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68th out of 3,825 books
—
4,001 voters
The Gashlycrumb Tinies (The Vinegar Works #1)
by
Edward Gorey
Perennially beloved by those of morbid humor, this ABC in rhyme and scratchy pen-and-ink tells of the tragic and various ends of a crew of wan, hapless kiddies. "E is for Ernest who choked on a peach / F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech." The moral, ambiguous though it may be, is that you can't be too careful because it doesn't matter whether you're careful or not.
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
November 5th 1998
by Bloomsbury
(first published 1963)
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this is not a book review so much as a fulfillment of a request by ladies whose whims i cannot refuse.
R(est) I(n) P(ubescence): A Study of Child Mortality in Battle Royale and The Gashlycrumb Tinies as Historical Documents
edward gorey was an american illustrator, and as such his children, or "tinies", meet their ends in very american ways. they all have "accidents" befall them. (excluding the suspiciously-like-suicide situations of zillah, neville, and james) this book is seemingly representativ...more
R(est) I(n) P(ubescence): A Study of Child Mortality in Battle Royale and The Gashlycrumb Tinies as Historical Documents
edward gorey was an american illustrator, and as such his children, or "tinies", meet their ends in very american ways. they all have "accidents" befall them. (excluding the suspiciously-like-suicide situations of zillah, neville, and james) this book is seemingly representativ...more
50 likes · like · see review
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Twenty-six different ways to die!
Now, I am no stranger when it comes to reading dark and morbid books for children since I had read children’s books such as “Halloween ABC” and “The Spider and the Fly” which were just as morbid. But “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” was one of the first children’s books I have read that is about several different ways for kids to die! “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” is a picture book written and illustrated by Edward Gorey and it is a book that will truly cause every reader’s...more
Now, I am no stranger when it comes to reading dark and morbid books for children since I had read children’s books such as “Halloween ABC” and “The Spider and the Fly” which were just as morbid. But “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” was one of the first children’s books I have read that is about several different ways for kids to die! “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” is a picture book written and illustrated by Edward Gorey and it is a book that will truly cause every reader’s...more
9 likes · like · see review
Jan 06, 2009
Daniella
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone, especially those with a morbid sense of humor
Recommended to Daniella by:
Cari
"N is for Neville who died of ennui."
Ha! Perfection!
The Gashlycrumb Tinies is a work of utterly fantastic macabre hilarity. It's one of those books you cackle maniacally over while flipping through it after a run-in at the local Mega-Mart with some snot-nosed brat screeching and howling because Mommy wouldn't let him get that ridiculously expensive new toy or some treat with 20,000 grams of sugar.
And it never loses that special ghastly charm. Quick, simple, and simply hilarious, it's enjoyable n...more
Ha! Perfection!
The Gashlycrumb Tinies is a work of utterly fantastic macabre hilarity. It's one of those books you cackle maniacally over while flipping through it after a run-in at the local Mega-Mart with some snot-nosed brat screeching and howling because Mommy wouldn't let him get that ridiculously expensive new toy or some treat with 20,000 grams of sugar.
And it never loses that special ghastly charm. Quick, simple, and simply hilarious, it's enjoyable n...more
8 likes · like · see review
Jun 03, 2012
Kruti
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Kruti by:
my wonderful taste
I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of or read any of Gorey’s work before The Gashlycrumb Tinies and you cannot believe how glad I am to have stumbled upon his works. Ohh how unfortunate I have been to not have discovered his existence until now *sobs*.
The Gashlycrumb Tinies tells the tale of 26 children, each representing a letter of the alphabet, and their ultimate demise. Seriously, why is this grim abecedarian not taught in schools as part of the curriculum rather than those ‘A is for an Apple…...more
The Gashlycrumb Tinies tells the tale of 26 children, each representing a letter of the alphabet, and their ultimate demise. Seriously, why is this grim abecedarian not taught in schools as part of the curriculum rather than those ‘A is for an Apple…...more
3 likes · like · see review
Ian and I are both fans of macabre humor and especially of Edward Gorey. Surprised that we didn't own a copy of The Gashlycrumb Tinies, Ian bought a lovely copy for me for Christmas. I have already read it at least twice (possibly three times) and I'm seriously considering doing a series of 3D renders based on this book (one per letter). My goal isn't to reproduce the drawings or the children, just to explore the settings.
