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Amphigorey: Fifteen Books
by
Edward Gorey
The title of this deliciously creepy collection of Gorey's work stems from the word amphigory, meaning a nonsense verse or composition. As always, Gorey's painstakingly cross- hatched pen and ink drawings are perfectly suited to his oddball verse and prose. The first book of 15, "The Unstrung Harp," describes the writing process of novelist Mr. Clavius Frederick ...more
Published
by Turtleback Books
(first published 1972)
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Reading Gorey with a Small Child
(a short play)
(based on actual events)
(one might say, ripped from the headlines)
Child: Are those bugs?
Woman: Yep.
Child: What are they doing, Mum?
Woman: Uh. Do you want to go watch tv?
Child: Can I watch something sure to offend your sensibilities at any other time?
Woman: Sure, no problem, how about CSI: Miami?
My mother took me to a Gorey exhibit at a local History Museum when I was a teenage...more
(a short play)
(based on actual events)
(one might say, ripped from the headlines)
Child: Are those bugs?
Woman: Yep.
Child: What are they doing, Mum?
Woman: Uh. Do you want to go watch tv?
Child: Can I watch something sure to offend your sensibilities at any other time?
Woman: Sure, no problem, how about CSI: Miami?
My mother took me to a Gorey exhibit at a local History Museum when I was a teenage...more
view all 6 comments
This volume contains The Gashlycrumb Tinies. Perhaps the best way for children to learn the alphabet and of the horrors of life.
Edward Gorey got me so young that I can't really think of these little stories as twisted (was I twisted already? Or did my reading material twist me?). I laugh and smile too much to be scared.
As a sidenote, I'm sad that Edward Gorey died in 2000. Gorey was a huge Buffy fan, and the show ended in 2003. If there's a heaven and we both get to go, I'll be sure to tell him how Buffy ended. I'm sure he'd love it. (Wait, if there IS a heaven, it'd have to have Buffy by the very nature of b...more
As a sidenote, I'm sad that Edward Gorey died in 2000. Gorey was a huge Buffy fan, and the show ended in 2003. If there's a heaven and we both get to go, I'll be sure to tell him how Buffy ended. I'm sure he'd love it. (Wait, if there IS a heaven, it'd have to have Buffy by the very nature of b...more
My introduction to Edward Gorey (1925-2000) came earlier this year, in the form of one of his work - 'The Gashlycrumb Tinies'. Someone helpfully scanned and posted the entire thing online.[return][return]The story, each line illustrated, goes like this:[return][return]A is for Amy who fell down the stairs[return]B is for Basil assaulted by bears[return]C is for Clara who wasted away[return]D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh[return][return]Definately not your standard ABCs. Heck, younger chi...more
A is for Amy who fell down the stairs
B is for Basil devoured by bears
C is for Catherine smothered under a rug
D is for David done in by a thug
E is for Emily who slipped down the drain
F is for Fanny squashed under a train
G is for George stabbed with a safety pin
H is for Harold who drank too much gin
I is for Ida who drowned in a lake
J is for John who burnt at the stake
K is for Kelly who was smashed with a safe
L is for Lina blinded by...more
B is for Basil devoured by bears
C is for Catherine smothered under a rug
D is for David done in by a thug
E is for Emily who slipped down the drain
F is for Fanny squashed under a train
G is for George stabbed with a safety pin
H is for Harold who drank too much gin
I is for Ida who drowned in a lake
J is for John who burnt at the stake
K is for Kelly who was smashed with a safe
L is for Lina blinded by...more
Ah, the dark absurdity of Gorey's illustrated texts! This book gathers 15 of them, originally published between '53 & '65, and a motley lot they are, from the pitiless "Hapless Child" about golden haired Charlotte Sophia orphaned and sold to a "drunken brute" who forces her to make paper flowers, to the innocently pornographic "Curious Sofa" which ends in horror. Perhaps my favorite is "The Unstrung Harp" about a writer, Mr. Earbrass, completing and publis...more
I have owned this book for over 30 years and have always considered it an incredible volume of art and humor. It is a mixed bunch of short stories. I found The Listing Attic, which has a bunch of limericks in it, quite expressive and funny. Yes, it is very dark. The Gashlycrumb Tinies is quite disturbing if you aren't prepared for it, but it does remind you how precious our children are and how they need to have people looking out for them. Several of the stories have morals behind them and sev...more
Dan
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Edward Gorey Fans, Proto Goths, People who romanticize the early 20th century
Recommended to Dan by:
Rachel Wilch
This is a collection of previous Edward Gorey works. It contains fifteen previous "books":
The Unstrung Harp, The Listing Attic, The Doubtful Guest, The Object Lesson, The Bug Book, The Fatal Lozenge, The Hapless Child, The Curious Sofa, The Willowdale Handcar, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Insect God, The West Wing, The Wuggly Ump, The Sinking Spell, The Remembered Visit.
