Sinking Spell

by Edward Gorey

A creature descends into a Victorian home.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Comics, Poetry, Fantasy, Humor, Graphic Novels

16 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Born in Chicago, Gorey came from a colourful 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 19th century greeting card writer/artist, from whom he claimed to have inherited his talents. He attended a variety of local grade schools and then the Francis W. Parker School. He spent 1944–1946 in the Army at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, and then attended Harvard University from 1946 to 1950, where he studied French and roomed with future poet Frank O'Hara.

Although he would frequently state that his formal art training was "negligible", Gorey studied art for one semester at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 1943, eventually becoming a professional illustrator. From 1953 to 1960, he lived in New York City and worked for the Art Department of Doubleday Anchor, illustrating book covers and in some cases adding illustrations to the text. He has illustrated works as diverse as Dracula by Bram Stoker, The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. In later years he illustrated many children's books by John Bellairs, as well as books in several series begun by Bellairs and continued by other authors after his death.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Oddity. an Enigma. Edward doesn't play by the rules. He wants to makes us squirm with curiosity. What is falling? What are they looking at in the story? We never find out. It is left up to your imagination completely. Gorey is a sadist.

I have to say, I've never read anything quite like it. He is always pushing boundaries. The man is a lot of fun and twisting what we expect. So this was a fun read.

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those implied-things books Gorey does so very well at. A lovely bit of work.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A set of B+W images with rhyming couplets. This is about a thing that slowly sinks from the sky through their house. The thing in question is never pictured, but we know it starts way up high in the sky and eventually "its gone beneath the cellar floor / we shall not see it any more"

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

the true horror lies in not actually seeing the descending creature at all.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confession. This is not really a review. Why is that you say? Well, its because I have no idea what this book is actually about. I couldn't even find a freakin synopsis! Here is my makey upy one:

The story begins with a "creature" floating in the sky. I had first thought that this creature may have been the bird on the cover but it doesn't make an appearance so obviously not. The creature begins to fall through the air . At this point I'm thinking it's the sun because of the effects it has on the clouds:


"The clouds grew pink and gold; its knees were level with the evening tree's"


It then proceeds to enter the house, scaring the maid in the middle of the night. A metaphor for darkness perhaps? Who knows....

It continues down the stairs to the third floor to the urn and into the basement where it shall not be seen anymore. aaaaaaand .......that's it.

Confusing is Edward Gorey's middle name. If you have read this short story and have been able to find meaning in it then please enlighten us all!

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rhythm and flow makes this one fun. Gorey’s illustrations add to the mystery. Possibly one of the lightest Gorey stories that I have read.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre. I'm not really sure where Gorey was going with this one. So, while I do no hate it, I cannot embrace "The Sinking Spell" with the same enthusiasm that I do others.

[Quitealice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tersely enigmatic.

[Amy (Other Amy) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I don't see the charm.

(Reread in Amphigorey; reviewing separately.)

[Emily Casella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in Brown county at the lastest family trip. I asked the store clerk if they had any Edward Gorey, they had four! An expensive autographed copy of a book, a german edition of a book, The Sinking Spell and Light Metres by Felicia Lamport which Edward Gorey illustrated. I bought the last two! The sinking spell was thirty dollars. THIRTY for Eight pages but I believe it is the a first edition of the print after they had it in HOLIDAY which I'm not sure what that is either. Either way it was a great read!

[Juushika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down. The way this offscreens the sinking figure is embarrassed, dehumanizing, not just preserving but also denying the mystery of the thing--it's an unexpected and effective approach that fosters a quiet, secret wonder.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a weird story, but I mean, that's what you can expect from Edward, right? Illustrations were interesting and the story has you wondering what in the world he's talking about and what those people saw. Alas, we will never know! It was a very short and quick read.

[Chels Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a little odd but pretty cute when read to kids!

[Canavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

✭✭✭

[Emmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get it.

[Rabbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done at sparking curiosity & wonder.

[Kwoomac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something is in the house. We follow the family while the family follows whatever-it-is throughout their home. The rooms, the level of detail in them. Well done.

[Rick Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading Edward Gorey 2023. The Sinking Spell provides an interlude, in which something happens, but things eventually settle back into the usual routine.

Favorite quote:
"The clouds grew pink and gold; its knees
Were level with the evening trees."

[Halah Ahmad · Rating 3 out of 5]

my least fav .