The Gashlycrumb Tinies were on daily rota for bedtime reading for my children. Children at an age are absolute tyrannical sadists thrilled by casual cruelty - it didn't take long for them to recite the entire Gorey alphabet from memory and they would howl at the top of their lungs each stanza, whooping and cackling with delight.
Ahhh, the good old days.
This kind of warning daft darkness is a well-honoured tradition in children's literature - you find it in Dr Suess, Tolkien, Wilde, Carroll, Schultz, Herriman, Grahame, Brothers Grimm, unbowlderized Hans Christian Anderson, Nordic folktales, First Nations folklore etc. Children must learn that as wonderful as the world is, it is filled with arbitrary, mindful violence, destruction and cruelty - so this exposure innoculates and prepares them.
Thank you for this essay - Addams and Gorey were wonderful authors.
Oh yes, my hands down favorite letter is B - for Basil, assaulted by bears.
I love the term 'daft darkness' and I completely agree about the inoculating effect of early exposure to scary themes. It always saddens me when people dismiss the horror genre as amoral or sadistic. I think it's worse to pretend evil doesn't exist than to get angry with artists for facing and explaining it. That certainly goes for children's literature too - since children are uniquely vulnerable to violence and abuse they more than anyone need to learn how to deal with darkness.
(And it doesn't hurt if the stories are hilarious!)
I’ve been amused by Edward Gorey and Hillaire Beloc since I was a kid, not that either type of cautionary tales were welcome in my home. I only watched the Addams Family movie in the last year or so, after reading, as you mention, that it is a great example of healthy family relationships. Gorey’s not all dark, though, his nonsense verse is funny (but maybe it’s darker than I remember). Thanks! Looking forward to the next installment.
It’s hard to choose, but Una who slipped down a drain reminds me that as I young child I was terrified of getting flushed down the toilet or falling between the treads of stairs lacking risers. I have to wonder if Xerxes was inspired by Orwell’s 1984, but not necessarily. Some of the deaths seem quite Dickensian. I remember a heavy drinker undergoing spontaneous combustion near his lit fireplace (much to the relief of the reader).
I LOVE Edward Gorey!! Neville dying of ennui always appealed to me, as I knew a guy named Neville, who would tire of me asking him how his ennui was doing. I still have the rolled up poster of the Gashleycrumb Tinies, a treasure bought in 1996! I also have all three compilation books, “Amphigorey”, “Amphigorey Too” and “Amphigorey Also,” all same era (I had to special order them from the local bookstore).
I’ve always been a huge fan of “The Beastly Baby”, as I’ve never wanted or particularly liked children. 😁
I love that Gorey was a cat guy.
Excited for this series, Rebekah! You’ve hit a sweet spot for me.🖤🦇
Amazing, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them! It sounds like you’re a true Gorey fan, I LOVE the fact you used Gashleycrumb to tease a real life Neville. Let’s hope his ennui hasn’t got the best of him… The Beastly Baby is great, and there’s another story I’ll be talking about which was apparently based on Gorey’s horrified reaction to a description of his friend’s toddler so you’ll enjoy that one!
I am a cat-goth, but I love dogs, too! And Addams and Gorey both. I'm probably more of an Addams fan, but simply because he was a much bigger part of my childhood.
As expected, this was an excellent read and distillation of what made these two men, seemingly the same at first glance, utterly unique. Excited for the rest of the series!!
Yes! I was so exited to see this pop into my inbox. Gorey is one of my all time favorite illustrator-writers and by some happy coincidence, my coworker just gave me a copy of that very same Practical Cats book! Now I just need to get my hands on The Insect God...
Neville is also my favourite, although I do have a soft spot for Zillah. This series is right up my street. I'm a big fan of Gorey and Addams and keep a copy of The Doubtful Guest in my downstairs loo.
Love Edward Gorey! Also love how in Tinies he chooses to draw the moment just before or just after, leaving you to imagine the moment of death itself. Grimly funny.
