So I woke up in a very weird mood today.  I obviously need more coffee in my system before I interact with people.  I am sure that you, my dear reader, know what I am talking about. So in the interest of perking up my mood, I googled Nonsense Books.  What came up was quite surprising, so I thought it would be fun to share with you.

The first one that came up was “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll.  Now that didn’t entirely surprise me, if you have read the original books, there is a tremendous amount of nonsense in this book, but such wonderful nonsense.  Talking rabbits, disappearing cats, tea parties and crazy queens. Truly a treat of nonsense in every sense of the word.

The second one that came up was called “The Hunting of the Snark” also by Lewis Carroll.  I will admit to you, I had NOT read this poem, but it is sublime.  Right up there with the “Jabberwocky”, also written by Lewis Carroll.  I am firmly convinced that Lewis Carroll is in complete control of this nonsense stuff.  No one seems to do it better.  Or so I thought…

To my utter shock “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” is on this list, REALLY?  Douglas Adams and nonsense in the same sentence?  This book was a bible for me at one time in my  science fiction obsessed world.  I mean what is nonsense about using The Guide to get through the Galaxy?  Then I thought about it, Zaphod Beeblebrox is kind of a nonsensical fellow he really has no clue about how to rule the galaxy at all (hmm, there could be a political treatise there, but I won’t go there today), a depressed robot trying to find a cure, Veet Voojagig obsessed with lost pens.  It kind of hit my nonsense button today.  Maybe the “List” isn’t so off after all. Douglass Adams it turns out is pretty good at the nonsense game after all.

Then I saw the undisputed KING of nonsense Dr Suess.  I don’t think anyone would disagree that when it comes to creating nonsensical works of art, Theodor Geisel is top of the block.  Who can forget the wonders of Whoville & the small hearted Grinch, “One Fish, Two Fish”, and my favorite the crazed and fun “Cat in the Hat”?  All stories that I grew up with and likely you did too.  And for sure I have read them to and with my children.  I think we all do.

I looked at the list and saw so many books that I have enjoyed over the years. “The Holy Bible” King James Version (it may be a bit bold of this fellow to put this on a nonsense list) and “Bridget Jones Diary” by Helen Fielding.  “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho and “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer.  Then a few I have not read “The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of the Swashbuckler and Rogue” by George Choundas and “Sweet as a Pickle and Clean as a Pig” by Carson McCullers.  What I take away from this list is that not everyone views nonsense the way I do.  I would not consider “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” to be nonsense, but “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” I would.  It all comes down to perspective.

So I am off to get another cup of coffee and change my perspective for the day… and I might try mastering some Pirate today, just to try it out.

~Nikki