Amphigorey : : Fifteen Books ;

Locations
Call Number: 741.973 Go
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	741.973 Go	4-week checkout	On Shelf

The unstrung harp.--The listing attic.--The doubtful guest.--The object-lesson.--The bug book.--The fatal lozenge.--The haplesschild.--The curious sofa.--The willowdale handcar.--The gashlycrumb tinies.--The insect god.--The west wing.--The wuggly ump.--The sinking spell.--The remembered visit.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

I'm amazed this exists. submitted by eknapp on January 17, 2017, 10:46am If Shel Silverstein witnessed one too many crimes going unpunished and took a dark turn, this is what he would sound like. Or perhaps Dr Seuss injected himself with Science Juice, things went wrong as they are wont to do, and Edward Gorey emerged as his Mr. Hyde. In any case, these rhymes are insanely charming and bleak.

An incautious young woman named Venn
Was seen with the wrong sort of men;
She vanished one day,
But the following May
Her legs were retrieved from a fen.

There was a young woman whose stammer
Was atrocious, and so was her grammar;
But they were not improved
When her husband was moved
To knock out her teeth with a hammer.

The Suicide, as she is falling,
Illuminated by the moon,
Regrets her act, and finds appalling
The thought she will be dead so soon.

The Proctor buys a pupil ices,
And hopes the boy will not resist
When he attempts to practise vices
Few people even know exists.

And of course the Gashlycrumb Tinies:

A is for AMY who fell down the stairs
B is for BASIL assaulted by bears...

Q is for QUENTIN who sank in a mire
R is for RHODA consumed by a fire...

Just, like.....DAMN, dude.

Deliciously Dark submitted by Meginator on August 21, 2022, 6:55pm Content Note: These books include some incredibly dark (though humorous) content about murder, harm to children, and other generally unpleasant subjects.

Edward Gorey’s artwork is immediately identifiable with its intricate linework, its creepy character design, and an overall sense of gloom from the depth of the shading; the clothing and landscapes generally evoke Victorian England, although they are fundamentally built on Gorey’s own unique visual language. These fifteen short picture books vary somewhat in style, from collections of brief poems to strange and surreal stories that operate on a kind of dream logic, upending expectations and effectively demonstrating that picture books have significant artistic and literary potential even when they are explicitly created for adult readers. This collection offers a compelling introduction to a unique artist, clever wordplay, and, for those with an appropriately dark sense of humor who delight in the macabre, a refreshing change of pace from the usual picture book fare.

Dark, Surreal Humor and Beautiful Art submitted by hrgray on July 19, 2023, 8:15pm Gorey's work collected in this volume manages to combine childish and humorous elements, like limericks and alphabet books, with grim subject matter. While the writing is unique, the illustrations really steal the show. Gorey's drawings are mostly in black and white and have a sketch-like quality to them, but are extremely intricate and stunning.