THE ECLECTIC ABECEDARIUM.
Edward. Gorey
(Anne & David Bromer, Jan. 1, 1983)
Printed in an edition limited to 400 copies, signed and numbered by Edward Gorey Bradbury, Bromer, 9; Toledano 86b . Printed by Darrell Hyder and bound by Barbara Blumenthal. Each set of facing pages contains two lines of text on the left with an illustration on the right. Each couplet takes as its subject a word starting with the next letter of the alphabet, such as "Betray no qualms/ When asked for Alms" for the letter "A" and "The kitchen sink/ Is made of Zinc" for "Z." Many of the short poems take on a satirical didactic tone, such as "In sorting Kelp/ Be quick to help" for "K" , while others, though still superficially instructional, are funny, such as "Forbear to taste/ Library Paste" for "L" and "Don't try to cram/ The dog with Jam" for "J" . The accompanying pictures are rather straight-forward depictions of each couplet. Their deceptive simplicity effectively highlights the perversity and humor of the text. These drawings are fairly typical of Edward Gorey's 1925-2000 imagery, which is marked by a highly individual blend of dark humor and gothic fantasy. A sprightly, irreverent little book. 62 pages. cloth, paper cover label.. miniature, 2.8 x 3.4 cm. .