Letters from a Lost Uncle

by Mervyn Peake

Lost in the frozen polar wastes, an explorer writes a journal of his extraordinary exploits, preparing to send it to the nephew he has never seen.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens, Humor, Art, Adventure, Science Fiction Fantasy

125 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Mervyn Laurence Peake was an English modernist writer, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books, though the Titus books would be more accurate: the three works that exist were the beginning of what Peake conceived as a lengthy cycle, following his protagonist Titus Groan from cradle to grave, but Peake's untimely death prevented completion of the cycle, which is now commonly but erroneously referred to as a trilogy. They are sometimes compared to the work of his older contemporary J.R.R. Tolkien, but his surreal fiction was influenced by his early love for Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson rather than Tolkien's studies of mythology and philology.

Peake also wrote poetry and literary nonsense in verse form, short stories for adults and children ("Letters from a Lost Uncle"), stage and radio plays, and Mr Pye, a relatively tightly-structured novel in which God implicitly mocks the evangelical pretensions and cosy world-view of the eponymous hero.

Peake first made his reputation as a painter and illustrator during the 1930s and 1940s, when he lived in London, and he was commissioned to produce portraits of well-known people. A collection of these drawings is still in the possession of his family. Although he gained little popular success in his lifetime, his work was highly respected by his peers, and his friends included Dylan Thomas and Graham Greene. His works are now included in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the Imperial War Museum.

Reviews

[Cecily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful whimsy. A humorous illustrated story of fantastical derring-do, by a writer and artist who loved children, pirates, islands and adventure. It reminds me a little of Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas, which I reviewed HERE. My one regret is that I did not come to Peake when my son was the perfect age for this. It indulges Peake’s love of adventure stories he read as a child, including Stevenson, Ballantyne, Defoe, and Melville.

As the title declares, it's the illustrated letters of "one of the greatest explorers the world has never known" to his long-lost nephew. He introduces himself, but says "It won't be easy to draw myself as I can't remember my face very well" and casually mentions polishing his "leg-spike" long before explaining it (it came from a sword-fish). The drawings are for his own pleasure; the writing because he needs to tell his story so that his nephew can pass all the information to the Natural History Museum. Later though, "I'm beginning to enjoy writing to you. I didn't like you much at first."

He relishes suspense: "I'm longing to tell you about my Project, but the time is not quite ripe" and "I'm sure you must be tantalized into a tantrum".

The uncle, travels with his retainer Jackson (a turtle dog):


They are on a quest to find the White Lion, who is the Emperor of the Snows and indeed, "the only Lion to thrive in Arctic zones", although they've previously explored the tropics. Any similarities with Aslan of Narnia are coincidental: this was written a couple of years earlier.

Anyway, the letters are mainly about ingenuity and peril in the ice: hitching a ride with vultures across a chasm by playing dead; a snow vortex; tickling to escape being hugged to death by a polar bear; a magical ice cathedral; warm snow (fear not: it's white), and eventually... The White Lion (who reminds me a little of The Lamb in Mervyn Peake's Boy in Darkness, which I reviewed HERE).

There's a sudden, bizarre twist at the end, but it's the continual smattering of casual weirdness I especially like: "smoking a pipe I carved out of the leg of my wife's favourite arm chair"; taking a lifeboat oar to use with a raft made of a table, rather than taking the lifeboat; using "blubber" as a swear word.

Quotes

• The Aurora Borealis is "Hairy-Bleary-Alice".

• "A forest of trees that had been frozen into skeletons that never put forth leaves."

• "A great wind galloped out of the mountains of clanging ice... until the cold trees roared."

• "Steered my raft among the coughing waves."

• "My heart began to knock like a bandit's gong."

Images Sources

https://clintspoon.files.wordpress.co...
and
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2068/21...

All My Peake Reviews

All my Peake/Gormenghast reviews (including biographies/memoirs and books about his art) are on a shelf,
HERE.

[Fuchsia Groan · Rating 4 out of 5]

No repetiré una vez más lo muchísimo que me gusta Mervyn Peake... bueno, brevemente: me fascina Mervyn Peake, su historia, su imaginación, sus ilustraciones, sus pinturas, y sobre todo sus Libros de Titus. Gormenghast, esa obra maravillosa e inclasificable.

El atractivo de este pequeño librito reside en el conjunto. En forma epistolar, casi a modo de diario, un aventurero perdido en el Ártico escribe a un sobrino al que no conoce. En un principio le relata su día a día y sus observaciones, para que este cuente toda la aventura al Museo de Historia Natural por si pudiera ser de interés a la ciencia, pero termina cogiéndole el gusto a esa forma de comunicación, a ese anclaje con el pasado, con la humanidad, y las cartas cada vez se vuelven más personales. Hace años que se fue a la aventura y nunca más se han tenido noticias suyas, ahora dedica todas sus energías a la búsqueda del mítico León Blanco, con la única compañía de una tortuga antropomórfica, Jackson. La historia es infantil, absurda, divertida y trágica a un tiempo, como suelen ser las obras del autor, auténticas rarezas.

