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198th out of 1,714 books
—
1,529 voters
The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories
by
Tim Burton
From breathtaking stop-action animation to bittersweet modern fairy tales, filmmaker Tim Burton has become known for his unique visual brilliance -- witty and macabre at once. Now he gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children -- misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke...more
Hardcover, 128 pages
Published
October 22nd 1997
by Rob Weisbach Books
(first published January 1st 1996)
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Apr 20, 2008
Núria
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
los que se han sentido alguna vez un bicho raro
Un librito delicioso lleno de freaks para los que alguna vez se han sentido unos freaks. Es el típico universo de Tim Burton traducido en poemitas de una ingenuidad brillante. No es necesario decir nada más. Sólo añadiré que yo lloré con la historia del Chico Ostra y también con la de Chico Momia. Pero en realidad todos los personajes son tan entrañables que me gustaría poder adoptarlos a todos.
Tim Burton is a mystery to me,
Quite literally.
When I was a little kid
I never knew that he's the one who built
Wonka's chocolate factory and said
Beetlejuice thrice.
Now, I have this really dear friend
who sometimes pretends to be Tim.
I never understood his obsession
and why he's possessed by this Tim
until I read this tome.
You see, this Burton does not write like a McEwan or a Joyce
He's words certainly aren't as flamboyant as Wilde's.
But I just loved how simple the work was
and the way it mimed these...more
Quite literally.
When I was a little kid
I never knew that he's the one who built
Wonka's chocolate factory and said
Beetlejuice thrice.
Now, I have this really dear friend
who sometimes pretends to be Tim.
I never understood his obsession
and why he's possessed by this Tim
until I read this tome.
You see, this Burton does not write like a McEwan or a Joyce
He's words certainly aren't as flamboyant as Wilde's.
But I just loved how simple the work was
and the way it mimed these...more
Aug 22, 2011
Andy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
illustrated,
short-stories
I've wanted to read this for a long time, and last year in Melbourne I went to the touring Tim Burton exhibit where most of the original cartoons and poems were on display. There's a great charm, wit, and naivety present throughout the illustrations, countering the dark subject matter. Sure, the rhymes aren't always that good or natural, the content base but ultimately it's easy to enjoy the grim misfortunes of a bunch of deformed and isolated characters.
As an aside, I asked my partner to marry...more
As an aside, I asked my partner to marry...more
Tim Burton, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories (Morrow, 1997)
Someone needs to explain this to me and fast, `cause I don't get it: how is it that bad poetry (and yes, folks, this is truly bad) and art that looks like a second-rate Edward Gorey ripoff (Burton is not the illustrator that he is the sculptor and animator) can be so insanely funny? I am completely at a loss for why I liked this anywhere near as much as I did.
Let's face it, if you squint right while watching The Night...more
Someone needs to explain this to me and fast, `cause I don't get it: how is it that bad poetry (and yes, folks, this is truly bad) and art that looks like a second-rate Edward Gorey ripoff (Burton is not the illustrator that he is the sculptor and animator) can be so insanely funny? I am completely at a loss for why I liked this anywhere near as much as I did.
Let's face it, if you squint right while watching The Night...more
It's because of books like this I prefer to shop at used bookstores versus Amazon (well, and also because Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is a big supporter of Bush). I always loved Tim Burton's films but didn't even know he had books out until I found this little gem misplaced on a wrong shelf in a used bookstore (moreover, a bargain at $2!). Much like his films, the book is full of morbid/weird/freaky imagery, both in the text of the poems as well as the accompanying images. It has everything from R...more
Pulled myself away from watching Sweeney Todd for the 183rd time to revisit this wonderfully nasty bit of work from Tim Burton. It's a little darker then most of his works, and the first time I was read it I was a little taken aback. He definitely witholds the happy endings he reserves for most of his freaks in this tome. Still it's funny, beautiful, a little sad and a little sweet. In other words pure Burton.
