Items related to The Doubtful Guest
A tale of deceptive simplicity.
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Review:
Originally published in 1957, The Doubtful Guest serves as a prime example of the beauty, eccentricity, and brilliance of Edward Gorey's work. If the book was read aloud without revealing the accompanying black-and-white drawings, you might guess the tale came from the quirky genius of Dr. Seuss. The rhyming couplets and nonsensical verse (about an even more nonsensical creature) feel familiar, but in Gorey's skilled hands, the experience becomes altogether new.
About the Author:
The doubtful guest shows up unannounced and unwelcome, yet its presence is accepted after only a brief interlude of screaming. The staid, pale, Victorian inhabitants of the mansion alternately stare and glare at the doubtful guest as it tears out whole chapters from books, peels the soles of its white canvas shoes, and broods while lying on the floor ("inconveniently close to the drawing-room door"). Strangely, or rather, typically, as this is a Gorey book, the stymied occupants never ask the guest to leave--and in 17 years it has still "shown no intention of going away." Maintaining a matter-of-fact tone in spite of true oddity is pure, delicious Gorey, and his trademark drawings are not to be missed. The ghostly, stark, and undeniably amusing illustrations make The Doubtful Guest an entrancing tale in which reserved, insular lives meet with the unexpected and bizarre. (Ages 5 and older)
Edward Gorey (1925-2000) wrote and illustrated such popular books as The Doubtful Guest, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, and The Headless Bust. He was also a very successful set and costume designer, earning a Tony Award for his Broadway production of Edward Gorey's Dracula. Animated sequences of his work have introduced the PBS series Mystery! since 1980.
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- PublisherPeter Weed
- Publication date1957
- ISBN 10 0926637029
- ISBN 13 9780926637023
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages32
- Rating
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The Doubtful Guest
Published by
Peter Weed
(1957)
ISBN 10: 0926637029
ISBN 13: 9780926637023
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
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Book Description hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_386139193
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Doubtful Guest
Published by
Peter Weed Books
(1957)
ISBN 10: 0926637029
ISBN 13: 9780926637023
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.6. Seller Inventory # G0926637029I5N00
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THE DOUBTFUL GUEST
Published by
Peter Weed Books ( 1957 ), New York
(1957)
ISBN 10: 0926637029
ISBN 13: 9780926637023
Used
Hardcover
Signed
Quantity: 1
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Rating
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: price-clipped dj. edward gorey (illustrator). New Edition. 16mo, unpaginated, pictorial boards to match the dj; inked gift inscription in 1991 on front pastedown Signed by Gorey on the title-page. Seller Inventory # 20220230
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