Book Review: Amphigorey by Edward Gorey

Title: Amphigorey
Author: Edward Gorey
Publisher: Turnaround publisher service
Pages: 189
Price: Rs 1241
ISBN: 9780399504338
Genre: Art / fiction/ satire
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Borrowed



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Summary (from good reads)

The title of this deliciously creepy collection of Gorey's work stems from the word amphigory, meaning a nonsense verse or composition. As always, Gorey's painstakingly cross-hatched pen and ink drawings are perfectly suited to his oddball verse and prose. The first book of 15.

Review
Amphigorey is the first among the series of book of three.I happened to read this book in strange circumstances  just like the bizarre collection of stories that set a classic example for social satire..There are fifteen short stories in this book and each one a unique in its own way..Gorey's illustration is something that one would find it quite different from any of the books one usually reads..I read the stories at random and though unique some of them where not my cup of tea .....

What would you do with ghastly, grim, sullen and somber circumstances and events?? Tone it down so much that they start tosound amusingly witty..I think anyone but  Gorey could do this kind of work with these stories..

There are kids such that in that of  "The Grashlycrumb Tinies" who die at unusual circumstance that is amusing ..But then can you believe that? well that is Gorey for you.. Gorey has created an era that is strangely funny , creatures are strange and quite fantastic at that as in "The Doubtful guest", it is a story of an animal visiting a family much to the irritation and dismay of the family, worse part it doesn't talk while dropping their precious belonging to the pond stealing towel and so on, the family is never able to get rid of it even after 17 years, while the animal doesn't show any sign of leaving in near future either..The Unstrung harp is another interesting hypnagogic conversations in an authors head, his creativity that roots in and branches out as tales..The mental pressure when an author is unable to pen down his thoughts his frustrations and creating a masterpiece and trashing them all are depicted in an unusual way ...
"The hapless child" was one story that in spite of its melancholy aura, could be for a normal read. Its about Charlotte Sophia whose father, Colonel dies on duty, mother too dies of ill- health, she is sent to a boarding school where the teachers are cruel, her fellow mates bizarre to the extend that they tear off her doll's limb, to escape all this she runs away  only to come face to face with thugs who are even worse but then some good news comes her way towards the end.."The curious Sofa"  was my least favourite among all..

Overall the book is for an off-beat read which would treat you with a very different reading experience..The language is old school hence may not be that reader friendly, still it is worth a try..

The illustrations