And as a boy with nails in his eyes myself, I'm glad someone finally put my plight dow...more
And as a boy with nails in his eyes myself, I'm glad someone finally put my plight dow...more
2 likes
·
like
· see review
è prerogativa di Tim Burton, qualunque storia folle partorisca, infilarne una su due, più o meno, una media di una su due.
non che abbia avuto ancora modo di valutarne tutta la produzione, e neanche che abbia la competenza, o un punto di vista cosiddetto obiettivo, per questo. resta il fatto che un libro preso quasi per caso un anno fa in quel d'Irlanda mi si è palesato tra le mani fino a stupirmi per un pomeriggio intero, al mare, come di certo non mi aspettavo da un libro di filastrocche.
certo...more
non che abbia avuto ancora modo di valutarne tutta la produzione, e neanche che abbia la competenza, o un punto di vista cosiddetto obiettivo, per questo. resta il fatto che un libro preso quasi per caso un anno fa in quel d'Irlanda mi si è palesato tra le mani fino a stupirmi per un pomeriggio intero, al mare, come di certo non mi aspettavo da un libro di filastrocche.
certo...more
I love Tim Burton's movies for their beautiful cinematography and sense of macabre with a pinch of dark humor.
His poetry is right up my alley, just like the stories of Edward Gorey (who is known to have influenced Burton).
Roy, the Toxic Boy
To those who knew him
-his friends-
we called him Roy.
To others he was known
as that horrible Toxic Boy.
He loved ammonia and asbestos,
and lots of cigarette smoke.
What he breathed in for air
would make other people choke!
His very favorite toy
was a can of aerosol...more
His poetry is right up my alley, just like the stories of Edward Gorey (who is known to have influenced Burton).
Roy, the Toxic Boy
To those who knew him
-his friends-
we called him Roy.
To others he was known
as that horrible Toxic Boy.
He loved ammonia and asbestos,
and lots of cigarette smoke.
What he breathed in for air
would make other people choke!
His very favorite toy
was a can of aerosol...more
Time Taken To Read - 15 minutes
Blurb From Goodreads
From breathtaking stop-action animation to bittersweet modern fairy tales, filmmaker Tim Burton has become known for his unique visual brilliance -- witty and macabre at once. Now he gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children -- misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke both the sweetness and the tragedy of these dark yet simple beings -- hope...more
Blurb From Goodreads
From breathtaking stop-action animation to bittersweet modern fairy tales, filmmaker Tim Burton has become known for his unique visual brilliance -- witty and macabre at once. Now he gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children -- misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke both the sweetness and the tragedy of these dark yet simple beings -- hope...more
Half-oyster, half-boy, Oyster Boy is born to a perfectly human couple who supposedly conceived him after dining on “one spectatular dish- / a simmering stew of mollusks and fish.” Growing up, Oyster Boy, whose proper name is Sam but is sometimes called "that thing that looks like a clam," becomes a laughingstock (“When the Thompson quadruplets espied him one day, / they called him a bivalve and ran quickly away.) and a picture of sadness and reticence (“One spring afternoon, / Sam was left in th...more
7 likes
·
like
· see review
Es un libro compuesto de cuentos relativamente cortos y de ilustraciones, todo con el sentido de humor muy particular de Tim Burton.
No tenía ni idea de lo que me iba a encontrar en este libro y sin duda lo que he hallado refuerza mi idea de que Tim Burton tiene una manera muy distintiva de contar historias.
Unas me parecieron muy graciosas a pesar de su aparente simpleza, todo contado en rimas; otras sin un claro sentido, raras como sólo ellas mismas pueden serlo y por último unas cuantas tristes...more
No tenía ni idea de lo que me iba a encontrar en este libro y sin duda lo que he hallado refuerza mi idea de que Tim Burton tiene una manera muy distintiva de contar historias.
Unas me parecieron muy graciosas a pesar de su aparente simpleza, todo contado en rimas; otras sin un claro sentido, raras como sólo ellas mismas pueden serlo y por último unas cuantas tristes...more
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
I really enjoyed this collection of poems. I think Tim Burton's dark and strange sense of humor would appeal to teens who are dismissive of poetry. This was a quick read and I found myself laughing out loud. The illustrations are a central part of the collection and are highly entertaining!
