(On November 18th of alternate years Mr Earbrass begins wr...)
On November 18th of alternate years Mr Earbrass begins writing 'his new novel.' Weeks ago he chose its title at random from a list of them he keeps in a little green note-book. It being tea-time of the 17th, he is alarmed not to have thought of a plot to which The Unstrung Harp might apply, but his mind will keep reverting to the last biscuit on the plate.
(Told in a set of fourteen rhyming couplets, The Doubtful ...)
Told in a set of fourteen rhyming couplets, The Doubtful Guest is the story of a solemn, mysterious, outdoor creature, dressed rather ordinarily in sneakers and a scarf, who appears on a winter night at a family's Victorian home and never leaves again. Gorey's eerie and charming illustrations accompany the verses, making this an enjoyably strange (and strangely enjoyable) read for all ages.
(Inspired by Samuel Foote's poem, "The Grand Panjandrum," ...)
Inspired by Samuel Foote's poem, "The Grand Panjandrum," The Object-Lesson presents a stunning series of seemingly random and unrelated events. A missing artificial limb, ghostly spectres, and the statue of Corrupted Endeavour all have a place in this enigmatic tale, which combines elements of French surrealism, Japanese haiku, and lots of good fun.
(This sorry tale of petite Charlotte Sophia's catastrophic...)
This sorry tale of petite Charlotte Sophia's catastrophic, short life is classic Gorey. The poor child is orphaned and treated mercilessly by schoolmates and ruffians alike, and only barely survives - for a time, anyway - by the skin of her baby teeth. Even her doll suffers a grusome end. The little girl's journeiy is perfect fodder for Edward Gorey's brilliant penwork, so detailed and perfectly wrought that it's hard to believe he could master these images at such a small size (the illustrations reproduced in the book ar the same size as his original drawings).
The Willowdale Handcar: or the Return of the Black Doll
(In this enigmatic, surreal, wonderfully entertaining tale...)
In this enigmatic, surreal, wonderfully entertaining tale, three mysterious figures set out from Willowdale, traveling by handcar. On the way to nowhere in particular they pass a number of odd characters and observe a series of baffling phenomena, from a house burning down in a field to a palatial mansion perched precariously on a bluff. At once deeply vexing and utterly hilarious, darkly mysterious and amusingly absurd, The Willowdale Handcar is vintage Edward Gorey.
The Vinegar Works: Three Volumes of Moral Instruction
(The Vinegar Works: Three Volumes of Moral Instruction (19...)
The Vinegar Works: Three Volumes of Moral Instruction (1963) is a box set of three picture books by Edward Gorey: The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Insect God, and The West Wing, each revolving around themes of death and terror, in the Gothic tradition.
(Edward Gorey's mordant masterpiece The Wuggly Ump charts ...)
Edward Gorey's mordant masterpiece The Wuggly Ump charts the fate of three wholesome children whose happy days weaving chains of flowers are cut short when the mysterious Wuggly Ump hurtles from its den in search of tasty tots. Set to deceptively pleasant rhymes and illustrated in Gorey's inimitable style, this lighthearted and mildly unsettling cautionary tale has delighted legions of Gorey fans since its first publication in 1963.
(On a long trip abroad, Gorey's young Drusilla is introduc...)
On a long trip abroad, Gorey's young Drusilla is introduced to high art and gourmet meals. She gamely tries to appreciate the museums, rich food, and architectural wonders that delight her parents, only to find herself drifting along in a puzzling world. But then Miss Skrim-Pshaw takes her for tea with Mr Crague, a sockless, elderly man with a notable past, and their brief encounter is what will haunt Drusilla years later. Her casual promise to the old man has led to sudden recollection, then sad regret. curious coming-of-age tale, Edward Gorey employs his signature dark humor and exquisite illustrations to deftly portray the precociousness of a child on the brink of adulthood. One of the most enigmatic of Gorey's many books, The Remembered Visit has been a favorite of Gorey fans, young and old, since its original release in 1965.
(With his typical dark, droll humor, Edward Gorey tells ho...)
With his typical dark, droll humor, Edward Gorey tells how Maudie, a girl given to staring at dead birds, is transformed into Mirella, a chic and mysterious prima ballerina. This woeful tale chronicles her ascent to the peak of fame, followed by her unexpected and dreadful demise. Gorey's exquisitely crafted illustrations of magical ballets, dubious barons, and stark apartments set the stage for this lonely drama of a slightly peculiar heroine.
(Twenty-six curious creatures - from the fastidious Ampoo ...)