I personally think Desmond survived being thrown out of a sleigh. Falling onto a snowy surface is not generally fatal, and Desmond does not appear to have been trampled by horse hooves or run over by sleigh runners.
Another abcdarium to revel in is Gorey's 'The Fatal Lozenge' (Z is my favourite). But for some reason whenever I think of Gorey, I think of 'The Blue Aspic'. The operatic theme is perfect for Gorey.
I remember The Gashlycrumb Tinies from when I was a child. My uncle gifted my mother a copy, but I had no idea that Gorey was so interesting a figure. The Teddy Bear, a Sinister Play sounds interesting. Does the Teddy Bear gets its way? Sounds like something to do with how audiences anticipate or want closure, even gruesome closure.
There's definitely more to the story with Titus. I'm having trouble believing that he accidentally received a mail bomb.
I’m not sure how the play ends but I desperately want to know. I’ve always liked comedy that deliberately messes with pacing, he’s definitely playing on our need for closure as you say!
Yes, I think Titus might have been tied up in something terrible — although if there’s one creative universe where a mail bomb could turn up by accidence it is the world of Gorey.
The Gashlycrumb Tinies were on daily rota for bedtime reading for my children. Children at an age are absolute tyrannical sadists thrilled by casual cruelty - it didn't take long for them to recite the entire Gorey alphabet from memory and they would howl at the top of their lungs each stanza, whooping and cackling with delight.
Ahhh, the good old days.
This kind of warning daft darkness is a well-honoured tradition in children's literature - you find it in Dr Suess, Tolkien, Wilde, Carroll, Schultz, Herriman, Grahame, Brothers Grimm, unbowlderized Hans Christian Anderson, Nordic folktales, First Nations folklore etc. Children must learn that as wonderful as the world is, it is filled with arbitrary, mindful violence, destruction and cruelty - so this exposure innoculates and prepares them.
Thank you for this essay - Addams and Gorey were wonderful authors.
Oh yes, my hands down favorite letter is B - for Basil, assaulted by bears.
I love the term 'daft darkness' and I completely agree about the inoculating effect of early exposure to scary themes. It always saddens me when people dismiss the horror genre as amoral or sadistic. I think it's worse to pretend evil doesn't exist than to get angry with artists for facing and explaining it. That certainly goes for children's literature too - since children are uniquely vulnerable to violence and abuse they more than anyone need to learn how to deal with darkness.
(And it doesn't hurt if the stories are hilarious!)
Love both Edward Gorey and the Addams family, but Gorey just has the edge with his much darker humour.
I think I have Gorey days and Addams days depending on my mood!
oh definitely! ha ha
I’ve been amused by Edward Gorey and Hillaire Beloc since I was a kid, not that either type of cautionary tales were welcome in my home. I only watched the Addams Family movie in the last year or so, after reading, as you mention, that it is a great example of healthy family relationships. Gorey’s not all dark, though, his nonsense verse is funny (but maybe it’s darker than I remember). Thanks! Looking forward to the next installment.
I think I’m confusing him with the other Edward Lear re nonsense verse. It’s possible I saw an exhibit with drawings from both.
It’s hard to choose, but Una who slipped down a drain reminds me that as I young child I was terrified of getting flushed down the toilet or falling between the treads of stairs lacking risers. I have to wonder if Xerxes was inspired by Orwell’s 1984, but not necessarily. Some of the deaths seem quite Dickensian. I remember a heavy drinker undergoing spontaneous combustion near his lit fireplace (much to the relief of the reader).
"a cattish indifference towards the fate of humans" is a lovely bit of writing. Looking forward to the rest of this series!
Haha thank you Mata, I hope you enjoy them. (Cats are so fun to describe!)
I LOVE Edward Gorey!! Neville dying of ennui always appealed to me, as I knew a guy named Neville, who would tire of me asking him how his ennui was doing. I still have the rolled up poster of the Gashleycrumb Tinies, a treasure bought in 1996! I also have all three compilation books, “Amphigorey”, “Amphigorey Too” and “Amphigorey Also,” all same era (I had to special order them from the local bookstore).