Summary:
Filmmaker Tim Burton uses his unique visual brilliance - both witty and macabre. Via this collection of poems, he gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children - misu...more
I really enjoyed this collection of poems. I think Tim Burton's dark and strange sense of humor would appeal to teens who are dismissive of poetry. This was a quick read and I found myself laughing out loud. The illustrations are a central part of the collection and are highly entertaining!
Summary:
Filmmaker Tim Burton uses his unique visual brilliance - both witty and macabre. Via this collection of poems, he gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children - misu...more
At first glance, this looks like a total Edward Gorey ripoff, but Burton's crude, childlike watercolor and pen drawings are surprisingly heartrending, as if each is a metaphor for human failings or vices (or a victim of them). The accompanying poems are frequently as awkward as high school poetry (perhaps deliberately) but they have subtle wry, black humor. The title character comes from a poem about two parents who give birth to a boy with an oyster shell for a head, so they eat him as an aphro...more
For me, Tim Burton's 'Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories' is a book which is great fun to read. It shows Burton's ability to create something out of nothing, distressing and funny situations are brought alive through witty prose, poetry and illustrations.
My main problem with the book was its size- I read it in less that twenty minutes. Although I admire this as a piece of art, as a read it's not completely satisfying. I also think some of the 'abstract' ideas are quite simple, but...more
My main problem with the book was its size- I read it in less that twenty minutes. Although I admire this as a piece of art, as a read it's not completely satisfying. I also think some of the 'abstract' ideas are quite simple, but...more
I really really wanted to love this book, and give it five stars and write a gushy review about how deliciously talented Tim Burton is... but I just cant.
It was good, it was dark, it was very creative and full of wonderfully deranged ideas and characters. The illustrations are divine and I could look at the for days.
Two words though: Rhyme and meter. Sure, maybe the broken rhythm is part of the charm and maybe not all poetry has to fit into tightly structured patterns, but I just felt that if i...more
It was good, it was dark, it was very creative and full of wonderfully deranged ideas and characters. The illustrations are divine and I could look at the for days.
Two words though: Rhyme and meter. Sure, maybe the broken rhythm is part of the charm and maybe not all poetry has to fit into tightly structured patterns, but I just felt that if i...more
I get bored quite easily. I can count on my fingers how many books I've read twice; I only need one hand for books I've turned right back to the first page after finishing.
This was one of those books.
The poems are very simple - written in the style you probably learned in second grade - but seems perfect for the stories Burton is writing. The characters - especially Oyster and Mummy Boy - are as lovable as half creature/monster children can be.
I wouldn't recommend it to most children, because...more
This was one of those books.
The poems are very simple - written in the style you probably learned in second grade - but seems perfect for the stories Burton is writing. The characters - especially Oyster and Mummy Boy - are as lovable as half creature/monster children can be.
I wouldn't recommend it to most children, because...more
This is a strange book. It is very short. It is poetry by Tim Burton supported by little drawings by Tim Burton. I don't know what to say.
Most of the poems are about children who are different, mostly different in appearances, and most of these children have a hard time coping with these appearances. But if I was a kid drawn by Tim Burton I would definitely have issues. Some of the poems are slightly disturbing. Most are funny. Some are just bizarre. The artwork is great.
The Girl with Many Eyes
O...more
Most of the poems are about children who are different, mostly different in appearances, and most of these children have a hard time coping with these appearances. But if I was a kid drawn by Tim Burton I would definitely have issues. Some of the poems are slightly disturbing. Most are funny. Some are just bizarre. The artwork is great.
The Girl with Many Eyes
O...more
I've always been a fan of Tim Burton. The Nightmare Before Christmas was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and while growing up I continued to watch his movies and fall in love with his work. I love that he has such a distinct style and that his work is so recognizable. Plus, he works with Johnny Depp all the time, and that's just pure deliciousness. (That's right. Huge Johnny Depp fan here.) So when I saw this book of poems by Tim Burton, I knew I wanted to read it.