Twenty-six curious creatures - from the fastidious Ampoo to the world's one and only Zote - fill the pages of The Utter Zoo, an alphabet from the untamed imagination of Edward Gorey. The Boggerslosh, the Crunk, and the Dawbis; the Ippagoggy, the Jelbislup, and the Kwongdzu; the Scrug, the Twibbit, and the Ulp - each strange and wonderful zoomate displays its own primary characteristic, described in Gorey's inimitable, droll, rhyming couplets.
(The annual charity fête at Backwater Hall in Mortshire is...)
The annual charity fête at Backwater Hall in Mortshire is disrupted by the mysterious death of Lord Wherewithal and the theft of the Lisping Elbow. Confusion and misgivings abound. And, alas, the Earl of Thump's stuffed thisby is found disemboweled by the edge of the lake. Dr. Belgravius and his nephew, Luke Touchpaper, attempt to tie the loose ends together and wonder why Miss Underfold was seen wearing a hat decorated with black lilies. And why was Victoria Scone dancing the tango with Horace Gollop in The Soiled Dove? Edward Gorey creates an intriguing and sharply mordant world and leaves us his own mystery-what has happened to the missing Night Bandage, volume two of the Mortshire secrets?
(Ortenzia Caviglia is an undiscovered opera understudy who...)
Ortenzia Caviglia is an undiscovered opera understudy whose lucky break results from the mysterious murder of the reigning diva. Upon hearing her sing, Jasper Ankle becomes her deepest admirer, undaunted by perilous weather and abject poverty in his quest to hear her sing. As Ortenzia's star rises, Jasper sinks further into despair, until performer and fan collide in true Edward Gorey fashion. Exquisitely illustrated with Gorey's signature pen-and-ink crosshatching, The Blue Aspic is a heart-wrenching and oddly hilarious tale of unrequited love and the dangers of celebrity.
(While Embley and Yewbert are hitting one another with cro...)
While Embley and Yewbert are hitting one another with croquet mallets one day, an untenanted bicycle rolls into their garden. This book chronicles their adventures across turnip fields, through barns and into bushes.
The Iron Tonic: Or, A Winter Afternoon in Lonely Valley
(It's difficult to say what The Iron Tonic is about, altho...)
It's difficult to say what The Iron Tonic is about, although it is "known the skating pond conceals a family of enormous eels," and that "the light is fading from the day. The rest is darkness and dismay." Finally, though, The Iron Tonic could be seen as Edward Gorey's version of a winter afternoon in one of the great Russian novels of the nineteenth century.
(An umbrella is missing. A man is distressed. A thief scam...)
An umbrella is missing. A man is distressed. A thief scampers over rooftops. A child is in danger. A Harangued salesclerk weeks. A dog saves the day. The intriguing story of The Sopping Thursday is unlike any other Edward Gorey book, both because of its unique gray-and black illustrations and because it has a happy ending (if one is to dismiss any worry about the child featured inthe last frame). In just thirty imags and thirty short lines of text, Gorey manages to create a complex tableau of characters and a plot worthy of film noir. Long out of print, this new edition is faithful to the size of Gorey's original drawings and wisely refrains from offering any editorial commentary...except to say this Gorey jewel is - to quote the eminent literary critic Edmund Wilson - A brilliant discovery.
(Miss D. Awdrey-Gore, renowned 97-year-old writer of detec...)
Miss D. Awdrey-Gore, renowned 97-year-old writer of detective stories, is found murdered; then a mysterious hidden packet is discovered. Addressed to her publisher, it contains what appear to be notes and drawings related to a literary work in progress. The contents 'in their entirety - though certain things are patently missing' comprise clues about the who, what, when, where, and how of Awdrey-Gore's demise. Or do they? Edward Gorey takes us on a rollicking ride in this merry murder mystery, but whether or not the killer is revealed is open to speculation.
(Fetching young Hamish prefers life in the great outdoors....)
Fetching young Hamish prefers life in the great outdoors. One day he mistakenly opens an envelope, which leads to movie stardom and sudden wealth. He buys property and begins raising lions, but soon the celebrity life gets the better of him. He flees the glitz and glamour, choosing his big cats over the big screen... With charming, distinctive pen-and-ink drawings coupled with characteristically succinct text, Edward Gorey leads us - as only he can do - through the mysterious circumstances that envelop Hamish on a long journey that begins with a single misstep.
('The Glorious Nosebleed' trips through the alphabet with ...)
