My favorites include “The Hapless Child,” in which a Victorian orphan falls into increasingly dire circumstances “The Willowdale Handcar,” which follows a trio on a bizarre cross-country journey and “The Doubtful Guest,” about a strange little creature who turns one family’s household upside down. It’s easy to get lost in Gorey’s densely cross-hatched illustrations, which are accompanied by descriptions of his characters’ misadventures and certain dooms.
These stories are inhabited by swooning ingénues, mysterious men with shifty eyes, and children in all sorts of perilous situations. Gorey is most known for crafting delightfully macabre picture books in his signature pen and ink style. This is an apt description for the work that follows, as Gorey’s books certainly contain their fair share of nonsense. As the author explains in a note at the start of the book, the title comes from the word amphigory, meaning a nonsense verse or composition. Originally published in 1972, “Amphigorey” is a collection of 15 stories written and illustrated by Gorey between 19.
If you’ve ever wanted to dive into Gorey’s bibliography, “Amphigorey” is the perfect place to start. There’s really no better way to get into the spooky spirit than with the work of author and illustrator Edward Gorey. Here in the dead of August, I know we’re all dreaming of the cooler, crisper, and- let’s be honest- spookier months of fall ahead of us.
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