If it were anyone else writ...more
If it were anyone else writ...more
There is no way to judge it unbiased, it is Tim Burton after all.
Here we go, my totally biased, uninformed and therefor rather unhelpful conclusion after reading: This is the cutest thing ever. Adorable in a dark, slightly sick way, of course. Think Addams Family here, they would have cried over these touching little gems of poetry and story telling. If you think somewhat like them, you will love this.
To say something a bit more impartial, the poems and illustrations that fill this collection c...more
Here we go, my totally biased, uninformed and therefor rather unhelpful conclusion after reading: This is the cutest thing ever. Adorable in a dark, slightly sick way, of course. Think Addams Family here, they would have cried over these touching little gems of poetry and story telling. If you think somewhat like them, you will love this.
To say something a bit more impartial, the poems and illustrations that fill this collection c...more
I didn't know it was possible for me to love Tim Burton more than I already did. And then I read this. At a mere 113 pages, it was far, far too short for my liking.
Burton's poetry is akin to that of Dr Seuss, but much darker, more twisted and without the uplifting message that Dr Seuss is famous for. But it has the same sense of quirkiness and a rhythm that makes it wonderful to read.
The illustrations are somewhat similar to those of Quentin Blake's (see the Roald Dahl novels he's illustrated)...more
Burton's poetry is akin to that of Dr Seuss, but much darker, more twisted and without the uplifting message that Dr Seuss is famous for. But it has the same sense of quirkiness and a rhythm that makes it wonderful to read.
The illustrations are somewhat similar to those of Quentin Blake's (see the Roald Dahl novels he's illustrated)...more
Chaque lecture de ce petit recueil de contes cruels est différente. Illustration typique de l'univers de Tim Burton, sombre, gothique et bancal, je le trouve plus remarquable par ses illustrations à la mine tremblotante et charmante, que par les contes poétiques tantôt absurdes, toujours cruels.
Ce matin, par exemple, je suis un peu déstabilisée par l'insistante présence de l’infanticide et de la cruauté parentale, en particulier dans le conte éponyme du recueil tout en restant sous le charme des...more
Ce matin, par exemple, je suis un peu déstabilisée par l'insistante présence de l’infanticide et de la cruauté parentale, en particulier dans le conte éponyme du recueil tout en restant sous le charme des...more
J'ai lu ce livre assez rapidement, en une demi-heure à peu près (le temps de rentrer de la fac en fait !), et j'ai bien aimé, surtout que ce soit présenté en bilingue, ça permet de ne pas avoir seulement la traduction, mais vraiment les textes de Tim Burton. Je l'aime bien en tant que réalisateur, même si je ne suis pas une fan inconditionnelle non plus, donc quand j'ai vu ce livre à 1€ sur une brocante, je me suis dit "Pourquoi pas ? On va tenter !".
Les poèmes en eux même n'ont rien de beaux, i...more
Les poèmes en eux même n'ont rien de beaux, i...more
Jan 16, 2012
Nanna Elisabeth
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-own,
favorite
Well, since it was poetry, I don't realley know how to rate it. It was realley weird, but I liked it, and I enjoyed the little drawings next to the text. It's actually close to that i will call this magnificent, but let's just say quirky. That fits better :)
Behind the funny rhymes and illustrations I found deep thoughts hidden. There is one poem in particular I am thinking here, ´´Anchor Baby´´ that treats the theme of a child as a burden instead of a joy. This theme of a different child, a baby that comes into the world only to turn out to be nothing like what his parents thought or wished it to be is a reoccurring one in Mr. Burton’s book. There is much to learn from these little tragic characters. This is a book for all the people who haven’t le...more
This slim volume is an excellent showcase of Tim Burton's illustrative genius, as well as his rather warped take on the world. Each of the stories addresses a rather simple premise and a very flat character, and yet there is a certain richness to the stories for the ways in which they open the window to a different set of perspectives and an imaginative view of existence. While I must admit that I would have enjoyed this collection much more had the stories less resembled doggerel and more resem...more
Um livro de poemas de um dos meus realizadores favoritos!
