The Iron Tonic: Or, A Winter Afternoon in Lonely Valley [Hardcover]

Edward Gorey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2000

It's difficult to say what The Iron Tonic is about, although it is "known the skating pond conceals a family of enormous eels," and that "the light is fading from the day. The rest is darkness and dismay." Finally, though, The Iron Tonic could be seen as Edward Gorey's version of a winter afternoon in one of the great Russian novels of the nineteenth century.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A faded winter's afternoon on an estate in 19th-century Russia. You can almost see where this story will lead, but with Gorey as master of ceremonies, there will be a few twists. For one thing, the skating pond shelters a family of eels. Requiescat in pace, Gorey.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A faded winter's afternoon on an estate in 19th-century Russia. You can almost see where this story will lead, but with Gorey as master of ceremonies, there will be a few twists. For one thing, the skating pond shelters a family of eels. Requiescat in pace, Gorey. (Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (October 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151004374
• ISBN-13: 978-0151004379
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 4.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #764,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Pen & Ink

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

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Iron Tonic, November 8, 2000

By 

Vincent Frank II (Altoona, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Iron Tonic: Or, A Winter Afternoon in Lonely Valley (Hardcover)

Folks, it doesn't get any better than this--Edward Gorey's masterpiece known as The Iron Tonic, or, A Winter Afternoon in Lonely Valley. Originally published in 1969 by the Albondocani Press in a limited edition of 226 copies, this otherwise elusive title is a welcome reprint. With disturbing lines like, "The infant dead beside the path/ Escaped the orphanage's wrath," this is among Gorey's darker works. As an added bonus, the illustrations are wonderfully detailed; it is certainly one of his best (and there are so many from which to choose!).

Those of you who like this should also look for such gems as The Willowdale Handcar, The Loathesome Couple, The Hapless Child, The Blue Aspic, and The Stupid Joke.

Mr. Gorey's passing earlier this year (2000) was almost symbolic--as the 20th Century ended, so did one of its greatest artists; yet his Edwardian/early 20th Century characters will carry on. He will be missed.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank You Sir, may I have another..., September 29, 2000

By 

misterfurioso (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Iron Tonic: Or, A Winter Afternoon in Lonely Valley (Hardcover)

Delightfully odd. Deliciously dire. Beautifully Dismal. Gorey is as Gorey was as Gorey will always be: one of a kind, a secret, obscure treasure found in a musty attic, underneath your great grandmother's tattered, incomprehensible old board games. He made scads of these odd confections (many reprinted in the Amphigorey collections), and one can only hope that the publishers put out more than one or two a year. Huzzah! Hooray! Try just one today...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Goreyrific!, January 23, 2004

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Iron Tonic: Or, A Winter Afternoon in Lonely Valley (Hardcover)

Sometimes I'll stop and look at an Edward Gorey construction (like "The Iron Tonic") and wonder to myself, "How exactly was this book received in 1969"? Gorey spent years and years perfecting his craft to the best of his abilities. In "The Iron Tonic", hard core Gorey fans will not be disappointed. Those unfamiliar with Mr. Gorey's books may find this one a poor first showing. Advertised on its cover as a, "Bracingly Bleak Tale", it is nonetheless amusing in its dourness. Using his old reliable pen-and-ink, Gorey follows the trials of those attendees at a gothic grey hotel in the middle of an icy wilderness. In the backgrounds of many pictures, the observant reader will notice numerous tiny figures dashing around in the background. Objects fall from the sky regularly, and it is not particularly alarming (or unnatural) to find the occasional dead orphan at the side of the road. I can't say for certain that this book wouldn't be appreciated by some children. Undoubtedly there are those out there eager to scarf up anything this well illustrated. But the large majority of kids will find "The Iron Tonic", unsatisfying, and that is as it should be. If the large population of kiddie-dom was made up of Goreyphiles we'd be living in an eerie wonderful world. That day may be coming, but it is not here yet.