Edward Gorey was an American writer / artist who published a number of bizarre, surreal and yet deeply affecting illustrated story books in the latter half of the 20th Century. Many of these have been out of print from a number of years, but new life has been breathed into them by independent publisher Pomegranate.
The Lost Lions (or, Having Opened The Wrong Envelope) tells the story of Hamish, a handsome young man who one day opens the wrong envelope and ends up in the movie business. Suddenly wealthy, he begins to raise lions. But fate has other plans for him...
If you were just to read the text, Hamish's story could take you little more than a minute to get through. Gorey's writing is sparse, a single sentence a page, yet there's much more to his stories than words. The gorgeous pen and ink illustrations that accomplish each sentence contain more depth and emotion than many full-length novels and Gorey draws the cutest lions you ever did see. The ending is enigmatic and thought-provoking and it's the kind of book you'll want to take your time over, savouring every wonderful crosshatched line.
Find out more about Edward Gorey and his newly republished books at the Pomegranate website.