Ou seja,
só podia ser interessante! e foi =D
Com várias personagens que só podiam ser criadas mesmo por Tim Burton, as 23 histórias que aqui se apresentam mostram-nos um leque de crianças/seres diferentes. Todas tem alguma capacidade especial, algum factor diferente.
Um Rapaz Robô, uma rapariga com muitos olhos, o Rapaz Nódoa, o Rapaz Ostra, o Rapaz Múmia, o Rapaz Pesticida, entre vários outros, são as personagens fantásticas deste livro....more
Ou seja,
só podia ser interessante! e foi =D
Com várias personagens que só podiam ser criadas mesmo por Tim Burton, as 23 histórias que aqui se apresentam mostram-nos um leque de crianças/seres diferentes. Todas tem alguma capacidade especial, algum factor diferente.
Um Rapaz Robô, uma rapariga com muitos olhos, o Rapaz Nódoa, o Rapaz Ostra, o Rapaz Múmia, o Rapaz Pesticida, entre vários outros, são as personagens fantásticas deste livro....more
Jan 20, 2011
Josephine
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
poetry,
read-in-2011
This book was a real find. Hurrah for HMV actually, because that’s where I found it, and I read it in about 15 minutes, if that.
I don’t know quite why I like this so much. It’s not particularly well written poetry – I don’t know much about poetry, really, and even I know that parts of this book are bad, and the illustrations are far from amazing, but I do like it. A lot. It’s funny, really funny and it’s moving, really moving and it’s dark and clever and it’s mental and it’s twisted and it’s wit...more
I don’t know quite why I like this so much. It’s not particularly well written poetry – I don’t know much about poetry, really, and even I know that parts of this book are bad, and the illustrations are far from amazing, but I do like it. A lot. It’s funny, really funny and it’s moving, really moving and it’s dark and clever and it’s mental and it’s twisted and it’s wit...more
I love this book to bits. It's bizarre and really funny. Characters from this book of small poems become forever ingrained in the imagination. It's definitely worth a read if you have a warped sense of humor, as I do.
Love. This. Book. There's something so wonderfully artistic about this book I'm completely thrown into dream land by it. Though I've only seen very few of Burton's movies, this book makes me think this man's mind is a wonderful web of creativity & imagination unlike the common folk. It's the way I feel about Stephen King. Their minds aren't like us mere folk, they're on some other level where a wonderful, creative story will spring into being by the merest, simple thing; a plastic bag or a s...more
I really liked this book of poems and it was the first book I ever read by Tim Burton. All of the poems in the book are about boys and girls who have really strange characteristics. For example, Stain Boy is a superhero who's only ability is to leave a nasty stain on everything he touches. Another poem is about a boy with nails in his eyes. What I like best about this book is that it is filled with very unconventional poems that make you say "HUH?" Each poem makes you think if there is any meani...more
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Timothy "Tim" William Burton is a prolific American film director/writer, best known for the dark imagry and quirky nature of his popular films. He is also the author and illustrator of the poetry collection "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories."
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5 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Stick Boy liked Match Girl,
He liked her a lot.
He liked her cute figure,
he thought she was hot.
But could a flame ever burn
for a match and a stick?
It did quite literally;
he burned up quick.”
—
291 people liked it
He liked her a lot.
He liked her cute figure,
he thought she was hot.
But could a flame ever burn
for a match and a stick?
It did quite literally;
he burned up quick.”
“Son, are you happy?
I don't mean to pry,
but do you dream of Heaven?
Have you ever wanted to die?”
—
133 people liked it
More quotes…
I don't mean to pry,
but do you dream of Heaven?
Have you ever wanted to die?”
Me encanta que te guste... como ves, compartim...more
20. April, 13:42 Uhr
presente....
Ciertamente la historia que más nervios me tocó es la Melancólica muerte del niño ostra. Esa historia resume todo el espíritu de...more
21. April, 04:48 Uhr