The Epiplectic Bicycle [Hardcover]

Edward Gorey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1998

A charming burlesque concerning an intrepid voyage of epic proportions by the “incredibly sophisticated...stylish and inventive” Edward Gorey (New York Observer). Now available in a special gift edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (June 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151003149
• ISBN-13: 978-0151003143
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Oddness..., December 28, 2000

By 

Beth Ringsmuth "bethringsmuth" (Saint Cloud, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Epiplectic Bicycle (Hardcover)

Two children go an "adventure" of sorts, riding around on an "Epiplectic Bicycle" (which eventually meets its demise) in this "chapter book" of sorts by Edward Gorey.

One detail I enjoyed was the chapter numbers-I noticed about halfway through reading it that I was on something like Chapter 11, but never remembered seeing Chapter 10... Pure Gorey fun! If you're not really into the scarily macabre Gorey stuff, try this book instead. It's much more light, but still has those touches that only Edward could add. It's even good for slightly older children (9-11 year olds), and the pictures are good for any age (like the picture that is all black except for a sliver of light on a bicycle wheel).

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They Rode Past A Great Many Turnip Fields..., November 2, 2004

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Epiplectic Bicycle (Hardcover)

This is my second favorite of all Gorey tales, behind only "The Doubtful Guest." The story concerns Embley and Yewbert, who, after hitting each other with croquet mallets, have quite an adventure on the bicycle in question.

One of the beautiful things about Gorey is the number of interpretations that are possible. In all likelihood no two people will take the same thing away from his stories, which immeasurably enhances the reading experience. As in all Gorey tales, this one contains extremely peculiar turns of phrase, and this one has the bonus of seemingly randomly numbered chapters, although it took me three times through the book before I noticed.

This is a delightful introduction to Gorey, and is one of his distinctly less macabre stories. This book is wonderful fun for all ages and is highly recommended.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was too dark to hear anything..., January 13, 2004

By 

Justin E. Jacobson "silent_bombadil" (Fort Walton Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Epiplectic Bicycle (Hardcover)

This book travels through time. The chapters are numbered out of sequence yet the story progresses in a brilliantly funny approximation of a linear manner, the art is quirky, the text is silly, and the book itself just feels good to hold.

I've seen "The Epiplectic Bicycle" presented in this little picture-book format and with two pictures a page in a larger Gorey anthology, and it's more fun in this edition, as the pictures and text are arranged in a way that looks better on a smaller, oblong page.

The title, as best as my friends with fondnesses for strange words can determine, refers to an epiplexis, a debating strategy/rhetorical-device that tries to convince listeners by mildly upbraiding/insulting them.

Just what the bicycle is trying to persuade people to do, fortunately (as it makes the book that much more fun) is harder to determine, so I heartily reccomend buying this strange little book and leaving copies in your bathroom, on a table by the front door, anyplace anyone will be waiting for a little while as a way of making their day better with a little fun wierdness.