Most people are familiar with Gorey because of "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" (this is th...more
The Unstrung Harp, The Listing Attic, The Doubtful Guest, The Object Lesson, The Bug Book, The Fatal Lozenge, The Hapless Child, The Curious Sofa, The Willowdale Handcar, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Insect God, The West Wing, The Wuggly Ump, The Sinking Spell, The Remembered Visit.
Most people are familiar with Gorey because of "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" (this is th...more
I LOVE this book. We were studying children's stories in Creative Writing, and I happened to pick this one up. Well, I knew that it wasn't really a children's book when I opened up to:
"There was a young curate whose brain
Was deranged by the use of cocaine;
He lured a small child
To a copse dark and wild,
Where he beat it to death with his cane."
Brilliant but incredibly sinister. That sums up the entire book. I am fascinated by Gorey's dark l...more
"There was a young curate whose brain
Was deranged by the use of cocaine;
He lured a small child
To a copse dark and wild,
Where he beat it to death with his cane."
Brilliant but incredibly sinister. That sums up the entire book. I am fascinated by Gorey's dark l...more
The first of four volumes of Gorey's work, Amphigorey contains some of my favorite pieces, like "The Doubtful Guest," "The Curious Sofa" and "The Gashlycrumb Tinies," Gorey's hilarious alphabet of horrific child deaths. ("A is for Amy who fell down the stairs, B is for Basil, assaulted by bears...") It also contains "The Unstrung Harp," the story of a writer who struggles with his latest book. I often consult TUH in times of blockage.
...more
...more
If you, like me, prefer to curl up in your dark, mucus-lined lair on sunny afternoons; if listening to Joy Division is your idea of a rousing bout of good cheer; and if your great love of children, like mine, extends to cartoon depictions of them being felled by accidents and homicide, then this is your book.
Funny, dark, occasionally provoking a thrill of anxiety that comes from staring at a door opened just a crack, and terror at what finally leaps therefrom, these 15 books-in-one...more
Funny, dark, occasionally provoking a thrill of anxiety that comes from staring at a door opened just a crack, and terror at what finally leaps therefrom, these 15 books-in-one...more
And this, again, gifted from Dad in the 70's at which point I didn't appreciate it at all.
In the 80's, in college, were often around people who thought it was Incredibly funny and good and artistic and creative and whole shows put on with/of/about it all and so on. I was unmoved.
Unlike 'wild-and-crazy-guys' (different story), in this case, even when I was the right age it just wasn't my cup of tea. I get why it's great and all, but like Coen Bros' films, my reaction is ...more
In the 80's, in college, were often around people who thought it was Incredibly funny and good and artistic and creative and whole shows put on with/of/about it all and so on. I was unmoved.
Unlike 'wild-and-crazy-guys' (different story), in this case, even when I was the right age it just wasn't my cup of tea. I get why it's great and all, but like Coen Bros' films, my reaction is ...more
I would never let my children read this dark, weird, collection. Although I thought some of it was very interesting and I liked many of the rhymes, overall the subject matter was simply too troubling and depressing. Sure, many people like this kind of stuff, but mistreatment of children, even in jest (and possibly he was making social commentary), just doesn't sit well with me. The drawings remind me of the Addams fellow, and the nonsensical poetry at times is quite amusing, but not consistantly...more
This contains 15 of Edward Gorey's works, including The Gashlycrumb Tinies, which is probably the best known (A Is For Amy, who fell down the stairs, etc.) "Weird" is the first word to come to mind when I read this. "Weird," and written absurdism. Some of it was pretty clever; others seemed rather pointless (either it was commenting on things I knew nothing about and didn't get the joke, or perhaps the pointlessness was the point.) I loved the limricks, many of them were quit...more
The artwork is great & is representative of Gorey's style and sense of humor. The artwork is complemented by his writing, which is twisted and darkly humorous. Gorey shows children meeting untimely, and in some cases gruesome, demises. I also liked the slightly pornographic one, which is not as descriptive as it at first sounds.
