Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Haunted Looking Glass


The Haunted Looking Glass
by Edward Gorey [823.08 Gor]

The Haunted Looking Glass is a collection of ghost stories chosen and lightly illustrated by the dark writer and artist Edward Gorey. Originally published in 1959, Gorey's collection includes his favorite creepy stories. The collection exhibits such heavy hitters as: Algernon Blackwood, "The Empty House"; W.F. Harvey, "August Heat"; Charles Dickens, "The Signalman"; L.P. Hartley, "A Visitor from Down Under"; R.H. Malden, "The Thirteenth Tree"; Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Body-Snatcher"; E. Nesbit, "Man-Size in Marble"; Bram Stoker, "The Judge's House"; Tom HoodD, "The Shadow of a Shade"; W.W. Jacobs, "The Monkey's Paw"; Wilkie Collins, "The Dream Woman"; and M.R. James, "Casting the Runes".

For those not familiar with Gorey, this Windy City native (February 22, 1925 ? April 15, 2000 RIP), is infamous in both the literary and art world for his macabre illustrations and writing. Gorey's books are often a play on children's literature structured as picture books, but with a twist. Gorey's black and white pen and ink drawings illustrate in detail the exotic to grotesque characters and stories of his imagination. The Haunted Looking Glass is a great read for the seasoned Gorey reader. Gorey's selections are a great insight into the literary works that have inspired his own stories and art. For those new to Gorey, The Gashlycrumb Tinies is a first must read (available through InterLibrary Loan). The Gashlycrumb Tinies follows the alphabet through Goreys poems including, "A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh..." Edward Gorey is an October must read -- checkout any one of the Gorey titles available through Lincoln City Libraries here-->! [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Ascending Peculiarity by Edward Gorey 741.6 Gor, The world of Edward Gorey 741.6 Ros, Amphigorey by Edward Gorey 741.973 qGor, The drum, the doll, and the zombie by John Bellairs j Bellairs, Red Riding Hood by DeRegniers, Beatrice Schenk ; Gorey, Edward j419 DeR.] -- recommended by Glory B. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ Wikipedia page for Edward Gorey ] | [ official Edward Gorey House and Trust web site ]

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