The Gashlycrumb Tinies
Book description
A new, small-format edition of one of Edward Goreyâs âdark masterpieces of surreal moralityâ (Vanity Fair): a witty, disquieting journey through the alphabet.
Why read it?
3 authors picked The Gashlycrumb Tinies as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
What terrible tome would Morticia and Gomez have read to little Wednesday in order to ensure that she would have the most noxious nightmares? I believe they wouldâve cracked open this gothic childrenâs classic, written and illustrated by the enigmatic Edward Gorey.
This book recites the alphabet, with each letter representing how a child died. Take, for instance, the representation of our second letter: âB is for Basil assaulted by bears.â What better way for a wicked whelp to learn her letters?
I both chuckled and winced while reading this book, especially with the paired black-and-white illustrations. Itâs funny andâŚ
From Iphigenia's list on reading like Wednesday Addams and indulging your dark side.
In this irreverent abecedarian, Goreyâs signature black and white etchings depict how unsuspecting children meet an absurd and macabre end. Each letter of the alphabet details a terrible fate. Each time I read it, I laugh out loud.
My personal favorite remains âZ is for Zillah who drank too much Gin.â An innocent Zillah sits looking out at the viewer, glass in hand and an almost empty bottle of gin on the table while across from her sits a skeleton-headed baby doll in a white gown. This is an example of how Gorey satirizes nineteenth-century cautionary temperance texts in whichâŚ
From Elizabeth's list on alcohol and childhood between horror and humor.
Edward Gorey is one of my biggest influences as an author/illustrator and perhaps the biggest source of inspiration behind my book.
The Gashlycrumb Tinies was my very first encounter with Edward Gorey and with the adult picture book genre. I can confidently say that I wouldnât be writing and illustrating picture books if I hadnât encountered this tiny book, in a gallery in Mexico City around 2006.
The Gashlycrumb Tinies is an alphabet book that tells the stories of 26 children and how each tragically dies.â A is for Amy who fell down the stairs, B is for BasilâŚ
From Cecilia's list on pictures about death.
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