I’ve always been a huge fan of “The Beastly Baby”, as I’ve never wanted or particularly liked children. 😁
I love that Gorey was a cat guy.
Excited for this series, Rebekah! You’ve hit a sweet spot for me.🖤🦇
Amazing, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them! It sounds like you’re a true Gorey fan, I LOVE the fact you used Gashleycrumb to tease a real life Neville. Let’s hope his ennui hasn’t got the best of him… The Beastly Baby is great, and there’s another story I’ll be talking about which was apparently based on Gorey’s horrified reaction to a description of his friend’s toddler so you’ll enjoy that one!
I am a cat-goth, but I love dogs, too! And Addams and Gorey both. I'm probably more of an Addams fan, but simply because he was a much bigger part of my childhood.
As expected, this was an excellent read and distillation of what made these two men, seemingly the same at first glance, utterly unique. Excited for the rest of the series!!
Thanks so much, Meg! I came to Gorey a bit later too but I do love them both.
Yes! I was so exited to see this pop into my inbox. Gorey is one of my all time favorite illustrator-writers and by some happy coincidence, my coworker just gave me a copy of that very same Practical Cats book! Now I just need to get my hands on The Insect God...
The Insect God will be making an appearance later in this series. Thanks Kit, I hope you enjoy it!
I love this idea of an Addams Goth to Gorey Goth spectrum on which to find ourselves! 🖤
They should have it as a slider on dating apps!
😂 absolutely!
Neville is also my favourite, although I do have a soft spot for Zillah. This series is right up my street. I'm a big fan of Gorey and Addams and keep a copy of The Doubtful Guest in my downstairs loo.
I love the idea of guests seeing that and being reminded how not to behave! RIP Zillah…
I can tell I'm going to love this series... That play about the teddy bear sounds amazing.
Thanks James! I know, I’d love to see it revived.
After all the others, it's hard not to sympathise with Zillah who drank too much gin.
Agreed, I love the fact that she’s the last one. What’s left to do but drink?
Love Edward Gorey! Also love how in Tinies he chooses to draw the moment just before or just after, leaving you to imagine the moment of death itself. Grimly funny.
Exactly, the timing is so perfect!
I personally think Desmond survived being thrown out of a sleigh. Falling onto a snowy surface is not generally fatal, and Desmond does not appear to have been trampled by horse hooves or run over by sleigh runners.
Now I want to read Belloc's Cautionary Tales.
You might be right! It’s funny that he doesn’t seem to be at all trying to break his fall. Just accepting his fate!
Y is for Yorick, whose head was knocked in. Alas.
Another abcdarium to revel in is Gorey's 'The Fatal Lozenge' (Z is my favourite). But for some reason whenever I think of Gorey, I think of 'The Blue Aspic'. The operatic theme is perfect for Gorey.
The Fatal Lozenge is great! I’m a big fan of The Utter Zoo.
I remember The Gashlycrumb Tinies from when I was a child. My uncle gifted my mother a copy, but I had no idea that Gorey was so interesting a figure. The Teddy Bear, a Sinister Play sounds interesting. Does the Teddy Bear gets its way? Sounds like something to do with how audiences anticipate or want closure, even gruesome closure.
There's definitely more to the story with Titus. I'm having trouble believing that he accidentally received a mail bomb.
I’m not sure how the play ends but I desperately want to know. I’ve always liked comedy that deliberately messes with pacing, he’s definitely playing on our need for closure as you say!
Yes, I think Titus might have been tied up in something terrible — although if there’s one creative universe where a mail bomb could turn up by accidence it is the world of Gorey.
When a Gorey fan makes music, the results are pretty wonderful (besides Rasputina, there's also a great Robert Wyatt song)
https://open.substack.com/pub/georgedhenderson/p/oh-perilous-world?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=9ni9m