Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman [Hardcover]

Harlan Ellison (Author), Rick Berry (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

This award-winning tale of individual rights and freedom is as fresh and valid today as when Ellison first penned the words in 1965. The generous size, lavish paper, and splendidly surreal illustrations in this belated anniversary edition are a fitting tribute to a funny and touching work and to the most honored writer in the history of fantastic literature. Color illus.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"My soul would be an outlaw," begins the storyteller in this short tale of the timeless war between Conformity and Rebellion, in the guise of the Master Timekeeper (a.k.a. the Ticktockman) and the renegade Harlequin. In a completely regulated society, where being a minute late here and there shortens your life accordingly, the Ticktockman is king; Harlequin is the jellybean joker who wants to knock him from his perch. Rick Berry's dark, lush illustrations magnify the force of a story that reminds readers of the best parts of George Orwell's 1984 or Terry Gilliam's Brazil.

Review

"The categories are too small to describe Ellison. Lyric poet, satirist, explorer of odd psychological corners, moralist, purveyor of pure horror and black comedy; he is all of these and more." The San Francisco Chronicle "[Harlan Ellison] is a phenomenon, sui generis." Digby Diehl, Playboy "Jealous artists might want to, but no one paints with confidence and excitement like Rick Berry." Locus -- San Francisco Chronicle,Locus

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Underwood Books; 1st edition (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887424350
• ISBN-13: 978-1887424356
• Product Dimensions: 13.4 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,071,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "He Serves The State Best Who Opposes The State Most", October 11, 2000

By 

Art Turner "decipheringhobshog.blogspot.com" (Rockford, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman (Hardcover)

When the subject of what one must do in order to enable real social change comes up, and the inevitable names are mentioned - Jesus, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X (the list, sadly, goes on and on) - someone inevitably makes a remark along the lines of, "Yeah, and look what happened to THEM". One of the things Mr. Ellison's fine story points out is that sacrifice is a necessary part of change. Ellison's parable-like tale shows us that someone must be willing to play the fool, the harlequin, to rage against convention, in order for any real change to be made.

Form follows content perfectly on this story - like Joyce, like cummings & Kerouac, Ellison delights in playing with language, just as his story's hero delights in playing with the rules of his society. Ellison has sometimes gone overboard in trying to show how hip & clever he is, but in this instance, he gets everything right.

In short - highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous book - read and learn of the rebel, March 6, 1999

By 

Michael J. Cutler - See all my reviews

This review is from: Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman : The Classic Story (Signed, Limited Edition) (Hardcover)

Tremendous illustrations by Rick Berry add to harlan Ellison's prose, but the story speaks powerfully even without illustration. Noting that the publication is (appropriately) two years late for a thirty year anniversary of publication, Ellison shows us who the Harlequin and Ticktock man are - us...

I hope Ellison has a *lot* more time to show the world the mask of the Ticktock man, and live the life of the harlequin. Now, it's time to find some jellybeans, and a place to scatter them like seeds in the wind....

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frustrating Ellison at His Absolute Best, May 16, 2000

By 

Kilgore Gagarin "Those who believe in telekin... (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman (Hardcover)

Ellison is frustrating because he is so uneven - he's so uneven, because he's so fearlessly prolific. That being said, REPENT is Ellison at his best as GREAT AMERICAN AUTHOR. The Ticktockman's rebellion in our Future Shocked world is even more relevant today than it was when written. There are obvious spiritual connections to CATCHER IN THE RYE, but Salinger's work is becoming dated. Ellison's short fable is a bit more universal than Salinger's novel. Perhaps in a world where we're all pressed for time, REPENT as a fast read is more accessible. There is some small irony here. I personally liked the artwork, but the star is Ellison's prose. You don't need to get this version (though I still recommend it). This would make a perverse gift for a harried CEO.