I especially loved "The West Wing." It is a surreal story told through pictures that takes one through an old house with secret rooms and strang...more
I especially loved "The West Wing." It is a surreal story told through pictures that takes one through an old house with secret rooms and strang...more
I would read anything by Edward Gorey. Since there are so many that I've read and enjoyed, I chose this one as an example of his work. Gorey has a warped sense of humor that is not for everyone, but if you like it, you REALLY like it. He illustrates his own work and the drawings are as droll as his text. None of the stories has a reasonable plot, but somehow they all seem so sensible after you've read them. If you've ever seen the PBS series "Mystery!" you've seen his work: it's th...more
In reading the 15 tales in Amphigory, I thought they were quite poetic, in a Monty Python sort of way.
I struggle to describe Edwards Gorey’s stories and basically can only sum it up with two phrases, ”hmmm, wonder where this is going,” and ”I did not see that coming.”
Some call his ironic and offbeat humorous stories literary nonsense, but I just call it pure genius. A is for apple and B is for Bear, oh, I don’t think so as you will find in The Gashlycrumb Tinies, "A ...more
I struggle to describe Edwards Gorey’s stories and basically can only sum it up with two phrases, ”hmmm, wonder where this is going,” and ”I did not see that coming.”
Some call his ironic and offbeat humorous stories literary nonsense, but I just call it pure genius. A is for apple and B is for Bear, oh, I don’t think so as you will find in The Gashlycrumb Tinies, "A ...more
I was introduced to Gorey and his twisted, clever, beautiful Gothic cartoonage through seeing his work in, of all things, the National Lampoon magazine. His work references everything from Poe to Charles Addams to Gahan Wilson (a contemporary cartoonist), and foreshadows the Goth culture wave of the 1980's.
BTW, big fans of Gorey may want to seek out an LP by Michael Mantler with Carla Bley and Robert Wyatt, called The Hapless Child, which set's Gorey's work to (avant-garde Jazz) music.
BTW, big fans of Gorey may want to seek out an LP by Michael Mantler with Carla Bley and Robert Wyatt, called The Hapless Child, which set's Gorey's work to (avant-garde Jazz) music.
Another of my childhood favorites, though by no means a children's book. I love Gorey's storytelling and his pseudo-Victorian illustrations. The figures are marvelously expressive, the places are beautifully rendered in lines and events unfurl unexpectedly. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed the unseen horrors in "The Insect God" and the ridiculous alphabet soup of "The Fatal Lozenge". Amphigorey continues to be one of my favorites and I'm certain I'll keep coming back to it.
Not great literature, but there's more than one way to earn five stars. This guy's artwork is just delightful, and his twisted imagination and black humor are superb.
This is a collection of fifteen of his short books in one volume. If the people at my library knew what was in this book, they might rethink their placement of it in the young adult section!! :D Some of it is quite grisly, and some of it is downright bawdy!
This is a collection of fifteen of his short books in one volume. If the people at my library knew what was in this book, they might rethink their placement of it in the young adult section!! :D Some of it is quite grisly, and some of it is downright bawdy!
This man is a genius, and I've been watching his artwork since I was very small. I miss him already...his originality, his peculiarity, everything. He is a master at not quite uncovering unmentionables.....he leaves them partially covered, and as a result, much more creepy. In this day and age of Saw and Hostel, massive gore and quick, violent endings, his lingering discomfort mixed with morbid fascination is delicious.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
Aside from the Gashlycrumb Tinies and a few other things, I had never read much by Edward Gorey.
This anthology was quite wonderful and I really enjoyed his drawings and poems. There were at least fifteen pieces in there--all full of his unique and dark humor. My particular favorites were The Unstrung Harp, The Hapless Child, and the Willowdale Handcar.
