Title : Around The World In Five Lines
Language : English
Paperback : 48 pages
ISBN-10 : 1647537169
ISBN-13 : 978-1647537166
Item Weight : 2.72 ounces
Dimensions : 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches
James Anstead’s collection of limericks, Around the World in Five Lines, will take its readers to various places around the world. This book introduces anyone who gets hold of it to all manners of people without the physical aspect of traveling. Stories are told through the depiction of people in their mundane activities with a twist at the last line of the stanza. These stories bring readers to places like Greece, Bolivia, Bristol, Scotland, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and many more.
Simple and clever is how one could describe Anstead’s writing. In just five lines, he is able to make readers imagine the scenario the limerick is pertaining to. His writing serves as the telescope that feeds the reader with small tidbits of people’s lives. The limericks do not get stale because each one focuses on a different person and features a different place every time. His clever rhymes flow well when read aloud and give a witty feel to all his stories, bringing a splash of color to normal day-to-day experiences. However, the same simplicity that makes Anstead’s limericks easy to read might make the book feel monotonous to some readers, especially since the book’s content is consecutive stanzas of limericks one after another. The beauty of it, though, is that it shows Anstead’s straight-to-the-point approach to sharing humorous anecdotes. It also showcases Anstead’s skill in delivering a smile to readers without needing elaborate and long-winded paragraphs.
This is a beautiful book to take simple life lessons from. Peppered with lessons that one can use daily, Anstead’s limericks may prove to be helpful to just about anyone. Due to the element of twist present at the end of Anstead’s limericks, many of the limericks seem to imply a lesson about regret. One example is a limerick of a boy who lied about having stomach flu thinking it was Friday, but immediately admitted the lie upon learning it was a Saturday and his family had plans to go to the zoo. Another lesson that readers can take away from this book is that one does not fully or truly know a person. Similarly, a lesson that would resonate with everyone is that one should keep in mind to expect the unexpected. A limerick that talks about a charming man thought to be matched well with a beautiful lady, but it turns out that the charming man could not stand the beautiful lady best illustrates this. With more than 100 limericks, any reader is sure to find a limerick’s lesson that speaks to them or a limerick that coaxes a smile or a chuckle.
James Anstead’s Around the World in Five Lines is an entertaining piece of literature that provides a smile and inspiration to travel to those who read its imaginative limericks. Readers young and old will surely find this collection enjoyable and easy to read. Although some may find the limericks repetitive, Anstead’s clever storytelling makes up for whatever shortcomings this collection has.