The book is short, only twenty-six pages long. Each page is a different ch...more
The book is short, only twenty-six pages long. Each page is a different ch...more
1 like · like · see review
Summary: This poetry book is also an alphabet book. The book has a letter on each page along with a name of a child that starts with that letter and how they died. Example “A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears,” the book continues through the whole alphabet.
Age: This poetry book is definitely for an advanced age group. It is about dying and the pictures are rather graphic. The words used are also advanced this is a better book for a child with a bigger vocabu...more
Age: This poetry book is definitely for an advanced age group. It is about dying and the pictures are rather graphic. The words used are also advanced this is a better book for a child with a bigger vocabu...more
A short and joyously ghastly read. :) Death from A to Z!
My little sister and I love this book and Ed Gorey with all our bloody little hearts. We even memorized everything: each name and each way he/she died.
Wish it was longer though. And I dont get the objection against this book, we're all going to die anyway, and kids know that. Why hide these things from them? I grew up watching Courage The Cowardly Dog and Real Monsters and I had this obsession with zombies, blood, and death. Years later, today, I dont think there's anything particularly wrong wi...more
Wish it was longer though. And I dont get the objection against this book, we're all going to die anyway, and kids know that. Why hide these things from them? I grew up watching Courage The Cowardly Dog and Real Monsters and I had this obsession with zombies, blood, and death. Years later, today, I dont think there's anything particularly wrong wi...more
OK, Google doodle today, Feb. 22, 2013 made me read about Gorey and now I have to read this. I'm pretty sure it's going to be hilarious, but also sure my kids don't need to see this until they are older.
Got it at the library today. It's short, quick, and fun. It's the kind of thing I would have loved in high school and read out loud at every opportunity.
Some of my Goodreads friends would love this, while others would hate it. You will know who you are by whether this description appeals to you:...more
Got it at the library today. It's short, quick, and fun. It's the kind of thing I would have loved in high school and read out loud at every opportunity.
Some of my Goodreads friends would love this, while others would hate it. You will know who you are by whether this description appeals to you:...more
C is for Clara who wasted away.
U is for Una who slipped down a drain.
Y is for Yorick whose head was knocked in.
Z is for Zillah who drank too much gin.
The pictures complete the sadistic fun of it. hahah
So glad I've found this.
U is for Una who slipped down a drain.
Y is for Yorick whose head was knocked in.
Z is for Zillah who drank too much gin.
The pictures complete the sadistic fun of it. hahah
So glad I've found this.
May 28, 2011
Brenna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
picture-book,
childrens
I have an old-style metal lunchbox with the text of this book on the sides, and it has been a fabulous conversation piece. I sometimes notice people surreptitiously reading it on the bus, and I keep wanting to say, "it's even funnier/more disturbing with the illustrations." I am also highly in favor of any book that wants to introduce children to such words as "ennui." I keep this book, along with Andy Riley's The Book of Bunny Suicides on a side table in my living room just in case I need to re...more
portraits of all the ways kids die by "accidents" or the neglect of parents, even some uncommon wierd ways like "x is for xeres devoured with mice"...but we all as kids were been threatened to be taken to the basement where mice will devour us..( or at least only the kids of my school xD), so i think this indicates illustration of how the ways that a kid is brought up can ruin him in the future and turn him to a failure, "p is for prue trampled flat in a brawl " is another indicator of my point,...more
Though an ABC book, I don't think you can reasonably call this a "children's" book.
