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Liked to embellish the truth and tell tales."
Each limerick in this collection takes place in a different part of the world. The locations can range from Utah to Hong Kong to Tel Aviv or anywhere in between. The subject of each limerick is typically identified in the first two lines by a trait or characteristic. The following three lines then build a quick sketch of this subject based on the identifier. Most lyrics are written to be humorous, and the best are often witty and insightful simultaneously. Anstead's topics range from old codgers to sports stars, criminals to yoga students, and young ladies to thespians. The representation is meant to cover a diverse range of characters from places all over the world.
The author's limericks follow the classic pattern of five lines and rhyme. Considering the form and rhyme scheme, the writing is grammatically clean and adequately moves each limerick from the initial setup through its resolution. In general, limericks fall under the genre of literary nonsense. The Lewis Carroll poem, "Jabberwocky," is a classic example. Anstead's collection shows a clear understanding of the genre and the limerick form. Despite the inherent silliness of this type of poetry, a good limerick can be extremely difficult to write. No offering in this collection will strike the funny bone of every reader, but that is the nature of comic poetry in general. However, taken a couple at a time, some lines will undoubtedly make almost any reader smile. Those who already enjoy limericks may find this work an engaging read.