Las cartas están escritas a máquina por el propio Peake, con correcciones de su propia mano, pegadas al papel donde realizó las ilustraciones. Dos papeles diferentes, uno, en el que escribía, de bastante mala calidad debido a las restricciones de la guerra, y amarilleado en la edición actual (publicado en 1948, redigitalizado y reeditado en 1976), y el de las ilustraciones de mejor calidad, lo que provoca un contraste que dota de encanto y cierto realismo al librito. El “tío perdido” dibuja lo que ve, lo que recuerda, realizando a veces alguna anotación o explicación sobre lo que ha dibujado, alguna disculpa por las ocasionales manchas de grasa (Oh, blubber!) o de sangre, que son el único toque de color al blanco y negro (lápiz y algo de tinta).

De niña, Fuchsia Groan se habría vuelto loca con esta joya.

[Alwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A curious children’s book from 1948 by painter, poet and novelist Mervyn Peake, it’s a surreal spoof or parody of the polar adventure stories that featured so heavily in the books and magazines boys like Peake would have devoured in childhood. It’s also a riff on epistolatory novels, made up of a series of letters from an uncle to an unnamed nephew. The uncle’s an outsider in his family, born with a wanderlust, he first ran away when he was still a baby. Now, a series of adventures and misadventures has left him in the remote frozen wastes, with Jackson his faithful, but put-upon, companion, who’s part turtle, part dog. The uncle with his spiral leg’s a bizarre variation on story-book pirates like Captain Hook and Long John Silver, and like them he’s a bit of a bloodthirsty villain - at least he'd like people to think he is. Uncle’s on a quest to find a mythical white lion, and his account of his search fills his letters. It’s an eccentric piece, the opening’s a bit flat and there’s too much hunting for my taste - although it dies down quickly - but as Jackson and the uncle journeyed across perilous terrain, I was gripped. But Peake’s artwork’s the real star here, each letter's framed or accompanied by marvellous drawings on every page: realist images of polar bears, and swirling snow, puffins and penguins, cheek-by-jowl with the more fantastical.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d never even heard of this one until my wife asked me to get it for her for Christmas but it’s a thoroughly charming and surreally funny adventure story from the author of the Gormenghast trilogy. It’s really well illustrated too, mostly in pencil, which is nice. I’d be very surprised if this wasn’t an influence on Lemony Snicket.

My next book: Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil vol. 11

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd read this book when I was a child, as I think I would have been as entranced by it then as I was by The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia. Not that it's like them in terms of the story, plot or characters, but in its magical evocation of a new, strange world of possibilities it certainly stands with those books in my mind.

I did have the fortune of coming to it in time to read to my children when they were little. It's entirely possible that I enjoyed it more than they did - time will tell.

Each page is presented as a facsimile of the eponymous Uncle's letters to his nephew, complete with "genuine" typographical errors, crossings-out, drops of blood and spilled gravy (that clumsy Jackson!), and every page illuminated with Peake's fabulous, fantastical, phantasmagorical illustrations.

The story is funny, thrilling, absurd, mysterious and poignant. It's a great book for parents to read along with children from 6 upwards, and is easily enjoyable by anybody of any age who is prepared to give free-reign to a childlike love of adventure and nonsense.

[Ajeje Brazov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di Mervyn Peake in italiano si trova poco o nulla, a parte la trilogia di Gormenghast. Quello che ho appena letto, Lettere dal polo nord. Capitan Scannatutti, é una delle eccezioni e come la succitata trilogia, trattasi di un gioiello di rara bellezza.
Peake ha quella capacità, direi unica, di rendere una storia, anche banale, indimenticabile. Qui implementata da delle illustrazioni a matita che di più suggestivo non potevo sperare. Ironico, surreale, divertente, la tipica lettura che ti rimette in pace con te stesso.
Il presente volume racchiude 2 racconti: il primo, Lettere dal polo nord, dove uno zio scrivendo una serie di lettere ad un suo ipotetico nipote, racconta di tutte le peripezie, disavventure possibili nello sterminato paesaggio ghiacciato, su nella punta più Nord della Terra. Poi a chiudere l'opera, un raccontino, sempre illustrato da Peake, su un pirata un po' strampalato. Abile illustratore e sublime narratore, Peake sarebbe un regalo ai lettori italiani, se venisse tradotto di più e fatto conoscere, perché é davvero un autore particolare e fenomenale!

