Book

Amphigorey Also

📖 Overview

Amphigorey Also is a collection of Edward Gorey's illustrated works, featuring seventeen distinct stories and visual pieces created between 1947 and 1980. The book contains both published and previously unpublished material from Gorey's repertoire. Each piece displays Gorey's signature black-and-white pen illustrations paired with text that ranges from short verses to longer narratives. The stories vary in length and format, incorporating elements of Victorian and Edwardian aesthetics with modern sensibilities. The collection showcases Gorey's unique approach to storytelling through both words and images, often focusing on peculiar characters and unexpected situations. The illustrations possess a high level of detail and distinctive cross-hatching technique that has become synonymous with Gorey's style. This anthology exemplifies Gorey's ability to blend dark humor with whimsy, creating narratives that explore themes of fate, mortality, and the absurd in everyday life.

👀 Reviews

Readers note this collection showcases Gorey's signature macabre style with less cohesion than his other anthologies. The art maintains his pen-and-ink precision while exploring darker themes. Liked: - Intricate cross-hatching and detailed illustrations - Dark humor and absurdist stories like "The Stupid Joke" - Short format makes it easy to digest in small doses - Several readers mention "The Nipping Mold" as a standout Disliked: - More experimental and fragmented than other Gorey collections - Some stories feel unfinished or too abstract - Text can be difficult to read in certain editions - Higher price point than other Amphigorey books Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (90+ ratings) One reader noted: "The artwork is impeccable but the narratives aren't as strong as in earlier collections." Another mentioned: "Worth it for 'The Nipping Mold' alone - classic Gorey at his most unsettling."

📚 Similar books

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The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey An alphabet book follows 26 children meeting their demise through macabre circumstances rendered in pen-and-ink illustrations.

The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman This twisted alphabet book takes readers through an underground journey of monsters and mishaps with detailed gothic illustrations.

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan Short stories blend text and surreal illustrations to create narratives about strange occurrences in suburban settings.

🤔 Interesting facts

🦇 "Amphigorey Also" contains 17 of Edward Gorey's works, including some that had never before been collected in book form, such as "The Galoshes of Remorse" and "The Remembered Visit." 🖋️ Edward Gorey illustrated each piece using only black ink and his distinctive crosshatching technique, creating his signature Victorian-Gothic atmosphere without using any color. 🎭 Though best known as an illustrator and author, Gorey won a Tony Award for Best Costume Design for the 1978 Broadway production of "Dracula," and his influence is visible in "Amphigorey Also's" costume details. 📚 The book's title is a play on the word "amphigory," meaning a nonsense verse or composition, which perfectly describes Gorey's blend of whimsical and macabre storytelling. 🏰 Several stories in the collection, including "The Object Lesson," follow Gorey's pattern of creating elaborate Victorian settings populated by proper gentlemen, mysterious children, and peculiar creatures—often meeting unfortunate ends.