Overally quite an enjoyable read.
This anthology was quite wonderful and I really enjoyed his drawings and poems. There were at least fifteen pieces in there--all full of his unique and dark humor. My particular favorites were The Unstrung Harp, The Hapless Child, and the Willowdale Handcar.
Overally quite an enjoyable read.
I just need to add a review because I just read it again. :P
Edward Gorey was a master of the macabre.
The trick was not only in the illustrations but how you interpret all the morbid limericks and quatrains, stories apparently composed of random, supposedly blasé sentences, and tales of terrifying mishaps and tragedies.
I have to admit that I got my twisted sense of humor from Gorey (which made me weird and most people don't get it). I also got my taste for ghastly, h...more
Edward Gorey was a master of the macabre.
The trick was not only in the illustrations but how you interpret all the morbid limericks and quatrains, stories apparently composed of random, supposedly blasé sentences, and tales of terrifying mishaps and tragedies.
I have to admit that I got my twisted sense of humor from Gorey (which made me weird and most people don't get it). I also got my taste for ghastly, h...more
I'm not sure why other readers discuss the appropriateness (if any) of exposing kids to Gorey's material. Much of his stuff--"The Unstrung Harp," "The Doubtful Guest," "The Curious Sofa" etc.--doesn't have child characters, and I would think parents would know when their kids were ready to enjoy shuddering at something like "The Hapless Child" or "The Insect God."
This is the first collection of Edward Gorey's macabre, hilarious, poetic, frightening little tales. It begins with the quiet gem "The Unstrung Harp; or, Mr Earbrass Writes a Novel" and follows with 14 other works, some told in verse, others entirely in illustrations, and still others surprisingly (for me) in French. Recommended for anyone with a dark sense of humor.
If I'd read this when I was say 13, before social media and McSweeney's and Lemony Snicket and the Decemberists and any knowledge of "twee" in general, I probably would have thought it was great. As it is, Gorey has become a symbol and referential shorthand for [any number of things] and the power and life of his work has been sapped a bit. Kind of like the Beatles?
Odd mix of stuff. I liked some but not all the 'stories.'
+ The Unstrung Harp, The Listing Attic, The Doubtful Guest, The Object Lesson, + The Bug Book, The Fatal Lozenge, The Hapless Child, The Curious Sofa, The Willowdale Handcar, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Insect God, The West Wing, The Wuggly Ump, The Sinking Spell, and The Remembered Visit
+ The Unstrung Harp, The Listing Attic, The Doubtful Guest, The Object Lesson, + The Bug Book, The Fatal Lozenge, The Hapless Child, The Curious Sofa, The Willowdale Handcar, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Insect God, The West Wing, The Wuggly Ump, The Sinking Spell, and The Remembered Visit
How freakish, another book of my traumatized childhood. My dad gave this to me when I was about 8 or 9, kinda-sorta remembering what it was about. Truthfully, all he remembered was that it was about kids and had cute pictures. He forgot about the fact that it just about kids dying, illustrated with cute pictures.
Thanks, dad.
Thanks, dad.
Gorey's bizarre sense of humor mixed with some hilarious illustrations makes this book a complete delight to read, despite the fact that you really don't quite know what is going on... ever.
This collection includes Gashlycrumb Tinies, the Doubtful Guest, the Curious Sofa, and twelve other Gorey classics.
This collection includes Gashlycrumb Tinies, the Doubtful Guest, the Curious Sofa, and twelve other Gorey classics.
Lovely collection of Gorey's illustrated short stories. Or rather: a collection of his wonderful illustrations (certainly worth a thousand words) with funny text here and there :) And while it's dark and scary (this is not a children's book, if you ask me), it's humorous above all.
A good introduction to Edward Gorey.
A good introduction to Edward Gorey.
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Born in Chicago, Gorey came from a colorful family; his parents, Helen Dunham Garvey and Edward Lee Gorey, divorced in 1936 when he was 11, then remarried in 1952 when he was 27. One of his step-mothers was Corinna Mura, a cabaret singer who had a brief role in the classic film Casablanca. His father was briefly a journalist. Gorey's maternal great-grandmother, Helen St. John Garvey, was a popular...more
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