Customer Reviews

The Black Doll: A Silent Screenplay

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I received this book from a LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway, and I have to say, as a Gorey fan, that it thrilled me greatly to get it.

Pomegranate Communications Inc's new release of "The Black Doll: A Silent Screenplay" by Edward Gorey (with an interview by Anne Nocenti) is a very beautiful hardcover book (ISBN 978-0-7649-4801-5). As you may know Edward Gorey passed away in 2000, and Pomegranate is hard at work releasing a lot of Gorey books in definitive editions.

I am going to make this totally spoiler free... so don't look for details here.

First, for Gorey art fans: During the 20+ page interview there are some select reprints of Gorey's more famous pictures. BUT, every 2 page spread of the screenplay (pages 34 - 71) has a picture of, what I believe is, original artwork of all of the costumed characters from the screenplay. Some are very operatic, some bizarre, and some very unique.
The interview, from 1998, is a must for all Gorey fans. It is a great peek into his head. During it there is a comment that a lot of Gorey's works are like reading a silent film. Which brings us to the screenplay...

It reads exactly like a silent film that plays in your head. I thought at first, therefore, it would have no dialogue, but it has title cards for the sparse dialogue that is there. Most of the screenplay is stage direction and action description.

Of course, if you are a HUGE Gorey fan, you have been looking for an affordable version of The Black Doll for YEARS. This is that! $17.95 (current SRP) is a lot better than $175.95, AND this is a NICE book.

great book and well worth the purchase. The sizable interview included at the start of the book, i found to be quite an interesting read, as i knew the work of Mr Gorey quite well, but knew little about him

the screenplay itself, is itself amusing and strange as only Edward Gorey could be

The Black Doll is something special. The rare interview with Edward Gorey is full of enchanting and informative tidbits; Gorey himself is charming and fun. The screenplay is self is great--mysterious, macabre, and full of references to films both familiar and obscure. I had the suspicion that it would not make a terribly watchable film--but that is sublimely unimportant. The screenplay, as it is, has the satisfying inscrutability of a Robbe-Grillet novel--but has much more charm and friendliness. This is a book to go back to, and puzzle over again and again over a glass of port (or three).

Upon my fourth, maybe fifth reading of 'The Black Doll', I fell upon my diversion. Or should I say, my digression. Either way, I was glad I did, for I now can delight in a new view of an old literary mystery by the hands of a favorite, yet enigmatic author-illustrator. Clever you, Mr Gorey.

It was in the backgrounder to the screenplay itself, 'What Went Before', that gave me something to feed on. Previously, I just took the premise for granted, and went forward from there. This time, I did some more background research before diving in again. It was like the opening sequence to Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera' movie, where the tiny people in the picture post card [p.p.c.] slowly begin to move, motorcars whir and honk; the screen pulls out, I'm drawn in. The opening of 'The Black Doll' now did that for me, once I found that the fantastic premise in 'What Went Before' might very well describe something substantial and real. Only then did I imagine that Gorey's carefully crafted framework was supporting a marvelous, spectacular adventure. What was it? Arctolatry. Look it up, it's a kick!

-- G.E.