false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172678047m/205981.jpg 205981 7 Originally published in 1957, <i>The Doubtful Guest</i> serves as a prime example of the beauty, eccentricity, and brilliance of Edward Gorey's work. If the book was read aloud without revealing the accompanying black-and-white drawings, you might guess the tale came from the quirky genius of Dr. Seuss. The rhyming couplets and nonsensical verse (about an even more nonsensical creature) feel familiar, but in Gorey's skilled hands, the experience becomes altogether new.<P> The doubtful guest shows up unannounced and unwelcome, yet its presence is accepted after only a brief interlude of screaming. The staid, pale, Victorian inhabitants of the mansion alternately stare and glare at the doubtful guest as it tears out whole chapters from books, peels the soles of its white canvas shoes, and broods while lying on the floor ("inconveniently close to the drawing-room door"). Strangely, or rather, typically, as this <I>is</I> a Gorey book, the stymied occupants never ask the guest to leave--and in 17 years it has still "shown no intention of going away." Maintaining a matter-of-fact tone in spite of true oddity is pure, delicious Gorey, and his trademark drawings are not to be missed. The ghostly, stark, and undeniably amusing illustrations make <i>The Doubtful Guest</i> an entrancing tale in which reserved, insular lives meet with the unexpected and bizarre. <I>(Ages 5 and older)</I> 199347 1957 The Doubtful Guest total:826|5:462|4:276|3:84|2:4|1:0| 826 3674 962 27 4 0 false false Mon May 11 12:49:32 -0700 2009 Mon May 11 12:58:33 -0700 2009
Tracking the odd and mysterious arrival of an unexpected 'guest', him/itself odd and mysterious, Gorey spins a charming tale of an amia...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 15 11:37:14 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 15 11:38:43 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Wed Oct 07 15:35:59 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 15:37:17 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Jul 31 21:54:38 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 01 13:17:34 -0700 2008
"It was seemingly deaf to whatever they said..."

"......more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 20 17:01:14 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 00:03:05 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Jan 05 09:11:51 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 05 09:14:05 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jun 11 22:21:24 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 22:21:24 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Mar 11 20:36:38 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 20:38:31 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Apr 05 12:05:32 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 12:06:06 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue May 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue May 13 11:40:19 -0700 2008 Tue May 13 11:42:43 -0700 2008 I should have read Gorey's books when I was a kid.]]> 5 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Sat Jan 19 20:12:41 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 19 20:15:19 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Tue Oct 30 10:09:04 -0700 2007 Fri Jan 18 12:10:44 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Thu Aug 09 16:50:03 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 09 16:56:27 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Thu Aug 21 14:57:53 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 21 14:58:55 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Thu Apr 10 15:10:40 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 15:13:01 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sat Sep 08 07:42:32 -0700 2007 Sat Sep 08 07:43:07 -0700 2007 4 0 true false Sat Aug 11 20:44:20 -0700 2007 Sat Aug 11 20:44:54 -0700 2007 It has shown no intention of going away.]]> 5 0 false false Sun Feb 15 11:06:31 -0800 2009 Mon Jul 27 12:07:36 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Jul 26 07:44:19 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 26 08:40:41 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Mon Mar 03 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 06 11:19:18 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 06 11:20:00 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=205981