'The Glorious Nosebleed' trips through the alphabet with illustrations that are both strikingly funny, and a bit weird, all the way from 'She wandered among the trees Aimlessly' to 'He wrote it all down Zealously'. A classic of Gorey's imaginative and darkly humorous mind.
(Enigmatic drawings of cats engaged in unusual activities,...)
Enigmatic drawings of cats engaged in unusual activities, and somber portraits of women guilty of bizarre murders demonstrate a dry and subtle sense of humor.
(Edward Gorey's first miniature book, The Eclectic Abeceda...)
Edward Gorey's first miniature book, The Eclectic Abecedarium is an illustrated adventure through the English alphabet, accompanied by rhyming adventure through the English alphabet, accompanied by rhyming couplets penned by Gorey, who described his creations as "literary nonsense." Inspired by popular moral primers for children, Gorey created an updated version of Isaac Watt's alphabetic adhorisms. Part sweet songs of unseen birds and part cautionary tales, this abecedarium fully lives up to the epithet "eclectic."
The Headless Bust: A Melancholy Meditation for the False Millennium
(The story features the Bahhumbug throughout its 30 illust...)
The story features the Bahhumbug throughout its 30 illustrated panels colored in black, white, brown, yellow and light blue. In rhyming verse it explores the baffling human condition, leaving the characters as well as the reader with more questions than answers.
also known asEdward St. John Gorey, Eduard Blutig, Drew Dogyear, Mrs. Regera Dowdy, Wardore Edgy, Raddory Gewe, Roy Grewdead, Redway Grode, O. Mude, Edward Pig, E. D. Ward, Ogdred Weary, Dogear Wryde
Edward St. John Gorey was American author, artist, designer and illustrator. He was best known for his book illustrations.
Background
Edward Gorey was born on February 22, 1925 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States. He was a son of Edward Leo and Helen Dunham Gorey. His parents divorced in 1936, then remarried in 1952. One of his stepmothers was Corinna Mura.
Education
Edward Gorey attended a variety of local grade schools, including the Francis W. Parker School. He attended Harvard University, beginning in 1946 and graduating in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree. His only formal artistic training was derived from classes he attended sporadically at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1943.
In 1953 Edward Gorey accepted a position in the art department at Doubleday Publishing Company in New York, where he worked as a staff artist and book-jacket designer. His first picture book, The Unstrung Harp; or, Mr. Earbrass Writes a Novel, directed primarily to adults, was published by Duell, Sloan, & Pearce that same year. In 1957 Doubleday published The Doubtful Guest, the first of Gorey’s works considered appropriate for children. Two more such efforts, The Object Lesson and The Bug Book, followed in each of the two subsequent years.
Late in 1959, Edmund Wilson offered a favorable assessment of Gorey’s artistry in the New Yorker, prompting more widespread attention to Gorey’s works and helping to usher in four decades of very prolific and often critically acclaimed activity for the artist. Gorey’s books for children and adults are distinguished primarily by their subject matter, although in most instances the distinction is subtle: his tales for the young are generally regarded as nonsense fiction in the style of nineteenth-century author/ illustrators Edward Lear and Heinrich Hoffmann, while his stories for adults are more pointed and satiric.
Among young people and students of children’s fiction, Gorey is esteemed primarily for his skill as an illustrator. He collaborated successfully with a number of well-known authors of juvenile literature, providing pictures for stories by Lear, John Ciardi, Florence Parry Heide, and John Bel lairs, among others. Gorey’s own picture books featuring turn-of-the-century settings reveal his art at its finest: intricate pen and ink sketches with cross-hatched backgrounds and characters in the period costume that Gorey found "more interesting to draw."
His gothic-style illustrations, commonly praised for their evocation of mood, are also admired for their depth of detail - most notably, the furniture and patterned wallpaper that distinguish interior scenes. Gorey is also respected for his work in other media.
In 1975 Gorey became involved in print making and for the next twenty-five years he explored and produced a variety of limited-edition prints. Through the 1980s and 1990s Edward worked with Brewster MA printmaker Emily Trevor to produce an outstanding assortment of etchings and holographs. When Edward Gorey died, his ashes were scattered in Barnstable Harbor, Massachusetts.
Edward Gorey was a longtime advocate of animal welfare. He kept pets from his earliest years, and cats during his New York and Cape Cod years. He left his estate to The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, which he established for the welfare of all living creatures including not only cats, dogs, whales and birds, but also bats, insects and even invertebrates.
Personality
Edward Gorey was very fond of word games, particularly anagrams. He wrote many of his books under pseudonyms that usually were anagrams of his own name.