on rice, gruel and sago But at last, to his bliss The physician said this To a roast leg of mutton you may go. This original limerick inspired Lear to create more than one hundred in his First Book of Nonsense. Written to amuse the children of his patron, the Earl of Derby, the book far exceeded the author's expectations - reaching 19 printings in his lifetime, becoming top in the Pall Mall Gazette's 'List of the Best Hundred Authors' (chosen by John Ruskin), and going on to amuse children and adults up to the present day. Yet, as Vivien Noakes reveals, there was much more to Lear than his acclaimed limericks and cartoons. The youngest but one of 21 children, Lear had a constant struggle against ill-health, loneliness and depression throughout his life. An innovator in art and literature, he was born both out of time and out of place, finding the narrowness and provincialism of life in England stultifying and travelling constantly in order to find a climate and a culture that suited him. The story of Lear's life is both deeply poignant and hugely uplifting. This new edition of Vivian Noakes's highly acclaimed biography is completely revised

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Vivien Noakes is the leading expert on Edward Lear's life and work. She curated the major exhibition 'Edward Lear, the Centenary Exhibition' at the Fine Art Society, London. Her publications include Selected Letters of Edward Lear, Edward Lear: The Complete Verse and Other Nonsense. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 367 pages
• Publisher: Fontana; Revised edition (1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006356087
• ISBN-13: 978-0006356080
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,642,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wandering Englishman, March 11, 2003

By 

Kim F. Hill (Rockford, IL. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Edward Lear: The life of a wanderer (Paperback)

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Edward Lear Biography, November 11, 2011

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Cathy loves to read (TX) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Edward Lear: The Life of a Wanderer (Paperback)

This book was well-written and fascinating reading about the life of Edward Lear. It was a great help for me when I wrote a paper for a university literature course about Lear's writing as a reflection of his life.