A Book of Nonsense: The Centenary Edition (Peter Owen Modern Classic) / Mervyn Peake

 

From the macabre to the brilliantly off-beat, Mervyn Peake's nonsense verse can, like marzipan, be enjoyed by young and old alike. This collection of writings and drawings has been selected by his widow, Maeve Gilmore, and it introduces a bewitching gallery of characters and creatures rivalling the best of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear—creatures such as the Dwarf of Battersea and Footfruit. Also included are never-before-seen illustrations to the poems not in previous editions. This treasure trove will delight new and old fans alike with its deceptively goofy, actually quite complex verse—it's quirky and comical, occasionally alarming, but always magical.