Each page is a single letter with a single child depicted in black and white picture whose name begins with that letter. By page end, the child meets an untimely demise. The following page always rhymes with the preceding one. It's highly creative, and short.
I think this would be a good blog, or internet comic, but that's just me. I have to give creativity its due, although my spouse found this book too disturbin...more
Each page is a single letter with a single child depicted in black and white picture whose name begins with that letter. By page end, the child meets an untimely demise. The following page always rhymes with the preceding one. It's highly creative, and short.
I think this would be a good blog, or internet comic, but that's just me. I have to give creativity its due, although my spouse found this book too disturbin...more
Jul 24, 2011
pinknantucket
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ms-readathon-2011
It's probably cheating to include this in my Readathon tally as it took all of a minute or two to read, but it is simply too brilliant not to include. Fans of Edward Gorey have probably read it already; if you've not read any of Gorey's work yet then I'm afraid your life is but a pathetic imitation of a life that wasn't very rich or meaningful to begin with.
This is essentially an ABC book, showing off Gorey's macabre mind and deliciously detailed drawings. My favourite is "N is for Neville who d...more
This is essentially an ABC book, showing off Gorey's macabre mind and deliciously detailed drawings. My favourite is "N is for Neville who d...more
A morbid A-Z (with, but not really for, children) by illustrator Edward Gorey. It's one big 26-part nursery rhyme, with pairs of verses rhyming. Each letter has a page with a black-and-white ink illustration and the verse beneath it. In each illustration, one kid dies in some macabre way, his/her name starting with the respective letter of the alphabet. Gorey has a keen eye for clear yet atmospheric composition, reminding me just the tiniest bit of Sempé (minus the breeziness and calm elegance)....more
"E" is for Ellen who drove in a car.
"J" is for Joy who flew away far.
Oh Langley, I miss you! :-) Yes, Boothroyd por vida!
"J" is for Joy who flew away far.
Oh Langley, I miss you! :-) Yes, Boothroyd por vida!
1 like · like · see review
It's bleak, it's black, it's morbid: the very image of macabre is this, Gorey's tiny masterpiece. In just 28 short frames (including the iconic title page), "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" chronicles the tragic deaths of 26 children. It's easy to write this work off as appealing to the black-fingernailed set, but this is a wryly funny work which does what the best macabre fiction does: blends despair with laughter (the kind of laughter you can't stop even though you know you should).
My favourite frames...more
My favourite frames...more
Edward Gorey's art is still some of my favorite. This alphabet book is the usual macabre, funny Gorey style.
r is for R. who wrote a review but didn't get fa
2 likes · like · see review
A is for Amy who fell down the stairs!
1 like · like · see review
This book is adorable, I couldn't stop giggling throughout. Very funny and full of dark humor, both teens and adults alike would get a kick out of this (as long as you aren't overly sensitive)! Plus its not as completely random as most of Gorey's other stories, where you have no idea what is happening- Gorey writes very simplistically but that doesn't necessarily mean he is easy to understand. But basically the Gashlycrumb Tinies is a simple A to Z guide to death, with cute drawings and Gorey's...more
Even if you don’t know the name, you will doubtless be familiar with the aesthetic of Gorey’s dark, illustrated characters. His little rhyming book The Gashlycrumb Tinies is how I learned the alphabet at a child. It’s also how I was warned against being like Amy who fell down the stairs, Basil who was assaulted by bears, Clara who wasted away, and Desmond who was thrown out of a sleigh. And so on. All helpful lessons, really. His illustrations also developed my early love of the absurd and the b...more
Ian and I are both fans of macabre humor and especially of Edward Gorey. Surprised that we didn't own a copy of The Gashlycrumb Tinies, Ian bought a lovely copy for me for Christmas. I have already read it at least twice (possibly three times) and I'm seriously considering doing a series of 3D renders based on this book (one per letter). My goal isn't to reproduce the drawings or the children, just to explore the settings.