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a kids book for adults. At least that’s my take. Loved the art work. Loved the type, the premise, the grumpy uncle. And maybe most of all loved the poor turtle dog. Someone needs to love him!

It’s impossible to describe this, but here goes: A man leaves England on a ship and goes in search of adventure. He jumps ship and wanders for years in the arctic, with a typewriter 😆, and sends letters back to his nephew. He types the letters and illustrates his adventures. His companion is poor Jackson.

My book is a beautiful edition with reproductions of the original drawings by the author from 1948. It’s staying on my shelf with the art books.

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first taste of Mervyn Peake and not what I expected! Reproducing his 1948 pencil drawings, with his typed text sections pasted on top, this is a delightful thing, a good old adventure, with humour and imagination. A grumpy old uncle (who has definitely seen a few things) writes letters to his nephew (on the typewriter he happens to have with him) as he explores the Arctic. He gets into some right scrapes and encounters creatures both familiar and not, in his quest to discover the mythical White Lion and find his fame and fortune in doing so. He is assisted by his much put-upon companion, Jackson - a ‘turtle-dog’. With handwritten annotations, various gravy, blood and coffee stains, corrections, smudgings, it’s a beautiful little read, charming and good fun (Aurora Borealis becomes “Hairy-Bleary-Alice”) for all ages. Love it.

[M M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mervyn Peake's whimsy-filled travelogue is titled Letters From A Lost Uncle. The illustrations (by Peake himself) are worth the price of the book. An Uncle, a long-term explorer and unsuccessful adventurer (if lack of success is determined by his lack of fame), is somewhere near the North Pole in search of the mystical White Lion. He is accompanied by an assistant-cum-porter, Jackson, who is a melange of a tortoise and a man. He decides to write letters to a nephew he has never seen, hoping to explain his lifelong travel-bug and fascination for distant lands. In his pithy and humorous writings he reveals the quiet desperation with which he seeks his greatest prize. If only he were able to discover the White Lion and take pictures of it, his fame would be eternal. And so he staggers through blizzards and blunders across bleak landscapes and he writes his letters.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful, grotesque, bizarre and a mind blowing read when I first came upon it, on my dad's bookshelf, when I was ten or so. A series of letters from an uncle to a nephew, detailing his picaresque adventures in the Antartic, with stunning, sometimes hilarious, sometimes chilling illustrations - this is a one-of-a-kind book.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure whether it is supposed to be as funny as it is

[Graham Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mervyn Peake has long been one of my favourite authors, so when I found out I'd missed one of his books, I was very excited, and just had to read it.
Peake's characters are generally rather surreal and eccentric, but his powers of description and his creative imagination were, in my opinion, second to none. He draws you into imaginary worlds, and has you believing in characters you know couldn't possibly be real. Oh, and he was a very talented illustrator too.
Letters from a Lost Uncle is not so much a novel as a picture book. Each page consists of one or more pencils drawings, often with text on cut-outs stuck on top (the original cut and paste). The style of writing is simplistic - supposedly written by someone who isn't used to writing. It's the story of an arctic explorer, told in instalments through letters to a nephew he's never met. It could be viewed as a children's book; I think it would appeal to children - there are no adult themes, and it's an easy read, with only a small amount of text on each page. But that didn't detract from my enjoyment as an adult.
The real joy is in the artwork, which is superb, and really brings the story to life. The whole endeavour is a triumph of the imagination, the writing is funny and endearing, and despite the fantastical nature of the story and characters, really draws you in, building to a satisfactory conclusion.
I read the book in three short sittings, with a smile on my face the whole time. I would say I was sad when I'd finished, but unlike most books, there isn't really an end - I know I can dip back into it again and again to enjoy those astonishing drawings.

[Nicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering how quick of a read this was, it says a lot that I very nearly got bored less than halfway through. I found it pretty contrived, but then, it's a children's book so perhaps I'm viewing it through an entirely wrong lens. Either way, it smacked of effort and strained device so I didn't enjoy it. There are plenty (PLENTY) of children's books in the world that don't try so hard, so I feel justified.

I also didn't like the illustrations. It obviously makes sense that they would be pencil drawings as it is supposed to be the Uncle's drawings while he is travelling; but the weak lines and overshading left them feeling very dull for me. Google any field researcher's illustrations and you will find they are all more captivating than these.

The ending was a worthy climax and I appreciated the imagination that went into it. I certainly didn't hate the book, but I wouldn't rush to read it to my nephew either.

[Genna · Rating 5 out of 5]

There used to be this mysterious book sale that would pop up, entirely without warning, in a parking lot near my apartment, and once I found this book there and bought it on a whim.

