Limericks: Too Gross

by Isaac Asimov, John Ciardi

Hurling limericks at each other, a dozen at a clip, they charge from the lists (the list includes a gross of limericks by each). It is a brilliant confrontation in one of the English language’s oldest and most demandingly rigid traditions. Isaac Asimov, one of the world’s best-selling authors, a scientist, academic, romantic, and original thinker, here jousts and jests with his old opponent in the war of the words, John Ciardi. Ciardi, of course, is a poet, world authority on and premier translator of Dante, teacher, critic, and formidable manufacturer and wielder of the word-weapon.

Genres: Poetry, Humor, Fiction

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Works of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles, The Foundation Trilogy (1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.

Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.

Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).

People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.

Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.

Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...

Reviews

[Lucia Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quotes:

A dashing young fellow from Alder
Used to spiel such a pure line of folder-
O-leary-o-lie,
Our maids would near die.
But time passed and his dash became balder.

A newly found Latin inscription
Refers to a learned Egyptian
Who at age CCX
Still indulged in wild sex
After taking a secret prescription.

There once was a girl from New Haven
Whose pubic hair was not shaven
But missing because
She slept without drawers
Within range of a nest-building raven.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 2 out of 5]

So apparently, Isaac Asimov was friends with the poet John Ciardi and the two of them liked to compete to see who could come up with the best dirty limericks. At some point, they got the clever idea to bring their epic limerick battle to print, and this book is the result. Each author provides 144 limericks (get it?) of gross or off-color limericks to the volume and it is up to the reader to decide whose contributions are better.

I am sure this was a lot of fun for the two men to write; it is less fun for the reader. I found the book only intermittently amusing. A few of the poems are laugh-out-loud funny, but far more are groaners or worse yet, stanzas worthy of only a shrug. I think Asimov gets the better of the battle, but that may be simply because his limericks come first. By the time I got to Ciardi's gross of limericks in the back half of the book, I was pretty bored with the whole concept.

This one is probably only worthwhile for hard-core fans of dirty limericks. I am sure they must be out there somewhere.

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always liked a good limericks and here are two gross of them to laugh at. Now to some the limerick may just be a way to spout pornography and seem to be highly academic. To others it just plain porn, but to each his own. Let me have my limericks and think these men are wits. If you have not read this book modes the pity to not know something so witty.

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like limericks (especially bawdy ones), and I found some good ones in this book. I liked Asimov's limericks much better than Ciardi's. I enjoyed their other book -- A Grossery Of Limericks -- better than this one, but this book has some good limericks and is worth reading.

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two men collaborating in writing dirty limericks. And although I am probably one of the world’s top 5 Asimov fans, I like Ciardi’s better.

[Lorraine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, that certainly is a thing I read.

[Kyle Lorey · Rating 3 out of 5]

[UPDATE 08-23-2021] Hello. It has become clear to me that my ratings system is flawed beyond repair. Due to a lack of standardization, I have rated many books more highly than they deserve, resulting in an inability to rate newly read books accurately without creating an incorrect impression of quality compared to books previously read. As a result, I am re-rating all of the books I have read in 2020 and 2021. For each book, I will append this little explanation, my new rating for this book using Storygraph’s scale (which allows for quarter-star ratings), my reasoning for the change (if necessary), and finally a guide to my new rating scale. Thank you.


Old Rating: 3
New Storygraph Rating: 3


Guide to my New Rating Scale:

* 5 Stars: This book was more or less flawless. One of the best things I’ve ever read.
* 4.75 through 4.25 Stars: This book had slight flaws, but I REALLY loved it. Marked as 4 stars on Goodreads.
* 4 Stars: This book had slight flaws, but I loved it.
* 3.75 through 3.25 Stars: This book had significant flaws, but I REALLY liked it. Marked as 3 stars on Goodreads.
* 3 Stars: This book had significant flaws, but I liked it just fine.
* 2.75 through 2.25 Stars: This book was extremely flawed, but I thought it had some merit. Marked as 2 stars on Goodreads.
* 2 Stars: This book was extremely flawed, but I didn’t actively dislike it. It was a waste of my time but not odious.
* 1.75 through 1.25 Stars: This book was irreparably flawed, and I actively disliked it. Marked as 1 star on Goodreads.
* 1 Star: This book was irreparably flawed. I actively hated this book and am worse off for having read it.

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Lol. Neat I suppose. Got some nice chuckles.

[Robu-sensei · Rating 3 out of 5]

A treasury of clever limericks penned by a science-fiction author and a real, professional poet. Asimov holds his own in the limerick-writing department against John Ciardi. He came up a bit short in cleverness during the ritual exchange of insults in the introduction, however, which surprised me. While I don't really go for poetry, in general, I think this compilation probably deserves a place among the standard limerick repertoire.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great Collection by two birlliant minds!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the funniest literary duels of all time. Asimov and Ciardi each wrote 144 naughty limericks; nothing could more brilliantly attest their mastery of the English language.