The book is short, only twenty-six pages long. Each page is a different c...more
The book is short, only twenty-six pages long. Each page is a different c...more
Edward Gorey's stories of the 1960s, pen-and-ink illustrations with seemingly innocuous one-liners full of droll humour under the surface, set in some vague Victorian or Edwardian times, have long been among my most entertaining reading. With THE GRASHLYCRUMB TINIES, however, Gorey turned to a very macabre sort of humour with a send-up of children's alphabet books.
The book is a tale of the terrible fates of 26 children whose names range from A ("...for Amy who fell down the stairs") to Z ("...fo...more
The book is a tale of the terrible fates of 26 children whose names range from A ("...for Amy who fell down the stairs") to Z ("...fo...more
Edward Gorey is one of my favorites of all time. They are adult stories with dark. interesting illustrations. If you like laughing at slightly dark humor or just enjoy out of the ordinary, darker art, you would enjoy his work. It combines both of my interest and majors - literature and art.
He has a significant body of work, but these always make me smile. I don't know what that says about me. An alphabet name book that goes through how each child meets their demise - but I love it!
He has a significant body of work, but these always make me smile. I don't know what that says about me. An alphabet name book that goes through how each child meets their demise - but I love it!
One of my altime favs.
I can read it a million times and still feel all warm a sadistic inside.
I have been trying to get a copy for almost 14yrs and just found one in a book store (not a huge online shopper), and I can not stop myself from sharing it with others, and every strange look I get is better than the smile it puts on my face.
Fav lines: N is for Neville who died of Ennui
T is for Titus who flew into bits
X is for Xerxes devoured by mice
I can read it a million times and still feel all warm a sadistic inside.
I have been trying to get a copy for almost 14yrs and just found one in a book store (not a huge online shopper), and I can not stop myself from sharing it with others, and every strange look I get is better than the smile it puts on my face.
Fav lines: N is for Neville who died of Ennui
T is for Titus who flew into bits
X is for Xerxes devoured by mice
The five stars are well-deserved with this one, and even though I loved this book, as the following sample makes clear, 'tis not for all tastes:
"E is for Ernest who choked on a peach / F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech."
Then again, maybe it is for all tastes? At any rate, the artwork is rather wonderful, although in my case the copy I have is on a mini-lunchbox, so I guess this is my first book review based on a lunch box - and 'tis one of my most valued possessions.
"E is for Ernest who choked on a peach / F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech."
Then again, maybe it is for all tastes? At any rate, the artwork is rather wonderful, although in my case the copy I have is on a mini-lunchbox, so I guess this is my first book review based on a lunch box - and 'tis one of my most valued possessions.
So, I found out about this book from a poem that was linked on a Flight-815ers Unite (LOST) thread by Lori. I was intrigued, so I thought I'd check it out.
I did, and it was definitely worth it. Macabre humor indeed.
Sometimes I feel like Neville.
I did, and it was definitely worth it. Macabre humor indeed.
Sometimes I feel like Neville.
The best alphabet book ever!
I know every line of The Gashleycrumb Tinies by heart, and recite it to myself when I'm bored. Of course the illustrations are at least as important as the words - and whenever I hear a line it calls up the picture in my head. My absolute favorite is N is for Neville who died of ennui - SO funny! My nieces and nephew of varying ages can also quote at length; their dark sense of humor surprises me. When I was a child I liked things to be pretty and nice, which certainl...more
I know every line of The Gashleycrumb Tinies by heart, and recite it to myself when I'm bored. Of course the illustrations are at least as important as the words - and whenever I hear a line it calls up the picture in my head. My absolute favorite is N is for Neville who died of ennui - SO funny! My nieces and nephew of varying ages can also quote at length; their dark sense of humor surprises me. When I was a child I liked things to be pretty and nice, which certainl...more
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| Ashland 566 Autum...: Picture Book 1 | 1 | 2 | Nov 14, 2012 08:12am |
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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