Comments on: The Melancholy Deaths of Edward Gorey’s Children

By: Mary Beth

Mary Beth — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:28:55 +0000

I’ve never heard of Edward Gorey until now! I’m fascinated and a little freaked out at the same time. I grew up with the little tales of Augustus who wouldn’t eat his soup (he starves to death) and the little girl who wouldn’t stop slamming doors (she is smashed by a heavy decoration above one of them), but they were different. I mean, there weren’t relatively graphic illustrations of the children dying, lol. This is something my friends and I would probably have a morbid fascination with, but I wouldn’t let my small son see. At least not for a few more years.

By: Madeleine

Madeleine — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:03:04 +0000

I read the Gashleycrumb Tinies when I was six. Maybe that’s why I’m so odd….

He did teach me the word ‘ennui’, though.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:44:34 +0000

I don’t know if I should feel sorry for this man or call him a freak. Or both. I don’t know if I should be repelled by this, or really interested in reading more of it. Or both. How confusing. What a great post!

By: Teela

Teela — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:49:51 +0000

I adore Gorey! I read most of his stuff in middle school (I’m now a college-type), and I have the poster version of “The Gashlybrumb Tinies” on my wall. One melancholy death that isn’t mentioned here is the one that still freaks me outâ€“ the story of “The Insect God.” The final lines being:
“They stunned her, and stripped off her garments, and lastly
They stuffed her inside a kind of a pod;
And then it was that Millicent Frastley
Was sacrificed to The Insect God.”

By: Twinkle

Twinkle — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:15:20 +0000

Gorey won a Tony Award for designing the sets of a musical (Dracula- I believe). I’ve got all his books (the ones he wrote, and the ones he illustrated for other authors) but my absolute favorite is the Gilded Bat.
For the people who think he was weird: He also had many cats, and was famous for always wearing a white fur coat around his town. (the only garment on earth that wouldn’t show cat hairs, I assume)

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 04:11:00 +0000

Eh..I don’t know. I’m not a prude by any sense of the imagination, but his sketches seem a bit on the too-morbid side to me. Did lots of children go missing in his neighborhood…..?

By: starfish

starfish — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:45:00 +0000

Love Edward Gorey — discovered him through the Bellairs books as well. i love the dark, tongue-in-cheek-ness of it all.

The author known as Lemony Snicket better be leaving offerings at a makeshift Gorey altar every night — he owes a lot to him!! :)

By: G

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:27:00 +0000

Katherine – I do hope you’re joking.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:19:00 +0000

Never heard of the guy but found this fascinating. Is this the origin of the word “gory”, perhaps?

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Truly disturbing! Especially the last one. YUK!