Books › Amphigorey
Amphigorey
fifteen books
First published 1972 · 377 pages
A delightfully morbid stroll through a Victorian fever dream where tragedy is treated with deadpan absurdity.
What it feels like
A delightfully morbid collection that invites readers to linger in a shadowy, cross-hatched world of Victorian eccentricity. The pace is leisurely, meant to be savored page by page as you absorb the intricate, gloomy illustrations and the deadpan, archaic prose. It feels like wandering through a haunted antique shop where every object has a darkly funny, slightly unsettling history. The mood is steeped in eerie whimsy and gothic dread, yet the overarching tone remains wry and absurdly detached, even when detailing the bizarre demises of unfortunate children or the melancholic wanderings of strange creatures. It is a perfect match for readers who find comfort in the macabre and appreciate a dry, wicked sense of humor wrapped in elegant nonsense.
- Mood
- eerie
- gothic
- delightfully grim
- eccentric
- Tone
- deadpan
- macabre
- wry
- absurd
- whimsical
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- the absurdity of death · Victorian repression · childhood peril · existential nonsense
- The writing
- Meticulously crafted, archaic, and rhyming nonsense that perfectly complements the stark, cross-hatched illustrations.
- The arc
- A descent into delightfully grim absurdity that leaves the reader amused and slightly unsettled.
- Who it's for
- Lovers of dark humor, gothic aesthetics, and Victorian oddities who appreciate a morbid chuckle.
Content notes
- child death
- macabre themes
- cartoon violence
About the book
Illustrated by the author.
Rare Book copy: Cased with the author's Amphigorey Too (New York: Putnam, distr. by Berkley Publ. Corp., 1977) in a slipcase featuring a photo on both sides of Gorey huddled in a crate on top of which sits a cat represented with a cartoon speech bubble bearing the title Gorey-in-a-box. The title is repeated on the spine with Gotham Book Mart. The price on either side of the slipcase is $11.95.
Berkley Windhover book; E2867. "Berkley Windhover book; E2867."
Description from Open Library.
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