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hwinson's review
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
thefearlessfrock's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
I really wanted to love this collection and expected far more. I'd say the quality of the poems is really inconsistent. There are a few hilarious ones but most of them are straight-away forgettable. (Or very annoying.) I almost DNF-d it but managed to finish it at the end. It was a true struggle though.
velokei's review
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Some funny poetry in here at a push, but a majority of them are outdated. I did like the John Donne poem and the poem about Matilda being a liar, so I’d say it’s a good read to learn of more poets and then go further into their work
outpostink's review
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
erinlh's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
littleredhat's review
4.0
This was a charming collection of various humorous poems from a range of writers and historical periods, with some more prolific comedic poets having more than one entry.
Allow me to pick out a few personal highlights. Spike Milligan, whose surreal comic writing for the Goons I greatly admire, naturally made an appearance. I was also very pleased to see Victoria Wood's song "Saturday Night" - which, being a Northern English woman, I particularly relish, and which resulted in a little acapella karaoke session. An extract from Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark", which I studied at university and which is often overshadowed by Alice, is another treasure in mock-epic form.
Interestingly, the book also opened my eyes to how little of Edward Lear I've read, which I now intend to remedy. "The Owl and the Pussycat" has been a favourite from childhood, and I've seen one or two of his distinctive limericks, but here, I found myself enchanted by "The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bó", where nonsense verse is perfectly utilised to convey a rather tragic and touching tale of love.
This book is a great introduction to comic verse in general, and with such a wide range, there's bound to be one or two pieces to tickle the funny bones of any reader.
Allow me to pick out a few personal highlights. Spike Milligan, whose surreal comic writing for the Goons I greatly admire, naturally made an appearance. I was also very pleased to see Victoria Wood's song "Saturday Night" - which, being a Northern English woman, I particularly relish, and which resulted in a little acapella karaoke session. An extract from Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark", which I studied at university and which is often overshadowed by Alice, is another treasure in mock-epic form.
Interestingly, the book also opened my eyes to how little of Edward Lear I've read, which I now intend to remedy. "The Owl and the Pussycat" has been a favourite from childhood, and I've seen one or two of his distinctive limericks, but here, I found myself enchanted by "The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bó", where nonsense verse is perfectly utilised to convey a rather tragic and touching tale of love.
This book is a great introduction to comic verse in general, and with such a wide range, there's bound to be one or two pieces to tickle the funny bones of any reader.
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