And it is utterly delightful. The illustrations are great. The story is ridiculous and fun. It's just so weird and wonderful. It's great. I love it.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom used to read me this book as a bedtime story when I was around 9 or 10, and I don’t remember ever laughing this much with a bedtime story. Sometimes we were laughing so hard she couldn’t finish reading the page. The art is absolutely stunning and I love the unique letter style of this book. If one day I end up having kids: this book is on top of my list.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I came across this book for Squirt's sake - it's perfect for a young kid. Adventure, arctic exploration, fantastic places and creatures - and really amazing illustrations. Am looking forward to sharing this with him!

[Thomas Goddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a treasure.

It is the story of an uncle lost in the frozen arctic tundra. Lost isn't quite accurate, he's merely delightfully misplaced himself whilst searching for a White Lion. This edition is a reprint using the pasted yellowing typewritten sections over the original illustrations. Overall it gives the book the feeling of being a historical artifact.

More of a graphic novel than anything. It outclasses the picture novels of the era and the comic strips and it really is ahead of its time in a lot of ways.

It's marvelous in its wry humour and playful undermining of the expectations of the reader. You feel like a kid, reading it, because it ignites that sense of wonder and curiosity in you. I wish I'd read this as a child, it would have been right up my street.

The story itself is worth the purchase, but with the illustrations being authentically Peakeian... It's worth way more than it's paltry RRP.



Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5)

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro per ragazzi denso di illustrazioni, perché il suo autore - Mervyn Peake - era anche un grandissimo artista. Il volume raccoglie due storie: Lettere dal Polo Nord e Capitan Scannatutti. Nella prima, che rappresenta il fulcro di quest'edizione, leggiamo le missive di uno zio avventuroso e scontroso alla ricerca del mitico Leone Bianco dei ghiacci. Con lui un aiutante tartaruga, Jackson, e una gamba arpione. Il secondo racconto, invece, narra l'amicizia che nasce tra il temibile Capitano Scannatutti e una creatura gialla trovata sull'isola Rosa. Di sicuro di Peake mi ha colpito l'ironia e la straordinaria abilità di integrare immagini e parole per un'esperienza narrativa gradevolissima e a tratti "politicamente scorretta". Non a caso, Lettere dal Polo Nord è del 1948, con una ristampa a 30 anni di distanza.

[Jonathan Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t really tell what age this book is targeted at, and this is its greatest charm.

It is so beautifully written and illustrated that any child will enjoy reading it, or having it read to them. But the dark undertones and trying to understand the protagonist is more complex than novels fifty times its size.

I’d struggle to thing of anyone who wouldn’t love this book. It’s adventurous, creative, plain weird at times, thought provoking and very funny.

Best of all you can read it in one sitting and will definitely come back to it again and again (I know I will).

[Ronan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I read as a young man, and have now re-read as an old one. The whimsy and humour of the lost uncle and his quest, and his faithful (and put-upon) servant Jackson would make the book a delightful entertainment. But as the book proceeds the shadows gather, and the ending is beautiful and desolate in equal measure.

This edition is considerably better printed than the old Picador one that eventually fell apart on me in my thirties!

[Tansy Hepton · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had read this as a child, I would have loved it. Now, it doesn't cast quite the same spell, although the drawings are wonderful. To me it remains a children's book, without the deeper meaning that you find in the very best of them - but a great children's book and, in this edition, one that would still make a great gift.

[Ophelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quaint. Charming. Simple. Striking.
Perhaps no literary masterpiece, perhaps no artistic triumph, but so rich in charisma and creative indulgence that I could not help but be swept along like a polar wind, by the Letters from a Lost Uncle.

[Millstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suitable for children of all ages up to 100 plus, although the younger ones might not understand the concept of a typewriter. Crazy in the conventional way stories for younger children are rather than being particularly Gormenghastian, complete with illustrations and coffee stains - a complete joy.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd little whimsical tale from Mervyn Peake. I must admit I preferred the drawings to the story. A strange tale of an old uncle writing to his nephew about his wild and wonderful adventures travelling the world and seeking the White Lion in the frozen wastes.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mervyn Peake's fabulous imagination and beautiful illustrations have created an enchanting tale of an eccentric uncle's travels to find an elusive beast. Magical!

[Cooper Renner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating conjunction of pencil sketching and slyly humorous fantasy.

[Mari Elin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Jennifer Fredin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most excellent children's book from 1948, republished in 1977! Lovely adventures of a lost uncle writing from the arctic. Beautiful story with pencil drawings on every page. Lovely Lovely

[Marek · Rating 5 out of 5]

as well as being an excellent children's Yarn - A really interesting reflection of the changed values of social etiquette.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

TWR: hilarious, engrossing, whimsical